VIII Festival De Cine Al Este (9)

Festival start: 25 November 2026      Festival end: 29 November 2026

Al Este is a festival coming out from the french festival A l'Est du Nouveau. Present in Colombia since 2018, the mission of the festival is to promote film culture of the other Europe, that relegated to independent circuits, owning however, an invaluable wealth and tradition. Thus, Al Este - Colombia seeks to spread the filmography of Central and Eastern Europe into a profitable cultural exchange with South America.

The winning films will receive:

Jury Award Diploma of Merit.

Al Este Jaguar Trophy.

Only for Filmmakers from Argentina, Colombia, France, Peru and Uruguay and countries of Central and Eastern Europe.


SCHEDULE

National Call for Entries (Colombia): August 2, 2026

Submission Deadline: September 15, 2026

Official Selection Announcement: September 23, 2026

Competition Dates: November 25 to 29, 2026

Awards Ceremony: November 29, 2026


JURY AND PRE-SELECTION

The pre-selection of works in each category will be carried out by the Festival Selection Committee, composed of the programming team and external advisors.

For the competitive sections, a jury made up of national and international film and media professionals will be appointed. The jury members will be announced 15 days before the start of the competition.

Individuals with any connection to the production or commercial exploitation of films participating in the competition may not serve on the jury.

Jury votes will remain confidential, and decisions will be made by a simple majority. A Festival representative may attend the jury deliberations as an observer without voting rights.

The jury will select one winner and one Special Mention in each category.

The jury's decision is final and not subject to appeal.

Jury members agree not to publicly express their opinions regarding the films under evaluation before the official announcement of the awards.

The competitive sections will also include an Audience Award.

Ex aequo awards will not be granted. There will be only one winner per category.


SCREENING FORMATS AND MATERIAL SUBMISSION

For the pre-selection process, applicants may submit private preview links hosted on Vimeo, YouTube, or another platform. Links may be password-protected, and the password must be included in the submission form.

Once selected, films must be submitted in one of the following digital video formats: MP4, MOV, QuickTime, or ProRes 422, with a minimum file size of 3 GB and without burned-in subtitles.


EXCLUSIVITY AND CONFIDENTIALITY

Only works that have not been commercially released in Colombia, whether in cinemas, on television, or through active online distribution, will be eligible. Films previously screened in earlier editions of Al Este Colombia will not be selected. The Selection Committee may give preference to national premieres.

Once selected, a film may not be withdrawn from the Festival program or made freely available on free streaming platforms.

The applicant agrees not to publicly announce the film's participation in the competition until it has been officially announced by the Festival.

Award-winning participants agree to include the Festival laurels in the opening or closing credits of the film. The laurels will be provided by the Festival.


COPYRIGHT AND SCREENING RIGHTS

The submission must be made by the film's producer, who declares and guarantees that they hold the worldwide screening and distribution rights for the submitted work.

The producer must also confirm that all necessary rights and permissions have been obtained for the soundtrack, incidental music, archival footage, and any other copyrighted material included in the film.

The producer assumes sole responsibility for any claims by third parties involved in the production of such materials.

The applicant will be the Festival's primary contact person or may appoint another representative for all matters related to the film's selection.

Selection implies the free grant of screening rights for exhibition of the film during the Al Este Festival.

Once the screening materials have been submitted, the producer may not withdraw the film from the Official Selection.

Selected participants must provide all promotional materials required by the Festival, including the press kit, trailer, clips, stills, promotional photographs, and an editable version of the official poster.

The Festival may adapt these materials for digital, television, on-screen, or printed promotional purposes.

Each principal producer may submit up to two works, provided they do not compete in the same competition section.


TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The Festival Selection Committee reserves the right to remove, at any time, any audiovisual work that does not comply with these Rules and Regulations or the Festival's guidelines. Providing false production information or inaccurate data in the submission form will result in the work being disqualified and excluded from the competition.

Participation in the Festival implies full knowledge and acceptance of these Rules and Regulations. Any issue concerning the interpretation of these Rules, or any matter not covered herein, shall be resolved exclusively by the Festival Organization.

Any questions must be submitted during the official inquiry period of the call for entries.