16th Edinburgh Short Film Festival to launch next month
The 16th annual Edinburgh Short Film Festival (ESFF) officially returns next month, bringing a world-class program of short cinema to the capital from Friday 6th November until Saturday 21st November 2026.
Screening at the newly reopened Edinburgh Filmhouse and Summerhall arts center, this year's festival is set to showcase 29 UK premieres and 27 award-winning shorts sourced from top global festivals like Cannes, Locarno, and the Berlinale.
Over seven nights of lively in-competition screenings, local and international filmmakers will compete for major titles including Best Film, Best Animation, and Best Scottish Film. Audiences can expect a diverse cinematic landscape, with genres spanning from Chinese neo-noir and Kurdish documentaries to Finnish stop-motion and Australian horror.
In addition to film screenings, the 2026 lineup features live director Q&As, networking sessions, panel discussions, and a dedicated showcase of Japanese short films from Tokyo. On November 15th, ESFF will host a delegation of visiting European Film Festival directors presenting their own award-winning programs.
Tickets and the full 2026 program are now available online. For more information or to book tickets, visit the 2026 events page:
https://www.edinburghshortfilmfestival.com/edinburgh-short-film-festival-2026/