Publication: Talking Shorts
Topics: Short film, moving image culture, critical essays, features, interviews
Rate: €275–€550 per article (1,500–3,000 words)
Deadline: September 8, 2025
Editors: Sanne Jehoul, Savina Petkova, Niels Putman
Submit Via: Submission Form

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What They’re Looking For

Talking Shorts is launching an annual print publication in 2026 dedicated to short film and moving image culture. They’re calling for pitches (not completed articles) from both emerging and established freelance writers. The theme of the first issue is:

“Filmmaking and Writing in Crisis?”

Your pitch should explore one or more of these questions:

• Ethics in art: the intent, purpose, and consequences of reproducing violence and suffering in film.
• Activist roots: Can short film still serve as a true countercultural voice in today’s political climate?
• Decolonisation: Beyond buzzwords—how do we dismantle Eurocentric dominance in storytelling and aesthetics?
• Utopias: Can the film industry imagine a better world while still running on underpaid labor and unsustainable practices?
• Ecology: Where do short film production, exhibition, and distribution fit in the wider climate crisis discussion?

They welcome essays, reported features, in-depth interviews, and long-form creative nonfiction (but not personal essays or academic writing). For interviews, you must show access to your proposed subject.

Pitches should be 250–300 words. Each writer may submit up to two pitches, and first-time contributors must include a byline plus one relevant published sample.

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Resources/Guides

• Talking Shorts Contribution Guidelines
• Submission Form

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How To Get This Client

To impress Talking Shorts, your pitch needs to show:

• A deep understanding of short film and moving image culture.
• A clear angle that connects to the theme “crisis” in culture, politics, or the industry.
• Polished writing with critical insight, not academic jargon.

If you’re new to pitching international publications, don’t worry. That’s exactly why we run the Sure Media Training Program—to teach African writers how to pitch, negotiate rates, and get published in high-paying outlets like this one.

👉 Enroll today and learn how to pitch global editors with confidence.