La Guarimba is a film festival situated in the southern Italian region of Calabria with the aim of bringing the cinema back to the people and the people back to the cinema. We work with cinema and illustration using culture as a vehicle to promote our values of participatory democracy, integration, and accessibility.

The eleventh edition of La Guarimba Film Festival will be held from 7th to 12th August 2023 in Amantea, Calabria, the wildest region of Italy.

Best Fiction Award (€800 + Trophy)

Best Documentary Award (€800 + Trophy)

Best Animation Award (€800 + Trophy)

Best Experimental INSOMNIA Award (Trophy)

Best La Grotta dei Piccoli Award (€300 + Trophy)

Best Music Video (€300 + Trophy)

Audience Award (Trophy)

Nonnina Award (Trophy)

1. WHEN AND WHERE

-The eleventh edition of La Guarimba Film Festival will be held from 7th to 12th August 2023 in Amantea, Calabria, the wildest region of Italy

2. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

-All short films of any nationality and language can participate.

-All themes are allowed.

-The maximum length will be 30 minutes (including credits).

-Only those films produced after January 1st of 2021 will be accepted.

-All formats will be accepted.

-There are no limits to the number of entries a filmmaker may enter, but these have to be submitted separately.

-The festival will also accept films that already premiered in theatres, in other festivals or are available online. We like when there is a premiere but that is not a good reason to take away from our audience a great film just because some other festival screened before. That would be nonsense.

-Furthermore, please don't send us continuous emails about your film's career. We evaluate films based on their quality and not on how famous they are.

3. SUBMISSION

The requested materials are:

-The short film with English subtitles (screener on FilmFreeway)*.

-Any short films that do not meet the requirements will not be accepted.

-You are only considered for the category you submit your film to. If you submit your film in the wrong category, please contact us to make the change.

*This rule does not apply to music videos as they can be submitted without subtitles.

4. SELECTION PROCESS

-Around 170 films will be selected to be screened at the festival and will be part of the competition.

-Once these short films are selected, participants will be contacted through their email accounts.

-Selected shorts cannot leave the contest and they have to provide:

1.- Screener in Apple ProRes 422 (HQ recommend), 1920 x 1080, 48 kHz 24-bit audio, .mov wrapper.
2.- Subtitles file (.srt) or dialogue list in English and Italian (The festival will help with the Italian subtitles if the participants provide an English or Spanish subtitles file in .srt or a dialogue list).

-The festival will not accept PenDrives and will not return any screener.

-All selected short films are invited to use the selection laurel logo from La Guarimba Film Festival.

-The festival will notify using FilmFreeway notification. There will be a selected list on our website, Italian press, social networks and we will send by email a newsletter with all the information. We recommend you to subscribe to it.

-The festival will invite and provide hosting and food to all the directors in the official competition. The festival does not cover travel expenses but helps out with invitation letters to apply for travel funding.

-Not selected Animation films are still eligible for La Grotta dei Piccoli program, a children’s program in partnership with UNICEF ITALIA.

5. THE JURY

-The jury will include professionals from the filmmaking world, television, media, and teaching.

-The judges' decision will be irrevocable.

6. MATERIAL AND RIGHTS

-All copies presented in this contest will not be returned and will be part of the contest archive and private video library. Directors may request the remotion of the film in our video library. Every year we organize La Guarimba On Tour showcasing the films on competition in other cities. La Guarimba Film Festival is committed to exclusively use these copies for cultural purposes and never in a commercial way. 

NOTE: If you don’t want that your film takes part in our tour, just tell at the moment you are selected and we will just take it off the tour. No biggies.

7. REGULATIONS ACCEPTANCE

-Once they are submitted, all participants fully accept our rules and regulations for participating, and also the resolutions adopted by the organizing committee about any aspect regarding the contest.

8. INFORMATION
If you still have any doubts, please contact us at info@laguarimba.com

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Jule Körperich

    Thank you so much for having our film The way to am man's heart at your festival!!! I hope we can meet one day in real!

    September 2022
  • La Guarimba celebrates film as an act of resistance. It brings poetry to a small village in southern Italy against all odds.
    It was a Pleasure to have shared with such a lovely troop of monkeys. Grazie to the team for making this possible, your hard work is outstanding and inspiring. May the light of El Niño dios tan your hearts for years to come.

    August 2022
  • Annick Roussy

    La Guarimba is more than a festival. It's a place where humans, art and share come first. Thanks the team for your generosity, kindness and warm welcome. Thanks for the amazing selection of films screened in the most beautiful cinema in the world! I am so grateful for this unforgettable week with you, thanks for all the moments of happiness, laugh and discussions, and for this opportunity to have met so much wonderful artists from all around the world who became friends. This experience was definitely one of the best of my life! And I just want to come back. Long life to La Guarimba!

    August 2022
  • Ana Gusson

    It was an honour to be part of La Guarimba Film Festival. The communication was flawless.

    August 2022
  • Ulf Grenzer

    What a friendly festival, great program and wonderful audience - our Children - during the part La Grotta dei Piccoli.
    Thanks for it all and for selecting MONKEY DOMINO.
    Best wishes for the future of la Guarimba!

    August 2022