REGULATIONS 2024
I – ORGANISATION AND DATE
CINANIMA – INTERNATIONAL ANIMATED FILM FESTIVAL OF ESPINHO - CINANIMA 2024 – 48th 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 the International Film Association (ASIFA).
The 48th edition of the Festival – CINANIMA 2024 – will be held in the city of Espinho – Portugal, from the 8th to the 17th of November 2024.
II – ADMISSION OF THE FILMS
1. CINANIMA 2024 will only accept works:
a) concluded after the 1st of January 2023;
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. No registration fee is required;
2. No fees will be paid for the screening of the works that have been submitted;
3. The submission of any work implies unconditional acceptance of the terms set forth in these Regulations and its Annexes;
4. The submission of the films takes place from the 4th of March until the 28th of June 2024;
5. Only the Rights’ Owner can submit the film;
6. The submission of each film is made online at the FilmFreeway platform;
7. The submission of the film is only valid if sent together with:
5.1 Link for the Selection copy;
5.2 Two stills of the film, JPEG, 300 dpi;
5.3 Photo of the director, JPEG, 300 dpi;
5.4 List of dialogues and/or narration in Portuguese and/or English in a .srt file with timecode;
§ Films with dialogues or narration in other language than English or French must have embedded English subtitles.
5. 5 Annexes I and II properly signed.
8. Each film applies to one single category.
9. Portuguese films may apply both to the International Competition and the National Competition, except for the works directed by children or youngsters under 18 years of age;
IV – FILMS
1. Links to the films must be available upon submission;
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 and 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 22nd of November 2024. The Festival must be informed of any changes.
c) These files must be uploaded on the platform FilmFreeway during the submission period for CINANIMA 2024 and implies acceptance of the platform’s Terms and Conditions.
FOR FINAL SCREENING
The following are accepted:
a) Video files .mov (H.264, H.265 and 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
Categories:
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.
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 can enter only one category in the National Competition:
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 18) within the scope of educational activities or workshops.
ii. First film directed by a Young Portuguese Director (aged between 18 and 30).
VI – NON COMPETITIVE PROGRAMME – INTERNATIONAL GRAND PANORAMA
Among the films submitted to the Festival and not selected for the Competition, both the Programming Committee and the Festival’s Educational Service organise programmes with the designation International Grand Panorama for the general audience, youngsters and children.
VII – SELECTION OF THE FILMS FOR COMPETITION AND INTERNATIONAL GRAND PANORAMA
1. No fees or screening rights will be paid to the films selected both for Competition and/or International Grand Panorama.
2. The Pre-selection process is the Festival’s Programming Committee responsibility.
3. The final decision regarding the films in Competition and in the International Grand Panorama is the responsibility of the Jury, the Programming Committee and the Festival’s Educational Service.
4. The final decision regarding the films selected for Competition and International Grand Panorama will be communicated by e-mail until the 16th of September 2024 and published on the Festival’s website (www.cinanima.pt).
5. The directors/producers of the selected films will receive:
a) the laurel;
b) accreditation with access to all the Festival’s events.
6. After receiving the Selection communication, the participant may send:
a) Teaser/trailer/spot of the film, for promotional purposes;
b) Posters, postcards, flyers, other.
7. The directors/producers of the award-winning films and of the films selected for Competition and/or International Grand Panorama must mention the laurel of selection and/or award in all its promotional materials.
VIII – SENDING AND RETURNING OF FINAL COPIES
Copies for final screening must be sent by e-mail to technical@cinanima.pt until the 7th of October. Should this rule be broken, the film may be either withdrawn or screened in the format sent for selection.
IX – JURIES
1. The JURY members are nominated by the Festival’s Programming Committee.
2. The INTERNATIONAL JURIES – Short Films, Student Films and Feature Films – and the NATIONAL JURY will be constituted by 3 (three) to 5(five) personalities.
3.The Juries will decide, according to their own Regulations, and their decision is final.
4. No member of the Jury (International and/or National) shall be associated with the production of the films presented.
5. The name of the Jury members will be announced on the website www.cinanima.pt.
X – AWARDS| SPECIAL MENTIONS
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
1. The International Jury for Short Films has the ability to attribute the following awards:
a) Grand Prize CINANIMA 2024 – Short Films | Espinho City Award
Award for the Best Short Film in Competition – CINANIMA 2024.
b) Jury’s Special Award
To be granted according to the Jury’s own criteria.
c) +Short - Alves Costa Award – Best film up to 4 minutes long
d) Award for the Best Animated Documentary
e) Award for the Best Commissioned Film
f) Award for the Best Experimental Film
g) Award for the Best Sound Design
h) Award for the Best Screenwriting
i) Award for the Best Art Direction
2. The International Jury for Short Films has also the ability to attribute a COMMENDATION, according to their own criteria.
FEATURE FILMS
The International Jury for Feature Films will attribute the following award:
a) Grand Prize CINANIMA 2024 – Feature Film
Award for the Best Feature Film in Competition – CINANIMA 2024.
STUDENT FILMS
The International Jury for Student Films will attribute the following award:
a) Grand Prize CINANIMA 2024 – 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.
NATIONAL COMPETITION
The National Jury will attribute the following awards:
a) ANTÓNIO GAIO Award
Best Film in the National Competition;
b) YOUNG PORTUGUESE DIRECTOR Award for Films directed by children and youngsters
Best film directed by Children and Youngsters (until the age of 18) within the scope of educational activities or workshops;
c) YOUNG PORTUGUESE DIRECTOR Award for Young Directors
Best first film of young Portuguese directors (aged between 18 and 30).
The International Juries for Student Films and Feature Films, as well as the National Jury have the ability to attribute a SPECIAL MENTION and will provide a statement justifying the decision.
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.
XI – 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.
XII – 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 17th of November 2024.
2. Directors/ producers of the films awarded authorise their screening on the Opening Session of the Festival, in November 2025 and also in the activity “CINANIMA at Universities”, with no commercial purposes, promoted at the partner Universities, in October 2025.
3. It is mandatory to fill in and send ANNEX I of the Regulations – CHARACTERISTICS AND TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF THE FILM and ANNEX II – OBLIGATIONS | AUTHORISATIONS - under penalty of exclusion of the submission.
4. The applicants authorise the screening of excerpt of the film (a maximum of 10% of its total runtime or 90 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 2024 implies full acceptance of these Regulations.
XIII – 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 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.