PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING REGULATIONS CAREFULLY PRIOR TO SUBMITTING OR MAKING ENQUIRIES REGARDING SUBMISSIONS.
MAIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (“MaiaIFF”)
SUBMISSION REGULATIONS FOR THE 3RD ANNUAL MAIA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (“FESTIVAL”)
29 APRIL TO 2 MAY 2026
THESE REGULATIONS GOVERN THE SUBMISSION OF ALL WORKS FOR CONSIDERATION FOR THE FESTIVAL AND YOU (“YOU” OR “SUBMITTER”) ARE REQUIRED TO READ THE FOLLOWING REGULATIONS CAREFULLY TO CONFIRM YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE SAME PRIOR TO SUBMISSION OF ANY FILMS. PLEASE NOTE THAT MaiaIFF RESERVES THE RIGHT TO ALTER THESE REGULATIONS WITHOUT NOTICE AND THAT THESE REGULATIONS ARE NOT CONFIRMED TO GOVERN REGULATIONS FOR FUTURE FESTIVALS.
1. Submission Deadlines
27 October 2025 to 31 January 2026
Earlybird – 10€
Normal – 20€
2. Definition
Feature Film
This category is reserved for any film whose runtime is 60 minutes or more (including credits). If the film is submitted into the Feature category and the length is less than this definition stipulates, the film will not be considered for the Festival, but MaiaIFF will not refund any portion of the fees paid.
3. Payment
The submission fee:
must be made in EURO, as collected by FilmFreeway
is payable by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, Discover, Diners Club, UnionPay or PayPal, and accepted via FilmFreeway only
cannot be waived (NO EXCEPTIONS)
cannot be discounted, including for the submission of multiple films.
Please note:
MaiaIFF cannot provide refunds for submissions that do not meet eligibility criteria or are otherwise deemed to be disqualified under these regulations.
Films submitted without payment WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED and the submission will be disqualified.
4. Preview screener formats
Screeners in physical format are not accepted; MaiaIFF accepts online screeners only. Any submission sent via disc or any other physical format will not be considered for the Festival; should this be the only format in which the submitted film is delivered, the submission will be disqualified, and any and all fees paid will be forfeited.
Feature Preview Screener Formats
Submitted films must be either uploaded directly to FilmFreeway via their Secure Online Screener system, or supplied as a password-protected Vimeo link or unlisted YouTube link entered directly into the FilmFreeway online application form. Some important notes:
MaiaIFF does not accept screeners via email; you must upload directly to FilmFreeway or to a third-party site such as Vimeo or YouTube.
If the password changes at any point between the submission and the Festival, the Submitter must inform MaiaIFF via email ASAP. Any film that is submitted with an incorrect or outdated password cannot be considered for the Festival; in such a case, the submission will be disqualified, and any and all fees paid will be forfeited.
If the screener is supplied via a Vimeo link, please ensure that the privacy settings are updated such that embedding is allowed; this ensures that MaiaIFF can view the film via FilmFreeway. This can be done while logged in to your Vimeo account and navigating to Settings > Privacy > Where Can This Video Be Embedded? and selecting ‘Anywhere’.
5. Eligibility
To be eligible for consideration, all submissions must meet the following requirements:
Films must have been completed after 1 January 2024.
Films must not have been (or will not be) broadcast on television prior to 29 April 2026.
Films must not have been (or will not be) available commercially online and accessible from Portugal, either for free or via on-demand services prior to 29 April 2026. Screenings as part of a digital or online festival are permitted if the festival is for a limited run.
Films must be in their original language; Subtitles in English must be provided.
Please note:
MaiaIFF reserves the right to program films that do not adhere to the above eligibility requirements.
These regulations are specific to MaiaIFF 2026 and do not indicate eligibility for MaiaIFF 2027 and beyond.
6. Authorized use and inclusion material
It is the sole responsibility of the Submitter to:
.secure permission from the rights holders of any and all copyrighted and/or trademarked content or materials included within the film
.clear all content within the film from any and all actual or potential legal claims and issues, including, without limitation, claims based on theories of libel, defamation, invasion of privacy, violation of rights of publicity, theft of trade secrets, breach of confidence, breach of confidential relationship, and breach of express or implied contract (“Third Party Claim/s”).
MaiaIFF will not be held responsible for any unauthorised inclusion of:
.any copyrighted and/or trademarked content or materials within or relating to the submitted project, including any content or materials that are or may become the basis for any Third Party Claim/s for copyright infringement and/or trademark infringement, trademark dilution or unfair competition
any content or materials within or relating to the submitted film that are or may be the basis for any Third Party Claim/s.
If any unauthorised inclusion of materials as set out above applies to a submitted film, MaiaIFF reserves the right to forego consideration of that film, or to withdraw the film from confirmed programming – in which case any and all fees paid prior will be forfeited.
7. Selection
Submission to MaiaIFF is with the understanding that selection may be for any and all exhibition formats that constitute MaiaIFF 2026, including in-cinema screenings, digital exhibition or both.
All Submitters will be notified of an outcome by 28 of February 2026. Festival programmers select and invite all films presented at MaiaIFF. If the Submitter’s contact details change during the submissions period, you must inform MaiaIFF via email
If the film is selected to screen at MaiaIFF 2026, it must be made available in one of the following formats, received by MaiaIFF no later than on 1 March 2026:
Features
DCP (DCI Compliant)
AND
Pro-Res
If the film is selected to screen at MaiaIFF 2026, MaiaIFF strongly encourages the Submitter to supply closed captions and/or audio description so that the film can be viewed by audiences with access requirements.
If the film is selected to screen at MaiaIFF 2025, the Submitter must provide a minimum of three (3) digital copies of stills from the film via email or WeTransfer (minimum image specifications: 300dpi, JPGs or JPEGs only). Electronic Press Kits (EPKs), digital posters, director headshots and social media handles may also be supplied to MaiaIFF, but are not mandatory. Please note: MaiaIFF may supply these materials to third parties for the purpose of editorial coverage of MaiaIFF. These materials may also be used for MaiaIFF’s publicly available print publications and print products as well as online media (MaiaIFF website/s, MaiaIFF mobile application/s and MaiaIFF social media channels), where they will remain available without any time or territorial restrictions. Please be aware that MaiaIFF cannot make photographer attributions within our printed or online guides.
Exhibition materials, including but not limited to DCPs, of officially selected films will be insured by MaiaIFF for the duration of the film’s stay in Portugal and during transit to the Festival; all incoming freight charges will be covered by the Festival.
MaiaIFF abides not to hold any more than two (2) screenings of any submitted film exhibiting at a physical location .
MaiaIFF’s selection decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into. MaiaIFF does not provide critical analysis or feedback.
8. Correspondence
All correspondence from MaiaIFF regarding FilmFreeway submissions will be sent via FilmFreeway, directly to the email address of the Submitter, or through third-party email campaign software. Please do not unsubscribe from MaiaIFF communications, as you may miss key updates.
Although MaiaIFF takes every precaution to ensure that messages are sent to the Submitter via email, MIFF disavows any responsibility for messages not delivered to the email address supplied. MIFF recommends that Submitters regularly log in to FilmFreeway to ensure that the submission has been completed (including, but not limited to, payments and screener uploads), that the supplied email address is correct and up-to-date, and that the film’s status has changed to ‘In Consideration’ within two weeks of submitting.
