In September, horror invades the city of Lisbon. MOTELX - Lisbon International Horror Film Festival promotes the best of horror produced worldwide and has become a trademark for emerging Portuguese horror cinema.

Prestigious guests such as George A. Romero, Stuart Gordon, John Landis, Coffin Joe, Dario Argento, Tobe Hooper, Hideo Nakata, Eli Roth, Brian Yuzna, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Roger Corman, Xan Cassavettes, or Ari Aster have already joined the nearly 20,000 people who annually pass by the iconic Cinema São Jorge, the Festival's main venue, located in the heart of Lisbon.

MOTELX is a member of the Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF), a federation that includes 26 festivals from 19 different countries and accounts for an audience of 800,000 people, and part of the Europe for festivals, Festivals for Europe (EFFE) community, allowing it to promote European genre films at a wider range.

- MÉLIÈS D'ARGENT AWARD - BEST EUROPEAN FEATURE FILM

- AUDIENCE AWARD - BEST FEATURE FILM - ROOM SERVICE SECTION

- MOTELX AWARD - BEST PORTUGUESE HORROR SHORT FILM

- MÉLIÈS D'ARGENT AWARD - BEST EUROPEAN SHORT FILM

- microSHORTS AWARD

- MOTELX GUIÕES AWARD - BEST PORTUGUESE HORROR SCRIPT

I. GENERAL RULES

1. Sections:
a) Méliès d’argent Award - Best European Feature Film (Feature films of European production, including co-productions with a majority of European participation);
b) Room Service (Official Selection - Feature films);
c) Doc Horror (Documentaries about horror films or related themes);
d) Retrospectives (Masters of horror and other cult figures);
e) Special Screenings (Anniversaries, restored prints, TV series);
f) Lost Room (A journey into the history of Portuguese genre film);
g) MOTELX Award - Best Portuguese Horror Short Film (Portuguese short films, up to 15 minutes, including co-productions with a majority of Portuguese participation);
h) International Shorts (Short films, up to 59 minutes, not produced in Portugal or Portuguese ones out of competition);
i) SectionX (Short films, up to 59 minutes, produced worldwide);
j) microSHORTS (Portuguese shorts, up to 2 minutes, filmed with a mobile phone or tablet);
k) Big Bad Wolf (Special programme for younger audiences).
i) AI Horror Short Films Showcase (films produced with AI tools)

2. The sections mentioned in a), b), c), g), h), and j) will select films produced in the year of the edition to which the film is submitted and in the previous year.

3. It’s not possible to submit films to the sections mentioned in d), e), and f).

4. Awards:
a) Méliès d’argent Award - Best European Feature Film;
b) Méliès d’argent Award - Best European Short Film;
c) MOTELX Award - Best Portuguese Horror Short Film;
d) Audience Award - Room Service Section;
e) microSHORTS Award*.

* The regulations for the microSHORTS Award, as well as the submission deadline, will be published separately on www.motelx.org.

5. The organizers may select a film for a different section from the one it was submitted to, cancel sections or create others not listed here, for programming purposes.

II. SUBMISSIONS

6. Submissions to MOTELX are exclusively made via FilmFreeway, using the link https://filmfreeway.com/MOTELX.

7. The submissions will be completed when the Festival is granted access to the screener copy of the submitted film.
7.1 The screener copy must be exclusively provided through an online screening link.
7.2 All screener copies must come with English subtitles. This is not mandatory for films with English dialogue and for films with Portuguese dialogue submitting to the MOTELX Award – Best Portuguese Horror Short Film.

8. The deadline to submit a film for all sections, with the exception of the microSHORTS award, is 15 May of each edition’s year. Submissions received after that date will be considered for the following year's edition.

9. The participants will be given notice if their films were selected or not until the beginning of August.

10. The participants are fully responsible for the content of the films they submit, namely in what concerns copyrights. Participants who are underage must have a written and signed authorisation from their parents or legal guardians.

11. Submissions of Portuguese productions or co-productions with a majority of Portuguese participation are exempt from paying submission fees.

III. MÉLIÈS D’ARGENT AWARD - BEST EUROPEAN FEATURE FILM

12. The winner of the Best European Feature Film Award is the recipient of the Méliès d'argent, being nominated to run for the international competition Méliès d'or, promoted annually by the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation.

IV. MÉLIÈS D’ARGENT AWARD - BEST EUROPEAN SHORT FILM

13. All eligible European short films selected for SectionX and the International Shorts section are considered for the Méliès d’argent Award - Best European Short Film. Are eligible short films with a maximum running time of 25 minutes (credits included).

14. The winner of the Best European Short Film Award is the recipient of the Méliès d'argent, being nominated to run for the international competition Méliès d'or, promoted annually by the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation.

V. MOTELX AWARD - BEST PORTUGUESE HORROR SHORT FILM

15. The MOTELX Award - Best Portuguese Horror Short Film aims to stimulate the production of horror films in Portugal, by honouring a short film screened at the Festival and giving also a Special Mention.

16. Horror films produced in the year of the edition to which the film is submitted to and on the previous year*, meeting all of the following requisites, will be considered for selection:
a) Portuguese productions or co-productions with a majority of Portuguese participation;
b) Maximum running time of 15 minutes (credits included);
c) Not released commercially in Portugal until the closing date of the Festival (previous screenings on other festivals will not automatically eliminate a film).

* Example: For the 2024 edition only films produced after 01/01/2023 can be submitted.

17. The winner will receive €5,000 (five thousand euros) paid in a single instalment.

Other prizes may be added. These will be announced in due time on the Festival’s website and social media.

VI. AI HORROR SHORT FILMS SHOWCASE

18. MOTELX and Liquid Sky Artisticollective open doors to new technologies and will showcase a compilation of films produced with artificial intelligence. Anyone interested is invited to explore the boundaries of horror, suspense and technology, to push the boundaries of narrative and visual storytelling, in order to surprise and captivate our audience with innovative films that offer previously unseen perspectives and techniques in the horror genre. 

19. Entries must be no less than 1 minute and no more than 10 minutes in length, including credits.

20. All submitted films must be in 1080p or 4K resolution with stereo or surround sound to ensure the best viewing experience.

21. Participants are encouraged to utilize AI tools creatively in their filmmaking process. Please include a comprehensive list of all AI tools used in the production of your film.

22. By submitting your film, you affirm that you are the rightful owner or have obtained the necessary licenses for all images, sounds, and texts used in your film. Documentation may be requested for verification.

23. The Festival promotes ethical filmmaking practices. As such, the use of AI to create deepfakes or any content that could be considered unethical is strictly prohibited.
24. Participants can submit up to 3 different films, allowing creators to showcase the breadth of their storytelling abilities and technical skills.

VII.JURIES

25. The juries of the Awards are composed of three individuals invited by the Festival's organisation.

26. No juror can have any sort of personal interest, direct or indirect, in any of the films running for the Awards.

27. The juries’ decisions are final.

28. The juries cannot give the Méliès d'argent awards to any short of feature film that has already received such an award at another Federation festival.

29. The juries’ decisions will be announced at MOTELX's closing ceremony and on the Festival's website, at www.motelx.org.


VIII.SELECTED FILMS

30. If a film is selected, the following will be requested:
a)The copy of the film for screening;
b)Legal permits;
c)Credits list and synopsis;
d)List of festival in which the film was screened and awards received;
e)3 high-resolution film stills;
f)1 high-resolution photo of the director;
g)Director's biography;
h)A copy of all promotional materials available (poster, postcard, EPK, etc.).

31. The screening copy must comply with the following characteristics.
31.1Image
a)Screening formats: 35 mm, DCP, or digital files (mp4);
b)The organisation might refuse to screen prints due to technical or quality reasons, in its sole discretion.

31.2Subtitles
a)All films must have English subtitles if they don’t have English dialogue;
b)The festival will provide electronic Portuguese subtitles for foreign films;
c)The participants of Portuguese films in competition must also provide prints subtitled in English. If the films are spoken in more than one language, the participants must ensure subtitles both in Portuguese and English.

32. MOTELX is responsible for the insurance of selected films, from the moment of their delivery until their return.

33. MOTELX assumes all transportation costs of feature films, except in the event of them being sent to another festival, according to the conventions established between film festivals.

34. The directors/producers of films that receive an Award shall agree to mention MOTELX in all press and promotional materials produced after the closing day of the Festival.

IX.CLOSING RULES

35. The submission of a film to MOTELX implies the acceptance of all the norms here present. Non- compliance with any of the clauses in the regulations may imply the rejection of said film.

36. These regulations are available in Portuguese and English. In case of doubt, the Portuguese version shall prevail.

37. MOTELX’s organisation will decide on any issues not covered by the current regulations.

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REGULAMENTO PRÉMIO MOTELX GUIÕES 2024
MELHOR ARGUMENTO DE TERROR PORTUGUÊS

INTRODUÇÃO

O Prémio MOTELX GUIÕES 2024 - Melhor Argumento de Terror Português, doravante referido como Prémio, é promovido pelo MOTELX - Festival Internacional de Cinema de Terror de Lisboa, em parceria com o GUIÕES - Festival do Roteiro de Língua Portuguesa.

O MOTELX é organizado pelo CTLX, uma associação cultural sem fins lucrativos, pessoa colectiva de utilidade pública com o NIF 508528232, abrangida pela lei do mecenato cultural. O Festival é membro daMéliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF) e da Europe For Festivals, Festivals For Europe (EFFE). MOTELX é uma marca registada.

O GUIÕES - Festival do Roteiro de Língua Portuguesa é organizado pela Treasure Melody Unipessoal Lda, uma entidade com fins lucrativos, pessoa colectiva com o NIF 513193650.

I - DISPOSIÇÕES GERAIS

1. Os autores deverão ser cidadãos portugueses, excepto nas situações descritas no ponto 2.1, com idade igual ou superior a 18 anos, completados até ao último dia do prazo para entrega da candidatura.

2. São admitidos argumentos escritos em co-autoria de duas ou mais pessoas.

2.1 Nas situações de co-autoria, admitem-se autores de outra nacionalidade que não a portuguesa, desde que sejam residentes em Portugal e pelo menos metade dos autores sejam de nacionalidade portuguesa.

3. Os argumentos inscritos deverão ser obras originais, que não tenham sido objecto de contrato para produção de obra cinematográfica até ao final do prazo da candidatura.

4. Podem ser inscritos argumentos não-originais, se baseados em obra preexistente de um autor concorrente, desde que os direitos da referida obra não tenham sido cedidos, parcialmente ou na sua totalidade, a terceiros.

5. Não se aceitam novos tratamentos ou versões corrigidas de argumentos previamente inscritos.

6. Os argumentos deverão ser escritos em português, podendo integrar outros idiomas desde que não correspondam a mais de 1/4 do total do texto, e devem ter um número de páginas A4 igual ou superior a 50.

7. Cada autor poderá concorrer ao Prémio com até dois argumentos.

8. A participação no Prémio não implica a cedência de quaisquer direitos de propriedade intelectual e, consequentemente, da exploração comercial da obra.

9. A decisão correspondente à selecção dos finalistas e dos vencedores do concurso será final e soberana.

10. Todos os documentos e materiais adicionais, eventualmente anexados à inscrição, tais como, sinopse, nota de intenções, bíblia do projecto ou descrição de personagens, não serão considerados para a avaliação final do trabalho.

11. Serão seleccionadas até cinco obras para uma sessão de pitch, que decorrerá no Cinema São Jorge em Lisboa, durante o MOTELX 2024 (18.a Edição) que decorre de 10 a 16 de Setembro. A data concreta será anunciada até 30 de Junho.

11.1 Cada obra seleccionada para o Pitch deverá ser obrigatoriamente representada pelo correspondente autor na sessão de pitch, sob pena de exclusão.

12. O vencedor receberá um prémio pecuniário único no valor de 2000 € (dois mil euros) II.

INSCRIÇÕES

13. As inscrições para o Prémio efectuam-se exclusivamente através da plataforma FilmFreeway, por via do link https://filmfreeway.com/MOTELX.

14. Os argumentos deverão ser enviados em formato PDF. 15. O prazo de inscrição é 15 de Maio de 2024.

16. Os participantes serão informados se o argumento inscrito foi ou não seleccionado para a sessão de pitching até ao início do mês de Agosto.

III. JÚRI

17. O júri do Prémio será composto por três personalidades designadas pelas organizações dos dois festivais.

17.1 A participação do autor na sessão de pitch é obrigatória, mas não terá influência na avaliação do júri.

18. Nenhum jurado pode ter qualquer interesse pessoal, directo ou indirecto, nos argumentos concorrentes aos prémios.

19. Da deliberação do júri não cabe recurso.

20. A decisão do júri será anunciada durante a sessão de pitch do GUIÕES, no decurso do MOTELX e nos sites dos dois festivais, em www.motelx.org e www.guioes.com.

IV. DISPOSIÇÕES FINAIS

21. A inscrição de um argumento no Prémio implica a aceitação destas normas. O não cumprimento de qualquer uma das regras do presente regulamento poderá levar à rejeição da inscrição.

22. A organização do MOTELX e do GUIÕES decide sobre todas as matérias omissas neste regulamento.

*RECOMENDAÇÃO

Antes de submeter o seu argumento a alguém, recomendamos que o registe no IGAC - Instituto de Gestão das Actividades Culturais. Mais informações no site do IGAC. A inscrição de uma candidatura ao Prémio MOTELX GUIÕES não obriga, no entanto, ao registo no IGAC. O autor do argumento submetido a concurso será sempre o responsável pela autoria do mesmo (e correspondentes direitos exercidos sobre a obra a concurso).

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Norberto Valente

    O MOTELX é, cada vez mais, um dos melhores festivais em Portugal. Um grande festival que enaltece o cinema de género, e que acontece numa belíssima sala de cinema.

    December 2023
  • Julien Allen

    Not only one of the best genre festivals out there but some of the best communication we had with a festival team. They went above and beyond with everything - I cannot praise them enough.

    December 2023
  • Tripé Produções

    This was our third time at the festival, which is always an amazing experience! Great hospitality, perfect for meeting new people, from the cinema to beyond, watching great films and having lots of fun. One of the best festivals ever, without a doubt!

    October 2023
  • António Alves

    Agradeço ao festival MotelX por seleccionar a minha primeira curta-metragem. Espero que este seja o primeiro de muitos projectos.

    October 2023
  • Brian Lonano

    One of my favorite film festivals in the world. Thank you so much for playing my work over the years. One of these days, I hope to screen a film again and fly out to attend!

    September 2023