Leiden Shorts

What Leiden Shorts does

Leiden Shorts is an annual international short film festival founded in 2009 in Leiden, Netherlands, and organized by the non-profit foundation Stichting Cinemaclub Leiden, which holds ANBI (public benefit organization) status under Dutch tax law. Originally launched as LISFE (Leiden International Short Film Experience) by cinema-loving expats at Leiden University, the festival has grown over 15+ editions into the second-largest short film festival in the Netherlands. It serves three primary customer groups: international and national filmmakers who submit works, individual festival audiences who attend screenings, and industry professionals who participate in panels, workshops, and networking events. The festival presents over 120 short films across five days in three core competitions (national, international, and debut), supplemented by thematic programmes, Q&As, panels, and industry events.

Name

Leiden Shorts

Legal name

Stichting Cinemaclub Leiden

Website

https://leidenshorts.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Leiden Shorts is an annual international short film festival founded in 2009 in Leiden, Netherlands, run by non-profit Stichting Cinemaclub Leiden. It serves filmmakers, audiences, and industry professionals through three competitions, thematic programmes, and the European Short Pitch Coproduction Forum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Short Film Festival Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers (MPADAKAD)

Keywords

• Short film festival
• Film competitions
• Cinema screenings
• Filmmaker networking
• Industry panels

Headquarters

HQ city

Leiden

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket and Pass Sales: Revenue generated from sale of individual screening tickets, day passes, and festival passes through FilmChief and Eventbrite platforms.
2. Sponsorships and Partnerships: Financial and in-kind support from sponsors and partners including venues, cultural institutions, and commercial sponsors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Leiden Shorts runs an annual multi-day international short film festival in Leiden, the Netherlands, screening 120+ short films from 1,400+ submissions across national, international, and debut competitions as well as thematic programmes. The festival is complemented by an industry programme (including the European Short Pitch Coproduction Forum), panels, Q&As, workshops, and an online Rewatch/Reread catalogue of past selections. Tickets and passes are sold to the public via FilmChief and Eventbrite, with sponsorship and partnership support from cultural institutions and commercial sponsors.

Product overview

Leiden Shorts operates as a single annual film festival (with editions dating from 2009 to 2026) centred on short-form cinema. The core product is the multi-day festival itself, which runs over four to five days each year, presenting over 100 short films across three competitions (national, international, and debut). The festival's offering is supplemented by a Rewatch/Reread online viewing platform, the European Short Pitch Coproduction Forum (a dedicated industry programme), and an industry/networking programme of panels, workshops, and networking events. The festival uses FilmChief as its primary ticketing and scheduling platform, with secondary ticket sales via Eventbrite.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Leiden Shorts Film Festival An annual multi-day short film festival in Leiden presenting 120+ short films from 1,400+ submissions across national, international, and debut competitions, plus thematic programmes, panels, Q&As, and workshops. Targeted at film audiences and short filmmakers.
• European Short Pitch Coproduction Forum Industry programme hosted at Leiden Shorts that facilitates coproduction opportunities for short film projects, connecting filmmakers with partners and funders. Targeted at filmmakers and industry professionals.
• Online Films & Events (Rewatch/Reread)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,400 submissions from 70+ countries received annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KijkhuiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain festival location and primary screening venue in Leiden. Kijkhuis is described as Leiden's art-lover's favourite cinema and serves as the home base for the festival's competitions, panels, and events.
• Old SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecondary venue partner for experimental film showcase and thematic side events. Hosts the smallest cinema room for intimate experimental screenings.
• Museum de LakenhalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for side events, panel discussions, and thematic programming. 2020 edition included events in collaboration with Museum de Lakenhal.
• De Buurt 1.5minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocation partner for community-focused screenings and side events in 2020 edition.
• De AnimatiebusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnimation workshop provider for the festival's family and youth programming. Anoeska Huige of De Animatiebus devised and conducted animation workshops for young and old at Marktsteeg 10.
• Leiden UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for panel discussions, hosting events in collaboration with Studium Generale. Discussions were organized in collaboration with Afrispectives, izi solutions, and Leiden University.
• AfrispectivesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThematic film screenings curated by Angelique Mbundu (Director of IAfrica Film Festival) in collaboration with the festival's 'Rooted' programme.
• European Short PitchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Short Pitch Coproduction Forum hosted for the second time at Leiden Shorts 2026. A key industry event connecting filmmakers for coproduction opportunities.
• PLNT LeidenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpening party and social venue for the 2022 edition, hosting industry networking events.
• Webster UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for interactive Documentary and VR exhibition as part of the festival's technology and innovation programming.
• Movies that MatterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConversation event between Margje de Koning (Artistic Director of Movies that Matter) and filmmaker Koen Suidgeest (Leiden Shorts Board President) as part of the Re-imagining Leiden Shorts industry event.
• Netherlands Institute for Sound & VisionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Tactile Memory panel on the revival of analogue filmmaking, in collaboration with Leiden European City Of Science.
• FilmChiefcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrimary ticketing and festival pass platform for Leiden Shorts. Used for online ticket sales, timetable scheduling, and festival pass purchases.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Imagine Film Festival: Imagine is a Dutch genre film festival in Amsterdam that includes short film programming. It has previously recognized films screened at Leiden Shorts (e.g., Facelift nomination) and operates as a comparable Dutch festival with short film tracks.
• Movies that Matter Festival: Movies that Matter is a Dutch human rights film festival held in The Hague that features short films alongside features. It is a regional comparable operating in the same Dutch festival ecosystem and partnering with shared cultural institutions.

Emerging players

• Visions du Réel: Visions du Réel is a Swiss documentary and short film festival with international industry programming. It shares with Leiden Shorts the focus on emerging filmmakers and industry development through panels and coproduction forums.

Direct peers

• Uppsala Short Film Festival: Uppsala is a major European short film festival held in Sweden. It competes with Leiden Shorts in attracting international short film submissions and provides a comparable model of a mid-sized European short film festival with industry programming.
• Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival: Clermont-Ferrand is the world's largest short film festival, held annually in France. It is the premier global benchmark for short film festivals and competes with Leiden Shorts for international filmmaker submissions and industry visibility.
• KABOOM Animation Festival: KABOOM is an Amsterdam-based animation festival that includes short animated films as a core focus. It overlaps with Leiden Shorts in programming animated shorts and competing for the same Dutch animation filmmaker community.
• Go Short: Go Short is the largest international short film festival in the Netherlands, held annually in Nijmegen. It is the most direct competitor to Leiden Shorts, competing for the same Dutch and international short film submissions, audiences, and sponsorships.
• International Short Film Festival Oberhausen: Oberhausen is one of the oldest and most prestigious short film festivals in the world, held annually in Germany. It competes with Leiden Shorts for high-quality international short films and serves as a comparable curated short film platform.

Broad incumbents

• Netherlands Film Festival (NFF): NFF is the national film festival of the Netherlands held annually in Utrecht, awarding the Golden Calf prizes. While primarily focused on features, it includes short film categories and represents a broader Dutch film industry platform.
• International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR): IFFR is the Netherlands' largest film festival, featuring short film programming (including the Tiger Short Competition) as part of its broader feature-focused program. It is a broad incumbent that overlaps with Leiden Shorts on short film exhibition and Dutch filmmaker engagement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/leidenshorts
• Facebookfacebook.com/leidenshorts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Leiden Shorts