7. Each filmmaker may submit as many short films as they wish.
8. A committee comprising industry professionals and festival organisers will be responsible for selecting, from among all the short films received, those that will form part of the European Short Film Competition. The selection committee will endeavour to achieve gender parity.
9. As an exception to the provisions of point 2, and to ensure greater variety and diversity of films in competition, the organisers may, on their own initiative and at their discretion, invite a specific film to participate that was not screened at the last edition, even if it had been entered, provided that it was made after 1 January 2025.
10. The contact person named on the form will be informed of the selection result, whether positive or negative, at least three weeks before the festival.
Please add emails from the alcine.org domain to your contacts to avoid them ending up in your spam folder.
11. Selected films will be included in the Film Festival catalogue and screened at public screenings during the festival. The screening dates and venues will be announced in the Festival’s official programme.
12. In addition to the official sections, films are automatically eligible to participate in the parallel sections dedicated to: Children’s Films; Comedy Films; and/or Fantasy and Horror Films. The same film may be selected and be in the running for the relevant awards in one or more sections, if the committee and the Organisation so decide.
13. The decisions of the Selection Committee and the Juries are final. To ensure that the selection process is as impartial as possible, film representatives are advised not to contact the Committee or the Organisation during the selection process, except for technical enquiries relating to the rules or the registration process.
14. The above point does not apply to technical enquiries regarding the rules or the registration process.
15. Appropriate tools will be provided to prioritise online submission, without the need to send or return physical media. Should it be necessary to use physical media, the costs of sending the selected films shall be borne by the participants, whilst the Organisation will cover the costs of their return.
16. The Organisation has sufficient safeguards in place to cover the costs of any potential damage to or loss of screening copies or any other physical material submitted or sent by participants, and will be responsible for their replacement.
17. A representative from each selected film (preferably the director) will be invited to the Festival on the day of their short film’s screening to take part in the film’s presentation and the subsequent discussion (if any). This invitation includes accreditation, accommodation and meals, all covered by the Organisation.
18. The producers of the selected short films authorise the use of an excerpt from the works (maximum three minutes) for dissemination as informational and/or promotional material in any medium, including the Internet.
19. Both the selection and the scheduling of each work will be announced on social media and the official ALCINE website, with each selected short film receiving equal treatment.
20. These rules will be published both on ALCINE’s official website (alcine.org), through which the short films will be submitted, and in the National Grants Database.
21. The registration period will begin on the day following the publication of this call for entries in the National Grants Database and will end on 20 July 2026 at 14:00.
22. Any matter not covered by these rules shall be resolved by the Organisation in a final and binding manner.
24. You will need:
Complete the online form at alcine.org.
Submit a link to the film so it can be viewed online in HD, with Spanish subtitles if Spanish is not the main language of the short film.
If the link is password-protected, the password must remain valid until the end of the festival. If it changes, you must notify the organisers as soon as possible.
Upload three stills from the short film, the poster and a photograph of the director in web-quality.
25. You must complete a second form with additional information and materials:
High-resolution images and poster (300 dpi).
Subtitles in English and Spanish in an SRT file.
The director’s identity documents, if required to prove their nationality.
If applying for the Community of Madrid Award, the tax residence of the production company.
26. This second form must include the full names of the individuals and/or legal entities responsible for the various categories competing for the awards. These awards, whether in cash or in kind, will be granted to the individuals and/or legal entities listed on this form.
27. The Organisation will allow the selected films sufficient time to complete the information required via the second form. If this is not completed in a timely and correct manner, the Organisation may interpret this as a lack of interest on the part of the film in participating in the festival and, consequently, may withdraw its selection.
28. Once this documentation has been received, the Organisation will provide the laurel (as a PNG image) and documentary proof of the relevant selection.
29. Films that are selected must submit their screening copy within the deadline and in the manner specified once the selection has been announced.
30. During the festival, the films submitted will be made available for viewing by invited industry professionals who request to do so.
31. A digital copy of all selected short films will become part of the Festival’s archives as a documentary collection; however, it will not be used publicly under any circumstances without the express permission of the production company.
32. The organisers reserve the right to request that certain works be assessed by the ICAA for public screening.
33. Furthermore, the short film may be submitted to the festival’s online edition via the Filmin platform.
34. The short films will be available to view on Filmin from the start of the festival for a maximum period of 30 days.
35. Revenue generated from viewings will be distributed as follows:
60% to the participating short films
40% to Filmin.
36. Payment will be made by invoice, subject to the deductions and payment terms provided for by law. The invoice will be issued once Filmin has made payment to the Organisation.
37. Access to viewings will be restricted to those with a subscription to the platform and will be subject to the platform’s territorial policy.
38. Any matter not covered by these terms and conditions regarding the online edition shall be resolved in a final and binding manner by the FILMIN platform, with ALCINE acting, through the contracted company, as a mere non-profit facilitator.
39. A jury, comprising an equal number of male and female members, will decide the competition prizes. It will consist of an odd number of professionals from the film, arts and cultural sectors, and members of the Organisation will attend in an advisory capacity.
‘ALCINE-Ciudad de Alcalá’ Awards:
Diamond Award for Best Short Film: €3,000 and a trophy.
Diamond Award for Best Director: €2,000 and a trophy.
ALCINE is a qualifying festival for the OSCARS® in the short film categories. The first prize, ‘Ciudad de Alcalá’, in the European Short Film Competition, will be eligible to participate in the OSCARS® selection process, provided it is a fiction or animated short film.
Audience Award:
€600. Awarded by a vote of the ALCINÉFILA community.
ALCINE Kids Award:
€600. Awarded by a vote of the Children’s Jury.
For children’s films, whether Spanish or European, selected for the ALCINE Kids section (which may also enter the National or European Competition).
Special Mention from the Department of Equality for the short film that best conveys the values of gender equality and healthy relationships.
The inclusion of any other prize or trophy not mentioned in these rules will be announced in due course via the festival’s communication channels (website, press releases, etc.).
The cash prize for the “Diamond Award for Best Short Film” will be awarded to the production company behind the winning film. In the case of a co-production, arrangements will be made with the lead production company designated for this purpose. The lead production company will be responsible for managing any distribution or payments to the co-production partners or to the director of the winning film.
The cash prize for the “Diamond Award for Best Director” and the Audience Award will be presented to the director of the winning film. In the case of co-direction, the prize will be divided equally.
All amounts will be subject to the deductions laid down by current legislation.
Once the jury’s verdict has been announced, the individuals and companies receiving awards must submit their national identity card (DNI) or tax identification number (NIF), their bank details, documentation proving their tax residence, and any other information or documentation that the organisation deems necessary to process the payment before the list of winners is published (13 November 2026).
Once this documentation has been received, the organisation will issue the award (in PNG format) and the corresponding certificate of the prize.
If you are unable to attend the Closing Ceremony to collect the trophy, the organisers will post it to the European address provided by the winner. In the event of loss or damage, the festival will not be responsible for replacing the trophy.
If you are unable to attend the closing ceremony to collect your prize, the organisers will post the trophy to the address in Europe provided by the winner. In the event of loss or damage, the festival will not be responsible for replacing the trophy.
To enter the 2026 edition of the European Short Film Competition at the Alcalá de Henares / Community of Madrid Film Festival, please complete the form and submit the link to your short film for online viewing by 20 July 2026 at 14:00.
ALCINE 55 will officially take place between 5 and 15 November 2026 in Alcalá de Henares.
ALCINE CONCEJALÍA DE CULTURA
ANTIGUO HOSPITAL SANTA MARÍA LA RICA
CALLE SANTA MARÍA LA RICA, 3
28801 ALCALÁ DE HENARES (MADRID)
Tel.: +34 91 888 33 00 EXT. 6275/6279
Correo electrónico: internacional@alcine.org
TO CONTINUE, YOU MUST ACCEPT THESE RULES AND REGULATIONS:
