Go Short - International Short Film Festival Nijmegen

What Go Short - International Short Film Festival Nijmegen does

Go Short - International Short Film Festival Nijmegen is the largest short film platform in the Netherlands, founded in 2008 and currently operating in its 18th edition (April 7-12, 2026), with the 19th edition scheduled for April 6-11, 2027. The non-profit organization runs an annual international short film festival in Nijmegen and a regional edition in Arnhem (Go Short Arnhem, October), curating approximately 80 film blocks from over 3,000 submissions. Award winners in Animation, Fiction, and Documentary (European and Dutch competitions) become eligible for the Academy Awards, BAFTA, and European Film Awards, providing a clear career trajectory for filmmakers. The festival attracted 500+ industry professionals from 33 countries and 450+ film professionals in its most recent editions, facilitating 400+ one-on-one meetings and 200+ speed-dating matches between filmmakers and industry experts.

The organization operates a year-round programming model that extends well beyond the two annual festival windows. THIS IS SHORT, a European streaming platform built on FilmChief, provides continuous access to curated short films from partner festivals between editions. The Industry Program encompasses Dutch Short Film Pitch, Producers Campus (12 participants in 2026), Writers Room, Talent Route, Programming Dimensions, and the Gelderland Film Pitch (a regional production program with a €3,000 budget for selected Gelderland filmmakers). Film Education programs target primary, secondary, and MBO/HBO/WO students, with Knowledge Days co-organized with regional cultural partners. Pop-up experiences include Camping Kino (festival caravan) and Off the Walls (outdoor cinema), plus community juries for youth (with New Rootz) and seniors (with Club Goud).

Go Short is funded through four revenue streams: festival ticket and pass sales (€49 full pass, €25 youth pass, €13 individual ticket, €10 student discount), tiered industry accreditations (€50-70 depending on registration timing, €30 for students), public and institutional grants and sponsorships (EU Creative Europe MEDIA, Vfonds, Nederlands Filmfonds, Province of Gelderland, Municipality of Arnhem), and the THIS IS SHORT streaming platform. The organization is headquartered at LUX Nijmegen with a regional operation at Focus Filmtheater Arnhem, and operates as an independent non-profit without disclosed ownership, private equity backing, or publicly disclosed financials.

Name

Go Short - International Short Film Festival Nijmegen

Legal name

Go Short - International Short Film Festival Nijmegen

Website

https://goshort.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Go Short is the largest short film festival in the Netherlands, founded in 2008 and held annually in Nijmegen with a regional edition in Arnhem. The non-profit operates year-round programs including the THIS IS SHORT streaming platform, industry development, film education, and pop-up cinema for filmmakers, industry professionals, and audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Short Film Festival Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213), Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries (512)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Alternative Content Exhibition (Live Broadcasts, Concert Films, Sports, Opera) (MPADAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Live-Action Short-Form Production (Short Films, Web Series) (MPADABAE)

Keywords

• Short film festival
• Film festival programming
• Film industry program
• Screenwriting development program
• Film education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Nijmegen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Festival Tickets and Passes: Revenue from selling festival passes (€49), day passes, youth passes (€25), and individual film tickets (€13). Includes discounts for students, CJP cardholders, and Cineville pass holders.
2. Industry Accreditation: Professionals pay accreditation fees (€50-70 depending on timing, €30 for students) to access industry programs, networking events, market screenings, and the delegate list during the festival.
3. Sponsorships and Partnerships: Financial and in-kind support from main partners (EU Creative Europe MEDIA, Vfonds), general partners (municipalities, embassies, cultural funds), and program partners. Includes venue provision (LUX), grants, and operational support.
4. THIS IS SHORT Streaming Platform: European streaming platform offering year-round access to short films from partner festivals, generating revenue through subscriptions or licensing arrangements with content providers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Go Short operates an annual international short film festival in Nijmegen (April) with a regional edition in Arnhem (October), screening approximately 80 film programs curated from over 3,000 submissions. It delivers a year-round Industry Program for film professionals (pitch training, networking, masterclasses, market screenings) and Film Education Programs for schools. The THIS IS SHORT streaming platform extends festival content to audiences throughout the year. Revenue is generated through ticket sales, professional accreditations, sponsorship, and grants.

Product overview

Go Short - International Short Film Festival Nijmegen operates as a comprehensive short film platform with a multi-component offering. The core is the annual International Short Film Festival in Nijmegen (April 6-11, 2027 for the 19th edition) and the regional Go Short Arnhem edition (October). The organization provides year-round access through THIS IS SHORT, a European streaming platform on FilmChief. Its Industry Program encompasses Dutch Short Film Pitch, Producers Campus, Writers Room, Speeddates, Talent Route, Programming Dimensions, and the Gelderland Film Pitch production program for regional filmmakers. Education services target primary schools, secondary schools, and higher education. Pop-up experiences include Camping Kino and Off the Walls. Ticketing includes festival passes (€49), day passes, reduced tickets (€25 for U25, €10 for students), and professional accreditations (€50-70).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• THIS IS SHORT: European streaming platform for short films from leading film festivals including Go Short, allowing viewers to watch unique short films year-round from home
• Producers Campus
• Writers Room
• Dutch Short Film Pitch
• Gelderland Film Pitch
• Go Short Arnhem

Products and services

• Go Short International Short Film Festival (Nijmegen) Annual short film festival held in Nijmegen (April) featuring European, Dutch, New Arrivals, and Music Video competitions, industry events, and screenings across approximately 80 film programs. Awards in Animation, Fiction, and Documentary qualify winners for Academy Awards, BAFTAs, and European Film Awards.
• Go Short Arnhem Regional festival edition held in October at Focus Filmtheater Arnhem, featuring the Gelders Kort Competition, Gelderland Film Pitch production program with €3,000 budgets, and regional premieres focused on Gelderland film talent.
• THIS IS SHORT Streaming Platform European year-round streaming platform hosted on FilmChief that offers audiences access to curated short films from Go Short and partner festivals, enabling viewing between annual festival editions.
• Dutch Short Film Pitch Pitching competition in collaboration with Screen Talent NL where Dutch-based directors pitch early-stage film plans or works-in-progress to industry professionals. Offers €4,000 prizes (two awards), a €1,000 innovative idea development trajectory from QISSA, and Cannes preparation trajectory from CineSud.
• Producers Campus Intensive training program for up-and-coming film producers featuring workshops, case studies, and peer exchange sessions. The 2026 cohort included 12 participants from the Netherlands and internationally, designed to develop strategic project development skills and build international networks.
• Writers Room Scriptwriting development program offering guided sessions with experienced mentors to support screenwriters in developing narrative concepts, testing scripts, and receiving professional feedback on short film stories.
• Speeddates (Industry Networking) Speed dating sessions facilitating over 200 matches between filmmakers and industry experts during the festival, providing quick, focused networking opportunities for producers, festival advice, and distribution guidance.
• Gelderland Film Pitch Production program organized with Focus Arnhem, Beeld & Geluid, and OostPact that offers selected filmmakers from Gelderland a €3,000 production budget, 4 hours of coaching from OostPact, and a €1,000 broadcaster license budget for archival films to create their regional short films.
• Film Education Programs Year-round educational programs for primary schools, secondary schools, and MBO/HBO/university students that introduce young audiences to short film as an art form while exploring societal themes. Includes classroom visits, educational screenings, and Knowledge Day events co-organized with Filmhub Oost.
• Pop-up Cinema Experiences Mobile cinema experiences including Camping Kino (festival caravan), Off the Walls outdoor cinema events, and the annual Day of the Short Film celebration, offered as community engagement and outreach activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Winners of Go Short Award in Animation, Fiction, and Documentary categories (European and Dutch competitions) become eligible for the Academy Awards
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

39 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, general and minor.

• LUX NijmegencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain festival venue and cultural partner providing the primary screening location for all festival activities in Nijmegen.
• Focus Filmtheater ArnhemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional venue partner hosting Go Short Arnhem regional festival edition including Gelders Kort Competition.
• Screen Talent NLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational talent organization collaborating on Dutch Short Film Pitch, providing €4,000 prizes and Cannes delegation opportunities.
• Beeld & Geluid (Sound & Vision)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational audio-visual heritage institute providing archive access, broadcaster license budgets (€1,000), and research support for Gelderland Film Pitch archival films.
• OostPactcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional film talent hub in Gelderland providing 4 hours coaching support for Gelderland Film Pitch winners and collaboration on production programs.
• CinesudmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouthern Netherlands film network providing Dutch Short Film Pitch Best Film Plan award including Cannes delegation access.
• QISSAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm organization providing €1,000 development trajectory prize for most innovative film idea at Dutch Short Film Pitch.
• New Producers Academy (NPA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProducer training organization collaborating on market screenings for NPA fellows and workshops like Connecting the Crew.
• New RootzmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise training young refugees in filmmaking. Collaborates on Youth Jury, talent programs, and curated programs including New Rootz Premieres and A Brave New Perspective.
• Club GoudmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization collaborating with Go Short to establish the Senior Jury award for older audience perspectives.
• DutchCulture | Creative Europe Desk NLmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational cultural network providing European funding information and cross-border collaboration support for Go Short Industry Program.
• VPROgeneralGTM or Marketing PartnerDutch public broadcaster providing program partnership and Cinema Pubquiz collaboration.
• BudgetcamgeneralGTM or Marketing PartnerCamera equipment rental company providing gear testing opportunities during industry program in collaboration with Sony.
• Filmhub OostmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional film hub in Eastern Netherlands co-organizing Knowledge Day on Film Education with Go Short during festival.
• FilmChiefcoreTechnology or IntegrationPlatform provider powering THIS IS SHORT European streaming platform for year-round short film distribution.
• Cannes Short Film Corner | Rendez-vous IndustrymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCannes Film Festival industry platform providing Cannes preparation trajectory prize for Dutch Short Film Pitch winner.
• European Short Film Network (ESFN)generalStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean short film network providing collaborative programming and industry connections.
• European Short Film Audience AwardgeneralStrategic or Co-development PartnerPan-European award program for short film audience engagement.
• Radboud ReflectsgeneralStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity program providing post-screening discussions and reduced tickets for RU students and alumni.
• VERSgeneralGTM or Marketing PartnerYouth cultural organization facilitating Food and Chat: Talent Meet-up networking session for young industry professionals.
• Hamburg Short Film Festival / Kurzfilmfestival HamburggeneralStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman short film festival partner for programming collaborations.
• Talking ShortsgeneralStrategic or Co-development PartnerShort film platform partner for industry programming.
• Kaboom Animation FestivalgeneralStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnimation festival partner for programming collaborations.
• Leiden ShortsgeneralStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeiden-based short film festival partner.
• Baltic Pitching ForumgeneralStrategic or Co-development PartnerPitching platform partner for industry programming.
• Nederlands Film FestivalgeneralStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Dutch film festival partner.
• YancogeneralGTM or Marketing PartnerSubtitling and accessibility service provider supporting festival programming.
• German FilmsgeneralGTM or Marketing PartnerGerman film institute providing industry support and promotion.
• Eye FilmmuseumgeneralStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational film museum partner for programming and heritage initiatives.
• Dutch Academy For Film (DAFF)generalStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational film academy for professional development collaboration.
• Dutch Directors Guild (DDG)generalStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirectors union providing industry representation.
• Nederlandse Audiovisuele Producenten Alliantie (NAPA)generalStrategic or Co-development PartnerAudiovisual producers alliance providing industry support.
• Netwerk ScenarioschrijversgeneralStrategic or Co-development PartnerScreenwriters network supporting Writers Room program.
• SEE NLgeneralGTM or Marketing PartnerDutch film internationalization initiative.
• Cultura EdegeneralStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural center in Ede providing regional case study for Knowledge Day on Film Education focusing on heritage education.
• Tetem EnschedegeneralStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural venue in Enschede providing regional case study for Knowledge Day on Film Education.
• Brouwerij 't IJminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal brewery providing beverages for festival terrace and events.
• Food Trucks (Try Thai, Artizan Pizza)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood vendors providing catering on festival grounds.
• SoundtrekminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeverage and snack provider on festival grounds.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• MUBI: Global curated film streaming service with a strong short-film and festival-circuit catalog. Comparable to THIS IS SHORT in offering curated short film access year-round, though at vastly larger scale and broader scope.

Direct peers

• Interfilm Berlin — International Short Film Festival: Berlin-based short film festival with Oscar/BAFTA-qualifying awards. Comparable in scale, European industry focus, and program breadth (animation, fiction, documentary).
• Kaboom Animation Festival: Dutch animation festival named as a Go Short programming partner. Directly comparable in animation short film programming and Dutch festival circuit positioning.
• Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival: The world's largest short film festival, also Oscar/BAFTA/EFA-qualifying, held annually in France. Directly comparable in mission (premier short film platform), awards pathway, and industry program structure.
• International Short Film Festival Oberhausen: Long-running German short film festival with competition programs, industry events, and archives. Direct peer in format (competitive short film festival), prestige tier, and European industry positioning.
• Kurzfilmfestival Hamburg: Named programming partner of Go Short; German short film festival with competitions and industry programming. Direct peer in short film curation and German-speaking market overlap.

Broad incumbents

• Aspen Shortsfest: Long-running U.S. Oscar-qualifying short film festival. Comparable in competitive programming, awards pathway, and industry program structure, though geographically separate.
• Nederlands Film Festival (NFF): The Netherlands' principal national film festival. Named as a Go Short partner; broader (feature and short) but the highest-profile Dutch film showcase and a likely destination for Go Short alumni.
• Cannes Short Film Corner / Rendez-vous Industry: Industry platform of the Cannes Film Festival that Go Short partners with for pitch trajectories. Adjacent rather than directly competitive; represents a higher-tier destination in the same short-film industry value chain.

Regional players

• Leiden Shorts: Dutch short film festival explicitly listed as a Go Short partner. Comparable in national short film curation and Dutch-language audience focus, though smaller and primarily regional.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WeAreShortFilm
• Instagraminstagram.com/goshortfestival
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/go-short

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Go Short - International Short Film Festival Nijmegen