Privacy Policy

How Short Film Universe collects, uses, and protects your data

Last updated: September 2026

1. Overview

Short Film Universe (“SFU”, “we”, “us”) is a free, ad-supported platform that connects filmmakers, cast, crew, equipment rental providers, and location rental providers. There are no subscriptions and no fees to use the platform. We keep SFU free by displaying advertising (Google AdSense). This policy explains what we collect, how we use it, how advertising and cookies work, and the choices you have.

2. Information We Collect

  • Account data: name, email address, hashed password, and optionally a phone number.
  • Profile data: role-specific information such as bio, skills, categories, city/state/country, experience, languages, filmography, portfolio links, and profile images.
  • Activity data: projects, roles, applications, invitations, messages, rental requests, and promotions you create or respond to.
  • Uploaded content: profile photos, project posters, and listing images.
  • Usage and device data: IP address, browser and device type, pages viewed, and approximate location, collected through cookies and similar technologies.

3. How We Use Your Information

  • To create and operate your account and provide the platform’s features.
  • To help directors, cast, crew, and rental providers discover and connect with each other.
  • To display the public portions of your profile (for example, name, city, bio, skills, and filmography) to other users.
  • To prevent fraud, abuse, and misuse, and to enforce our terms.
  • To display advertising that keeps the platform free (see section 4).
  • To comply with applicable legal obligations.

4. Free Platform and Advertising (Google AdSense, Adsterra)

SFU is free to use. To fund the platform we display advertising through Google AdSense and Adsterra (Social Bar and sponsored links). Google and its partners may use cookies and similar identifiers to serve ads, including personalised ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites.

  • We use Google Consent Mode. Where consent is required, personalised advertising cookies are used only after you accept. If you decline, non-personalised ads may still be shown.
  • You can opt out of personalised advertising via Google Ads Settings at adssettings.google.com, or learn more at aboutads.info.
  • For details on how Google uses data from sites that use its services, see Google’s Privacy & Terms at policies.google.com.
  • Third-party advertisers are responsible for their own ad content. SFU does not control the ads shown by ad networks.

5. Cookies and Consent

  • Essential cookies are required for login, security, and core functionality.
  • Advertising and analytics cookies support the ads that keep SFU free and help us improve the platform.
  • A consent banner lets you Accept or Decline personalised advertising. Your choice is stored on your device and applied through Google Consent Mode. You can change it at any time by clearing your browser storage.
  • Disabling essential cookies may prevent you from logging in or using certain features.

6. Third-Party Services

We use trusted third parties to operate the platform. Their handling of your data is governed by their own privacy policies:

  • Google AdSense — advertising (see section 4).
  • Adsterra — advertising, Social Bar, and sponsored links (see section 4).
  • Email delivery providers — account verification and transactional emails.

7. Data Sharing

  • We do not sell your personal data.
  • We share data with the service providers listed above, only as needed to run the platform.
  • We may disclose data where required by law, or to protect the rights, safety, and security of our users and the platform.
  • Information you choose to publish (public profile, filmography) is visible to other users.
  • Contact details (email, phone) are not public. They are shared only through the platform’s opt-in contact-sharing feature between a director and a member they have hired, or when you send a rental request.

8. Data Retention and Security

We retain your data while your account is active, and delete or anonymise it when you request account deletion, unless we are required to retain it by law. Passwords are stored using one-way hashing, and access to personal data is restricted. No system is completely secure, so please use a strong, unique password.

9. Your Rights

Subject to applicable law, you may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data, withdraw consent, or object to certain processing. To exercise these rights, contact us at support@shortfilmuniverse.com.

  • India: rights under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP).
  • EEA / UK: rights under the GDPR, including the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

10. Children

SFU is not intended for anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If you believe a minor has provided us data, contact us and we will remove it.

11. International Transfers

SFU is operated from India. Your data may be processed and stored on servers located in India or other jurisdictions. By using the platform, you consent to such processing and transfers.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be notified on the platform. Continued use of SFU after an update means you accept the revised policy.

13. Contact

Questions about this policy or your data? Email support@shortfilmuniverse.com.