An annual celebration of cinema in the beach town of Lavra in Portugal. Sister festival of the River Bend Film Festival in Goshen, IN, United States. Sister festival of Moinho Cine Fest.

Celebrating it's 8th edition, The Ocean Coast Film Festival is a competitive festival that showcases independent films from all over the world and provides a platform for filmmakers to meet other like-minded people.

Just 15 kilometers north of the city of Porto, winner of the Best European Destination award for several straight years, the OCFF has quickly become a favourite among travelling filmmakers.

'Anartem - Cultural Non-Profit' is the promoter of this event.

Awards & Prizes

Total Prize Value: $5000 in online courses
(in partnership with learning platform Evenant)

Award List 2025:
- Best Short Film (OCFF Main Award)

- Jordon Hodges Award for Best Short Drama

- Tim Richardson Award for Best Comedy Short

- Best Documentary Short

- Best Portuguese Short

- Best Student Short

- Best Animation Short

- Best Local School/Institution Film

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Benefits for filmmakers who get selected:
- 2 VIP filmmaker badges that give full access to all screenings and events
- Potential for one-on-one meetings with other filmmakers and industry professionals

Rules & Terms

Submission costs vary depending on category and discounts. When submitting to the festival you are agreeing, if selected, to screen the submitted film during the dates of the festival. OCFF will not pay any screening fees for presentation of the film during the festival. The only exception would be if there is a pre-negotiated agreement.

ENTRY REGULATIONS
The Ocean Coast Film Festival is a competitive showcase of feature films, documentaries and shorts. The OCFF reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any project submitted. Projects must be submitted for consideration on DVD, BluRay or preferably as an online screener. All entries should have English or Portuguese subtitles in .srt format. If you don’t have any subtitles at the time of submission don’t worry, we’ll consider your project without subtitles and, if selected, we will work with you to get them ready for exhibition at the film festival.

COMPETITION
For a list of competitive categories, please see our awards page. All films are selected and voted upon by an impartial jury of filmmakers, industry professionals and festival programmers.

SCREENING MATERIALS
If selected, the OCFF will require a digital copy of the film in the best quality available. If you have an Electronic Press Kit (EPK) you can send it along with the copy of the movie so we can use it for promotional activities (it can include high-resolution production stills, key art, bio and filmography of the director, production notes and full cast and crew credits).

REPRODUCTION AGREEMENT
Submission of an entry gives the OCFF permission to have excerpts of accepted work, including film trailers, shown in all promotional activities related to the festival and the entire work screened at the festival and other subsequent screenings made by Anartem.

NOTIFICATION
Films selected to the OCFF will be notified no later than the Notification Date set on the FilmFreeway page.
36 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Maria Mendes

    Foi um prazer ter sido selecionada por este festival com uma identidade tão forte na região em que se insere. Dois dias de filmes de qualidade, com convidados sempre muito interessantes. Dias a marcar na agenda no próximo ano.

    December 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Muito obrigado!
    Foi um prazer para nós exibir um projeto que mostra a história da nossa terra e dar a conhecer cineastas locais ao nosso público.

  • Fabian Weissenborn

    We had a really great time attending Ocean Coast Film Festival! We met a lot of great people and had the opportunity to show our film to a big audience. Big thanks to the festival crew for organising this wonderful festival.

    December 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much for the review!
    It was great to meet you guys and hope you keep doing high quality projects!

  • 868 STUDIOS

    The Ocean Coast Film Festival was a huge surprise to us because it was so professional, organized, attentive (but) and always human. While at first glance it may seem like a festival in a small town by the sea, the OCFF manages to have what many big festivals in Portugal lack of, a real platform for emerging filmmakers to not only show their work but also, in a real and human way, to get in touch with other filmmakers and producers from all over the world, including industry heavyweights.

    We had the privilege of having our short-film DILÚVIO not only play at the festival but also win an award, but more than that, what will surely make us come back is the familiar way and the love that the festival gives to those who show their work there. We hope that the festival can grow and receive more support so that it can continue not only to be a showcase for new talent worldwide, but also to develop support of local projects and institutions that boost local talent and combine cinema with social support for those who need it most.

    Thank you for letting us be part of such a beautiful festival. See you in the next wave!

    November 2024
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you very much for your kind words and congratulations on such a powerful film that showcases that Portuguese cinema is alive and well!

    See you in the next wave!
    (we will most likely steal this expression, by the way) =)

  • Luke Rex

    A very nice festival. I wasn't able to attend but appreciated the social media updates, and communication with festival staff. Highly recommend!

    November 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much for your words, Luke, and congratulations on an incredible short!

  • Anny Tubbs

    The well organised and friendly team behind this festival make the experience of submitting a film, being selected and the screening a smooth and pleasant experience. A safe pair of hands with a commitment to quality and constructive dialogue.

    November 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much Anny and best of luck in your future endeavours.