Festival Internacional de Cine con Medios Alternativos FICMA

RULES AND TERMS

REGISTRATION AND PARTICIPATION OF A FILM OR PROJECT REQUIRES FULL ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS, CONDITIONS AND RULES OF THE FESTIVAL WITHOUT ANY EXCEPTION.

Submissions will be open from Tuesday, April 1st, until 11:59 PM on Thursday, July 31st, 2025, Mexico City time. All films and projects in a language other than Spanish must be subtitled in Spanish or English to be considered for the selection process. Films and projects selected for the "Official Selection" and "Competition Selection" must have Spanish subtitles; otherwise, they will not participate in the festival. Participants will be given a reasonable amount of time to obtain subtitles; they will also be contacted by companies associated with subtitling services, the cost of which will depend on the project in question. This will be reviewed with the participant via email and/or personal mobile phone (WhatsApp).

Films submitted through the submission platforms (FilmFreeway/Festhome) must be the final cut of their project; new versions of the project will not be accepted once they have been selected for participation in the festival (color correction, sound design, credits, etc.).

All participants must register their film with a personal cell phone number and email address. The pre-selection process requires an immediate response, with a maximum wait time of 10 days. Don't forget to check your spam, social media, notifications, and promotions folders.

Mexican and foreign filmmakers will be eligible to participate with films and projects produced between 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Films and projects entered in all categories must be made with devices such as smartphones, tablets, Action Cameras, drones, DSLR cameras , Blackmagic Pocket, Osmo , 360° cameras, or other alternative techniques such as Zoom, Parkview cameras, surveillance cameras, digital animations, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, among others.

Some selection criteria to consider include technological innovation and the use of digital tools such as artificial intelligence, VFX, advanced CGI, virtual production, and blockchain, among others. The overall production quality, formats, and media used, as well as the originality of the narrative, will also be evaluated. While the theme is open, priority will be given to projects related to artificial intelligence, transhumanism, science fiction, social media, cyberbullying, digital ethics, dystopias, cyberpunk, the metaverse, and other related topics.

Works made entirely with Red One , Scarlet X, Epic , Arri Alexa, Sony F6, 35mm, 16mm cameras without using any alternative means will not be accepted.

Submitted films and projects must clearly specify the devices or creative media used in their production, supported by behind-the-scenes photos, stills, or videos.

Films and projects must be registered on the FilmFreeway and Festhome platforms .

Screenings will be held in person and/or online. The festival reserves the right to schedule films in either or both formats, as well as to choose venues and times that suit the festival's needs.

ANY BREACH OF THE REGULATIONS AND CONDITIONS PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED, THE FESTIVAL RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ELIMINATE THE PARTICIPANT FROM THE SELECTION.

CATEGORIES

WORLD QUADRANTS
-International Fiction Feature Film
-International Documentary Feature Film
-International Fiction Short Film
-International Documentary Short Film
-Digital Animation Short Film (Non-Stop Motion )

NEW MEDIA

-Experimental Short Film:
-VR Projects and/or 360° Videos:
-Artificial Intelligence Projects (Documentary or Fiction)

MEXICAN STORYTELLERS
-Mexican Feature Film
-Mexican Documentary Feature Film
-Mexican Fiction Short Film
-Mexican Documentary Short Film
-Mexican University Fiction Short Film
-Mexican University Documentary Short Film

Digital Visions
-Content for Social Media
-Web Series
-Advertising Spots
-Video Game Cinematics
-Music Video

*FICMA has the power to relocate projects to the category considered most appropriate for official selection*

REGISTRATION CONDITIONS AND FEES

Registration will begin on Tuesday, April 1st and close at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday , July 31st of this year, Mexico City time, with no possibility of extension.

Filmmakers can register and pay their project fees through the FilmFreeway and/or Festhome platforms.

From April 1 to April 30, submissions will cost $14 USD for feature films and $9 USD for other categories. From May 1 to July 31, submissions will cost $19 USD for feature films and $12 USD for short films. The Digital Visions section will generally cost $8 USD.

Participants may submit one or more films. Advertising spot ( only In New Visions Section), corporate, or government videos will not be accepted.

Once a film has been submitted to FICMA and subsequently selected for the official selection, the project will become part of the Tenth Edition of FICMA 2025 and cannot be withdrawn or canceled from the final program.

Participants are required to submit a press kit containing a technical sheet, film stills (300 dpi, in JPG or PNG format), a director's photograph (300 dpi, in JPG or PNG format), a film poster, production/behind-the-scenes photos (300 dpi, in JPG or PNG format), and a trailer (optional).

The press kit must be pre-organized in a Google Drive or Dropbox folder with sharing permissions, on the FilmFreeway and/or Festhome platforms where the material can be downloaded.

MOVIES MUST HAVE THE OPTION TO DOWNLOAD IN THE HIGHEST QUALITY AND WITHOUT A WATERMARK ON THE PLATFORM YOU HAVE REGISTERED FOR.

FROM THE PRESELECTION PROCESS

Once the call for submissions closes, a pre-selection process will be made in August. The FICMA team will contact the shortlisted filmmakers via email and/or WhatsApp (a frequently checked email address and WhatsApp number are required) to follow up on the process.

If there is no response from the shortlisted filmmakers within 10 calendar days, the project will be automatically disqualified.

The download option (via FilmFreeway and Festhome) is mandatory. If it is not enabled, the project will be excluded from the pre-selection process.

The viewing and download format is MP4 Full HD without a watermark and in the best quality your device or camera allows. PHYSICAL COPIES AND CHANGES TO THE REGISTERED VERSION WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AT THE FESTIVAL.

For any questions or clarifications regarding film registration, please write to: progficma@gmail.com and/or coordinacionficma@gmail.com

SELECTION AND EXHIBITION

The Organizing Committee will evaluate the submitted films and select the best entries in the various FICMA categories. It will also select those that will be included in the official and competition selection for the Tenth Edition of FICMA 2025. It reserves the right to schedule the order, date, and exhibition format (online or in-person, or both) of the selected projects.

FICMA does not provide any financial compensation for exhibition rights for films participating in the official selection or competition.

To make the selection, the committee will evaluate the projects taking into account the film's production values (script, direction, subject matter, photography, editing, image quality), recording equipment, use of alternative technologies, creativity, and originality.

The filmmakers who submit their films acknowledge their rights as authors of the work and holders of the moral and property rights. The filmmakers agree to release FICMA from any liability for any copyright claims that may arise from third parties.

If the submitted project presents internal or third-party conflicts that affect the festival's image or organization, as well as the interaction between the public and/or other participants (whether in person or digitally), it will be automatically disqualified from the selection.

The films selected for the official selection will become part of FICMA's digital collection, which will be used solely for dissemination, cultural, and artistic purposes.

The results of the official selection will be published starting Tuesday, October 20th, in FICMA's press, digital platforms, and social media. Those selected will be notified by email and WhatsApp.

FICMA may use excerpts from the films for promotion and dissemination.

The films in the official selection will be part of traveling exhibitions and film series in collaboration with other festivals, institutions, and digital platforms, with the required digital security.

THE PROGRAM MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE FOR REASONS BEYOND THE FESTIVAL'S CONTROL.

JURY AND AWARDS

The jury will be composed of professionals from the film, culture, and technology industries, and its decision will be final.

The winners of the various competition categories and the honorable mentions will be announced at the closing ceremony and via email, FICMA's website, and social media.

Jury members will not be able to participate in the festival's various competition categories.

No member of FICMA may be part of the jury or compete in the festival.

The official FICMA award consists of an officially valid printed and/or digital award, as well as prizes in some categories from our sponsors, which will be announced on social media and the official website.

FICMA reserves the right to award honorable mentions to works it deems worthy of them.

REGISTRATION AND PARTICIPATION OF A FILM OR PROJECT IMPLIES FULL ACCEPTANCE OF THE TERMS, CONDITIONS AND RULES OF THE FESTIVAL.

The FICMA organizing committee will resolve any issues not covered in the call for proposals. For more information, please write to: progficma@gmail.com / coordinacion ficma@gmail.com

INTERNATIONAL ALTERNATIVE MEDIA FILM FESTIVAL