The Celluloid Lounge

TCL Shorts

Short films are where cinema experiments, mutates, and breathes.
Before the feature, before the franchise, before the career—there’s the short. A space for risk, obsession, tone, and voice. At The Celluloid Lounge, we’re building a curated home for short-form work that lingers.

Short Films at The Celluloid Lounge

This is not a contest. This is not a ranking. This is a conversation. Films that feel authored. Films that understand atmosphere. Films that don’t ask for permission.

What We’re Looking For

We’re currently inviting filmmakers to share short films for consideration, curation, and future programming.

  • Mood-forward and intentional
  • Genre-adjacent (horror, sci-fi, thriller, noir, experimental)
  • Character-driven or conceptually bold
  • Personal, strange, or unresolved in the best way

Polish matters less than voice. Atmosphere matters more than explanation.

If your short feels like it belongs in a dark room with a quiet audience—we want to see it.

How Submissions Work (For Now)

We’re keeping this simple and human.

To submit
  • Send a link to your short (Vimeo, YouTube, private screener welcome)
  • Include: film title, runtime, year completed, and a short paragraph about the film (or why it exists)
Email

No fees. No deadlines. We’ll respond when a film connects with what we’re building.

What Happens Next

Selected films may be:

  • Featured on the site
  • Highlighted on TCL social channels
  • Included in curated short blocks
  • Considered for future in-theater programming

Submission does not guarantee exhibition—but every film is viewed with care.

A Note to Filmmakers

The Celluloid Lounge is opening in 2027, but the culture starts now. This page exists to build relationships early—between filmmakers, audiences, and a space that values the ritual of watching together.

If your short matters to you, it matters here.
Film is the ritual. Shorts are the spark.

See you in the dark.