Valga Hot Shorts, also known as VHS, is a short film festival taking place for the third time at the Valga Cultural Centre aka Valga Kultuurikeskus. The 2026 programme focuses on exploring the boundaries of personal, communal and global challenges.
From 3–5 July, the city of Valga will be filled with film enthusiasts and the best short films from Estonia, Latvia, and around the world. In addition to the main programme, the festival offers a wide range of special programmes and events across the urban spaces of both Valga and Valka.
The VHS main programme consists of four competitive programme “cassettes,” bringing together the best short fiction films, animations, and documentaries of recent years. These films help audiences reflect on where the line lies between an exciting challenge and an unpleasant obligation, or how to set boundaries in a way that keeps everyone safe without becoming deadly boring. Alongside the competition programme, the festival will present a retrospective of short films by one outstanding filmmaker, as well as free programmes of children’s films and youth amateur films. The festival programme is still in development and will be announced in May.
More information about the festival: https://valgahotshorts.ee/en/
See you this summer in Valga!
🔥 All film screenings have Estonian and English subtitles
🔥 Under the age of 14 (included) can attend the festival for free
Valga Hot Shorts was launched as part of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 programme.
Valga Cultural Center • Kesk 1, 68203 Valga, Valgamaa, Estonia