We’re not here just to build another festival.

There are already plenty of places to submit a short film, receive a digital laurel and add another selection to your IMDb page. We want to build something that actually helps.

Cutshorts was created with a simple ambition: to give emerging filmmakers as much opportunity as we possibly can. We believe an award should mean more than a trophy on a shelf.

For a new filmmaker, the right opportunity at the right time can change everything. It can provide the confidence to keep going, the resources to make the next film, the connection that opens a door, or the recognition that finally gets someone in the industry to take notice.

That is what we want our awards to do. We want to give filmmakers meaningful rewards that can help accelerate their careers.

Cutshorts came from being on both sides of the short film world. I’m an actor, and over the years I’ve had the opportunity to work on a number of short film sets. I’ve seen first-hand the incredible amount of passion, creativity, time and sacrifice that goes into making them.

I’ve also experienced the reality of making one myself. When you make a short film, you put a huge amount of yourself into it. You bring people together, work long hours, overcome problems, find ways to make things work with limited resources and eventually, after all that effort, you have something you’re incredibly proud of.

I made my own short film and that experience made me think about what happens next. How do we make filmmakers feel that all of that hard work was worth it? How do we give them something more than another screening, another laurel or another certificate? And most importantly, how do we make them feel special?

That became the idea behind Cutshorts. I don’t want Cutshorts to feel like a traditional film festival where filmmakers arrive, watch a few films, collect an award and go home.