Festival Internacional de Cine de la Universidad Central (9)

Festival start: 15 October 2026      Festival end: 21 October 2026

The International Film Festival of the Central University (FICUC) and the Central University’s film program are once again present to invite students, alumni, and the public to the ninth edition of FICUC.

This year’s vision will be an invitation to reflect on a cinema that embraces Latin American diversity, rather than pursuing a model tailored to satisfy those colonial perspectives that seek to dictate what cinema in our continent should be.

The ninth edition of FICUC opens its call for submissions to all types of national and Latin American short films created during academic periods at the undergraduate, graduate, master’s level, etc. Likewise, short films produced outside academic periods will be accepted, provided they are certified by the participants’ university (such as creation labs, research groups, etc.). In the same way, Colombian feature films that align with the curatorial line will also be accepted.

1. All films competing across the different categories will also be eligible for the Audience Award. This prize will be decided by attendees of the screenings, with the aim of fostering dialogue around the presented works.

2. Each winner in the respective categories—National Short Films, Latin American Short Films, School Short Films, and National Feature Films—will receive a prize previously arranged with the festival’s official sponsors.

Categories

1. Student Short Film (Colombia)

2. Student Short Film (Latin America)

3. Feature Film (Colombia)

4. Special Category: High Schools

The competition includes two Audience Awards: one selected from among all the films screened and another exclusively for the Special Category: High Schools.

BY SUBMITTING OR ENTERING YOUR SHORT FILM OR FEATURE FILM, YOU AGREE…

That your short film be screened in the festival’s designated venues, as well as the use of the short film for future editions or events organized by the festival, with the aim of culturally promoting each filmmaker’s vision.

That the festival may hold alternate screenings, during the festival, at foreign educational institutions. For feature films, prior authorization from the filmmakers and/or producers will be required.

That the festival may upload the short film to its website for at least one month after the festival concludes, in order to promote national and international viewership of the short films. If this period expires, the festival and the filmmaker must reach an agreement to stipulate the duration for which the material will remain available.

With prior authorization from the filmmakers, the short or feature film may be included in pre-festival events in the year following its participation; that is, the work may be used to promote screenings at schools, film clubs, libraries, museums, etc.

After the selection notification date, no film may be withdrawn from FICUC. Participants whose works have been selected in any of the categories agree to provide any additional material requested by FICUC.

If deemed appropriate, the FICUC team may reclassify the selected works into a different category.

FICUC is not responsible for covering participants’ travel, per diem, or lodging expenses. The Central University Film Program and FICUC may provide a letter of invitation upon request.

The participant grants FICUC the rights to screen their work during the festival.

By submitting their entry, participants declare that they own all rights to the submitted work, including its audio, musical, and/or visual files, and release FICUC, the Film Program, and the Universidad Central from any claims that third parties may make regarding the public screening, intellectual property, or economic rights of said work.

Screenings of the National Short Film Selection will take place in a theater with a box office open to the public. It is important to note that the total proceeds from these tickets do not include any payment of screening rights to the filmmakers.

The decisions of the juries and curators are final.

REQUIREMENTS

Short films must be uploaded with Spanish subtitles if Spanish is not the language spoken in the film.

Selected short films and feature films must be submitted in the highest possible quality, preferably in ProRes or H264.