SET Film Festival is a grassroots, international platform for contemporary, artist and archival film run by SET, a London-based contemporary arts organisation and registered charity.

Founded in 2023 and curated by Amina Ali, Ellie Dobbs and Verity Monroe, the festival presents experimental practices and emerging voices outside conventional exhibition and distribution contexts.

Held each November at SET Social, SET’s arts and social club in Peckham, London, the festival unfolds across a month of weekly film nights, bringing together a curated short film programme, a feature presentation and a free archival and performance night.

ABOUT THE OPEN CALL

• SET is inviting filmmakers and artists from around the world to submit short films for the 2026 programme.
• We welcome work across all genres and forms, including animation, documentary, drama, experimental cinema, essay film and artists’ moving image.
• Programmes are curated thematically, with each screening shaped through dialogue between selected works.
• The 2026 edition marks an expansion of the festival’s reach, with plans to present selected screenings beyond Peckham through new partnerships.
• This year, the festival will run from 5 November to 3 December at SET Social in Peckham.

SUBMISSION DETAILS

• Submissions are free and open internationally
• Maximum runtime: 30 minutes
• Completion date: after 1 January 2023
• One submission per artist
• Deadline: Sunday 7 June 2026, 23:59pm (BST)

HOW TO SUBMIT

All films MUST be submitted via the online submission form: https://setspace.uk/set-film-festival/submit-to-the-2026-set-film-festival/

Please complete all required fields and provide a secure online viewing link for your film. This may include Vimeo, YouTube, Dropbox, Google Drive or other accessible platforms.

Viewing links must remain active until end of September 2026 (the end of the selection process).

MORE INFORMATION

Full guidelines and details:
https://setspace.uk/set-film-festival/

Follow the festival on Instagram at @set.filmfestival