Based in the beautiful Mediterranean town of Mojacar, Almería, Spain, SandDance celebrates storytelling, creativity and independent voices in cinema. We champion originality, offering filmmakers a unique opportunity to share their work and inspire audiences to expolore new perspectives.

Let's keep this short! SandDance was created by filmmakers for filmmakers! We think the big corporate film festivals have lost the plot, selling out to huge sponsors and turning them into a commercial juggernauts that receive tens of thousands of films each year. It is simply not possible for large festivals to view all of the films in full, unless the organisation hires out hundreds of qualified people to watch them. We exist simply to celebrate film and the people with the vision.

A live events screening, Q&A and awards ceremony will take place at the beautiful Playa Juana Beach Bar in Mojacar.

The home of Sergio Leone's famed spaghetti westerns: A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad & the Ugly, were all filmed nearby. Also, Navajo Joe, Once Upon a Time in the West, Lawrence of Arabia, Conan The Barbarian and Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, Cleopatra, Exodus: Gods and Kings, Dr. Zhivago and series such as Game of Thrones and many others - were all filmed in this Spanish desert.

Each film will be screened and scored on direction, editing, production sound, performances, writing and cinematography.

If you have a compelling short film, we invite you to submit your work for consideration and to be a part of our annual showcase.

Awards & Prizes

Laurels and trophies are presented for winners of the following categories:
Best Short Documentary
Best Music Video
Best Western Short, "Sergio Leone Award"
Best Short Comedy
Best Period Drama Short
Best Animation
Best Student Short
Best Micro Short (max 3 min)

Additional trophies awarded for:
Best in Festival "Indalo Award"
Best Female Director
Best First Time Filmmaker

Should you win a trophy you will be notified of a postage fee for shipping according to your country.

Rules & Terms

By submitting your film, take note that:
- submissions must be accompanied by the applicable submission fee;
- submissions must be in English or with English subtitles, unless it is not essential for the comprehension of the film;
- submissions must be submitted on FilmFreeway by an online password protected streaming URL such as YouTube or Vimeo;
- we do not accept "works in progress" as these submissions is at risk of being judged before your work is completed and, therefore, may not be a fair opinion of your finalised work.
- you agree for us to use parts of your film (including trailer/poster/stills) for promotional purposes;
- entry fees are non-refundable. You understand if you are not selected, your entry fee will not be reimbursed;
the film must have been completed after January 2021;
- short films must be less than 30 minutes;
- micro short films must be less than 3 minutes;
- If selected, you exhibition copy is required by 15 September 2026;
- we prefer your press kit and all your materials to be sent online, but if not please not all shipping costs to and from the office will be covered by the entrant;
- it is the participant's responsibility to ensure the rights to their films are cleared for the festival. The festival will not be liable for any issues or lawsuits regarding any films that are entered into the festival;
- the festival will make sure to take care of all materials belonging to the entrants, but will not be responsible for any damages;
- winners of trophies will be responsible for paying packaging and postage fees.