MDOC - Melgaço International Documentary Film Festival (11)

Festival start: 28 July 2025      Festival end: 03 August 2025

MDOC – Melgaço International Documentary Film Festival will select for 2025, documentaries under the themes of identity, memory and border. All films must express the author's point of view on aspects related to social, individual, cultural and identity issues.

Cash Prizes: 5,500€

The Jean-Loup Passek Awards, given to the films directors, consist of a trophy and the following cash awards:

• Best International Feature Length Film – 3.000 euros

• Best International Short or Medium Length Film – 1.500 euros

• Best Portuguese Documentary - 1.000 euros (Portuguese producing and/or directing of films)

The Don Quijote Award is a prize from the IFSS – International Federation of Film Societies given in selected festivals. The prize consists of the Don Quijote Diploma.

1. The Jean-Loup Passek Awards will take place within the scope of MDOC – Melgaço International Documentary Film Festival (from 28th July to 3rd August).

2. MDOC – Melgaço International Documentary Film Festival will select for 2025, documentaries under the themes of identity, memory and border. All films must express the author's point of view on aspects related to social, individual, cultural and identity issues.

3. Films will be eligible for competition only if completed after January 1st, 2024.

4. The entry deadline for films submissions is May 18th 2025.

5. Submission methods: use online platforms.

6. The films should have English subtitles, except for English-speaking films.

7. Feature length films (duration equal to or longer than 60 minutes) and short or medium length films (duration shorter than 60 minutes) may compete.

8. MDOC will inform all the participants of decisions made by the film selection committee. Upon notification of acceptance to the festival, you have the next week to send us the following, by email at melgaco@mdocfestival.pt:

• Screener with English subtitles, through a private link (YouTube or Vimeo) that does not require immediate download and must be available until the end of the festival;
• Two film stills;
• A director's head shot;
• Director's short biography and filmography;
• Film credits;
• Dialogue list in English for translation and subtitling purposes;
• Trailer (or excerpt) of the film;
• Synopsis;
• Press kit (if available);
• Film’s previous festivals and awards.


Screening Copy:
• The screening copies of the selected films must be provided in DCP format;
• The need to send the screening copy in any other format must be communicated to the festival in a timely manner so that this possibility can be evaluated;
• The screening copies must be sent with English subtitles, except for the ones that are spoken in English or films without dialogues;
• The copy of the selected film (in the right screening format) should be delivered to the festival, using one of the following delivery options:
- digital delivery of the DCP, through an upload to the festival’s official platform, to be indicated after selection;
- digital delivery of the DCP, by providing download options from other online safe delivery platforms.

9. It is the contact person’s responsibility to inform the festival of any change in the films’ montage in relation to the copy used during the selection period since the translation process uses as reference the copy that the festival has access to at the time of selection.

10. The texts used for the promotion of films in the festival’s communication materials (catalog, program, website, social networks) are the sole responsibility of the festival, based on the information provided by the rights holders of the selected films.

11. In the event that video excerpts or trailers are not available and/or are not sent over, the festival is permitted to copy an excerpt from the film, of up to three (3) minutes, for promotional use.

12. The Official Jury will be composed by cultural and artistic personalities of renowned merit. The IFFS Jury – International Federation of Film Societies is composed by film society activists from any country of the world, selected among the nominations from national Federations of Film Societies.

13. The Jean-Loup Passek Awards, given to the films directors, consist of a trophy and the following cash awards:
• Best International Feature Length Film – 3.000 euros
• Best International Short or Medium Length Film – 1.500 euros
• Best Portuguese Documentary - 1.000 euros (Portuguese producing and/or directing of films)
The Don Quijote Award is a prize from the IFSS – International Federation of Film Societies given in selected festivals. The prize consists of the Don Quijote Diploma.

14. The Portuguese films competing in the festival are also in the running for the Jean-Loup Passek award for Best Portuguese Documentary.

15. After selection, the festival will reserve the rights to use three (3) minutes of footage for the purpose of promoting MDOC on TV, radio, internet, as well as the promotional materials for the film in the promotion of the festival.

16. All decisions reached by the jury are final and may not be contested or appealed.

17. All entries of films made to MDOC presuppose knowledge of and acceptance of this regulations.

18. The festival board will decide on all matters not covered by this regulation.