Liverpool John Moores University is proud to be hosting the fifth annual edition of the LJMU MA Short Film Festival this spring. The festival will launch online from the 28th of March, with in person events running from the 31st of March until the 4th of April.
Since it began in 2021, the festival has been able to build and improve every year, transforming into a multiplatform event with an international reach. MA Film students running the upcoming 2025 edition, under the guidance of Dr Lydia Papadimitriou and Martin Jones, received an astounding 2,691 film submissions from 112 countries, ranging from Ecuador to Taiwan, India to Bulgaria, Kazakhstan to the UK.
The LJMU MA Short Film Festival is distinctly programmed by students for students, helping to highlight the talent, creativity, and remarkable storytelling ability of young and upcoming filmmakers across the globe. Inclusivity is our priority, and we ensure that submission to the festival is free for student filmmakers as is audience access for both the online and in person events.
This year’s programme features a diverse selection of 37 films ranging from light-hearted comedies, inspirational tales of overcoming adversity and challenging explorations of sexual violence and grief. The films are programmed into four strands: Fiction, Documentary, Experimental and Animation.
One film from each strand will be chosen by a jury, made up of industry professionals, academics, previous winners and LJMU undergraduate students, to win a coveted Paper Bird Award. Visitors to the festival website will also be able to vote for their favourite film to receive the special Audience Award.
Dr Lydia Papadimitriou says: ‘I am so proud to see this unique festival, curated and run by a new group of MA Film students every year, successfully reach its 5th year and grow from strength to strength in terms of film submissions, audiences and the quality of the work behind the scenes.’
Martin Jones says: ‘Reaching our fifth edition marks a significant milestone—one that feels like a true turning point in our journey. It is an opportunity to reflect on how far we’ve come and to celebrate the incredible talent, hard work, and dedication of both our current and former MA students, as well as the student filmmakers whose work we’ve had the privilege of showcasing.’
Festival goers will have the ability to choose to watch the films on the festival website from the 28th of March 2025, or at live screening events commencing on the evening of Monday the 31st of March, with a different strand screening each night until the 3rd of April. The live events will take place in LJMU’s own Redmond’s Building, followed by Q&As with some of the featured filmmakers.
The festival closes on the 4th of April with a live awards ceremony, bringing filmmakers and audiences together to celebrate the films and the success of the festival.