Established in 2012, we’re a grassroots short film festival dedicated to helping low budget and early career filmmakers break into the industry.
A very nice festival, inclusive, and with a rich variety of selections!
Giacomi Dondi, submitting filmmaker
We’ve received over 6000 submissions from all over the world over the past 12 years, and we take over disused shop units, masonic halls, clubs and bars across Cardiff to screen shortlisted films, as well as special one-off screenings of cult classics.
All British films accepted into the 2025 Cardiff Mini Film Festival are eligible to be entered into the 2025 British Independent Film Awards (BIFA).
We accept submissions for the following categories.
Fiction Short – Low Budget
Any fiction film shorter than 30 minutes.
Fiction Short – Big Spender
For fiction films shorter than 30 minutes made with a little more money.
Documentary
Give us some real life wonders, but keep it less than 30 minutes please!
Welsh Film Award
For anyone born, raised, living in or from Wales. Again, less than 30 minutes, diolch!
Twisted Tales
Our popular category for anything horror, off-beat or simply downright weird. 30 minutes maximum.
One Minute Wonder
Short and sweet category for 1 minute micro-shorts.
British Student Award
A category just for students!
Animation
For any and all animated short films under 30 minutes.
Meet the team:
Jody Tozer – Festival Director
As well as running Cardiff Mini Film Festival, Jody heads up Bulldozer Films, working with grassroots talent hosting 3 BFI Film Academies across Wales. She has previously worked with It’s My Shout and Iris Prize Film Festival.
Michael Karam – Festival Producer
Michael helps bring Cardiff Mini Film Festival to life. He has worked as a Screening Asset Assistant and produces short-form content for the Iris Prize Film Festival.
Sarah Farthing – Festival Assistant
Sarah is our production assistant at Bulldozer Films. She has previously been a Casting Researcher for Big Brother and Documentary Researcher for Channel 4.
Kate Chesson – Festival Founder
Kate is a lecturer at Coleg Gwent and is the lead tutor on the Bulldozer Films BFI Film Academy in Swansea. She was there at the inception of Cardiff Mini Film Festival and has made it what it is today.
Huge thanks to our pre-selection panel who watch all of our submissions. Those people for our 2025 edition are: Joanne Richards, Nick McNeill, Ben Joseph, João Palhares, Eilidh Carver, Michael Henry, Denis Curej, Justine Marie Mead, Paul Crossland, Andrew Pring, Stacey Lewis, Samuel Rush, Steve Glyn, Matt Jones, Ed Truckell, Alex Griffiths, Laura Rodriguez, Nezih Savaşkan, Terry Ombaka, Daf Weeks, Kevin Pick, Chris Chopping, Helen Rose, Arran Walby, Megan Cooper, Ellys Donovan, Dom Farelli, James Woodward, Jason Bartlett, Madusha Gunawardana, Carmen Medway-Stephens, Remy Dean, Jay Bedwani, Charlie Humphries, Chris Lloyd, Niamh Barry, Louis Du Toit, Richard Oren, Will Smith, Jamie McKee, Sam Lewis Davies, Grant Vidgen.
Cardiff Mini Film Festival is produced by Bulldozer Films, a Cardiff-based grassroots production company committed to helping people break into the film industry.