Short of the Week is excited to announce a new partnership with the Ouray International Film Festival, with its first-ever official festival award set to be presented at the 2026 edition in Colorado. The award marks the beginning of an exciting partnership between SotW and OIFF, bringing together two organisations with a shared commitment to supporting filmmakers and strengthening the wider industry.

For Short of the Week, the initiative marks a significant step in expanding its presence within the festival landscape, while reinforcing its long-standing mission to connect filmmakers with wider audiences. It also represents a key milestone for the platform, as it’s the first time an official Short of the Week award will be presented at a film festival. Through this collaboration, SotW aims to help bridge the gap between the festival circuit and the online film community – two spaces that often operate separately despite supporting the same creative ecosystem.

Speaking about the collaboration, Short of the Week Managing Editor Rob Munday highlighted the shared values underpinning the partnership:

“The moment I spent time with the festival team at the Ouray Film Sabbatical, it became clear that this was an event driven not by commercial goals or milestones, but by a genuine commitment to supporting and nurturing filmmaking talent.

While Short of the Week has long wanted to partner with a film festival, it had to be one that shared our beliefs – and with OIFF, that synergy finally clicked into place. As a relatively young festival, we’re excited to support its growth while also expanding the reach and visibility of the SotW platform.”

S/W’s Rob Munday (second left) with the 2026 Ouray Film Sabbatical fellows.

The Short of the Week Award will be selected by a member of the SotW team, with Managing Editor Rob Munday attending the festival this year. In addition to receiving an OIFF medal, the winning filmmaker will benefit from a support package designed to extend the life of their film beyond the festival circuit, including a release on Short of the Week.

By combining SotW’s global audience with OIFF’s in-person community-driven festival, the partnership aims to offer filmmakers both immediate recognition and sustained visibility – an increasingly important combination in today’s evolving film landscape. OIFF co-founder Jake Abell underscored this point:

“At OIFF, we know online and in-person curation go hand in hand. It’s not a zero sum game. Just like festivals, Short of the Week does something indispensable for short filmmakers. Together, we believe OIFF and SotW can amplify what our respective platforms can do to support the folks making amazing short films.”

As both organisations look ahead, the collaboration signals a broader interest in fostering deeper connections across the industry, supporting filmmakers not only at the point of exhibition, but throughout their creative journeys. As fellow OIFF co-founder Jared LaCroix explains:

“As a festival, we’ve been looking for ways to continue to support beyond our in-person experience, and now with this partnership with SotW, we  finally feel like we can offer that type of support.”

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The Ouray International Film Festival will run from June 18th – 21st 2026. Passes are available now, visit their website for more info.