CALL FOR ENTRIES – 2026 | SOUQ FILM FESTIVAL – 13TH EDITION
Article 1 - Organisation
The “SOUQ FILM FESTIVAL – Stories of Rights, People and the Environment” is an international short film competition, alongside which feature-length films are screened out of competition, all addressing social and environmental themes.
The “SOUQ FILM FESTIVAL – Stories of Rights, People and the Environment” is open to short films that address issues relating to: stories of vulnerability and social exclusion; issues relating to justice and conditions within the prison system; experiences linked to mental health and individual, family and community wellbeing; migration; civil rights, gender equality, combating discrimination and protecting the rights of LGBTQIA+ people; economic inequalities, work, housing, cities and the local area, inclusion, disability, social justice, accessibility, the lives of young people, the environment and sustainability.
The thirteenth edition of the ‘SOUQ FILM FESTIVAL – Stories of rights, people and the environment’ (hereinafter: the Festival) is organised by the ‘Angelo Abriani’ Casa della Carità Foundation (hereinafter: Casa della Carità).
The event will take place at the prestigious Anteo Palazzo del Cinema venue, from 23 to 25 October 2026.
Article 2 - Objectives
The Festival’s objective is to promote, through the immediacy of cinematic language, the values of inclusion and social cohesion, the recognition of diversity as a source of richness, and the promotion of citizens’ rights – which are often overlooked in other cultural contexts – through the selection of original, high-quality films and the creation of opportunities for sharing and discussion with the directors and/or professionals invited to the event.
Article 3 - Programme
The Festival presents short films from all over the world, regardless of genre, including fiction, documentaries, animation and hybrid forms.
The programme is enriched by special screenings, meetings with filmmakers and industry professionals, activities for schools, and opportunities for in-depth exploration and discussion of the themes addressed by the festival.
Article 4 - Jury
The Festival jury, comprising directors, journalists, film experts and figures from the world of culture, invited by Casa della Carità, will be tasked with evaluating the short films selected and admitted to the competition by the Selection Committee and awarding the prize to the winning films (hereinafter: the Jury).
Persons directly involved in the production or distribution of a short film competing at the Festival are not eligible to serve on the Jury.
The members of the Jury will be announced on the Festival’s website.
Article 5 - Awards
The following prizes will be awarded:
the Jury Prize, a cash prize of €1,500.00;
the Audience Award, a cash prize of €1,000.00.
The Jury may, at its discretion, award honourable mentions.
The prizes may be subject to change, both in terms of number and amount, as the Festival reserves the right to modify them in the event of changed circumstances, such as, for example: unavailability of funds and/or sponsorship and/or other unforeseen circumstances.
To obtain information on the prizes (number and amounts), Festival participants should consult the announcements published by the Festival on its website.
Prizes will be awarded to the winners 180 days after the end of the event.
The prizes are subject to tax in accordance with Italian legislation.
Article 6 - Submission of short films for the selection phase – deadlines and entry fee
The call for entries for the thirteenth edition of the Festival opens on 19 June 2026 and closes on 21 September 2026.
Participation in the Festival’s selection process is subject to registration and payment of the entry fee by 21 September 2026 at the latest.
Registration, including payment of the entry fee, must be completed exclusively online via the FilmFreeway service on the website (https://filmfreeway.com/souqfilmfestival).
The entry fee is:
€15.00 for early-bird entries submitted by 30 June 2026,
€20.00 for standard registrations made by 1 September 2026, and
€25.00 for late entries submitted by 21 September 2026.
Entries must be submitted by the author of the work or by the person holding the rights to it (hereinafter: the Participant).
The Participant assumes responsibility for being the legitimate representative authorised by all rights holders of the short film in question. The declaration made by the Participant indemnifies and holds the Festival and/or Casa della Carità harmless from any claims that may arise from third parties.
In the event of withdrawal from the competition, or should the submitted short film not be selected, the entry fee will not be refunded.
Article 7 - Submission of short films for the selection phase – formats, duration and documentation
Short films with a duration of no more than 30 minutes (including opening and closing credits) are eligible for the selection phase.
Short films in any format (film, video, digital) and of any genre are eligible for the selection phase.
During the selection phase, the only acceptable formats for short films are:
a digital screener to be uploaded by the Participant to the FilmFreeway platform (https://filmfreeway.com/souqfilmfestival) or
a link to the streaming video.
Short films that do not meet the above requirements will not be accepted for the selection phase and will be excluded from the Festival competition. In such cases, the entry fee will not be refunded to the Participant.
If not already submitted at the time of registration, the Participant undertakes to send the following documentation by email (sff.programmer@gmail.com) by 21 September 2026:
a synopsis of the short film of approximately 50 words in Italian and, for short films made in a foreign language, a synopsis of 50 words in English;
foreign-language short films (except those in English), must include English subtitles for consideration during the selection process;
for short films made in a foreign language other than English, a transcript of the film’s dialogue in the original language and in English;
the director’s biography;
2 stills from the film (in high-definition JPEG or PNG format);
one photograph of the director (in high-definition JPEG or PNG format);
the director’s statement of intent, outlining the artistic vision behind the project, the motivations and the main themes of the work;
if available, the press kit for the short film.
The Entrant shall bear all costs relating to postage and any relevant insurance, unless otherwise specified by the Festival organisers.
By submitting the short film, the Participant declares that they have read, understood and accepted these competition rules.
Article 8 - Selection phase
Short films correctly submitted by 21 September 2026 at the latest, which comply with the objectives set out in Article 2 and the requirements set out in Article 7, will be admitted to the selection phase of the Festival competition.
There are no restrictions whatsoever on short films that have participated in other competitions, festivals or similar events, or that have already received awards.
The films will be viewed and selected by the Selection Committee, comprising industry experts invited by Casa della Carità.
The Selection Committee will, at its sole discretion, select from among the short films entered for the selection phase, within the established deadlines and in accordance with the provisions of Article 7, those to be admitted to the Festival competition (hereinafter: Selected Short Films). Its decisions are final and binding on all matters and cannot be contested.
The selection of short films will be communicated directly to Participants by email (sff.programmer@gmail.com ) by 1 October 2026 (notification date) and will subsequently be published on the Festival’s website (https://www.souqfilmfestival.org) and on its social media channels.
Neither the Selection Committee nor the Festival management is obliged to inform the Participant of the reasons why their short film was not selected for the competition.
Entrants of Selected Short Films undertake to contact the Festival management by 8 October 2026 at the latest, so that arrangements can be made for the submission of the short film file, which must meet the technical specifications required for screening, and for the creation of Italian subtitles.
Article 9 - Screening of Selected Short Films – formats and technical specifications
Selected short films will be screened exclusively in digital format and will be accompanied by Italian subtitles.
For screening, the Selected Short Films must comply with the following technical specifications:
format: .mov, .mp4 or .m4v;
resolution: 1080p;
codec: h264;
audio: stereo.
The selected short films will be screened at the Anteo Palazzo del Cinema in Milan as part of the Festival programme.
The Festival is open to the public with free admission, subject to availability.
Article 10 - Rights to the short films
The Entrant, acting where applicable also on behalf of the director or producer of the short film, declares and warrants that they hold the rights to the short film (including the rights of distribution, broadcasting and screening) and that these rights have not been transferred to third parties at the time of entry to the Festival.
Should this not be the case, the Participant shall be responsible for promptly notifying the Festival management of this circumstance and shall be responsible for obtaining the necessary permissions for the short film’s participation. Otherwise, the short film will be excluded from the competition.
By accepting the selection of their short film, the Participant authorises its screening during the SOUQ Film Festival and thereafter for an indefinite period.
All entrants agree that the short films entered in the Festival, in particular the digital files provided for the selection phase, will be retained by the Festival and will form part of the Festival’s video archive, managed by Casa della Carità. The short films will be catalogued and made available for consultation by any interested party at the Casa della Carità premises.
The activities of Casa della Carità include the non-commercial distribution, dissemination and reproduction of films for educational, training and cultural purposes (for example, in schools and training institutions). Participants consent to the use and reproduction of the short films by the Casa della Carità, including with the assistance of third parties, for screenings for educational and/or training purposes and on a not-for-profit basis.
Furthermore, all Participants agree that the short films entered in the Festival, or excerpts therefrom, may be used by Casa della Carità for promotional purposes relating to the Festival itself or to Casa della Carità, even after the conclusion of the thirteenth edition of the Festival.
Article 11 - Cancellation of the Festival – Force Majeure
The Festival management, even in the absence of a directive from the competent authorities, may at any time and if circumstances so require, for reasons of urgency, necessity or to safeguard overriding public or private interests (such as in the event of a pandemic), cancel the Festival edition, resulting in the immediate termination of any contract entered into with the Participants of the Selected Short Films.
In the event of force majeure or an emergency, the Festival management may, at any time and if circumstances so require, for reasons of urgency, necessity or to safeguard overriding public or private interests, amend the format of the Festival.
The Festival management undertakes to inform the Participants of the Selected Short Films promptly; the entry fee will not be refunded.
Article 12 - Processing of personal data
In accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (“GDPR”) and current national legislation on the protection of personal data, the “Angelo Abriani” Casa della Carità Foundation, as the Data Controller, hereby informs Participants that the personal data provided will be processed exclusively for purposes related to the management of the competition, the organisation of the Festival and related communication and promotional activities.
Data processing will be carried out in accordance with the principles of lawfulness, fairness and transparency, using appropriate measures to ensure security and confidentiality.
By registering for the Festival, the Participant declares that they have read the full privacy notice on the processing of personal data available on the Festival’s website (www.souqfilmfe stival.org), containing all information relating to the purposes, methods of processing, data retention periods and the rights of data subjects pursuant to Articles 15 et seq. of the GDPR.
The Participant also guarantees that they have provided the individuals involved in the production of the short film, whose personal data is disclosed to the Festival as part of their participation in the competition, with the information required by applicable legislation and, where necessary, have met the legal requirements for the lawful disclosure of such data to the Data Controller.
Article 13 - Language and Jurisdiction
These rules are available in Italian and English.
In the event of any dispute, the original Italian text of these regulations shall be deemed authoritative.
The Court of Milan shall have exclusive jurisdiction.
