Short Encounters
That Stay With You
A curated YouTube channel for stories about the human condition. The moments between people that reveal something true, land with emotional force, and refuse to leave you long after the credits roll.
Every film published on Short Encounters must, at its heart, be about a human encounter.
We believe the short form, done well, is one of the most powerful storytelling instruments in existence. We exist to find the films that prove it.
Every film we publish has been selected through a structured evaluation process and meets a single, non-negotiable standard: it must contain a genuine human encounter — a moment between people that reveals something true about what it means to be alive.
"Every film published on Short Encounters must, at its heart, be about a human encounter."
Not a concept. Not a visual exercise. Not a mood. An encounter — between two people, between a person and their past, between a stranger and a moment of grace or rupture or recognition. Something must happen between human beings, and that something must matter.
1 minute to 15 minutes.
Exceptions may be made for a scene or sequence extracted from a longer work — a single exchange, a confrontation, a quiet moment between characters — where that scene constitutes a complete encounter in itself. Extracted scenes must work as standalone cinema. Context should not be required to feel the impact.
There is no minimum for impact. A ninety-second film that gets under your skin and makes an emotional impact will qualify just as much as a 10 minute character piece that lands.
A film must satisfy all three.
Every film considered for the Short Encounters channel is evaluated against these three questions.
Does it contain a genuine human encounter?
The film must place human beings in contact with one another — or with a version of themselves — in a way that generates dramatic or emotional consequence. Encounters can be tender, violent, funny, devastating, mundane, transcendent. What they cannot be is absent. A film in which nothing passes between people will not be selected, regardless of its technical merit.
Does it reveal a truth about the human spirit?
The film must say something — even obliquely, even without dialogue — about what it is to be human. This does not require profundity or message. It requires honesty. A film that shows us something we recognise, something we have felt but perhaps never seen named, something that makes us think: yes, that is true — that is what we are looking for.
Does it make an emotional impact?
The film must land. Not necessarily with tears or catharsis — impact can be discomfort, laughter, unease, wonder, the quiet ache of recognition. But at the end of the film, something must have changed in the viewer. If the credits roll and nothing has shifted, the film has not yet earned its place on this channel.
To save you time.
The following types of work are not suitable for Short Encounters, regardless of quality.
Pure visual essays — films without human presence or human consequence at their centre
Product films, branded content, or commercial work — regardless of cinematic quality
Documentary footage without narrative shape — raw observational material that has not been crafted into a story
Works-in-progress or rough cuts — every film published on Short Encounters must be a finished work
Films that require external context — if a viewer needs to have read a brief, seen a previous episode, or know the backstory to understand what they are watching, the film is not yet complete
AI-generated films without a human filmmaker of record — we publish films made by people, about people
Delivery specifications.
Publication is non-exclusive.
Filmmakers retain all rights and are free to distribute their work elsewhere. We ask only that the film not be simultaneously active on another YouTube channel during the period of Short Encounters publication.
By submitting to Short Encounters, filmmakers confirm that:
They hold all necessary rights to the film and its component elements, including music, archive footage, and performance rights
They are authorised to grant Short Encounters a non-exclusive licence to publish the film on the Short Encounters YouTube channel
The film has not been published on YouTube previously under any other channel
They will notify Short Encounters promptly if rights status changes after publication
Two ways in.
Via FilmFore
All submissions receive a structured professional evaluation with written feedback and a composite score. Shortlisted films are considered for channel publication.
Via Film Freeway
Search The FilmFore Shortlist on Film Freeway and submit through our active listing. Film Freeway submissions follow the same evaluation process as direct submissions.
Submission Tiers
Standard
AU$35One professional reviewer, summary feedback, eligible for The Shortlist & Short Encounters
Premiere
AU$55Three reviewers, full written notes including public testimonial, priority processing and listing, eligible for free re-submission
A transparent process, start to finish.
Your film is assigned to one or more professional reviewers
Reviewers score independently across five weighted criteria: Story, Direction, Craft, Originality, and Audience Potential
A composite score is calculated. You receive your score and written feedback regardless of outcome
Films scoring above the shortlist threshold are considered by our editorial team for channel publication
Shortlisted films are notified. Channel publication is offered subject to rights confirmation
Published films are promoted across the Short Encounters platform and social channels, and made available to our network of market partners for licensing enquiries
Most films submitted to Short Encounters will not be published on the channel. This is not a judgement on whether a film is good. It is a judgement on whether it fits the specific, narrow brief of this channel at this moment.
That is why we introduced the Premiere tier. We wanted filmmakers to receive the kind of detailed, specific feedback they could actually use — to re-cut, re-work, or reconsider their film — and then re-submit, free of charge. This is part of the FilmFore commitment to nurturing the next generation of filmmakers, not simply gatekeeping the channel.
We will always tell you your score and why. We will always be honest. And we will always leave the door open — a film submitted today may not be right for this cycle, but a new cut, or a new film by the same filmmaker might be exactly what we are looking for.
The short form is hard. Making something distinctive in under twelve minutes takes nerve and precision and craft. We respect everyone who tries.
Ready to be discovered?
Submit your short film to the next Short Encounters cycle. Get professional evaluation, transparent feedback, and real market access.