Below are the rules and terms that you agree to when submitting films, videos, and other materials to our festival.
Submission
1.1 LISBIFF accepts Portuguese and foreign films with Portuguese or English subtitles, or without subtitles if the film is in Portuguese or English.
1.2 Registration fees must be paid through our submission platforms at the time of submission, and they are non-refundable.
1.3 Multiple entries from the same submitter are accepted. An entry fee (as listed on the submission platforms) must accompany each film submission.
1.4 Films may be resubmitted, provided they were not previously selected.
1.5 LISBIFF is one of the film festivals organised by IBERIFF. Each IBERIFF festival (MADRIFF, BARCIFF, VALÈIFF, SEVIFF, LISBIFF, and MONTIFF) has its own independent selection process and jury. To participate in any of them, you must submit your film separately through their respective pages on the submission platforms.
1.6 Films must be submitted through our registration platforms and made available for viewing via these platforms. Postal submissions are not accepted.
1.7 We accept works from any country in the world, produced on or after 1 January 2024.
1.8 LISBIFF does not provide fee waivers, exemption codes or free registrations.
Categories
2.1 All films must be submitted in digital format under the correct category, respecting the following length guidelines:
• Supershort (documentary, fiction, experimental): up to 5 minutes
• Short Film (fiction, experimental): up to 30 minutes
• Short Documentary: up to 30 minutes
• Short Animation: up to 30 minutes
• Featurette (animation, documentary, fiction): 30 to 60 minutes
• Feature Film: over 60 minutes
• Feature Documentary: over 60 minutes
• Music Video: up to 15 minutes
2.2 Films exceeding these durations may be disqualified or reassigned to a more suitable category at the festival’s discretion.
Official Selection • Awards
3.1 Every three months, a number of films from each category will be selected for competition.
3.2 The films selected for the competition will be announced on LISBIFF’s social media platforms.
3.3 From the officially selected Supershorts, Short Films, Short Animations, Short Documentaries, and Music Videos, the festival will, at its discretion, choose certain works for public screenings, while Featurettes, Feature Films, and Feature Documentaries are viewed and evaluated privately by the curators and jury; screening selections are independent from the decisions determining the annual winners announced in December.
3.4 All selected films automatically compete in the additional categories Best Direction, Best Actress, and Best Actor, with no extra fee.
3.5 During the first week of December, the jury will announce the annual winners in each category, along with any honourable mentions. These will be invited to take part in the awards event in Lisbon, Portugal, later that month.
3.6 All winning films will receive the LISBIFF trophy; honourable mentions will receive a LISBIFF-IBERIFF certificate.
3.7 Submitting a film does not guarantee official selection; selection does not guarantee screening; screening does not guarantee an award.
3.8 The decisions of the LISBIFF selection committee and jury are final. Submission results will be communicated through our registration platforms. The winners will be announced on LISBIFF’s Instagram account, and it is the submitter’s responsibility to check the status of their submission.
3.9 LISBIFF does not provide feedback on the submitted films or the jury’s decisions.
Liability
4.1 LISBIFF does not publish full films on its website or social media platforms.
4.2 LISBIFF does not pay screening fees for submitted films. All screenings are conducted based on the authorisation granted by the submitter under these Terms and Conditions.
4.3 LISBIFF may use images, stills, trailers, and press kit materials from submitted films for promotional purposes on its website, social media, and at screening events, and may adapt these materials to fit its visual identity.
4.4 The submitter is solely responsible for obtaining all necessary rights, licences, consents, and releases for the content of the submitted work, including but not limited to music, image rights, trademarks, and performance rights.
4.5 LISBIFF does not cover any costs related to participation in the festival, including but not limited to travel, accommodation, or other personal expenses.
4.6 LISBIFF is not responsible for any copyright infringement or unauthorised use of content included in the submitted works.
4.7 By submitting a film, the submitter agrees to indemnify and hold harmless LISBIFF and its associated festivals within the IBERIFF network from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from any breach of rights related to the submitted work.
4.8 LISBIFF reserves the right to make changes to the festival’s settings if necessary.
4.9 Public Exhibition Rights: By submitting a film, the submitter grants LISBIFF • Lisboa Indie Film Festival and its associated IBERIFF festivals a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to publicly exhibit (communicate to the public) the submitted work during festival events, including physical screenings. The submitter confirms and guarantees that such exhibition does not require any additional authorisation or payment to third parties, including collecting societies such as SPA (Sociedade Portuguesa de Autores) or GEDIPE, and that no mandatory collective rights management payments apply. LISBIFF shall not be held responsible for any failure by the submitter to secure the necessary rights.
Disqualification
5.1 Failure to meet eligibility requirements or to provide the materials requested by the organisation may result in disqualification at any stage of the competition.
5.2 LISBIFF reserves the right to disqualify and remove a film from its listings if it becomes involved in legal disputes or any situation that could undermine the reputation of LISBIFF or any of the festivals within the IBERIFF network.
5.3 Disqualification does not entitle the sender to a refund of the registration fee.
5.4 LISBIFF does not refund the entry fee if a filmmaker decides to withdraw their film from the festival.
Acceptance of the Terms
6.1 Participation in LISBIFF • Lisboa Indie Film Festival implies acceptance of these rules.
