ABOUT ISFF
INDEPENDENT FILM.
REAL CONNECTIONS.
Celebrating bold storytellers and bringing filmmakers and audiences together in Charlottesville, Virginia.
OUR STORY
FROM A FILM SERIES TO A FESTIVAL COMMUNITY
The Indie Short Film Festival grew from a simple idea: create a place where independent filmmakers could share their work with an audience and have meaningful conversations about the stories they created.
Beginning in 2019 as the Indie Short Film Series, the program brought curated groups of short films to Charlottesville along with visiting filmmakers for screenings and post-film discussions. The response from filmmakers and audiences revealed an opportunity to build something larger.
In 2024, that vision became the Indie Short Film Festival—a multi-day celebration of independent filmmaking featuring screenings, filmmaker Q&As, panels, workshops, screenplay table reads, special events, and opportunities for filmmakers to connect with one another.
Today, ISFF welcomes filmmakers from across the United States and around the world while remaining deeply connected to Charlottesville and Virginia’s creative community. In 2026, the festival presented 131 films from more than 15 countries and welcomed more than 100 filmmakers to Charlottesville. That same year, the City of Charlottesville officially proclaimed festival weekend “Indie Short Film Festival Weekend.”
As ISFF continues to grow, its purpose remains the same: give independent storytellers a place to be seen, heard, supported, and connected.
Charlottesville Mayor Juandiego Wade presents the Indie short Film Festival Weekend proclamation, 2026.
131
FILMS
IsFF TODAY
15+
COUNTRIES
100+
FILMMAKERS
MORE THAN SCREENINGS
FILM IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.
IsFF is designed to give filmmakers and audiences opportunities to connect beyond the theater. Throughout festival weekend, conversations continue through filmmaker Q&As, industry panels, workshops, screenplay table reads, networking opportunities, and special events.
The festival also creates opportunities for filmmakers to move their work forward. The Greenlight Film Pitch Competition awards a $5,000 production grant to help bring a new short film to life, while year-round and festival initiatives expand opportunities for emerging voices and meaningful storytelling.
At the heart of it all is connection—filmmakers meeting filmmakers, audiences engaging directly with creators, and stories opening the door to conversations that continue long after the credits roll.