shnit Worldwide Shortfilmfestival is a premier venue for the exhibition and celebration of short films. The festival is an exceptional twelve day event with a unique concept – a transnational film festival simultaneously taking place in multiple cities on five continents worldwide, with three main components: shnit PLAYGROUNDS, taking place in all of our PLAYGROUND cities around the world, shnit SHORTS, in cinemas in various cities, and our shnit FINALE awards ceremony.

The international competitions includes five award categories and attracts award-winning short filmmakers from around the globe. As a result, shnit presents a competition program of exceptional quality and density. Every year thousands of short films reach the programme commission. Once even over 10.000 from 142 countries. Last year more than 130 masterpieces from 43 countries were selected for the international competitions.

In addition, each PLAYGROUND presents National Jury and Audience Awards, in a CLOSING NIGHT ceremony held before the FINALE in each PLAYGROUND city.

In its seventeen years of existence, shnit has become a major international short film festival that reinvents itself in ever new forms. What started as a local initiative in in the heard of Europe is now a transnational event that connects and inspires makers and fans of short films across the globe. With its cinematic treats and air of celebration of the art of the short, shnit fascinates over 35.000 visitors around the world and is fast becoming spoken of as one of the most exciting short film festivals in the world.

shnit Worldwide Shortfilmfestival is a non-profit organization. The annual festival is curated and centrally coordinated in cooperation with our PLAYGROUND executives. The organization is built on principles of excellence and professionalism, rendering the global expansion of the festival possible. As such, shnit delivers a highest quality program of new and established international short films. shnit is a member festival of the Short Film Conference and operates within a code of conduct accepted and agreed upon by its network of short film festivals.