Every year BSFS, as part of the Balticon Convention, sponsors The Balticon Sunday Short Science Fiction Film Festival (BSSSFFF), held traditionally on (surprise!) Sunday night. Certificates are given for audience-selected best animated and live action films.
Call For Submissions
Dear Film Maker:
The deadline for submitting films for 2023 has passed. To submit a film for Balticon 58 (2024), after September 1 go to
balticon.org and click on
Events under the
Activities tab on the top menu for instructions. Films are due between November 1, 2023 and March 31, 2024.
Results of Prior Film Festivals
Results from the 2023 Balticon Sunday Short Science Fiction Film Festival (BSSSFFF)(B57)
| Film |
| First place | Phonorama |
| Second place | APP |
| Third place | Teo |
| Honorable mention | Como Cada Jueves |
| Films |
| Fluye – Robert Rabanal Ramirez (Spain) |
| Zombie Meteor – Alfonso Fulgencio, Jose Luis Farias (Spain) |
| World of Humans – Maria Medinilla, Roger Grau (Catalan) |
| Nomofobia – Javier Lopez Velasco (Spain) |
| Deshaucio express (Express eviction) – Jorje Rio Esteban (Spain) |
| Fin del Mundo – David Moncada Varela (Colombia) |
| Unpeculiar y Desdichado Nacimiento (A Peculiar and Unfortunate Birth) – Javier Sanchez (Spain) |
| Phonorama – Alex Rey (Spain) |
| Primacy – Jos Man (Spain) |
| Viper’s Nest – Molly Brown, Howard Gardner (UK) |
| Teo – Eduardo Bunster (Chile) |
| Coleccionismo (Collecting) – Marcos Gualda (Spain) |
| What the Hell! – Suzie Jane Pastor (France) |
| Stardeep Transporter – Pedro Izquierdo (Spain) |
| Las Cosas Bien (Doing Things Right) – Christian Garnez (Spain) |
| Como Cada Jueves (Like Every Thursday) – J. M. Asensio (Spain) |
| Alcanzar El Vortice (Reach the Vortex) – Pedro Poveda (Spain) |
| La Partida Infinita (The Neverending Game) – Nacho Nava, Jose Colmenarejo (Spain) |
| Unextinct – Riccardo Carletti (Italy) |
| APP – Jon Herrero (Spain) |
Results from the 2022 Balticon Sunday Short Science Fiction Film Festival (BSSSFFF)(B56)
Over 200 films were submitted and twenty three films were shown on Sunday Evening May 29. Viewers were asked to rate each film as: Award quality, Outstanding, Excellent, Interesting, Watchable or Poor. The results of the voting were as follows:
| First place - Orbital Christmas |
| Second place - Franceska |
| Third place - Ambassadors of the Cosmos |
| Honorable Mention - Cadde La Notte Su Di Me |
| Honorable Mention - The Eye of Terror |
| Honorable Mention - Mind Blank |
| Honorable Mention - The Hellish Family |
|
Part 1 |
| 1 |
Covid Love - Rene Nuijens - England -6:03 |
| 2 |
Desert Waltz - Alan Rosenfeld - US -3:04 |
| 3 |
Yvm - Euloxio Fernandez - Spain -11:08 |
| 4 |
Una de Superheroes - Chon Lopez Solano - Spain -11:32 |
| 5 |
Delivered - J B Arbogast - US - 8:20 |
| 6 |
Joselito - Jose Carlos, Jimenez Revuelta, Marta Jimenez Revuelta - Spain -8:41 |
| 7 |
El Paseo - Alberto Vicente - Spain -6:18 |
| 8 |
Ambassadors of the cosmos - Béla Klingl - Hungary -8:00 |
| 9 |
You who are so modern - Karin Isnotu, Martinez Rodrigues - Spain -10:20 |
| 10 |
Orbital Christmas - Mitsuyasu Sakai - Japan -16:10 |
| 11 |
Cadde La Notte su di me - Bruno Ugioli, Riccardo Menicatti - Italy -4:57 |
| 12 |
Hamelin - Silvia Conesa - Spain -9:39 |
| 13 |
Chicha Sentai - Rogger Vergara Adrianzen - Peru -8:43 |
| 14 |
Spiricom - Ruben H Perez, Carmen Nogueroles - Spain -13:38 |
|
Part 2 |
| 15 |
Acid - Arpad Kood - Hungary -11:09 |
| 16 |
The eye of Terra - Cedrick Spinassou - France -11:24 |
| 17 |
Jettison - JJ Pollack - US -11:13 |
| 18 |
Mind Blank - Ana De Alva - Spain -19:53 |
| 19 |
M.O.M. - Patricia Huguet - Spain -19:27 |
| 20 |
Human Trash - Aitor Almuedo- Spain -16:39 |
| 21 |
Survivers - Carlos Gomez-Trigo - France, Spain -6:29 |
| 22 |
The Hellish Family - Toni O. Prats, Callahan Ruiz - Spain -14:55 |
| 23 |
Franceska - Alberto Cano - Spain -7:30 |
Results from the 2021 Balticon Sunday Short Science Fiction Film Festival (BSSSFFF) (B55)
Out of 200 films that were submitted, twenty films were shown on Sunday Evening May 30. Viewers were asked to rate each film as: Award quality, Good, Average, Poor or Terrible. The results of the voting were as follows:
| First place - La Tercera Parte (Third Part) |
| Second place - Polvotron 500 |
| Third place (tied) - Earth 3 |
| Third place (tied) - Where Do You Get Off |
| Honorable Mention - Je Veille Sur Toi (Help 3) |
| Honorable Mention - Return to Sender |
| Honorable Mention - The Consent and Environment 101 |
| Part 1 |
| TITLE - SUBMITTED BY - GENRE - COUNTRY OF ORIGIN - LENGTH |
| 1. Return to Sender - Malibu Taetz - Fantasy - Canada - 21 minutes |
| 2. Earth 3 - Antoine Morineau - Science fiction, Animation - France - 5 minutes |
| 3. The Substitute - Malibu Taetz - Fantasy - Canada - 14 minutes |
| 4. Where do you Get Off - Chuck Mara and Megan Marra - Fantasy - US - 13 minutes |
| 5. Se Tiene Gue Ir Ya (She has to go now) - Alberto Carpintero - Fantasy - Spain - 7 minutes |
| 6. La Tercera Parte (The Third Part) - Alicia Albares and Paco Cavero - Realistic - Spain - 15 minutes |
| 7. The Melody - Florian Lejal - Fantasy - France - 14 minutes |
| 8. Estaba Cantado (Jackpot) - Cristisn Casado Pére and Dennis Gleiss - Comedy, Horror - Spain - 6 minutes |
| 9. Je Veille sur toi (Help 3) - Janek Tarkowski - Science fiction - France - 16 minutes |
| Part 2 |
| TITLE - SUBMITTED BY - GENRE - COUNTRY OF ORIGIN - LENGTH |
| 1. Despues de Final (After the End) - Javier Guillot Sillas - Horror, Zombies - Spain - 8 minutes |
| 2. Remembrance - Shane Joseph Willis - Science fiction - Australia - 15 minutes |
| 3. Two short very short films by Zef Lucas (The Consent, Environment 101) - Zef Lucas - Comedy, Science Fiction - France - 5 minutes |
| 4. Solucio per la Tristesa (Solution for sadness) - Arc Martinz Jordan and Tuixen Benet Consculluela - Fantasy - Spain - 15 minutes |
| 5. Terminal Happiness - Eric Romero - Realistic - US, Estonia - 16 minutes |
| 6. Polvotron 500 - Silvia Conesa - Cyberpunk - Spain - 11 minutes |
| 7. Sonrisas (Smiles) - Javier Chanavel - Horror, Comedy - Spain - 13 minutes |
| 8. Conversations with a monkey - Tanja Joji? and Eduardo Grojo - Science fiction - Spain - 15 minutes |
| 9. The Arctic Syndrome - Borja EcheverrÃÂa Lamata - Horror - Spain - 13 minutes |
| 10. Re-animal - Ruben Garcera Soto - Horror, Animation - Spain - 13 minutes |
Results from the 2020 Balticon Sunday Short Science Fiction Film Festival (BSSSFFF)
Because of the worldwide covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, Balticon 54 was initially cancelled in early March 2020. However, about a week after the cancellation the Baltimore Science Fiction Society made the decision to host a Virtual Balticon 54 on the web. This was a free (donations gladly accepted) weekend of web-based panels, talks, games, films and of course our long-standing Sunday Night Short Film Festival.
About 200 films were submitted by the time the original con was cancelled. We decided to pick the top 10% of the almost 200 films that were submitted and screened them twice over the weekend - once on Sunday evening (when else will you have a Sunday Night film festival?) with a repeat showing on Monday afternoon. Because of the complexity of doing this on the web with no prior experience by us, or probably any other science fiction con, we decided to award participation certificates to the 18 movies that were screened. No awards for best picture, etc. were awarded.
The 18 movies that were chosen (in alphabetical order) were:
|
Title |
Director/writer |
Where and length |
| 1 |
Behavior Pattern |
Manuel Martin Merino |
Spain - 9:02 |
| 2 |
Capitan Kenesis |
Carles Jofre |
Spain - 10:50 |
| 3 |
Cosas Que Pasan |
Jesus Loniego |
Spain - 8:03 |
| 4 |
El Viaje de mi Vida |
Andres Camara |
Spain - 8:01 |
| 5 |
Future Boyfriend |
Ben Rock |
U.S. - 11:35 |
| 6 |
God Glitch |
Gideon Van Eeden |
The Netherlands - 7:58 |
| 7 |
Identity |
Despina Charalampous |
Greece - 14:32 |
| 8 |
La Santa |
Vega Halen |
Spain - 8:04 |
| 9 |
Mechanical Life |
Yoshihisa Nakanishi |
Japan - 5:03 |
| 10 |
Metrocabin |
Silvia Otero Andres Castro |
Spain - 6:23 |
| 11 |
N |
Jakob von Hieronymus |
Italy - 13:41 |
| 12 |
Particules |
David Brunet |
France - 15:00 |
| 13 |
Reboot |
Andrei Thutat Ungur |
Romania - 14:58 |
| 14 |
Seven Second |
David Bertoni |
U.S. - 4:30 |
| 15 |
The Bridge |
Antony Schelts |
U. K. - 6:41 |
| 16 |
Tinder Time |
Olga Osorio |
Spain - 7:55 |
| 17 |
Washout |
Alexandre Masson |
France - 13:37 |
| 18 |
X27 |
Jose Luis Mora |
Spain - 4:37 |
Results from the 2019 Balticon Sunday Short Science Fiction Film Festival (BSSSFFF)
From more than 300 submitted films, 17 were selected for presentation:
|
Title |
Director/writer |
Where and date |
| 1 |
No caminho da escola (On the way to school ) |
Rosaria Moreira |
Brazil - 2017 |
| 2 |
Bad Timing |
Clifford Lowe |
US - 2019 |
| 3 |
Exit |
Jose Luis Velazquez Menendez |
Spain - 2016 |
| 4 |
Gryphon Animo |
Matthew Maloney |
US - 2018 |
| 5 |
Marta |
Juan Fco. Andres |
Spain - 2017 |
| 6 |
Greta |
Dani Calavera |
Spain - 2019 |
| 7 |
El Despues (Afterwards) |
Leandro Vallejo |
Argentina - 2017 |
| 8 |
Sputnik |
Vincente Bonet |
Spain - 2017 |
| 9 |
Widdershins |
Simon P. Biggs |
UK - 2018 |
| 10 |
Extraterrestres (Aliens) |
Simon Fariza |
Spain - 2016 |
| 11 |
Your Last Day on Earth |
Marc Martinez Jordan |
Spain - 2018 |
| 12 |
El Origen |
Jose Antonio Campos Aguilera |
Spain - 2018 |
| 13 |
Psychic Sue |
Dave Lojek |
Ireland - 2014 |
| 14 |
Dark Spectre II |
Bruce Nachsin |
US - 2018 |
| 15 |
Celda Dual (Dual Cell) [American Premiere] |
Ignacio Malagon Del Rio |
Spain - 2019 |
| 16 |
Loot |
Pablo Medina |
Spain - 2018 |
| 17 |
Normal |
Paco Caballer |
Spain - 2018 |
Based upon audience voting, the following 6 certificates were awarded:
First Place - Sputnik by Vincente Bonet (Live action)
Second Place - Greta by Dani Calavera (Live action)
Third Place - Widdershins by Simon P. Biggs (Animation)
Honorable mention - Dark Spectre II by Bruce Nachsin (Live action)
Honorable mention - El Despues (Afterwards) by Leandro Vallejo (Live action)
Honorable mention - Celda Dual (Dual Cell) by Ignacio Malagon Del Rio (Live action)
Balticon 52 Film Festival 2018 Audience Awards.
The Baltimore Science Fiction Society's Balticon Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention was held May 25-28, 2018 at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, Maryland with close to 1600 science fiction and fantasy fans in attendance. For over 3 hours on Sunday evening a set of 19 short films were viewed by several hundred of these fans. Awards in two categories (Live action and Animation) were given to several of the films based upon audience votes for their favorite films. The winning films were as follows:
| Category 1. |
Live Action |
| First place: |
"The Nostalgist" by Giacomo Cimini, 2014, 17:42 |
| Second place: |
"Future Hero" by Ramin Serry, 2014, 6:26 |
| Third place: |
"Einstein-Rosen" by Olga Osorio, 2016, 9:00 |
| Honorable mention: |
"Rise" by Dave Karlak (@davidkarlak), 2014, 5:00 |
| Honorable mention: |
"Strange Beasts" by Magali Barbe, 2017, 5:19 |
| Honorable mention: |
"Red Rover" by Brooke Goldfinch, 2015, 15:14 |
| Category 2. |
Animation |
| First place: |
"Wire Cutters" by Jack Anderson, 2014, 8:32 |
| Second place: |
"Planet Unknown" by Shawn Wang, 2016, 9:15 |
| Third place: |
"Strange Invaders" by Cordell Barker, 2001, 8:31 |
The results from Balticon 47 through Balticon 51 are missing.
Balticon 46 Film Festival 2012 Audience/Director Awards.
| Best Animated Short: |
The Chase — Philippe Gamer, director |
| Best Live Action Short: |
The Oblique Sector — Jason M. Reulet, director |
| Best Specialty Film/Music Video: |
Eye of the Storm — Christopher Alender, director |
|
| Directors Choice: |
Alchemy and Other Imperfections — Zachary Rothman, writer/director |
|
| 2nd Place Animated: |
Eleven — Josh Marvel, director |
| 3rd Place Animated: |
Le Vilain de petit carre — James and Robert Dastoli, directors |
| 4th Place Animated: |
Wiggle Room — Joey Shanks, director |
|
| 2nd Place Specialty Film/Music Video: |
Better Be Goin' — Robert Fernandez-Ferreira, directors |
|
| 2nd Place Live Action: |
Dr. Grodberts: The Deadlist Game — James Cunningham, director |
| 3rd Place Live Action: |
Certified — Luke Asa Guidici, director |
| 4th Place Live Action: |
Asternauts — Marta Masferrer, director |
| 5th Place Live Action: |
Archetype — Aaron Sims, director |
| 6th Place Live Action: |
Nede — Izabela Ciesinsk, director |
| 7th Place Live Action: |
Yuri Lennon's Landing on Alpha 46 — Anthony Vouardoux |
| 8th Place Live Action: |
Single Player — Pawel Soja, director |
| 9th Place Live Action: |
Cache, a Firefly fan film — Clifford Ackman, producer |
| 10th Place Live Action: |
Rust Valley — John Whoriskey, Jr., director; Ryan Dolton writer |
| 11th Place Live Action: |
Padlocks — Ettore Nicoletti, director |
| 12th Place Live Action: |
Alter Ego — Gabe Fremuth, writer/director |
| 13th Place Live Action: |
When Will It Be Silent — Dan Sachar, director |
| 14th Place Live Action: |
This Is Entity One — Gregory Raw, director |
Balticon 45 Film Festival 2011 Audience/Director Awards.
| Best Animated Short: |
Zero — Christopher Kezelos, director |
| Best Live Action Short: |
Dead on Time — Kostos Skiftas, Andreas Lambropoulos, directors |
|
| Directors Choice-Animated |
Sintel — Colin Levy, writer/director |
| Directors Choice-Live Action |
Corbin — Brent Weichsel, director |
|
| 2nd Place Animated: |
Virus — Fred Mangan, director |
| 3rd Place Animated: |
Machines of the Working Class — James and Robert Dastoli, directors |
| 4th Place Animated: |
Sintel — Colin Levy, director |
| 5th Place Animated: |
Hambusters — Paul Alexandre, Maxime Cazaux, Dara Cazamea, Romain Delauney, Bruno Ortolland, directors |
| 6th Place Animated: |
Dr. Time Travel to the Rescue — Clyde James Aragon, director |
| 6th Place Animated: |
The Wonder Hospital — Boemsik Shimbe Shim, director |
|
| 2nd Place Live Action: |
Captivus — Casey Patrick Tebo, director |
| 3rd Place Live Action: |
Hector Corporation — Gary H. Lee, writer/director |
| 4th Place Live Action: |
Cockpit: The Rule of Engagement — Jesse Griffith, writer/director |
| 5th Place Live Action: |
We, Time Machines — Raul Navarro,director |
| 6th Place Live Action: |
Passing — Kris Holodak, director |
| 7th Place Live Action: |
Everything is Super — Gareth Davies, director |
| 8th Place Live Action: |
Gilles Corporation — Chris Shepard, director |
| 9th Place Live Action: |
Arms Race — Nigel Clagg, director |
| 10th Place Live Action: |
Lonely — Tara Garwood, director |
| 11th Place Live Action: |
The Clearing — Seth Larney, director |
| 12th Place Live Action: |
Corbin — Brent Weichsel, director |
| 13th Place Live Action: |
Job Interview with a Vampire — Sarah P. Steele, director |
| 14th Place Live Action: |
Toothless — Steve Dorrington, director |
| 15th Place Live Action: |
10.09.09 — David Franklin, writer/director |
| 16th Place Live Action: |
Au Commencement (In the Beginning) — Chris Shepard, director |
| Specialty Short |
Elfquest: A Fan Imagining — Stephanie Thorpe, Paula Rhodes, directors |
Balticon 44 Film Festival 2010 Audience/Director Awards.
| Best Specialty Short(science fact or music video): |
This Too Shall Pass (music video) — Directors: OK Go, James Frost, Synn Labs |
| Best Animated Short: |
ETA — Henrik Bjerregaard Clausen, Director |
| Best Live Action Short(tied score): |
The Legacy — Mike Doto, writer/director |
| Best Live Action Short(tied score): |
Android Love — Lee Citron, writer/director |
|
| Directors Choice-Animated |
The Painter of Skies — Jorge Morais Valle, writer/director |
| Directors Choice-Live Action |
My Friend Josh — Shaun Springer, director |
|
| 2nd Place Animated: |
Back To Life — Mike Salva, director |
| 3rd Place Animated: |
Santa: The Fascist Years — Bill Plympton, writer/director |
| 4th Place Animated: |
Vegeterrible — Henrik Sønniksen, Benjamin Nielson, directors |
| 5th Place Animated: |
Lifeline — Andres Salaff, writer/director |
| 6th Place Animated: |
The Astronomer's Dream — Malcolm Sutherland, writer/director |
|
| 2nd Place Live Action: |
Measured Sacrifice — Ann Arbor Films, John Whitney, writer/director |
| 3rd Place Live Action: |
The Frustration With Animation — Bryan Alexander, director |
| 4th Place Live Action: |
Pos+tive — Lonnie Martin, director |
| 5th Place Live Action: |
The Anachronism — Matthew Gordon Long, director |
| 6th Place Live Action: |
The Sweet Hand of the White Rose — Davide Melini, director |
| 7th Place Live Action: |
Cut|Paste — Thomas Fosseli, Fredrik A. Sundbye, directors |
| 8th Place Live Action: |
Current — Jordan Sharon, Brian May, directors |
| 9th Place Live Action: |
Burden — Michael David Lynch, writer/director |
| 10th Place Live Action: |
S. S. Humanity — Matthew Ladensack, director |
| 11th Place Live Action: |
Duel of the Overmen — Brendon DeVore, director |
| 12th Place Live Action: |
Mind Void — Kyle Von Tonder, writer/director |
| 13th Place Live Action: |
Harley Quinn's Big Blind Date — Jason Damian, director |
| 14th Place Live Action: |
A Hot Meal — Jamison Derfler, writer/director |
| 15th Place Live Action: |
The Flash: Crossover — Jason Damian, director |
|
| 2nd Place Specialty Short |
Does TV Make You Fat? — Denis van Waerebeke, director |
Balticon 43 Film Festival 2009 Audience/Director Awards.
| Best Animated |
Burning Safari — Created by: Vincent Aupetit, Maxime Maleo, Aurelien Predal, Florent de la Taille, Claude-William Trebutien, Jeanne Irzenski |
| Best Live Action |
The Hunt for Gollum — Chris Bouchard, director |
| 3rd |
Six Impossible Things — Patrick VandenBussche, writer/director |
| 4th |
Alliance — Ajmal Zaheer Ahmad, writer/director; Dr. Gemal Seede, writer |
| 5th |
The Lift — Kenneth Evans, writer/director |
| 6th |
Thru — Christopher J. Ewing, director |
| 7th |
The Space Stone — Angel Declet, writer/director |
| Directors Choice |
Cronos — Juan Pennisi, writer/director |
Balticon 42 Film Festival 2008 Audience Award Ranking.
| 1 |
The End is Night — James Cotter, Director |
550 points |
| 2 |
The Toll — J. Zachary Pike, Director |
516 points |
| 3 |
The Ungone — Simon Bovey, Director |
509 points |
| 4 |
Eli — Josh Lee Kwai, Director |
503 points |
| 5 |
A Gentlemen's Duel — Franciso Ruiz & Sean McNally, Directors |
494 points |
| 6 |
Postcards From the Future — Alan Chan, Director |
484 points |
| 7 |
Memory Sticks — Kris Holodak, Director |
480 points |
| 8 |
Hugh — Matthieu Navarro, Sylvain Nouveau, Francois Pommiez, Aurore Turbe, Creators |
454 points |
| 9 |
Final Run — Kenneth Foley, Director |
392 points |
| 10 |
Light Sabers — Travis Boles, Director |
367 points |
| 11 |
Replay — Anthony Voisin, Zakaria Boumediane, Fabien Felicite-Zulma, Camille Delmeule, Creators |
330 points |
| 12 |
72 Hours From Now — David Procter, Peter King, Directors |
284 points |
Balticon 41 Film Festival 2007 Audience Award Ranking.
| 1 |
Hide and Seek (G) — Chris Romano, Creator/Director |
645 points |
| 2 |
Delivery (G) — Till Novak; framebox.de |
628 points |
| 3 |
Bastards of Kirk (PG-13) — Director: Logan Lubera |
592 points |
| 4 |
Starship Groove (G) — from Animusic2 www.animusic.com |
551 points |
| 5 |
The Bushman of Bunyip Billabong(G) — Cameron Edser and Michael Richards |
492 points |
| 6 |
Dark Operations: A Dark Odyssey Begins (PG) — Rising Phoenix Productions |
370 points |
| 7 |
Copenhagen Cycles (G) — Eric Dyer |
359 points |
| 8 |
First World: The Revelation of Mankind (PG) — Written by Mark Lund, Directed by Adam Starr |
337 points |
| 9 |
The Vibranator (R) — Tepid Fish Productions. |
304 points |
| 10 |
Nebulous 1 (G) — David Wanger; soundscapes by Seiss. |
199 points |
