Films submitted for the short film competition must meet all the following seven criteria. Please refer to the regulation details below for further info.
1. The submitted short film should have its German Premiere at LUCAS.
2. The film is neither available on German territory for free or paid public viewing on television/the Internet, nor does it have a prior cinematic release in Germany.
3. Only films which have been produced between 2024 and 2026 are eligible.
4. Only entries that can provide a DCP screening copy with English subtitles will be accepted.
5. The submission link must also provide English subtitles.
6. The running time of the film may not exceed 30 minutes.
7. Only entries with answers to all questions in the custom form will be taken into consideration.
The fee is 10$ for the entry of a short film. Productions from countries listed as Least Developed Countries (LDC) by the United Nations Committee for Development Policy are eligible to apply for an entry fee waiver (ref. to the list here: https://unctad.org/topic/least-developed-countries/list). To apply for the entry fee waiver code for productions from LDC, please contact lucas-entry@dff.film and provide production details. Entry fees will not be refunded, regardless of the selection decision.
REGULATION DETAILS
1. LUCAS – International Festival for Young Film Lovers highlights exceptional films both in form and content. We are looking for outstanding productions which appeal to young film lovers of various ages. LUCAS is a project of the DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum (Schaumainkai 41, 60596 Frankfurt).
2. The 49th LUCAS – International Festival for Young Film Lovers will take place in Frankfurt and the Rhein-Main region, Germany, from Sept. 24 to Oct. 1, 2026. The festival showcases a wide range of fiction, documentary, animation, experimental and hybrid films. The films will be shown in competition, out of competition and in special programs.
3. Films submitted for the short film competition must meet the following criteria:
+ The submitted short film should have its German Premiere at LUCAS.
+ The film is neither available on German territory for free or paid public viewing on television/the Internet, nor does it have a prior cinematic release in Germany.
+ Only films which have been produced between 2024 and 2026 are eligible.
+ Only entries that can provide a DCP screening copy with English subtitles will be accepted. The submission link must also provide English subtitles.
+ The running time of the film may not exceed 30 minutes.
+ Only entries with answers to all questions in the custom form will be taken into consideration.
4. A selection committee chooses films for the competition. The selection process will not be public and there is no legal right to enter the competition.
5. Filmmakers will be notified by e-mail and FilmFreeway if their film is selected, films that are not selected will be notified via FilmFreeway only.
6. The awards are decided upon by various international juries. The juries in the competitions »Kids« and »Teens« consist of children and teens as well as film professionals. The jury in the competition »Youngsters« consists exclusively of adolescents and young adults. The jury’s decision is final, and the jury does not need to justify their decisions.
Awards:
+ Awards for Best Feature Film in the competitions »Kids« (5.000 €, donated by the Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Hessen-Thüringen) and »Teens« (5.000 €)
+ Awards for the Best Short Film in the competitions »Kids« (2.000 €, donated by the Sparkassen-Kulturstiftung Hessen-Thüringen) and »Teens« (2.000 €)
+ Award for an Outstanding Cinematic Achievement in the competition »Teens« (2.000 €)
+ LUCAS »Youngsters« Award in the competition »Youngsters« (5.000 €)
Moreover, LUCAS bestows an Audience Award as well as the award of the European Children’s Film Association (ECFA).
7. Awards and prize money will be donated to the director(s) of the winning films. In case of winning an award, we will need the bank account information, the telephone number, e-mail address and a postal address to send the award to.
8. After an official invitation into competition has been accepted, a withdrawal of the film is no longer possible
9. Films will only be screened in their original language with English subtitles. Selected short films in competition will be translated into German for voice-over by the festival.
10. The festival intends to hold one or two scheduled public screenings in cinemas as part of the festival program and one or two additional screenings for school classes.
11. The deadline for entering short films is April 27, 2026. By then the selection committee must have received the film via FilmFreeway or online link, as well as the completed online form.
12. A DCP/print of the film is to be sent only after an official invitation. The DCP/film print of the selected film must arrive at least 14 days before the festival starts.
13. Please send the film as a DCP and mp4 (h.264, 10-15 MB Bitrate) digitally (cloud, ftp etc) to lucas-print@dff.film
14. Unless negotiated otherwise, license providers of selected films will take care of the shipping costs (transport, insurance and customs) of the DCP to LUCAS. LUCAS will take care of the costs for the shipment to the next destination (either another festival or return to the license provider). The festival retains a copy of the film in the festivals archive.
15. The festival covers the insurance of the DCPs/film prints while they are on location in Frankfurt, from their arrival until they are given back to the shipper.
16. Only the rights holder or his representative can enter a film.
17. Entering a film equals the acceptance of the festival’s regulations.
18. The management of the festival is authorized to change the festival’s regulations in special cases.
