About
College and University faculty are invited to submit nominations for this year’s Focus Features | JetBlue Short Film Showcase! Now in its 5th year, the Short Film program is open to graduate-level students who have completed a short film within the last academic year. The showcase provides master’s program students an incredible and unique commercial entry point for short thesis films entering the industry.
Five filmmakers will receive a $10,000 grant and will have the opportunity for their film to be shown on JetBlue flights and on Focus Features’ streaming platforms.
Winning filmmakers will receive mentorship and screening opportunities through the Gotham. Previous recipients have been recognized at the the Gotham Awards. Previous recipients award include: Cannes jury prize winner, Saim Sadiq (Joyland), Sudaresh Suresh (Telluride selection, Mizaru), and Saleem Nasir Gondal (Post Term).
Learn More About Last Year’s Winners
Eligibility Criteria
Nominee Eligibility
- — Must have received a master’s degree between September 23, 2022 and September 22, 2023, or must be currently enrolled in a master’s program.
- — Must be the director of the film
- — There is no limit to the number of nominations a school can submit.
Short Film Eligibility
- — This opportunity is for fiction films.
- — There is no limitation on genre, format, or style (live action, experimental, animation, hybrid, etc)
- — Less than 50 minutes in length
- — Completed within the last academic year (September 2023 – September 2024)
- — Film must be insured (A portion of the grant will be applied toward insurance if the film is not insured.)
- — The film does not need to be a thesis film, but it must be made within the duration of the student’s enrollment in the master’s program.
- — *Full terms available once selected.
How to Submit a Nomination
Student or Alum must be nominated by a faculty member from their institution by completing this year’s nomination form (forthcoming).
Deadline for nominations: Fall 2024
Questions? Please contact [email protected]
Past Nominating Institutions
American Film Institute
Beaconhouse National University
California Institute of the Arts
Chapman University Dodge College
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia University
DePaul University
Emerson College
Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, Brooklyn College
Florida State University
Full Sail University
Loyola Marymount University
MIT Sloan School of Management
New York Film Academy
New York University
Ohio State University
San Francisco State University
Savannah College of Art & Design
SCI-Arc (Southern California Institute of Architecture)
Stanford University
Stony Brook University
Syracuse University
Temple University
The City College of New York (CUNY)
The New School
The University of Texas Austin
University North Carolina Wilmington
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Central Florida
University of Miami
University of New Orleans
University of Texas Austin
USC Cinematic Arts
Vermont College of Fine Arts