| Founded | 2012 |
|---|---|
| Awards | Juried Prize, Most Popular (deprecated), People's Choice (deprecated), Most Watched (deprecated) |
| Hosted by | PBS |
| Festival date | held annually, usually in July |
| Website | https://www.pbs.org/filmfestival/ |
The PBS Short Film Festival, previously known as the PBS Online Film Festival, is an annual film festival focused on independent short films, hosted by American public broadcaster PBS. The festival began in 2012.[1] In 2020, the name changed from the PBS Online Film Festival to the PBS Short Film Festival. In 2021, the festival replaced online voting and popularity awards with a jury prize, selected by a jury composed of filmmakers, producers and PBS executives.
The festival's films often cover social issues and are available to stream online via PBS’ website or its mobile video app, Passport, and additionally air on PBS’ member stations. The festival runs for two to six weeks and also hosts in-person screenings. As part of film selection, different member stations partner with PBS to find and submit films.