Curtas – Festival do Imaxinario (54)

Festival start: 23 October 2026      Festival end: 01 November 2026

Founded in 1973, Curtas Festival do Imaxinario is the oldest festival and the largest event dedicated to fantasy, science fiction and horror cinema in Galicia. Located in Vilagarcía de Arousa, the festival is a must-see for enjoying the premieres of the best genre feature and short films, as well as a wide range of parallel activities that include exhibitions, meetings, presentations, workshops, concerts, international guests, and much more. All artistic expressions of the fantasy genre converge in the International Fantastic Film Festival of Galicia. Recognized as one of the best genre festivals on Earth by Dread Central, the world’s leading horror media outlet with millions of monthly readers. And proud member of the Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF) presents the Melies d'Argent award for best European Fantastic short film.

Cash Prizes: 666€

A professional jury will award the following prizes:

FEATURE FILMS
- Best Fantastic Feature Film
- Best Alucine Feature Film
- Best Latinamerican Film
- Best Direction
- Best Acting
- "Millicent Patrick" Award to the Best Visual or Special Effects

SHORT FILMS
- Best Fantastic Short Film
- Best Animated Short Film
- Meliés d’Argent to the Best European Fantastic Short Film
- Best Galician Short Film

MUSIC VIDEOS
- "Roberto Camba" Award to the Best Fantastic Music Video
The Jury's decision is final.

The Jury may award special mentions to highlight technical and artistic aspects of the works in competition.

Awards may be shared (ex aequo).

Audience Awards.
Attendees of Curtas Festival do Imaxinario can vote via the Festival App for the Audience Award for Best Short Film and the Audience Award for Best Feature Film.

- The festival requires that the film be a premiere in Galicia for all sections except Feito en Galicia.

- You can check the complete rules and regulations at www.curtas.org


PARTICIPATION RULES
CURTAS FESTIVAL DO IMAXINARIO
54th EDITION · 2026
1. PARTICIPATION

Curtas Festival do Imaxinario opens the call for submissions for its 54th edition (2026) to:

Short films and feature films

Of the fantastic genre: horror, science fiction, fantasy, thriller, etc.

Both live-action and animation

Of any nationality and in any language

Works must be submitted for consideration by the Festival Programming Committee exclusively through the following digital platforms:

Festhome (festhome.com)


Deadline for the reception of screening copies:
August 7, 2026

2. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

The Programming Committee will only consider works that meet the following conditions, according to each section:

OFFICIAL FANTASTIC SECTION

(Short Films and Feature Films)

Production date

Films produced between 2025 and 2026

Must not have been previously screened in Galicia

Selected films must reserve their Galician premiere for the Festival

The Festival reserves the right to programme films from previous years or films that have already been screened in Galicia out of competition.

Running time

Short films: maximum 20 minutes

Feature films: minimum 60 minutes

The Festival reserves the right to make exceptions

Work in progress

Work-in-progress copies will be accepted if the film has not been completed by the submission deadline.

Formats

Digital delivery: DCP, MOV, MP4, etc.

Other formats will only be accepted in exceptional cases.

Subtitles

Spanish subtitles, or

Materials for subtitling: download link and dialogue list and/or English subtitles.

If the film has distribution in Spain, the distributor must provide a subtitled VO screening copy.


OFFICIAL ALUCINE SECTION

(Feature Films)

Production date

Films produced between 2025 and 2026

Must not have been previously screened in Galicia

Fantastic-themed films with a high content of Gore and/or Black Humour

Selected films must reserve their Galician premiere for the Festival

Running time

Feature films: minimum 60 minutes

The Festival reserves the right to make exceptions

Work in progress

Work-in-progress copies will be accepted.

Formats and subtitles

Same conditions as the Official Fantastic Section.


OFFICIAL “FEITO EN GALICIA” SECTION

(Short Films)

Production date

Films produced between 2025 and 2026

Preference will be given to films not previously screened in Galicia

Nationality / Authorship

Galician productions or productions with at least 20% Galician participation, and/or

Directed by a Galician filmmaker or a filmmaker with at least two years of proven residence in Galicia

Running time

Maximum 20 minutes

The Festival reserves the right to make exceptions

Formats

Digital delivery: DCP, MOV, MP4, etc.

Subtitles

Spanish and/or English subtitles

If the film has distribution in Spain, the distributor must provide a subtitled VO screening copy


3. SELECTION

Selection notification date:
September 7, 2026, via the submission platforms.

Selected films will receive an additional form (entry form) to formalize participation.

The Festival will not individually notify non-selected works.

Films that do not receive a selection request or are notified as “not selected” by the platform will be considered non-selected.

Promotional materials
Applicants must provide promotional materials, including:

Photographs

Posters

Press kits

Trailers and clips

All materials must be submitted digitally.
The Festival reserves the right not to return promotional materials.

Rights and authorizations

Producers and/or distributors authorize the use of excerpts (maximum 3 minutes) for promotional and informational purposes.

Selected works guarantee and grant all necessary rights exclusively for festival screenings, releasing the Festival from any liability.

Withdrawal of films

Once a film has been selected and participation confirmed, it may not be withdrawn.

Participants guarantee the Galician premiere, according to the requirements of each section.


4. FESTIVAL SECTIONS

Selected films may be included in:

Official Fantastic Section · Short Films · Competition

Official Fantastic Section · Feature Films · Competition

Official Alucine Section · Feature Films · Competition

Official Feito en Galicia Section · Short Films · Competition

Selection or awards do not imply an invitation (travel, accommodation or per diem), which remains at the Festival’s discretion.


5. SCREENING COPIES

Deadline for delivery:
September 25, 2026

Preferred format: digital files (DCP, MOV, MP4)

The Festival reserves the right to reject copies that do not meet technical standards.

Physical copies, if any, will be returned within 20 days after the Festival ends.


6. PROGRAMMING

The Festival will determine dates, screening times and number of screenings.

Scheduling may be modified due to programming needs or force majeure.

All changes will be duly communicated.


7. AWARDS

An International Jury will award the following prizes:

Official Fantastic Section · Feature Films

Best Fantastic Feature Film · Trophy

Best Director · Trophy

“Fantastic Latin America” Award · Trophy

Best Performance · Diploma

“Millicent Patrick” Award for Special / Visual Effects · Diploma

Official Alucine Section

Best Alucine Feature Film · Trophy

Official Fantastic Section · Short Films

Best Fantastic Short Film · Trophy + €666 (net)

Best Animated Short Film · Trophy

Méliès d’Argent Award for Best European Fantastic Short Film · Trophy

Official “Feito en Galicia” Section · Short Films

Best “Feito en Galicia” Short Film · Trophy

Fantastic Music Videos

“Roberto Camba” Award for Best Fantastic Music Video · Diploma

Audience Awards
Festival attendees may vote via the Festival App for:

Audience Award for Best Short Film

Audience Award for Best Feature Film

The Jury’s decision will be final.


8. LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY

The entrant shall be solely responsible for all copyright issues and any civil, criminal or administrative liabilities arising from the content of the submitted work.


9. ACCEPTANCE OF THE RULES

Submission to Curtas Festival do Imaxinario implies full acceptance of these Rules and any possible Annexes.

The interpretation of these Rules shall be the exclusive responsibility of the Festival organization.