El X Festival Internacional de Cine por la Memoria Democrática, que organiza la Asociación Arte y Memoria, pone en valor los objetivos de la Plataforma de la Comisión de la Verdad, difundiendo un cine que sirva para reflexionar y despierte conciencias sobre los conflictos internacionales. A través del Séptimo Arte, y apelando a la dignidad, la concordia, la razón y el respeto, animamos a los cineastas, sobre todo a los jóvenes, a participar en este certamen que se desarrollará en el mes del 1 al 5 de diciembre de 2026 en la Cineteca de Matadero de Madrid (España).

The X International Film Festival for Democratic Memory (FESCIMED), organized by the Art and Memory Association, sets out to support the objectives of the Spanish Platform for a Truth Commission, spreading film work that can trigger reflection and rise consciousness in the search for truth, justice and reparation for the victims of international conflicts. Through the Seventh Art, and invoking dignity, concord, reason and respect, we encourage film makers, particularly the young ones, to participate in this Festival which will take place on December 1st– 5th 2025 at the Cineteca of Matadero in Madrid (Spain).

Mejor Cortometraje del Festival / Best Short Film Award: 500€ + Trophy.*

Premio del Público / Public Vote Award: 300€ + Trophy.

Premio Especial de la Juventud / Special Youth Award: 300€ + Trophy

Premio Mejor Actor / Best Actor Award: Trophy.

Premio Mejor Actriz / Best Actress Award: Trophy.

Premio Mejor Director / Best Director Award: Trophy.

Premio Mejor Guion / Best Script Award: Trophy.

Premio Mejor Música Original / Best Original Soundtrack Award: Trophy.

Premio Mejor Montaje / Best Editing Award: Trophy.

Premio Mejor Fotografía / Best Photography Award: Trophy.

Premio Mejor Sonido / Best Sound Award: Trophy.

Premio Mejor Dirección de Arte y Vestuario / Best Costume Design Award: Trophy.

Premio Mejor Maquillaje y Peluquería / Best Make-up and Hairdressing: Trophy.

*A la cuantía del Premio al Mejor Cortometraje del Festival se le aplicará los impuestos correspondientes. / The corresponding taxes will be applied to the amount of the Best Short Film Award.

¡SUBTÍTULOS EN ESPAÑOL SON IMPRESCINDIBLES!
Ver bases completas en https://fescimed.com

SPANISH SUBTITLES ARE ESSENTIAL!
See complete rules in https://fescimed.com

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

FESCIMED X International Film Festival for Democratic Memory

I. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Participation in the 10th International Film Festival for Democratic Memory (FESCIMED) is open to all filmmakers that wish to participate, regardless of age, nationality, gender, etc. Minors will be allowed to participate as long as they provide the Festival Organization Committee due written parental authorization from at least one of the parents or legal guardians. This authorization may be downloaded from the FESCIMED Web site and must be completed and available for download on the selected registration platform (see section II. Registration).

2. The subject of all pieces will revolve around Democratic Memory: truth, justice and reparation for victims, as well as spreading, safeguarding and recovering Democratic Memory with the aim of promoting cohesion and solidarity between different generations around democratic principles, values and liberties.

3. Works may have all types of genres and formats: fiction, documentary and animation. Every author will be able to participate with as many works as he/she wants to. The maximum duration of short films will be 30 minutes, including credits.

4. Works that portray values or ideas of a racist, sexist, xenophobic, intolerant, fanatical or other violent nature, or opposed to human and social rights will not be accepted.

5. Works that were selected for any of the sections of the previous edition of this Festival will not be allowed to participate, either in the Official Section or in parallel Sections.

6. Short films can be presented in any film or video system, including those provided by IT platforms, as long as they have been produced after January 1st 2023.

7. The names on the registration form must be the same of those contained in the film credit titles. The Organization Committee understands that those presenting a piece of work to the Festival hold film rights over it, so candidates are solely responsible for any failure to comply with those.

8. A Selection Committee will choose the short films which will be included in the Official Section. The Organization Committee may program one or more parallel sections outside the competition but within the framework of the Festival.

9. The Jury will announce its decision and the Public Vote Award at the Closing Ceremony. The decisions of the Selection Committee and the Jury will not be open to appeal.

II. REGISTRATION

10. Short films will be presented in their original language. Those with an original language other than Spanish must be subtitled in this language.

11. Registration will only be done through one of these Festhome, Movibeta or FilmFreeway platforms. In all cases, the poster of the short film, photograph of the director and at least two frames of the film must be available for download. In the case of minors, also the corresponding authorizations duly completed as described in point 1 of these rules.

12. Participation will have a symbolic cost of €1, which will be payed at the time of
registration.

13. The deadline for registration is July 31st, 2026 at 23:59 (Peninsular Spain GMT).

14. Candidates who wish to cancel their registration to this Festival must give prior notice before the registration deadline.

15. Candidates who fail to submit the required documents described in these Terms and Conditions before the deadline, will be out of the competition. All questions and inquiries should be addressed to the Festival contact email: fescimed@fescimed.com

III. SELECTION OF WORKS

16. The Selection Committee will decide which short films will go to the Official Section among the works presented. All films in the Final will be eligible for every award, except for the Special Youth Award for film makers under 30 years of age, born after December 1st, 1996.

17. Between August and September 2026, the Organization will get in touch the selected ones who must submit to the Festival Organization Committee a copy of their works in high definition in accordance with the following criteria:

Format: DCP/ MPEG2 or H.264.
Minimum resolution: PAL 1920x1080p 25fps.
Audio: 48kHz.

18. These copies will be submitted via Internet to the Festival email address -through WeTransfer, Dropbox, Drive or Mega- or through any download system that allows the registration platforms. The HD copies must reach the Organization Committee before October 1st 2026.

19. The Festival Organization Committee reserves the right to reject those copies presented that, in its judgement, do not meet the technical conditions required for their screening to the public.

IV. SCREENINGS

20. Screenings of short films, both in the Official Section of the competition and in the parallel sections, if any, will take place at Cineteca in December 2026, at a time to be determined by the Festival Organization Committee. In the case of the online screenings, selected short films will be put on the Festival Website through a private link to Youtube or Dailymotion, for which participants give their express authorization when submitting their works to the Festival. Those will be available for viewing on the Festival Website during a maximum of 23 hours; the audience will be able to vote for the Public Vote Award over that period of time. Selected works will be hosted in Youtube, Dailymotion through a private link without any geographical limitation unless its owners express their opposition to the Festival Organization Committee, in which case, and if possible, those limitations will be set in accordance to an agreement reached between the parties. In any case they will never limit viewing within Spanish territory.

21. The final programme will be announced both on the Festival Website and on social networks, together with every other channel the Organization Committee may find suitable.

22. In no case will the filmmakers be paid for screenings of their selected short films.

V. AWARDS

23. The official list of winners of the Festival will be made of three cash prizes and thirteen trophies.

24. The Public Vote Award will be based on the sum of direct votes cast by the audience attending FESCIMED screenings and votes cast online. In the in-person viewing, vote counting will be determined by a percentage according to the number of votes received in relation to the total amount of votes given each day. In the online viewing, voting will only be possible through the Festival website during the screening period of 23 hours allocated to every short film, and will be limited to one work for every viewer in each session.

25. All other awards will be decided by the jury appointed by the Organization Committee for the third edition of the Festival.

26. All short films will be eligible for the Best Short Film Award, while only those directed by directors younger than 30 years of age will also be eligible for the Youth Special Award.

27. No film will be awarded the three main prizes or more than a total of three awards.

28. The thirteen trophies will be personal and individual according to each category.

29. Trophies will not be exchanged for their value in cash.

30. The awards of the Festival will be established as follows:

Best Short Film Award: 500€ + Trophy.*
Public Vote Award: 300€ + Trophy.
Special Youth Award: 300€ + Trophy
Best Actor Award: Trophy.
Best Actress Award: Trophy.
Best Director Award: Trophy.
Best Script Award: Trophy.
Best Original Soundtrack Award: Trophy.
Best Editing Award: Trophy.
Best Photography Award: Trophy.
Best Sound Award: Trophy.
Best Costume Design Award: Trophy.
Best Make-up and Hairdressing: Trophy.

*The corresponding taxes will be applied to the amount of the Best Short Film Award.

31. Winners commit to attend themselves the award ceremony to collect the prize. For reasons beyond the reasonable control, winners may delegate to a third party attending the ceremony and collecting the prize, prior to an authorization by the Organization Committee. They shall also send, before the indicated date, a personal video accepting the award and thanking the Festival.

32. Once the awards have been announced, the participating filmmakers will have ten days to provide any information required by the Organization Committee in order to grant the prizes. Once this period of time is over, it will be understood that the filmmakers renounce their prizes (both cash and trophies), although the list of winners will not be affected.

VI. ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS

33. The Organization Committee may use fragments of the works selected –with a maximum of two minutes by film– on platforms and media with the only purpose of promoting the Festival.

34. Once the Festival is over, the Art and Memory Association, with the consent of their authors, may use the films included in the Festival in campaigns aimed at raising awareness about democratic memory in cultural centres, schools, etc. Such activities will always be free of charge and of informative character. The film-makers will be informed of and invited to take part in the screening of their films or in Q & A sessions so that they may participate in them if they wish to do so.

35. The Organization Committee reserves the right to modify the dates and schedule of the Festival for causes beyond reasonable control, and not anticipated at the time of these Terms and Conditions. Equally, and at the discretion of the Selection Committee, the Organization Committee may cancel the Festival if the number of works presented to the Festival is not sufficient to put the Programme together.

36. In case of suspension of the Festival due to causes beyond FESCIMED, the Organization will be exempt from all kinds of responsibilities to the participants.

37. Any issue not accounted for in these Terms and Conditions, even when these are definitive, will be submitted for consideration to the Organization Committee.

38. Participation in the Festival involves full acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Amir Zargara

    Thanks for having us :)

    December 2025
  • Emilio Martí-López

    Un festival esencial: su tema es importantísimo (la memoria democrática) y es muy impresionante cómo están consiguiendo internacionalizarlo; eL equipo humano detrás del certamen es muy agradable y entusiasta y la calidad de los trabajos no se queda sólo en lo cinematográfico, que es lo que sostiene el festival, sino que abraza más aspectos de la memoria y la reivindicación del recuerdo.

    December 2024
  • Kiarash Dadgar

    Overjoyed to win Best Artistic Film at FESCIMED for 'The Steak'! This recognition means the world to our team. Thank you for the honour! Your dedication to celebrating artistic excellence is truly commendable!

    May 2024
  • João Católico

    A very important festival!
    A lot of learning!
    Excellent!

    December 2023
  • Pantaloneta Productions

    Gracias a Carlos y a la organización por todo!

    December 2022