REGULATIONS 2026
I – ORGANISATION AND DATE
CINANIMA – INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED FILM FESTIVAL OF ESPINHO - CINANIMA 2026 – 50th edition – is organised by NASCENTE – Cultural Cooperative – and by the CITY HALL OF ESPINHO with the support of the MINISTRY OF CULTURE/ICA I.P. - INSTITUTE OF CINEMA AND AUDIOVISUAL, Creative Europe MEDIA and other public and private entities.
CINANIMA is officially an Oscar™ qualifying festival by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science and its winner is eligible for the nomination for the Best Animated Short Film. CINANIMA has the approval of ASIFA - International Film Association.
The 50th edition of the Festival – CINANIMA 2026 – will be held in the city of Espinho – Portugal, from the 6th to the 22nd of November 2026.
II – ADMISSION OF THE FILMS
1. CINANIMA only accepts works:
a) concluded after the 1st of January 2025;
b) directed according to the definition of animation given by ASIFA: “The art of animation involves the creation of animated images using various techniques other than live action”;
c) in its final version;
d) not sent for selection in previous editions of the festival;
e) that combine live action with animation as long as the later represents 70% of the film.
III – SUBMISSION
1. By submitting the Registration Form, you fully and unreservedly accept all the terms of this Regulation, including the annexes;
2. The submission period goes from March 1st to June 21st, 2026;
3. Only those who hold the copyright of the work may submit it;
4. Works must be submitted by completing the online Registration Form on the FilmFreeway platform;
5. A submission will only be validated if accompanied by:
5.1. A link to the Selection Copy;
5.2. Two stills from in JPEG format, 300 dpi;
5.3. A pic of the director in JPEG format, 300 dpi;
5.4. A dialogue and/or narration list in Portuguese and/or English, in a .srt file with timecode;
§ Works with dialogue and/or narration in a language other than English or French must include embedded English subtitles
5.5. Annexes I, II, and III, duly signed;
6. Portuguese works may compete in both the International Competition and the National Competition, except for works created by children or young people
up to 15 years old;
7. Submission is free for the International Student Films Competition and the National Competition.
IV – FILMS
1. Links to the films must be available upon submission in FilmFreeway;
2. For any information regarding copies, please contact technical@cinanima.pt
3. Characteristics and technical specifications (for SELECTION and FINAL EXHIBITION) are set in ANNEX I of the Regulations.
FOR SELECTION
The following are accepted:
a) Video files .mov (H.264, H.265, ProRes), .avi (uncompressed) and .mp4 (H.264 or H.265), native resolution and frame rate, via internet;
b) Link to Youtube or Vimeo with password, if required;
§ Link and password must be valid until the 30th of November 2025. The Festival must be informed of any changes;
c) These files must be uploaded on the platform FilmFreeway during the submissions period for CINANIMA 2025 and implies acceptance of the platform’s Terms and Conditions.
FOR FINAL SCREENING
a) Video files .mov (H.264, H.265, ProRes), .avi (uncompressed) and .mp4 (H.264 or H.265), native resolution and frame rate, via Internet;
b) DCP (check ANNEX I of the Regulations.
§ Films with watermarks or any kind of mark are not accepted.
V – COMPETITION
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
1. Short Films – films up to 50 minutes.
2. Feature Films – films over 50 minutes.
3. Student Films – Films until 30 minutes, directed by students or graduates, produced at Art Schools, Film Schools or Film Training Schools.
4. All Aboard – Among the works submitted for the Short Film and Student Film Competition, the Programming Committee may select films to be part of this new competitive section of the Festival.
5. Young Dolphin - competitive section composed of films selected by the Programming Committee, in conjunction with the Educational Service, aiming at a children and youngsters audience, from among the Short Films and Student Films that have been submitted.
NATIONAL COMPETITION
1. A film is considered to be Portuguese when it has been directed by a Portuguese citizen or whose production is entirely Portuguese.
2. Portuguese films may also apply to the International Competition, except for films made by children and/or young people up to 15 years of age.
3. Portuguese films can enter only one of the National Competition categories:
a) ANTÓNIO GAIO Award – Best film in the National Competition;
b) YOUNG PORTUGUESE DIRECTOR Award:
i. Films directed by Children and Youngsters (until the age of 15) within the scope of educational activities or workshops.
ii. First film directed by a Young Portuguese Director (aged between 15 and 25).
VI – SENDING COPIES
Screening copies for final exhibition must be sent by October 5, 2026, to technical@cinanima.pt, under penalty of exclusion from the program or screening in the format originally submitted for selection.
The directors/producers of the selected works will:
a) be awarded the respective official laurel;
b) be offered one accreditation valid for all Festival
events.
After notification of selection, the submitter may send:
a) the film and trailer for promotional purposes;
b) graphic and promotional materials related to the work.
VII – JURY
1. The juries are appointed by the Festival Programming Committee and will be composed by three to five members.
2. The Juries will decide, according to their own Regulations, and their decision is final.
3. No member of the Jury (International and/or National) shall be associated with the production of the films presented.
4. The name of the Jury members will be announced on the website www.cinanima.pt.
VIII – AWARDS
SHORT FILMS
The International Short Film Jury awards the following prizes:
- Grand Prize CINANIMA 2026 – Short Films
- Jury’s Special Award
- +Short - Alves Costa Award – Best Film up to 4 minutes in duration
- Award for the Best Animated Documentary
- Award for the Best Commissioned Film
- Award for the Best Experimental Film
- Award for the Best Sound Design
- Award for the Best Screenplay
- Award for the Best Artistic Direction
FEATURE FILMS
The International Jury for Feature Films will attribute the following award:
- Grand Prize CINANIMA 2026 – Feature Film Award
STUDENT FILMS
The International Jury for Student Films will attribute the following award:
- Grand Prize CINANIMA 2026 – Student Film – Gaston Roch Award Award for the Best Student Film, until 30 minutes, directed by students or graduates, produced at Art Schools, Film Schools or Film Training Schools.
ALL ABOARD COMPETITION
The Jury for the All Aboard Competition will attribute the following award:
- Prize CINANIMA 2026 – All Aboard Award
YOUNG DOLPHIN COMPETITION
The Jury for the Young Dolphin Competition will atribute the following awards:
a) Young Dolphin Award – best film for children up to 10 years old;
b) Young Dolphin Award – best film for children and youngsters over 10 to 15 years old;
c) Young Dolphin Award – best film for youth over 15 to 18 years old.
These films will be screened in theatres across the country (free entry) in order to promote animated films to these specific audiences.
NATIONAL COMPETITION
The National Jury will attribute the following awards:
- ANTÓNIO GAIO Award – Best Film in the National Competition;
- YOUNG PORTUGUESE DIRECTOR Award – Films directed by children and youngsters (until the age of 15) within the scope of educational activities or workshops;
- YOUNG PORTUGUESE DIRECTOR Award for Young Directors – Best film of young Portuguese directors (aged over 15 to 25).
AUDIENCE AWARD
Attributed by the Audience of the Festival, through a vote, awarding their favourite film from those screened in any of the three International Competitions.
NOTE: The monetary prizes will be announced on the CINANIMA website in August 2026.
X – SUBTITLING
1. The subtitling of the Short and Feature films selected for competition is the Organisation’s responsibility, as long as the complete text of the dialogues or narration,
in English or French, is sent when the film is submitted in a .srt file with timecode.
2. Should this request be ignored, the film will be screened with no subtitles and in its original language.
XI – RIGHTS, OBLIGATIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Directors/producers of the films awarded authorise its screening in additional sessions to be held on the last day of the Festival – Sunday, the 22th of November 2026.
2. Directors/producers of the films awarded authorise their screening on the Opening Session of the Festival, in November 2027 and also in the activity “CINANIMA at Universities”, with no commercial purposes, promoted at the partner Universities, in October 2027.
3. It is mandatory to fill in and send ANNEX I, II and III under penalty of exclusion of the submission.
4. The applicants authorise the screening of an excerpt of the film (a maximum of 10% of its total runtime or 60 seconds (the shorter version is the valid) on TV/social media for promotional purposes.
5. The applicants authorise the use of stills of the film and/or of the director(s) and technical data of the film, with promotional purposes, on press kits, catalogues,
websites, social media and/or other promotional materials.
6. Any doubt or matter omitted in the present Regulations will be resolved by the Organisation according to the rules of fairness and common sense.
7. Should any interpretation issues arise, only the Portuguese version is considered lawful.
8. The submission in CINANIMA 2026 implies full acceptance of these Regulations.
XII – DATA PROTECTION
The requested information will be use only to facilitate the treatment of information for the selection process of the films in the International Competition and International Grand Panorama - Films for Schools and it will be shared only with the Selection
Jurors and Programming Committee.
According to the stipulations of the Regulation (EU) nr. 679/2016, of 27 April, updated by Rectification 00/2016, of 4 May, the Festival will retain the data for the legally stipulated timeframe. The holders of the data may exercise their right of access, opposition, rectification and deletion, by contacting the Festival’s organization.
