Short Films. Big Energy.
2026 season registration closes February 28th, 2026
What is North Star Film Festival?
A Minnesota based film challenge where teams create and submit a short film.
Run by volunteers, built to keep filmmaking fun, welcoming, and community driven.
Teams register and pay an entry fee to participate
Films are screened together at a theater or community venue.
Includes audience celebration and optional awards or judging.
Designed to start simple and improve each year based on what the community needs.
Important Information
Registration deadline: February 28
Film turn-in deadline for judging: March 7
This is our first year running NSFF, and we have updated rules. That said, we’re doing our best to stick close to the spirit of the old Z-Fest guidelines for 2026, since many teams already started planning or creating with that style in mind.
Run time: 4 to 8 minutes for the film, plus up to 1 minute of credits (9 minutes total max)
Turn in Deadline: March 7, 2026 by 11:59pm (your finished film for judging)
Screener turn-in: March 9, 2026 by 5pm (high quality copy for theater screening)
Nomination links and trailers due: March 10 (30 second clips for judging consideration of individual categories)
General screening: April 18 – 2pm, 4pm, 6pm, 8pm
We’ll have two options:
- Screening-only (no judging/awards eligibility)
- Competition registration (eligible for judging and awards, with a fee)
Best of Fest: Top 10 films screening – May 1st, 2026 7pm.
Awards Gala date: May 2, 2026 – Plymouth Playhouse
Trophies: Trophies are given for Top Ten and Genre Winners.
Certificates will be awarded for individual categories.
Cash prize: We may not have a cash prize this year. It depends on sponsorships and donations we’re able to secure.
2026 Control Elements
Liquid water
This does not include snow, ice, steam, “future dry water”, kool-aid, coffee, soda or any other crazy stuff you can think of to twist the rules. Please just use liquid water…
This does include… lakes, rivers, puddles, rain, bottled water, glass of water, hose water, floods, sweat, etc.
2026 Film Posters
Coming Soon!
2026 Sponsors and Donors
Festival Supporters
A film challenge for Minnesota creators, made possible by volunteers.
Want to help out?