SHORT FILM COMPETITION RULES 🎬
1. PARTICIPATION 👥
There are no restrictions on age, gender or nationality of the author. Each contestant may submit a maximum of 3 works in one or different categories. Authors may participate in different roles in different works.
2. DURATION ⏱️
All SHORTFILMS (includes music video, experimental) must last a minimum of 1 minute, maximum 21 minutes not counting end credits. Any longer films must be registered as FEATUREFILMS. Exception: INTERACTIVE category has no time limit.
3. SCREENPLAY 📜
Original by the author or authors of the work. In case of adaptations, they must present a copy of the rights assignment documents from the original owner.
4. CATEGORIES 🎭
A) FICTION 🎥
CINEMA (2D, Stereoscopic): Contraction from ancient Greek kinema: "movement", a term designated to the illusion of life in still photographs, projected in succession at regular intervals on a reflective medium. Magnetic tape, film (8mm, 16mm, 35mm, Super), digital. All filming media are valid. Live-action short films that represent events in a fictional manner. Includes short films (1-21 minutes), feature films (+21 minutes) music videos with original music or with the author's consent, and experimental cinema with unconventional production techniques and methods.
B) ANIMATION ✨
From Latin "animatio", which comes from "anima": "breath" or the substance of life, the "soul". Like cinema, animation comes to life with the succession of drawings or other inanimate objects. Some of the best-known techniques are:
STOP-MOTION: Photographic succession of slight changes on inanimate objects to give them the illusion of live movement.
CLAYMATION: Stop-motion of objects made with malleable materials (such as clay, plasticine and other polymers).
PIXILATION: Stop-Motion technique where live actors are used as subjects frame by frame.
TRADITIONAL: Photographed succession of drawings on paper and celluloid.
3D/CGI: Computer-generated objects, animated through specialized software (Modo, 3dsMax, Maya, Blender, etc).
INTERPOLATED ROTOSCOPY: Technique in which animation is achieved by drawing on film or video.
CUT-OUT: Animation made with cutouts of flat materials such as paper.
PROCEDURAL: Type of computer animation used to automatically generate animation in real time allowing a more diverse series of actions.
EXPERIMENTAL ANIMATION
C) INTERACTIVE 🕹️
Immersive experiences designed for virtual reality headsets (HMD), video games, interactive installations and executable software. No time limit.
V360/VSTEREO: Binocular stereoscopic or spherical projection video for virtual reality headsets (HMD). Also works filmed with 360 or fisheye cameras.
VIDEOGAME/SOFTWARE: Works developed with game engines (Unreal, Unity, CryEngine, Apertus, Godot, etc.), 3D creation software (Maya, 3dsMax, Houdini, Modo, Blender, etc.) or custom software may participate. Include complete documentation (requirements, installation, dependencies).
5. GENRES AND SUBGENRES 🌙
HORROR 💀
Body, Gore/Splatter, Slasher, Giallo, Small Creature, Monster, Kaiju, Survival, Thriller, Supernatural, Surreal, Erotic, Sexploitation, Cannibal, Psychological, Space, Abstract, Folk, Cosmic.
SCIENCE-FICTION 🛸
Apocalyptic, Holocaustic, Post-Apocalyptic, Cyberpunk, Steampunk, Slipstream, Space Opera, Uchronic, Dystopian.
FANTASTIC 🔮
Fantasy, Lovecraftian, King-esque, Heroic, Epic, Dark, Urban, Scientific.
6. FILMING FORMATS 📹
Standard Definition: Webcam, Hi8, MiniDV, 720p
Film: 8mm, 16mm, 35mm, Super
HD: DTV (1280x720), 1080p
UHD: 4K, 8K+
There are no restrictions on equipment or filming format. Works that employ alternative filming techniques or non-commercial image technologies will have preference in the official selection.
7. SOUND DESIGN, ORIGINAL MUSIC AND SFX 🎵
In case of using audio libraries, samples or royalty-free tracks, give respective credit to the authors.
8. REGISTRATION 📝
Registration fee:
Shortfilms: ~$22 USD
Students: ~$11 USD - submit proof
Full Feature Film: ~$70 USD
Student: ~$36 USD
For the convenience of contestants, registration of works may be done in the following ways:
A. OFFICIAL FILMFREEWAY PORTAL
Recommended for FICTION and ANIMATION categories:
filmfreeway.com/sacalacalaca
B. SACALACALACA WEB PORTAL
For INTERACTIVE category (video games, executable software, VR experiences):
sacalacalaca.com
The portal will use P2P technology for transferring large files. Detailed instructions for the registration process for interactive projects will be published on the official site soon.
9. DOCUMENTATION 📄
FilmFreeway automatically collects all technical data of your work (production credits, project type, genre, duration, completion date, country of origin, language, recording format, aspect ratio, if it's a student project, etc.). Additionally you must include:
Synopsis -- General summary of the work (maximum 300 words)
Documentation that accredits authorship of the work (copyright registration or signed declaration)
Digital poster -- jpg or png format, minimum resolution 500x900 pixels at 72dpi
10. DATES 🗓️
Deathline (registration deadline): Saturday, September 26, 2026 -- Harvest Full Moon 🌕
On the night of the Harvest Moon, when the veil between worlds thins, we harvest the creative souls that have been forged in the darkness of editing rooms, the pain of self-criticism and the obsessive passion to give shape to the invisible. Each work registered before the Deathline is a soul captured in celluloid, pixels or code: the vital effort of creating audiovisual art condensed into minutes that transcend dimensions. After this date, the portal closes. 🌑
Festival: October 30-31 + November 1, 2026 🎃
Live stream/Winner announcement: December 2026 (date to be confirmed)
This festival seeks to give audience to short films from all eras: works you made as a child, professional work as an adult, or films that simply haven't been exhibited at the right time. There is no restriction on the year of production. Works that have been exhibited at other festivals will be accepted, however, preference will be given to unpublished works. Works in versions prior to final treatment may compete as Work in Progress (WIP) as long as the final version is sent before the registration deadline.
11. VENUES AND EVENTS 📍
Day 1 (October 30): Opening Ceremony + Live Band 🎸 -- Undisclosed Location
Day 2 (October 31 - Samhain/Halloween): Island of the Dolls, Xochimilco 🪆👻 -- Immersive Screenings
Day 3 (November 1 - Día de Muertos):}💀🌺Closing Ceremony and Awards 🏆 -- Undisclosed Location
The venues for the opening and closing ceremonies will be revealed only to selected participants. The exact location remains hidden until you cross the threshold of the official selection.
12. JURY AND SELECTION 👁️
The jury will be made up of film industry professionals, artists and content creators who will be announced throughout the year on the official site. The jury is in charge of the official selection and awards process.
13. PRIZES 🏆
The first place of each category (Fiction, Animation, Interactive) wins:
1x TRANSFERABLE INDIe SCHOLARSHIP: Full scholarship to study film at Centro de Estudios Cinematográficos INDIe A.C. The scholarship can be claimed by the winner or a third party of their choice. As a student, you will have access to the facilities and filming equipment. Does not include per diem or accommodation. Not exchangeable for cash.
Official festival merchandise
Additional prizes from sponsors (will be announced throughout the year)
14. TRANSPARENCY IN THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 🤖
Any use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools at any stage of production must be explicitly declared in the end credits of the work and in the registration documentation. This includes, but is not limited to: image generation, video generation, screenplay assistance, automatic editing, assisted color grading, voice synthesis, AI-generated music, or any other generative AI tool. Failure to declare will result in automatic disqualification. Transparency is fundamental to the dialogue about the future of cinema.
15. RESTRICTIONS ⚠️
The categories and genres DO NOT include any type of real, unstaged physical violence. Any type of real human or animal violence, use of real blood, viscera, excrement or real mutilated limbs will be rejected. All works that violate the above will be disqualified and reported to the corresponding local authorities.
LIVE BAND COMPETITION 🎸🔥
We summon bands, musicians and sound artists to participate in our live music competition. The winning bands will perform during the Opening and Closing Ceremony of the festival.
1. PARTICIPATION 🎤
There is no restriction on musical genre. Bands, soloists, collectives and artists of experimental, electronic, industrial, darkwave, metal, ambient, noise, soundtrack music, and any sound proposal in line with the festival's theme (horror, sci-fi, fantastic) may participate.
2. REGISTRATION 🎸
Cost:
Bands: $400.00 MXN (~$22 USD)
Soloists: $200.00 MXN (~$11 USD)
Bands must register through FilmFreeway including:
Link to audio or video demo (YouTube, Vimeo, Bandcamp, SoundCloud)
Band biography (maximum 200 words)
Technical rider (required backline)
Promo photos (minimum 2 high-resolution images)
3. SELECTION 🎯
6 finalist bands will be selected to compete to play at the opening and closing ceremonies of the festival. The selection will be made by the Sacalacalaca curatorial team and will be announced in September 2026.
4. BACKLINE 🎛️
The festival will provide basic backline. Bands must include their technical rider in the registration specifying required equipment (guitars, amplifiers, drums, keyboards, pedalboards, etc.). It will be coordinated with the finalist bands to confirm equipment availability.
5. PRIZES 🏆
The winning bands will receive:
Live performance during the festival
Official promotion on all festival platforms
Professional audiovisual recording of the performance
First place receives: 1x TRANSFERABLE INDIe SCHOLARSHIP
Official festival merchandise
6. SET DURATION ⏰
Each band will have a maximum time of 30 minutes of presentation, including setup and teardown.
CONTACT AND INFORMATION 📧
Centro de Estudios Cinematográficos INDIe A.C.
📍 A San Pablo #2501
San Andrés Ahuayucan, Delegación Xochimilco
Ciudad de México -- C.P. 16810
🌐 Website: www.sacalacalaca.com
📧 Email: buzon@sacalacalaca.com
📞 Phone: 553480-5867
🎬 FilmFreeway: filmfreeway.com/sacalacalaca
📱 Instagram: @theindiefilmschool
Sincerely:
Juan Blanco V.
Festival Creator
@axolojuan
INDIe & Ihtoa Games present:
🎃 Interdimensional Festival of Horror & Sci-Fi Short Films 👻
SACALACALACA 2026© 💀🛸🔮
