UNITAS CENTER of Lowell, MA invites you to submit your short films as we set out on our third exciting production of "El Encuentro: The Latino Film Experience."

El Encuentro: The Latino Film Experience will be held on October 4th - 5th 2024, celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. We request short films of 3 mins to 15 mins in length. This festival will take place in person at The Richard and Nancy Donahue Theater at Middlesex Community College located in downtown Lowell, MA. Last year went beyond all expectations, with 266 submissions of terrific short films highlighting Hispanic filmmakers. Award money was recently sent out in the categories of Audience Choice, Best Film, Best editing, Best Cinematography, Best Animated Feature, and Best Documentary feature, chosen by our judges. For more information, go to our website at http://www.Unitascenter.org

"Art is the Handmaid of Human Good" is written on the seal of our city, Lowell, MA; the home of Jack Kerouac, Bette Davis, and James O'Neil Whistler. We have received generous funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, as well as support from local Merrimack Valley businesses.

Located just 45 minutes from Boston, MA on the banks of the Merrimack River, Lowell is a Mill City that has come alive with artistic zeal, and boasts one of the most diverse populations in all of Massachusetts. It is with great pride that we set out ion our second, and even bigger and better festival to highlight the achievements of Latino filmmakers, an underrepresented pool of talent that deserves to be seen and heard.

*All films in Spanish or Portuguese should be subtitled.

Awards & Prizes

Congratulations to our 2023 winners!!
Best Film $200: Broken Wings. Maria Laura Marin, Daniel Stearns
Best Documentary: $200: Roman Diaz: Como El Aqua. Onel Mulet
Best Animated Film: $200: Dulce. Aleyda Ortiz
Best Cinematography: $150: Belonging. Lucia Ortega Toledo, Daniel Califf-Glick

Congratulations to our 2022 Winners!

Best Film $200 "Dreamer" Vergi Rodrguez
Best Documentary film $200. "Water, Land Air, Fire Kimberly Hernandez
Best Animated Film. $200 ""Crying En La Lavanderia". Clara Siliezar
Best Editing $150. "Sounds At Night" Aaron Garcia
Best Cinematography $150. "Helado: Ice Cream". Gabriel Duran
Audience Choice Award $200. "Silver Waters". Domenicca Isabella Botero

Rules & Terms

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the purpose of this film festival is to highlight underrepresented Hispanic/Latino creatives in the film industry that are the following titles Film director, producer, animator, editor, screenwriter, camera operator/technician, camera assistant/grip, production assistant, cinematographer, casting director, stunt coordinator, costume designer, makeup and hair artist, sound composer/technician, in front of the camera or behind the camera talent or crew must be a Hispanic or Latino.

We are accepting films from the USA (and Puerto Rico) only!

No age limit, BUT children under the age of 18 must have consent from a parent or guardian.

Films must be sent before August 23, 2024.

Any films that violate copyright law will be disqualified

Films must be family friendly or PG or PG 13 in range

Submitters/ Filmmakers will be solely responsible for any copyright infringement on their submitted films.

Films can be in English.

Films in Spanish or Portuguese must be sub titled.

By submitting content to "El Encuentro: The Latino Film Experience," you understand and agree that you are giving us a royalty free, irrevocable, non-exclusive and sublicensable license to use, reproduce, publish, distribute, perform, display, and creative derivative works from any submission in whole or in part, in any form (including for promotional or marketing purposes.) You agree not to disparage, defame, otherwise seek to damage anyone or invade anyone's rights through any submitted content. El Encuentro: The Latino Film Experience reserves the right to update or modify any part of this festival at any time without prior notice.