IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival

What IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival does

IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival is a non-profit foundation based in Bulgaria, operating an annual short film festival since 2003 (23rd edition in 2026). The festival receives approximately 5,000 submissions from 130+ countries annually and serves both independent filmmakers submitting work and accredited industry professionals attending. It has been OSCAR-qualifying since 2018 and is also recognized by the Spanish Academy (Goya), making it one of the few short film festivals globally with both designations.

The festival operates a multi-program structure that extends beyond a single annual event. Sub-brands include the FILMER FORGE Forum, ITP Conference, LSS (likely a lab/school program), NEXTDOOR NETWORKING (B2B networking for accredited professionals), and the Mentor Academy. These programs serve distinct functions across the short film lifecycle: development, production, screening, and distribution. The festival partners with industry organizations including EAVE, MIDPOINT, Ariane Todorov, Vinna Puharova, and the Bulgarian National Film Center, and has had films selected by Academy Award-winning directors such as Jan Švankmajer.

The business model is primarily transaction-based for individual filmmakers through submission fees in the $30–40 USD range, plus accreditation fees from approximately 250 attending professionals. As a non-profit foundation, the festival also draws on institutional support from the Bulgarian National Film Center, Ministry of Culture, Creative Europe, and Sofia Municipality. The organization runs with a small team of 5 employees, indicating a lean operational structure.

Name

IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival

Legal name

In The Palace International Short Film Festival Foundation

Website

https://inthepalace.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IN THE PALACE is a Bulgarian non-profit foundation running an annual OSCAR-qualifying international short film festival (since 2003) with ~5,000 submissions from 130+ countries, serving independent filmmakers and ~250 accredited industry professionals through multiple programs including FILMER FORGE and the Mentor Academy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Film Festival Services

NAICS

Motion Picture and Video Exhibition (51213)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPADAKAD

Film Festivals & Festival Organizers

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Film & Video Production/Distribution/Exhibition (Cinemas, Film Festivals, Screenings)

Keywords

• Short film festival
• Film competition
• Oscar qualifying festival
• Industry training programs
• Film pitching platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Pernik

HQ country

Bulgaria

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Film Submission Fees: Entry fees for film competitions: $30 USD for short films and music videos, $40 USD for mid-length and feature films. Fees waived for directors featured in previous two festivals and for previously awarded or nominated filmmakers.
2. Festival Accreditation: Accreditation fees for film professionals, directors, producers attending the festival. Selected film representatives can obtain accreditation via [email protected].

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IN THE PALACE operates an annual international short film festival in Pernik, Bulgaria, featuring competitive film screenings, jury evaluations, and awards across Short Film, Mid-Length/Feature, and Music Video categories. It supplements the main event with the FILMER FORGE professional industry platform (pitching, EAVE On Demand training, Nextdoor Networking), the annual ITP academic conference, and the LSS (Long Story Short) collectible stories series, supported by a 10-year Video Library archive of submitted films.

Product overview

IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival is a multi-component festival ecosystem comprising the core competitive festival event (featuring short film, mid-length, full-length, and music video competitions), the professional industry platform FILMER FORGE (with Pitch, EAVE On Demand training, and Nextdoor Networking sub-programs), the annual ITP scientific conference, and the Long Story Short collectable stories initiative. The festival has been operating since 2003, is OSCAR®-qualifying in four short film categories, and also qualifies for Goya Awards and Student Academy Awards. Educational programs include the Mentor Academy for amateur filmmakers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FILMER FORGE: Annual professional platform for the short film industry featuring training sessions, workshops, panels, pitching sessions, and networking opportunities
• ITP Conference
• LONG STORY SHORT (LSS)
• NEXTDOOR NETWORKING
• EAVE ON DEMAND

Products and services

• IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 5,000 submissions from 130+ countries annually with ~190 films selected for competition
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EAVE (European Association of Audiovisual Entrepreneurs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEAVE provides professional training through EAVE On Demand program at FILMER FORGE. Selects 6 teams (producer + director/writer) for 4-day workshop covering marketing, script development, successful film producing, international co-production. Romanian producer Radu Stancu and French screenwriter Geoffroy Grisé serve as EAVE trainers.
• MIDPOINT InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIDPOINT provides lecturers and tutors for FILMER FORGE training. Offers automatic selection for second phase of short film project support programme with final event at Trieste film market. Partnership brings international training expertise to festival industry program.
• Short Film ConferenceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIN THE PALACE participates in annual Short Film Conference meetings where Short of the Year is announced. Festival director Tsanko Vasilev serves on International Scientific Committee.
• Berlinale TalentsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSarah Schlüssel, who heads Short Form Station platform at Berlinale Talents and is member of Berlinale selection committee, serves as trainer at FILMER FORGE pitching workshop.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival: The world's largest short-film festival and market, also Oscar-qualifying. Directly comparable as both events are Oscar-qualifying short film festivals with parallel industry markets (ITP attends Clermont-Ferrand's Short Film Market annually).
• Uppsala Short Film Festival: Swedish Oscar-qualifying short film festival of comparable size. Overlapping Oscar-qualifying status, international submission funnel, and European festival positioning.
• Tampere Film Festival: Finnish Oscar-qualifying short film festival with strong industry program and accreditation model. Similar scale, European base, and Oscar-qualifying status for short film categories.
• Aspen Shortsfest: US-based Oscar-qualifying short film festival with industry programming. Comparable Oscar-qualifying status, submission scale, and curated short film competition model.
• Oberhausen International Short Film Festival: One of the oldest and most established short film festivals globally, also Oscar-qualifying. Comparable in focus, international submission profile, and Oscar pathway function for filmmakers.
• Interfilm Berlin: Berlin-based international short film festival with distribution and industry programs. Comparable European short-film festival focus and filmmaker development orientation.
• Palm Springs International ShortFest: Largest North American short film festival, Oscar-qualifying across multiple categories. Comparable Oscar-qualifying status and industry programming model.

Regional players

• Zagreb Film Festival: Major Croatian film festival with a dedicated short film competition and regional industry programs. Comparable as a regional peer in the Balkans/Eastern Europe with overlapping audience and filmmaker base.
• Sarajevo Film Festival: Leading regional film festival in the Balkans with shorts programming and industry training initiatives. Comparable as a regional peer for Eastern European filmmakers and overlapping industry audience.

Broad incumbents

• BFI London Film Festival: Major general-audience film festival with a shorts program. Overlaps in short film exhibition and industry attendance but operates as a much broader portfolio rather than specializing in shorts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/in-the-palace-international-short-film-festival

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival