SIFA | Yellowfever

The SIFA runs as a sister-fest to the hugely successful & prestigious Yellow Fever Indie Film Festival which is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland from 2009. The Sandbar is run as a 'Juror's Only' festival, which means the only audience for the award stages of the competition will be the selected SIFA judges. After our winning films have been announced, SIFA may hold a day of screening in select cities for the public to enjoy, although all film makers will be made aware of this before the event begins.

The SIFA accepts online submissions of ONLY short films from all genres!

With all submissions in by closing deadline, each film will be put through the rigorous process of judgement from each of the experienced juror's which include an international panel of award winning writers, directors, producers and actors. The panel must select 25 films from the first stage of judging that will then become the Official Selection of the Sandbar International Film Awards of that year. Each official selection gains a SIFA Official Selection laurel.

The SIFA gives away up to 9 awards from the following categories:

BEST SHORT FILM (Three places - Gold, Silver & Bronze)
BEST PERFORMANCE
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
BEST DOCUMENTARY
BEST LGBT FILM (If over 3 genre submissions)
BEST ANIMATION (If over 3 genre submissions)
MOST INSPIRATIONAL FILM

The Sandbar International Film Awards run a serious and committed set-up, judging each project submitted fairly and on many values. These include technically, performance wise, entertainment, charm and much, much, more...

Good luck!! SIFA Team

A 'JURORS ONLY' SHORT FILM COMPETITION, CREATED BY FILMMAKERS FOR YOU!

NEW SEASON OPEN SOON

Congratulations to all our winners of the Sandbar International Film Festival... We had a great time watching all submissions and a hard time judging some amazing work. To the right is a full list of the winning films along with the runner-up titles. Please REMEMBER, the SIFA is an online based, judges only festival so you do not need to attend anything to support your film - saving you some cost also. Once again, congratulaions and thank you for supporting the SIFA and the independent film industry!

SIFA TEAM

7th SIFA 2023 WINNERS

BEST SHORT FILM GOLD - TIED

BEST SHORT FILM SILVER - LAMBING

BEST SHORT FILM BRONZE - TALES OF TUNIVAR

BEST PERFORMANCE - AINE COLLIER (SHOWTIME)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - THE LAST DAYS OF MY HOUSE

BEST ANIMATION - CANDLELIGHT

BEST DOCUMENTARY - THE HOW OF COLLAGE

BEST LGBT FILM - MAKING WAVES

MOST INSPIRATIONAL FILM - PLANET OCEAN BLUES

HONORABLE MENTIONS: COCAINE OVERKILL; KHORA; I WILL STAY WITH

YOU UNTIL MORNING; BARRY VS THE BINMAN; MISSING YOU;

AGAPE; THE BURNING AT BALLYMANNY; and WHAT NOW?

6th SIFA 2022 WINNERS

BEST SHORT FILM GOLD - THE ROCK IN THE SEA

BEST SHORT FILM SILVER - NIGHT OF THE DANIELS

BEST SHORT FILM BRONZE - THE WAKE

BEST PERFORMANCE - JONATHAN FRENCH (THE ROCK IN THE SEA)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - THE ROCK IN THE SEA

BEST ANIMATION - FLOTSAM & JETSAM

MOST INSPIRATIONAL FILM - BEFORE MARRIAGE

HONORABLE MENTIONS: SENSIBILITY; THE WAR ENDS AT 11;

YELLOWSTONE 88

5th SIFA 2021 WINNERS

BEST SHORT FILM GOLD - THE TIME OF OTHERS

BEST SHORT FILM SILVER - GOODBYE OLYMPICS

BEST SHORT FILM BRONZE - ANNA

BEST PERFORMANCE - SOHEIL KRAMYAR (MADATORY)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - THE TIME OF OTHERS

BEST ANIMATION - THE BOY & THE MOUNTAIN

BEST DOCUMENTARY - HEART OF CAMDEN

BEST LGBT FILM - NEW FLESH FOT THE OLD CEREMONY

MOST INSPIRATIONAL FILM - BEHIND MURMURING

HONORABLE MENTIONS: FLASH_THUNDER 93, PAST CONTINUOUS, BLEEDING OUT, BODIES, DEDICATED TO TERHAN, TODAY IS FRIDAY, COCOON, PASS, and THE HEAVY SHADOW OF THE CROW

4th SIFA 2020 WINNERS

BEST SHORT FILM GOLD - HERMA

BEST SHORT FILM SILVER - RED

BEST SHORT FILM BRONZE - PIRABOK

BEST PERFORMANCE - SOHAN PAGUE (NOT THAT KIND OF GUY)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - HERMA

BEST ANIMATION - MY TAGALONG

BEST DOCUMENTARY - THE MOUNTAIN KEG

BEST LGBT FILM - NOT THAT KIND OF GUY

MOST INSPIRATIONAL FILM - CHOKER

3rd SIFA 2017 WINNERS

BEST SHORT FILM - EXPRESS DELIVERY