Reel World
Salute Your Shorts

Founded in 1998 as a platform for up-and-coming and established filmmakers alike, Santa Fe’s Three Minute Film Festival has a long track record for honoring the best in ultra-short cinema.
The fest’s No. 1 rule? Entries cannot, under any circumstances, exceed the three-minute mark—and that includes end credits, music or any other filmic bells and whistles. If you’re up for the challenge, well, the clock is ticking.
The submission deadline for 3MFF is Monday, April 11. Prizes will be handed out in Best Film, Best Comedy, Best Documentary, Best Experimental, Best Animation and a special jury selection. The awards are scheduled for a gala ceremony on May 20 at Santa Fe’s Lensic Performing Arts Center.
You can enter as many original shorts as you’d like, as long as you pay a $15 fee per film. Be sure to read the complete list of rules at 3mff.com, then submit online at withoutabox.com or snail mail to: Mission Control, Inc., 1660 Cerro Gordo, Santa Fe, N.M. 87501
In the meantime, filmmakers just learning the craft can glean some good, quickie advice from the Three Minute Film Fest Facebook page, such as using a clip-on mic for on-screen interviews (“i.e. don't have them hold a mic on camera”) and to “avoid using special effects unless you know what you're doing.” Amen, shorty.