Festival de cine de Santa Fe de Antioquia (27)

Festival start: 04 December 2026      Festival end: 08 December 2026

The Santa Fe de Antioquia Film Festival Corporation decided, through the Festival, to turn the municipality of Santa Fe de Antioquia into a large movie theater and show open-air cinema, under the stars and framed in the colonial architecture of one of the Heritage towns of Colombia.

Over the years, the Santa Fe de Antioquia Film Festival has sought to bring cinema closer to the public through workshops, conferences, a central screening of films according to the theme, and training workshops. These activities are designed not only for the inhabitants of the municipality of Santa Fe de Antioquia, but also for inhabitants of Medellín and other inhabitants of western Antioquia and in general for university students, specialized journalists, filmmakers in training, film critics, producers, filmmakers and film lovers who for twenty-three years add up to an annual average of 15,000 festival attendees.

FIRST FEATURE COMPETITION 2026

FIRST FEATURE COMPETITION 2026

Opera prima, a Latin expression that literally means “first work,” is the term used to describe the first work by a director or filmmaker in the audiovisual field. Let your film be seen!

The Santa Fe de Antioquia Film Festival invites producers and filmmakers from around the world to submit their feature films to the First Feature Competition for its 27th edition, until May 31, 2026.

The First Feature Competition is the result of a search for feature films from around the world with outstanding aesthetic, technical, and narrative quality. We seek audiovisual works that offer a critical and reflective perspective, along with innovative proposals in storytelling, visual language, and discourse.

Once again, the Santa Fe de Antioquia Film Festival will serve as a platform where directors from all over the world can present their debut feature films to an audience eager for new stories and diverse ways of seeing the world.

The selected productions will be screened during the 27th Santa Fe de Antioquia Film Festival, which will take place from December 4 to 8, 2026, in Colombia. The evaluation process will be carried out by independent jurors from the film industry, and the results will be announced together with the publication of the winners.

SUBMIT YOUR FIRST FEATURE AND LET YOUR WORK BE SEEN!

CATEGORIES

Fiction
Documentary
Animation

PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS

Each filmmaker or producer may submit as many films as desired.
A separate submission form must be completed for each feature film.
Submission deadline: May 31, 2026 at 23:59 (UTC -05:00).
A first feature is understood as the first work by a director, marking the beginning of their filmography.
The feature film must have been completed after January 1, 2024.
Minimum running time: 45 minutes. Maximum running time: 130 minutes.
Films must be submitted in their original language. If the film is not in Spanish, it must include Spanish subtitles for evaluation and screening purposes.
The Festival reserves the right to use excerpts from selected films for promotional purposes.
The 2026 First Feature Showcase will include up to 5 feature films.
Films publicly available online, including streaming platforms, will not be accepted.
Incomplete submissions or broken links will not be considered.
A signed screening rights agreement is mandatory for submission.
Once confirmed, films cannot be withdrawn.
The Festival reserves the right to directly invite films to the competition.
Submission is free of charge.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We value originality, rigor, and risk-taking in audiovisual language, as well as in thematic and narrative approaches.

We select documentary and fiction works that experiment with audiovisual expression and storytelling possibilities.

We prefer feature films that avoid clichés and expand their expressive potential.

We encourage filmmakers to explore new thematic, aesthetic, and technical paths through cinema, especially works in which a strong authorial voice is evident.

All themes are welcome.

AWARDS AND OPPORTUNITIES

Winning films will become part of the Official Selection of First Features 2026 and will be screened during the Festival.
Cash prize of COP $4,000,000 (Four million Colombian pesos) for the winning film.
Selected films may also be screened in special showcases, national and international festivals, and cultural institutions through agreements established by the Festival.
A special Audience Award mention will be granted based on public voting.

APPLICATION PROCESS

STAGE ONE: SUBMISSIONS

From May 4 to May 31, 2026, filmmakers may register their feature films by completing the submission form.

Submission form:
https://forms.gle/2aPc4T3hn7gzU1977

Requirements:

A private, password-protected screening link.
Signed screening rights agreement.
Selected films must later provide downloadable versions in .mov or .mp4 format.

STAGE TWO: SELECTED FILMS

Selected films will be announced on July 7, 2026, through the Festival’s official channels and social media.

Selected filmmakers must send:

3 still images from the film
1 director photo
Official poster
Copy of the director’s ID or passport
Trailer
Editable text document with:
Original title
Synopsis
Technical sheet
Director bio (max. 50 words)

STAGE THREE: DELIVERY OF MATERIALS

Selected films must send final files before July 15, 2026 to:
organizacion@festicineantioquia.com

Accepted formats:
.mov or .mp4 only.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Participants certify that they own all rights to the submitted material.
Awards are subject to Colombian tax regulations.
Failure to comply with deadlines will result in disqualification.
Selected films will be screened during the Festival without screening fees.
The Festival does not cover travel expenses for film representatives.
Participation implies acceptance of all terms and conditions.

DOWNLOAD DOCUMENTS

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SuloJnzCVIXwq7sswBSzue3BAWE0MLpp/view?usp=sharing

FINAL SUBMISSION FORM

https://forms.gle/4eJdTv9ZH9oVVqpz9

IMPORTANT DATES

Submissions: May 4 – May 31, 2026
Evaluation period: June 1 – June 10, 2026
Selected films announced: July 7, 2026
Deadline for selected films delivery: July 15, 2026