CineEco - International Environmental Film Festival of Serra da Estrela, organised by the Municipality of Seia, is the only festival in Portugal dedicated to the environment, which has been held uninterruptedly since 1995.

Based on the motto Films that change the world, the Festival is a meeting point for professionals, researchers and the public. Its mission is to give visibility to today's major environmental issues brought to the Festival by filmmakers and to be a space for reflection and action by offering quality cinema and little-known and alternative cinematographies in relation to the traditional market. It is a Festival that promotes public awareness of cinema, its history and aesthetics, and environmental issues.

OBJETIVES
. To promote, exhibit and award fiction, animation, experimental and documentary films focusing on environmental issues, produced anywhere in the world.
. Promote greater ecological awareness by encouraging reflection on the relationship between human beings and the environment.
. Valorise the natural and cultural resources associated with environmental heritage.
. Organise parallel actions and activities related to this theme.
. To promote the exchange of experiences between Festival participants.
. To contribute to the promotion and economic and tourist enhancement of the territory, affirming its identity in a globalised world.

Awards & Prizes

Prizes will be awarded to the work judged to be the best in each of the categories.

The films presented in the Festival's Competitive Sections compete for the following awards.
a) INTERNATIONAL LONG FILM COMPETITION
Environment Grand Prize of €2,500 (two thousand five hundred euros).
b) INTERNATIONAL SHORT AND MEDIUM- LENGTH FILM COMPETITION
International short and medium-length film prize of €1,000 (one thousand euros).
c) PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE FEATURE FILM COMPETITION
Camacho Costa Prize worth €2,500 (two thousand five hundred euros).
d) PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE SHORT AND MEDIUM FILM COMPETITION
Portuguese Language Short Film Award, worth €1,000 (one thousand euros).
e) REGIONAL PANORAMA COMPETITION
Regional Panorama Prize, worth €1,000 (one thousand euros), awarded to a work produced in the Serra da Estrela region that best promotes local environmental issues.
f) FICTION, NON-FICTION AND ANIMATION SHORT FILM COMPETITION (up to 10
minutes)
Fiction, non-fiction and animation short film prize - €500 (five hundred euros)

OTHER AWARDS
a) ENVIRONMENTAL ANTHROPOLOGY AWARD - €2,500 (two thousand five hundred euros), awarded to the work that best addresses the theme of environmental anthropology, in the Portuguese Language Feature Film competition, depending on the Official Selection and the Jury's decision.
b) ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AWARD - worth €1,000 (one thousand euros), awarded to the work that best promotes the theme of environmental education, entered in the Portuguese-Language Short and Medium-Length Films competitions, depending on the Official Selection.
c) ANIMATED SHORT FILM AWARD - worth €1,000 (one thousand euros), awarded to the work judged to be the best animated short film in the International Short Film and Portuguese Language Short Film competitions, depending on the Official Selection and the Jury's decision.
d) YOUTH AWARD - worth €500 (five hundred euros), awarded to the work judged to be the best of all the competitive categories.
e) WATER VALUE AWARD - worth €500 (five hundred euros), awarded to the work that best addresses the theme ‘The value of water’ among all the competitive categories.

Exceptionally, Honourable Mentions may be awarded.

The Prizes awarded will be accompanied by a trophy and a diploma.

If Honourable Mentions are awarded, they will be accompanied by a diploma.

The results of the competition will be announced at the closing ceremony of the 31st Serra da Estrela International Environmental Film Festival and via the Festival website and other communication channels.

Rules & Terms

Date and Location:

• The 32th Serra da Estrela International Environmental Film Festival will take place from the 9th to the 17th October 2026 at the Casa Municipal da Cultura de Seia.

• CineEco also offers an Extensions Service, through which films screened during the Festival will be shown at various venues in the 12 months following the event.

Film Admission:

• Fiction and documentary films produced for cinema and/or television, national and international, and visual art works made after 1st of January 2025 will be admited.

• Categories:
• INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM COMPETITION (fiction/documentaries, +60 min).
• INTERNATIONAL SHORT AND MEDIUM-LENGTH FILM COMPETITION (fiction/documentaries, up to 60 min).
• COMPETITION FOR FEATURE FILMS IN PORTUGUESE (fiction and documentaries, from 60 minutes);
• COMPETITION FOR PORTUGUESE-LANGUAGE SHORT AND MEDIUM-LENGTH FILMS (fiction and documentaries, up to 60 minutes);
• REGIONAL PANORAMA COMPETITION;
• FICTION, NON-FICTION AND ANIMATION SHORT FILM COMPETITION (up to 10 minutes)

• Portuguese-language films may also compete in international categories.

• Non-selected films may be screened out of competition.

Film Submission:

• Submission implies acceptance of the Participation Rules, available at www.cineeco.pt.

• Deadline: Until March 31, 2026 (50% discount until February 6, 2026).

• Fees:
• International and Portuguese-Language Feature Film Competitions: €10.
• Short and Medium-Length Film Competitions: €5.
• c) Fiction, non-fiction and animation short film competitions (up to 10 min): €2.
• Regional Panorama Competition: Free.
• Required Materials:
• Two high-resolution stills from the film (300 px, max A5).
• Synopsis (original language and English).
• Acceptance and screening/promotion authorisation declarations.

• No refunds in case of withdrawal.

Official Selection:

• Announced by 20 July 2026.

• Selected films must submit required materials (see Point 6 in the rules) by 20 June 2026.

Subtitling:

• Non-English language films must be submitted with a screener and a subtitled exhibition copy in English.

Jury:

• Each jury for the different Competitions will be made up of five members: three national or foreign individuals of recognised merit in the film and/or environmental field and two young people with an interest in the fields of cinema and the environment.

Three juries will be set up to assess one or more competitions, distributed as follows:
• International Feature Film Competition.
• International Short and Medium-Length Film Competition, Fiction, Non-Fiction and Animation Short Film Competition (um to 10 minutes), and Regional Panorama Competition.
• Portuguese Language Feature Film Competition, Portuguese Language Short and Medium Length Film Competitions.

Extensions and Promotion:

• CineEco reserves the right to show the competing works in its extensions, which will take place within one year of the Festival, in other locations in Portugal, on a non-profit basis and for educational purposes.

• The festival reserves the right to broadcast excerpts of selected films on television, cinema, and other media platforms for promotional purposes.

Final Provisions:

• All participants must fully accept the festival rules.

• Any unforeseen matters will be decided by the organisation, with no possibility of appeal.

More information and full regulations: www.cineeco.pt

1 Review
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  • Beatrice Aliné

    Amazing Festival! Thank you so much for inviting me and screening my movie. I feel very honored to be a part, it a was a great, great experience!

    November 2025
    Helpful