El Ojo Maya Festival de Cine (1)

Festival start: 07 May 2026      Festival end: 10 May 2026

The El Ojo Maya Film Festival (FCOM) is a cinematic celebration dedicated to the voices, stories, and identities of the Maya territory. Its first edition will take place from May 7 to 10, 2026, in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, with screenings held at cultural venues, universities, and public spaces.

The festival aims to strengthen audiovisual creation in southeastern Mexico and Central America by offering a platform for fiction, documentary, and speculative narratives (Sci-Fi) short and feature films produced by filmmakers who are native to or residents of the Maya world.

In addition to the official competition, the Maya World Film Festival “El Ojo Maya” will host talks, masterclasses, special screenings, and educational activities.

El Festival de Cine del Mundo Maya (FCOM) otorgará reconocimientos oficiales a las obras seleccionadas por el Jurado en cada categoría:

Cortometraje

Mejor Cortometraje de Ficción – El Ojo Maya
Mejor Cortometraje Documental – El Ojo Maya
Mejor Cortometraje de Futurismos y Narrativas Especulativas (Sci-Fi) – El Ojo Maya

Largometraje

Mejor Largometraje de Ficción – El Ojo Maya
Mejor Largometraje Documental – El Ojo Maya

Premios Especiales

Premio de la audiencia

Cada ganador recibirá:

Diploma de certificación oficial “El Ojo Maya”
Difusión en medios aliados

1. Eligibility

Works produced between April 2024 and April 2026 may participate.

Directors or producers must be native to or residents (minimum 5 verifiable years) of: Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, or El Salvador.

Works produced outside the territory may also participate provided their subject matter is directly related to the Maya region (optional, but positively valued).


2. Categories

Short Films (maximum 30 min):

Fiction

Documentary

Futurisms and Speculative Narratives (Sci-Fi)

Feature Films (minimum 80 min):

Fiction

Documentary


3. Submission Formats

If selected, the final file must be delivered in .MP4 or .MOV format (H.264 / H.265 / ProRes), with a minimum resolution of 1920×1080p.


4. Language

Works in Spanish or other hegemonic languages are accepted.

Works in Indigenous languages must include burned-in Spanish subtitles.


5. Mandatory Documentation

Participants must upload:

Short and long synopsis

Director’s bio-filmography

3 high-resolution stills

Official vertical poster

Identification or proof of residence confirming territorial eligibility


6. Copyright

By submitting a work, the participant declares:

Ownership of all rights to image, sound, music, and screenplay

Possession of all permissions and licenses for music, archival material, and third-party image rights

The festival is not responsible for legal claims arising from improper use of protected materials.


7. Exhibition License

Submission grants FCOM a non-exclusive license to screen the work only from May 7 to 10, 2026, at the festival’s official venues.


8. Promotion License

The participant authorizes the use of:

Excerpts from the work (up to 20%)

Stills

Posters

Graphic materials

for festival promotion on the website, social media, catalog, and press, for an indefinite period.


9. Archive

Selected works will become part of the FCMM digital archive for purposes of historical memory, research, and documentation. This does not imply commercial exploitation without prior authorization.


10. Dates

Call opens: Immediately

Deadline: April 1, 2026 (23:59, GMT-6)

Selection notification: May 1, 2026


11. Selection and Jury

The Selection Committee will evaluate all submitted works.

The Jury, composed of film professionals and academics, will decide the winners.

Its decision is final and not subject to appeal.


12. Acceptance of Terms

Submission implies full acceptance of these rules and terms.

Any situation not foreseen will be resolved by the FCOM Organizing Committee.