Created by students, run by students: LJMU’S SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

LJMU’s third edition of our MA Short Film Festival was held in March 2023, with 42 films being shown across the event. This year there was an additional category, Experimental Film, which featured entries that challenged the idea of conventional filmmaking. As always, this year’s student filmmakers worked toward taking home the prized ‘Paper Bird’ Award for Best Fiction, Documentary, Animated, and Experimental Film, while viewers will have the chance to vote for their favourite to receive the Audience Award.

Created by students as part of the module ‘Exploring Film Festivals, Distribution and Exhibition’, the LJMU MA Short Film Festival is a unique and innovative educational experience that is exclusive to Liverpool John Moore’s University.

The call for this year’s submissions went out in early 2023 and we received a staggering 1,400 films from almost 100 countries, which were then viewed and debated by the student programming team.

Jory Metcalf-Judge, MA Student and Festival Co-organiser, said: “My experience programming this festival has opened my eyes to how the beating heart of the city can be represented through cinema. From experimental film to more outspoken social commentaries, these films showcase the expanding cultural landscape of cities across the world.”