1. PRESENTATION CATEGORIES:
A- The projects submitted to the Festival for consideration can be applied to a single main category (Narrative Short Film, Animation, Documentary, Experimental, or Feature Film Fiction Documentary).
However, you can submit the project for the additional categories you want, one, two, or all (Director, Soundtrack, Cinematography, etc.). The additional categories are evaluated only in that area. Please select the category that best fits your project. The Festival reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any project for any Festival program or delivery category.
B- Films must have been completed after 1 January 2025.
C- The festival has two editions per year and accepts all kinds of films from around the world, less than 25 minutes (Short Films), 4 minutes (Trailers), 8 minutes (Music Videos), between 25 and 59 minutes (Half-length Films), and more than 60 minutes (Feature Films) and Web/TV Series (full season, duration: unlimited).
2. PRESENTATION GUIDELINES:
Presentations are accepted exclusively through FilmFreeway
* You can send more than one project, as well as previous projects that were not selected.
* You cannot send a project that was part of the Official Selection of a previous edition of the festival (except in the Classic Short Film category)
* For the additional categories, it is necessary to submit the entire project (film, music video, or web series). Separate files from the projects are not accepted. For example, the jury cannot consider music files alone; they will evaluate that category (Best Soundtrack) within the context of the film (or music video or web series).
3. Language (SUBTITLE POLICY)
-If the film is in Spanish or English, subtitles are not required (although it is recommended)
-If the film is in another language, it must have subtitles in Spanish or English.
All languages will be displayed in the original language.
- For submission purposes, your movie can be in any language. However, if it is not in English or Spanish, the movie must have English or Spanish subtitles (mandatory).
- All artists must respect all deadlines before and after the selection.
4. PROGRAMMING:
At the end of the selection process, the Festival will attempt to contact the Applicant using the contact information provided on the application form to notify them of the Project's acceptance status. The Festival disclaims all liability and will not be responsible for any failure to contact the Applicant using the contact information provided on the application form. It is the Applicant's sole responsibility to ensure that the contact information provided is correct throughout the Festival's selection period.
The Festival is under no obligation to provide the Applicant or any other representative of the Project with comments or feedback on the submitted Project, information on how it will be or was reviewed, any opinions the Festival or any of the Project reviewers may have about it, or any reasons why the Project was not accepted for screening at the Festival. This also includes any other information related to the Festival's review, consideration, and/or selection process, in relation to the specific Project or submissions in general, beyond the information outlined in these Rules and Regulations.
Each edition is different from the previous one, depending on the establishment and times of each year, so not all projects may always be included. However, all projects ever selected (from any edition) can be taken into account for inclusion in future events if the programming team wishes to include them.
All submitted projects already include consent for free screening at the event. No funding is provided for screenings, nor are projects purchased separately, and any project that has not followed the same registration procedure as the others will not be accepted. If a film is selected for inclusion in the program and the filmmaker declines it for no valid reason, penalties such as disqualification for non-compliance with these rules may apply. Each case will be evaluated individually, since we will respect the premiere requirements of other competitions. By submitting their project, the applicant agrees to these terms and conditions.
Respect is the basis of communication, so any insult, lack of respect, or derogatory communication towards any member of the Festival will lead to severe sanctions and even disqualification from the project, even if it has already been selected.
5. SELECTION AND JURY COMMITTEE:
* The Selection Committee will consist of national and foreign people recognized in the world of cinema and culture. The Festival Director will appoint the members of the Official Jury, who will assign the Official Awards to the competing sections. People who participated in the production or promotion of any of the films in the competition will not be eligible as jurors. In case of parity or controversies between the selected films, the President of the Jury will be in charge of the final decision on them. The decisions of the jury will be UNAPPEALABLE.
* The official selection criteria depend strictly on the quality of each work and not on the percentage of projects received. All films that meet the competition requirements will be selected, regardless of the number of projects received. Likewise, those who do not meet the requirements will not be selected, regardless of the percentage received.
* Therefore, there is no minimum or maximum number of official selections, and it is even possible for a category to remain vacant. Submissions are evaluated based on their quality and merit, not on the quantity received.
This is what makes the Festival so special and ensures the competition maintains a high level of quality and makes its reputation so valuable.
* Also, filmmakers are responsible for complying with all the necessary guidelines and deadlines to guarantee the highest quality of their films.
6. GENERAL CONDITIONS:
All the above information will replace any other guide associated with the Festival. The Festival has the right to perform interpretations in any case not considered in these rules and regulations, and may make exceptions as long as it is justified. The Festival Management will review unforeseen cases. Whenever a dispute arises over the interpretation of any of the articles in these rules and regulations, the resolution document will be the original and will be in Spanish.
A submitted project implies a total agreement with this document. Failure to comply with any of these articles may result in the denial of participation in a project at the Festival.
Madrid Film Awards has the right to add, alter, change, or delete any part of the guidelines at any time without prior notice.
7 . SPECIAL CATEGORIES
* 5º Premio Roberto Ercolalo 2026 * - (Roberto Ercolalo Award Only for Argentina)
Requisitos:
1- La película debe ser de autoría argentina. (Filmada dentro o fuera del territorio argentino. Todos los géneros están permitidos)
2- Debe haber sido terminada luego del 1 de enero de 2025.
3- Duración máxima: 15 minutos 59 segundos (créditos incluidos).
4- Inscripciones máximas: 1 película por autor.
5- Todos los campos deben estar correctamente completados.
6- Solo se aceptan enlaces de Youtube, Vimeo o Google Drive.
7- Los enlaces NO deben tener contraseña ni requerir autorización (solo para envíos a través de la web).
8 - Una película previamente nominada no puede volver a postularse.
9- La película presentada que no cumpla con estos requisitos será automáticamente descalificada.
Aplicable a todas las categories: al inscribir la película se aceptan las bases y condiciones del Festival, autorizándolo a proyectar libremente dicho material en el evento 2026. No ceder el permiso libre de proyección significará la anulación del premio, descalificación de la competencia y sanciones a futuras ediciones.
* Mejor Cortometraje Español - Best Spanish Short Film
(Solo para España - Only to Spain)
Requisitos:
Duración máxima: 15 minutes con 59 segundos
Año de realización: posterior al 1 de enero del 2025
Sin límites por autor.
