Curta Roteiros ()

Festival start: 01 August 2025      Festival end: 03 August 2025

Curta Roteiros - 1st Short Film Screenplay Contest is a cultural contest created with the goal of awarding unpublished scripts for short films written in Portuguese and designed for independent cinema.

The contest is held by Jordana Filmes in partnership with the 1st Curta Cine Sumaré

This contest is not linked to any other company and does not receive sponsorship of any kind, whether public or private money.

Instagram of the contest: https://www.instagram.com/curtacinesumare/
Instagram of the production company: https://www.instagram.com/jordanafilmes/
Instagram of the partner festival: https://www.instagram.com/curtacinesumare/

Cash Prizes: 200$

PRIZES

Shortlisted - The scripts selected for the shortlist (which will be announced on July 25, 2025) will receive a competition laurel by email.

Honorable Mentions (if applicable) - if the competition jury decides to grant an honorable mention to one or more scripts, the screenwriters of these works will receive a competition laurel, in addition to a Curta Roteiros certificate, both in digital format and by email.

3rd Place - In addition to the laurel and digital certificate, the screenwriter with the work that is placed in this position will receive 30 reais, which will be sent via PIX.

2nd Place - In addition to the laurel and digital certificate, the screenwriter with the work that is placed in this position will receive 50 reais, which will be sent via PIX.

1st Place - In addition to the laurel and digital certificate, the screenwriter whose work is placed in this position will receive 120 reais, which will be sent via PIX.

Note: The cash prize will be awarded until the end of August 2025. The organization recognizes that the amounts are only symbolic, but believes that they will serve as an incentive for the winners to continue producing and carrying out their work.

1. GENERAL DEFINITIONS

1.1. Curta Roteiros is a cultural competition created with the aim of awarding unpublished screenplays for fiction and non-fiction short films, written in Portuguese and conceived for independent cinema. The current edition will take place from November 14, 2025, to February 15, 2026.

1.2. Curta Roteiros is organized by Jordana Filmes in partnership with Curta Cine Sumaré, with award support from the website Cinema e Séries and screenwriter Lucas Detoni.

1.3. Curta Roteiros is not affiliated with any other company and does not receive sponsorship of any kind, whether public or private funding, except from the aforementioned partners.

2. ELIGIBILITY

2.1. Eligible participants:

Professionals or amateurs, provided that the screenplay is unpublished (i.e., it has not been produced or released as a film by the date the results are announced).

Fiction and non-fiction screenplays.

2.2. Not eligible to participate:

Members of the organization or their immediate family members.

Screenplays that have already been produced or previously published.

Works written partially or entirely by Artificial Intelligence programs. Entries created using Artificial Intelligence will be disqualified and will not be entitled to a refund of the submission fee.

3. SUBMISSIONS

3.1. Submission period

From November 14, 2025, to January 6, 2026.

The organization reserves the right to extend the submission deadline, if deemed necessary, with notice published through its communication channels.

3.2. Formats and fees

Submissions are exclusively online, via forms.

Submission fee: BRL 45 (until December 14) and BRL 50 (from December 15 until the end of the submission period).

Participants who hold a discount voucher received from previous competitions must pay the full submission fee. The voucher discount will be refunded afterward. The voucher must be attached at the time of submission, in the designated field of the form.

Screenplays must strictly follow the Master Scenes format.

3.3. Supporting document

Use this document if you require an authorization document for adapting an existing work.

4. JURY PANEL AND EVALUATION CRITERIA

4.1. Composition

The jury will be composed of professionals with extensive experience in screenwriting, directing, and film criticism.

The names of the jurors will not be disclosed, ensuring the neutrality of the selection process.

4.2. Evaluation Criteria

A. ORIGINALITY

What will be evaluated:

Innovative narrative ideas or creative approaches to conventional themes.

Avoidance of clichés and repetitive formulas.

Potential to surprise the audience.

B. NARRATIVE STRUCTURE

What will be evaluated:

Clear plot progression (beginning, development, and conclusion).

Appropriate pacing for a short film (avoiding excessive subplots).

Coherence between conflicts, tensions, and resolutions.

C. CONSISTENCY

What will be evaluated:

Internal logic of the story (rules of the presented universe, in the case of fiction; or motivations and conflicts that justify telling the story, in the case of non-fiction).

Continuity of events and character motivations.

Absence of narrative contradictions.

D. CHARACTERS AND SETTINGS

What will be evaluated:

Depth and development of characters (clear arcs).

Natural, minimally expository dialogue that reveals personality.

Settings that contribute to the atmosphere and advance the narrative.

E. WRITING

What will be evaluated:

Clarity and objectivity in scene descriptions.

Correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

F. TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY

What will be evaluated:

Adaptability of the screenplay for independent short-film production.
Given that this competition focuses on independent cinema, potential limitations related to budget, locations, casting, and technical crew will be considered.

G. IMPACT POTENTIAL

What will be evaluated:

Emotional impact: ability to generate identification, reflection, or emotional engagement.

Social/Cultural impact: thematic relevance to contemporary debates and the promotion of diversity and inclusion.

5. SCREENPLAY FORMAT

5.1. Mandatory structure:

Courier New font, size 12, standard margins (2.5 cm).

PDF format.

Cover page with title, name(s) of the author(s) and/or pseudonym(s), and draft number (if applicable).

Maximum of 30 pages, excluding the cover page.

The competition accepts fiction and non-fiction screenplays.

For adapted screenplays, the name of the original work must appear on the cover page immediately below the title. If the screenwriter is not the author of the original work, a document proving authorization for the adaptation is required (use this template). If the submission is made via the Festhome platform, the document may be sent to the email address curtaroteiros@gmail.com.

6. ANNOUNCEMENT OF SELECTED SCREENPLAYS

6.1. Results will be announced in two stages:

Shortlist: February 1, 2026. These are the screenplays that stood out most and will advance in the competition. The shortlisted screenplays will be announced on social media. The number of selected works will be determined by the jury, depending on the quality and quantity of submissions.

Winners: There will be three (3) winning screenplays in the fiction category and one (1) winning screenplay in the non-fiction category. The results will be announced on February 15, 2026.

6.2. The organization reserves the right to postpone the announcement date if deemed necessary, with the new date communicated through its official channels.

6.3. Winners will be notified by email and/or WhatsApp, as well as through the social media channels of Curta Roteiros and Jordana Filmes, the competition organizer.

8. FINAL PROVISIONS

8.1. Publicity:

The results of each stage will be published on the Instagram accounts of Curta Roteiros and the production company Jordana Filmes.

The organization reserves the right to postpone the announcement date if deemed necessary, with the new date communicated through its official channels.

8.2. Copyright:

Authors retain the rights to their works, and it is not mandatory for the screenplay to be registered in order to participate.

However, it is recommended that screenwriters register their work to participate in this or any other competitions.

8.3. Disqualification:

Plagiarism, discriminatory content, or failure to comply with the rules.

8.4. Inquiries:

Contact via email (curtaroteiros@gmail.com) or Instagram.