Único - International Amateur Film Festival (1)

Festival start: 01 December 2026      Festival end: 05 December 2026

Único – International Amateur Film Festival was born from a commitment to value cinema created outside commercial and industrial circuits. Films made at home, in schools, within communities, or through personal urgency and affection. Family records, local narratives, poetic gestures, unfinished attempts — amateur cinema constitutes a vast and largely unseen visual heritage that this festival seeks to reveal, question, preserve, and reactivate.

Rejecting production-year limits, the festival acknowledges that amateur cinema often exists beyond institutional timelines. Many films remain unseen for years, waiting for their first public encounter. Único embraces discovery as a curatorial principle, welcoming films made in any period and valuing their relevance in the present rather than their date of production.

Fees are designed to remain accessible, supporting inclusivity while contributing to the festival’s sustainability.

The programme brings together multiple dimensions of amateur filmmaking:

the presentation and activation of audiovisual archives;

cinema creation and exchange within schools;

encounters and conversations around memory, access, education, and territory;

and international sessions developed with cultural and educational partners, including institutions working under challenging social or geopolitical conditions.

By creating a shared space for filmmakers, educators, archivists, and audiences, Único positions amateur cinema not as a marginal practice, but as a living field of experimentation, attention, and collective authorship.

Best Amateur Film – World Competition
Awarded to an outstanding non-professional film that demonstrates originality, freedom of form, and a strong personal or collective vision.

Best Amateur Film – Portugal Competition
Recognizes an exceptional amateur film produced in Portugal, highlighting local voices and independent filmmaking practices.

Best Film Made in School – World Competition
Awarded to a film created in an educational context that reveals the expressive and creative potential of cinema in schools.

Best Film Made in School – Portugal Competition
Celebrates an outstanding school film produced in Portugal, reflecting innovation, engagement, and cinematic exploration.

Best Super 8 Film – World Competition
Honours a film shot on Super 8 that explores the materiality of film with artistic or narrative intent.

Best School Cinema Project – Portugal (3 Awards)
Distinguishes sustained and impactful cinema projects developed in Portuguese schools, valuing pedagogy, continuity, and collective work.

International Pedagogical Spotlight (Non-Competitive)
A curated section highlighting inspiring international cinema education projects that use film as a tool for learning, inclusion, and shared authorship.

1. General Overview

- Único – International Amateur Film Festival is an international film festival dedicated to non-professional, independent, school-based, and amateur filmmaking. The festival aims to give visibility to films created outside industrial production systems, valuing freedom of form, experimentation, education, archive practices, and personal or collective expression.

- The festival accepts submissions from all over the world and welcomes filmmakers, educators, schools, collectives, and independent creators.

2. Eligibility

- The festival is open to filmmakers of all nationalities and ages.

- Films must be produced outside the professional or commercial film industry.

- Films made in educational, community, personal, domestic, or independent contexts are eligible.

- Films previously screened at other festivals are eligible.

- There is no premiere requirement.

- Production Year: Films completed in any year are eligible.

Único – International Amateur Film Festival does not impose production date limits, recognizing that amateur cinema often exists outside standard production, distribution, and exhibition timelines.

3. Competitive Categories

- Films may be submitted to one or more of the following categories:

- Best Amateur Film – World Competition
- Best Amateur Film – Portugal Competition
- Best Super 8 Film – World Competition
- Best Film Made in School – World Competition
- Best Film Made in School – Portugal Competition
- Best School Cinema Project – Portugal (3 Awards)

4. Non Competitive Category

- International Pedagogical Spotlight is a non-competitive, curated section dedicated to international cinema education projects.

- This section highlights schools, educators, collectives, NGOs, and institutions that develop long-term or innovative pedagogical practices using cinema and audiovisual creation.

- Selected projects are presented through screenings, talks, or online showcases. No awards are attributed in this section.

5. Definition of Amateur Film

- For the purpose of the festival, an amateur film is defined as a film:

Made without major commercial or institutional funding
Produced outside industrial or professional film structures

Created independently, in schools, collectives, families, or informal contexts

“Amateur” refers to conditions of production, not to artistic value or technical ambition.

6. Super 8 Category

- Films must be shot primarily or entirely on Super 8 film.

- Films must be shot on Super 8 film and submitted as digital files for screening.

- Films must demonstrate a clear artistic, narrative, or experimental intention.

- Purely private home movies, holiday films, or raw footage without artistic intervention are not eligible.

7. School Films & Projects

- Films Made in School

- Films must be produced within a school or educational context.

- Created by students, with or without teacher supervision.

- All educational levels are accepted.

- School Cinema Projects

This category focuses on long-term or ongoing projects, not on a single film.

Eligible submissions include film clubs, annual programs, interdisciplinary projects, or innovative pedagogical approaches to cinema.

Submissions must include written documentation and audiovisual material.

8. Film Duration

Recommended maximum durations:

Amateur Films: up to 20 minutes
Super 8 Films: up to 15 minutes
School Films: up to 10 minutes

The festival may exceptionally accept longer works if justified by their nature.

9. Language & Subtitles
Films in languages other than English or Portuguese must include English subtitles.

10. Submission Format

- Films must be submitted digitally (online screener).

- Selected films must be provided in a high-quality digital format for screening.

- Detailed technical specifications will be communicated to selected participants.

11. Selection & Jury

- All submissions will be reviewed by the festival’s selection committee.

- Official selections will be announced on the festival website, social media and via email.

- Awards will be decided by independent juries composed of filmmakers, educators, programmers, and professionals from the audiovisual field.

- Jury decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

12. Screening Rights

- By submitting a film, the submitter grants Único – International Amateur Film Festival:

The right to screen the film during the festival (physical, online, or hybrid formats).

The right to use excerpts (up to 2 minutes), stills, and trailers for promotional purposes related to the festival.

No screening fees are paid.

13. Copyright & Responsibility
The submitter confirms they hold all necessary rights to the film.

The festival is not responsible for copyright infringements related to submitted works.

Any legal responsibility remains with the submitter.

14. Acceptance of Terms
Submission of a film implies full acceptance of these Rules & Terms.

The festival reserves the right to make minor adjustments to the regulations when necessary.