Supported by the Isle of Man Arts Council the aim was to bring 'inspiring, enlightening, entertaining and varied filmic fun - with some stellar special guests to the island. The festival was also inspired by a need to have screening opportunities for the increasing number of films being made on the Isle of Man by Manx filmmakers. The brainchild of Dave Armstrong and Christy Dehaven of Isle of Man production company DamLtd. the inaugural Isle of Man Film Festival took place in September 2012. Since then it has gone from strength to strength. Mark Kermode, revered film critic and Telegraph journalist champions the festival and hosts events along with numerous celebrity guests who attend to perform, host Q&A events and workshops. Our main competition is the International Shorts competition where filmmakers from around the world submit their short films for consideration. Films are categorised into Comedy, Fiction, Documentary and Animation. Awards are for Each Category winner, The Audience Award Winner and The Best of the Fest. Prizes include exclusive statuettes and cash prizes to assist with funding for their next film. Short films with a maximum duration of 15 minutes or under are accepted in the following categories, Documentary, Fiction, Comedy, Animation and Island Life. Submitted through FilmFreeway via private or password protected Vimeo or Youtube link.