Montecatini International Short Film Festival

RULES & TERMS — MISFF (Montecatini International Short Film Festival)
1. Eligibility
• The festival accepts films completed after January 1, 2025.
• Films that have already screened at other Italian or international events are eligible.
• English subtitles are mandatory for all entries. English-language films must also provide an English .srt subtitle file.
• Authors and/or distributors must provide supporting materials (artistic profile, personal photos, stills, and a media/press kit).
2. Competitive Sections
The competition includes the following sections:
• Fiction
• Documentary
• Animation
• Experimental / Video Art
• Monographs / Biographies (Bio & Arts)
• Business Cinema, Cinetourism & Territorial Promotion (incl. Migrazioni & Sviluppo)
• Cinema & Dance
• Wedding Film
Section notes (as defined on FilmFreeway):
• Monographs/Biographies (Bio & Arts): films about the biography or complete work of significant figures who contributed to their field.
• Business Cinema: works about companies/enterprises and their history.
• Cinetourism & Territorial Promotion: works highlighting the beauty/identity of a territory and its communities.
• Cinema & Dance: stories about dance on screen.
• Wedding Film: tales and memories of Italian weddings.
3. Maximum Runtime
• Animation: up to 20 minutes
• Documentary: up to 30 minutes
• Fiction: up to 30 minutes
• Experimental / Video Art: up to 15 minutes
• Monographs / Biographies: up to 15 minutes
• Business / Cinetourism / Territorial Promotion: up to 30 minutes
• Cinema & Dance Film: up to 20 minutes
• Wedding Film: up to 20 minutes
4. Awards
The festival presents multiple awards, including (non-exhaustive): Best Short Film, Best Debut Film, Best Italian Film, Best Animation/Documentary/Fiction/Experimental, Best Monograph/Biography, Best Enterprise Film, Best Territorial Film, Best Photography Director, Best Actor/Actress, Best Cinema & Dance, Best Wedding Film, Best Dance Performance Film, Best Medium Length Film, Best Future Film.
5. How to Submit
• Submissions must be made via FilmFreeway.
• The Artistic Direction reserves the right to invite films of particular artistic value.
6. Required Submission Materials
Each entry must include:
• The film (available on the platform for selection)
• Short synopsis
• English subtitles file (.srt)
• Film poster (.jpeg)
• Director/author photo (.jpeg)
• Film stills (.jpg)
• Company presentation / author profile
7. Deadlines & Fees
All official deadlines and entry fees are those shown in the FilmFreeway sections “Dates & Deadlines” and “Categories & Fees” (Opening, Early Bird, Regular, Late, Notification, Event Dates, and category-specific fees).
8. Rights, Declarations & Permissions
By submitting, the entrant declares that:
• they have read and accept all rules and requirements;
• all submitted information is truthful;
• the work is not under dispute/litigation;
• they are authorized to submit the work;
• they hold the necessary rights (including music rights).
The entrant also grants permission for:
• the use of stills/titles/info for festival promotion;
• private viewing by selection committees and juries via the indicated platforms (including popular juries);
• screening at MISFF in Montecatini Terme and within the festival’s international tour (MISFF IRS / “Montecatini Days”) and related partner events authorized by the organization.
Online/TV clause (extraordinary circumstances): if screenings are moved online and/or to TV networks, permission is granted only for the festival period, including live or on-demand streaming, with protective measures such as watermarks/logos and anti-piracy notices; any requested adjustments must be communicated in writing.
Screening fees: MISFF does not pay screening fees for festival/program/promotional screenings; requesting screening fees results in non-admission.