The 10 Minute Challenge: A platform for new queer film talent
Get your cameras rolling — the 10 Minute Challenge is back!
For the fourth time at Queer Film Festival Utrecht, we’re inviting aspiring queer filmmakers to bring their ideas to the big screen. Take this opportunity to screen your new short film for an eager audience and a panel of expert judges. Connect with industry professionals, win valuable prizes, and take your first steps into the world of cinema!
As part of QFFU’s programme, the 10 Minute Challenge invites ambitious filmmakers to submit their own original short films. Through this competition, we aim to encourage emerging queer filmmakers to contribute to the growing presence of queer voices in the film industry.
Throughout the 10 Minute Challenge, you’ll have the opportunity to screen your film on the big screen for our audience, participate in masterclasses with like-minded creatives to hone your filmmaking skills, and connect with industry professionals.
Submissions are now open! We’re excited to see your short film ideas come to life.
Please submit your application using the submission form below.
Questions? Don’t hesitate to contact the 10 Minute Challenge team at 10minute@qffu.nl.
Keep reading to learn more about the participation requirements and the structure of the programme.
Prizes
This year, the films will compete in three categories, each with its own prize: Best Film, Emerging Talent, and Audience Favourite. The prizes will be announced at a later date. Additionally, the winner of the Best Film award will receive a custom-designed trophy created by a queer artist from Utrecht.
We are also happy to announce Stichting Studio Camera as our official partner for the 10 Minute Challenge this year.
Participation requirements
- Duration: The film must be no longer than 10 minutes, including credits, with a 1-minute grace period.
- Queer Representation: The film should contribute to a queer-inclusive film world — for example, through queer creators, queer actors, or a queer perspective in the story.
- Filmmaker Status: You should be an emerging filmmaker. This means someone who has made, or is planning to make, their (first) queer film and is looking for a stepping stone into the film industry. All ages are welcome! Whether you’re young or old, if this contest inspires you to create a queer film, we warmly invite you to apply. Every generation is encouraged to take part.
- Production Timeline: The film must have been made in 2024 or 2025 and must not have been shown publicly before. Even if your film is already (almost) finished, it can still be submitted — the only requirement is that it hasn’t been screened at another festival.
The course of the contest
Submit your idea, script, scenario, or synopsis (short and sweet is absolutely fine!) by Wednesday, 11 June 2025, using the submission form on this page. After submitting, you’ll receive regular newsletters and updates about the competition’s progress. Of course, you’re always welcome to contact the QFFU team at 10minute@qffu.nl for questions or guidance.
If we receive more applications than we can accommodate, a selection will be made based on your motivation and project plan.
Shortly after the submission deadline, we’ll host an introductory meeting where participants can meet one another, get to know the Queer Film Festival Utrecht, and officially kick off the competition.
During the filmmaking process, two masterclasses will be offered to support participants in developing their films. These are optional but will cover inspiring and practical topics you won’t want to miss! More details on the masterclasses will be announced soon.
Your completed film must be submitted by Friday, 1 August 2025, at 12:00 PM (noon).
All selected films will premiere on the big screen on Saturday, 30 August 2025, during the Queer Film Festival Utrecht.
From 30 August to 5 September 2025, the films will also be available for public viewing online, where audiences can cast their votes for the Audience Favourite award.
Finally, on Friday, 5 September 2025, we’ll celebrate during a festive closing event, where the winning films will be announced by the jury and screened once more. Be sure to mark these key dates in your calendar!
After the festival, we’ll host a follow-up masterclass focused on how to take your next steps in the film world — a true stepping stone for emerging filmmakers!
Our official partner
And we’re back! The Queer Film Festival Utrecht organizes this year already the third edition of ‘The 10 Minute Challenge’, a short film contest especially for starting (queer) filmmakers from Utrecht and surroundings! We want to stimulate beginning filmmakers to give more representation to the queer community in the film industry.
To support you in this, we have developed a program where you can participate in interesting master classes, get to know the film world and win fun and valuable prizes. The winning films will also be screened at the closing night of this edition of QFFU!
This year’s open call for applications is now closed! Thank you to everyone who submitted their short film idea. We are currently in the process of selecting the contestants. Keep an eye on your inbox for a response and follow us on social media for more information.
Questions?
Contact the 10 Minute Team at 10minute@qffu.nl .
Prizes
This year there are three categories with corresponding prizes!
- Best Film: A trophy (Designed by a Utrecht queer artist), and a prize amount of €1,500.
- Emerging Talent: A prize amount of €1,000
- Audience Favorite: A special screening during the award ceremony and a future event of QFFU.
More prizes will be announced later.
Participation requirements
- The film lasts 10 minutes including credits, with a 1-minute slack.
- The film contributes to a queer inclusive film world, eg the creators are queer, the actors are queer or there is a queer perspective in the film.
- You are a starting filmmaker. By this we mean someone who has made or is going to make a (first) queer film and needs a stepping stone to enter the film world. All ages are welcome to apply! Whether you are young or old, if this contest is a motivation to make a (first) queer film, we cordially invite you to participate! The theme of QFFU 2024 is Reclaim the LGBTQIA+ community. Every generation is encouraged to participate in the competition.
- The film was made in 2023 or 2024, but has not been shown before. Even if the film is already (almost) finished, it may participate. It is only important that the film has not been shown before.
- Participants from previous years may reapply, but not with previously screened films.
The course of the contest
- Submit your idea/script/scenario/synopsis (may be short and sweet) by Sunday 31 March 2024 using the submission form on this page. After your submission, you will receive a regular newsletter and updates on the progress of the competition. Of course, you can ask questions or seek guidance from the QFFU team at any time.
- If there are too many applications, we are forced to make a selection based on your motivation and project plan.
- After the application round, there will be an introductory meeting where participants can meet each other, get to know the Queer Film Festival Utrecht better and where we officially kick off the competition.
- There will be two master classes during the film trajectory that will support the filmmakers in the making process. These master classes are optional, but will be so interesting that you won’t want to miss them! More information about the master classes will follow.
- Your film must be submitted by Wednesday, July 31, 2024, by noon.
- The films made will get their own proper premiere on 1 September during the Queer Film Festival Utrecht.
- In the week from 2 September to 5 September, the public can watch the films online and judge them for the audience award.
- At the end of the festival, the time has finally come: during a festive event, the winning films will be screened and the jury, together with the audience, will announce the winner at the end of the evening. So keep these dates free in your diary!
- After the film festival, there will be a final master class looking at (possible) further steps in the film world. A real stepping stone for beginning filmmakers!
Juryleden
Hieronder stellen we jullie graag de juryleden voor!
Giani Kasanmonadi
Giani Kasanmonadi is an online and video editor at VPRO Dorst. He contributes to the talent development of new creators with the trajectory ‘VPRO Dorstlessers’, where six interdisciplinary creators get to work on new ideas. Giani also creates documentaries, video clips and social media content as a freelance videographer for names such as the OSCAM museum and Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Dominique Michelle Gimberg
Dominique Michelle Gimberg (1994) is a fiction film director and editor. They graduated with honors at the Hogeschool Voor de Kunsten Utrecht (HKU) with their short film Vlam (Spark). Vlam was premiered at the Nederlands Film Festival and got selected for Palm Springs International Film Festival. Dominique is a passionate visual storyteller. Whether it is a narrative film, commercial, music video or a fashion film. They find it exciting to work on different types of projects and put their own twist on them. Besides telling the story their goal is to let the viewer experience the film. Their work is easily recognized by the colourful, poetic, flashy, humorous, and fragmentary worlds they create. As a millennial, who borders on the Gen Z generation, they know better than anyone what is going on in their and among their generation. As a result, they speak the internet language and trends well. This is reflected in their work. Much of their work contains elements from the 80s, 90s, and 2000s.
Sandy Seifert
Sandy Seifert is a freelance programmer, writer and creative producer. She is currently a programmer for the special programs of the Netherlands Film Festival and creative producer at the Stichting Vrouwen in Beeld. She has also written essays and introductions for programs at Eye and Delft Fringe Festival and is starring in a play about abortion this year.
Apply!
Fill in the application form below to sign up for the 10-minute challenge.
You can sign up until Sunday, March 31, 2024!
FAQ & overige vragen
Zijn er dingen nog niet duidelijk? Kijk of je vraag beantwoord wordt bij de veelgestelde vragen (FAQ 10 minute challenge). Mocht je er dan nog niet uitkomen, neem gerust contact op met Team 10 minute via 10minute@qffu.nl!
De 10-minute challenge wordt mede mogelijk gemaakt door:
