MALTA'S comedy SHORT FILm FESTIVAL AND CHALLENGE

April Fool’s Comedy Short Film Challenge; where comedy and short film collide like a juggernaut of sheer fun and raucous entertainment!

Organised by Richard Starkey, April Fools is the cousin of Video Nasties. It is the perfect opportunity to see your side-splitting comedy film screened at Eden, Malta’s premiere cinema experience.

April fools will return in 2025!

April Fools 2024 was a huge success - local filmmakers screened nine films, with some entries making it into the Indydog library.

We also gave away prizes totalling €17,000 to filmmakers as part of the Best Film category at our awards!

In the wake of this success, April Fools will return in 2025!

Keep an eye out for updates on our socials. And of course, if you want to take part next year, it’s never too early to start getting your team together and start planning your idea! Below is a reminder of how the challenge works:

the rules

Submitting to April Fools is free, however films must:

  • Be no longer than 15 minutes, including credits.

  • Fit the comedy genre.

  • Premiere at April Fools 2025 and not be shown publicly before that.

  • Be original, and not produced or filmed before that year’s launch of April Fools!

  • Have its director be 18 years old or older (the rule does not apply to the cast and crew)

  • Be submitted before the stated deadline (TBA).

Exciting awards and prizes will be announced in due course! Watch this space!

We will also be detailing ideal technical specifications in due course. This will ensure your film will be ideal for a cinema screening. Don’t worry, you won’t need big, fancy cameras, just a few settings to make sure you’re delivering in an optimal format.