Festival Internacional De Cortometrajes Vitafest 2026 (8)

Festival start: 02 November 2026      Festival end: 09 November 2026

VITAFEST, Vitacura International Short Film Festival is a festival dedicated to national and international short films and a meeting point for diverse agents of the Chilean audiovisual industry.

Now in its eight edition, VITAFEST has established itself as one of the main platforms for the short film format in Latin America, a meeting point for the various agents of the local audiovisual industry and an official showcase for the new local talented filmmakers.

Cash Prizes: 3,000€

OFFICIAL AWARDS BY CATEGORY

The following awards will be presented for each category in the competition:

A) National Category
• Best National Short Film (fiction, documentary or animation)
Prize: $1,200,000 (one million two hundred thousand pesos) and the festival trophy.

• Best national music video
Prize: $300,000 (three hundred thousand pesos) and the festival award.

B) International Category
• Best international short film (fiction, documentary or animation)
Prize: festival award, direct participation in VITAFEST 2027 and digital recognition.
7.2. SPECIAL AWARDS

In addition, the following special awards will be presented:

• Best acting performance
Prize: festival award.
This prize will be awarded to an outstanding performance within the national competition.

• Audience Award: Once the competition call for entries has closed, the Festival’s organising team will select the short films in accordance with these rules; thereafter, the public may register on the website to vote for just one short film in each category.

Prize: $300,000 (three hundred thousand pesos) and the competition award.

It will be awarded to the short film that receives the highest number of votes from the public via the official platform.

RULES FOR THE EIGHTH EDITION OF THE VITAFEST 2026 SHORT FILM COMPETITION

1. BACKGROUND
The Vitacura Cultural Corporation was established on 15 March 1996 by Supreme Decree No. 291 of the Ministry of Justice as a private, non-profit organisation. It was founded to assist the Municipality in fulfilling its duties by promoting artistic and cultural activities, workplace inclusion, training and other related initiatives.

Thus, the Vitacura Cultural Corporation, hereinafter referred to as the “Corporation”, collaborates with the municipality throughout the year to organise a wide range of activities, including exhibitions, courses, workshops, fairs, film seasons, talks, musical and theatrical performances, amongst many others. To this end, it runs programmes under its own auspices, each with distinct objectives as they are aimed at different audiences; consequently, they carry out activities designed to meet the specific needs, tastes and interests of local residents.

It is for this reason that the Corporation, through the Vitajoven Programme—hereinafter referred to collectively as the “VITAFEST organisation”—will organise the eighth edition of the Vitacura International Short Film Festival “VITAFEST”, an event dedicated to the competition and subsequent screening of both national and international short films, which will take place between 2 and 9 November 2026, in the municipality of Vitacura.

2. GENERAL RULES
These rules are intended for individuals aged 18 or over or legal entities legally incorporated in Chile who wish to participate in the 2026 Vitacura International Short Film Festival “VITAFEST”.

A short film is defined as a form of audiovisual narrative of limited duration, equal to or less than 30 minutes, which tells a story concisely and may cover various genres and themes.

The organisers of VITAFEST 2026 reserve the right to modify the dates of the application, selection, screening and awards processes, as well as the Festival’s general programme, for valid reasons or in cases of force majeure, which will be communicated in due course via the official website.

2.1 STAGES OF THE VITAFEST 2026 COMPETITION:

I. SHORT FILM COMPETITION: This is open to national and international entries, with productions eligible to apply in the three categories established for 2026:

A. In the National Call for Entries:

1. National Short Film: Any genre falling within the categories of Fiction, Documentary, Animation, Experimental, amongst others.
2. Music Video.

B. In the international call for entries:

3. Fiction, Documentary and Animation.

II. FESTIVAL: The stage at which the official selection of short films in competition is screened.

The VITAFEST organisation will have a specialist team responsible for selecting the short films, which they will evaluate in accordance with the selection criteria described in point 6.1 of these rules. Following this, the selected short films will be submitted to the jury panel to evaluate and select the winners in each category.
Information about the Vitafest Festival will be available on the website: www.vitafest.vitacuracultura.cl, which contains all the Festival’s content. The site will host the trailers for the selected short films, general information about the short films and the Festival’s own content.

On this website, visitors will be able to vote for their favourite short film for the Audience Award from among the entire selection made for the Festival. Only one Audience Award will be presented, which will be chosen by voting on the website www.vitafest.vitacuracultura.cl.

The selected trailers will be screened to the public between 26 October and 9 November 2026.
The Festival will take place in person in the municipality of Vitacura between 2 and 9 November 2026, where a range of activities will be organised for participants; only some of these will be open to the general public. The activities and their timetables will be announced 15 calendar days before the start of the Festival via the website www.vitafest.vitacuracultura.cl.

VITAFEST 2026 reserves the right to decide whether the scheduled activities will take place in person, via digital platforms, or as a hybrid event.

3. APPLICATION DEADLINE
The deadline for receiving applications, in digital format, for this competition runs from 5 May to 24 June 2026.

The VITAFEST 2026 organisers may amend the application deadlines for valid reasons, in which case this will be communicated in due course via official channels.

4. FORMALITIES, REGISTRATION AND REQUIRED MATERIALS
VITAFEST 2026 has a short film submission mechanism, whereby applicants must submit their material via the platform specified in point 4.1, within the deadlines set out below:
● Applications open: 5 May 2026, at 9:00 am, on the platform www.festhome.com.
● Closing date for applications: 24 June 2026, at 11.59 pm.
● Announcement of shortlisted entries: 24 August 2026, at 12:00 noon.
● Online public vote: from 26 October to 2 November until 12:00.
● Awards ceremony: Monday 9 November 2026, at 7.30 pm.

4.1 ONLINE FILM SUBMISSION PLATFORMS:

● “FESTHOME The Online Film Festival Submission Center”: A globally recognised platform that operates as an online film distribution service (for feature films and short films), offering high-quality online viewing (up to 2000 kbps); this system will be available for automatic submission to VITAFEST 2026. Applicants may submit their films via the website https://festhome.com/festival/vitafest-2026, where they will find all the necessary information for their application.

Furthermore, for the Music Video category, entries may be submitted via a form that will be uploaded to the Vitafest website during the Festival’s registration period, between 5 May and 24 June 2026.

This does not preclude projects from being uploaded to the platform described above.

The organisers shall not be held liable for technical faults, interruptions or errors on third-party platforms used for the application process.

4.2. SHORT FILM REQUIREMENTS.

Entries are open to national and international fiction short films, documentaries, animated short films and national music videos. All productions must have been completed after 1 June 2024. Entry to the Festival is free of charge. The registration platform charges a fee per user. It is hereby stated that the Vitacura Cultural Corporation receives no financial benefit associated with the fee charged by this platform.

Only one short film per director and a maximum of five short films per production company may be submitted.
4.3. MANDATORY INFORMATION.

The following information will be requested on the registration form:
● Applicant’s name.
● Photocopy of both sides of the identity card.
● Contact telephone number of the filmmakers.
● Authors’ contact email address.
● Country of origin and town/city of the filmmakers.
● Date of creation of the short film.
● Declaration of copyright ownership (a document will be sent by email to all short films selected to participate in VITAFEST 2026).
● Copyright authorisation (if applicable): If the short film involves the use of works protected by copyright and/or performances, sound recordings or broadcasts protected by related rights, the rights to which are held by individuals or legal entities other than yourself, you must attach an express authorisation from the copyright or related rights holder, which must clearly state the right to include such works, performances, phonograms or broadcasts in the submitted short film, as well as any payment due for them. This authorisation must contain, at a minimum, the identity of the person granting the authorisation and that of the person receiving it, the express and specific authorisation to use the work, performance, phonogram or broadcast in the submitted short film, including the duration of the authorisation (which must cover a period of at least six months), whether payment is involved and the method of payment, or whether it is a free authorisation, and all other clauses agreed upon by the parties, in accordance with the provisions of Article 20 of Law No. 17,336 on Intellectual Property.

● The applicant declares, under their sole responsibility, that they hold all the intellectual property rights, image rights and authorisations necessary for the submission, screening, broadcast and promotion of the short film, and that the material submitted does not infringe the rights of third parties. It shall be their sole responsibility to obtain and provide the relevant authorisations, releasing the Vitacura Cultural Corporation from any claim or liability in this regard.

4.4. INELIGIBILITY
The organisers of VITAFEST 2026 may, at any stage of the process, declare ineligible or exclude any entries that do not comply with the requirements set out in these terms and conditions, that contain incomplete or false information, or that infringe the rights of third parties.

4.5. PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA.
Personal data provided by applicants when registering for and participating in VITAFEST 2026 will be collected and processed by the Vitacura Cultural Corporation solely for purposes relating to the administration, organisation, promotion, coordination, evaluation, communication, publication of results, production of the catalogue, archiving and other activities associated with the Festival.
The provision of such data by the applicant implies their knowledge and acceptance of its use within the framework of the purposes set out in these terms and conditions.
The Vitacura Cultural Corporation may communicate or share such data with the VITAFEST 2026 organising team, juries, suppliers and third parties providing services necessary for the proper running of the Festival, solely to the extent that this is necessary for the fulfilment of the aforementioned purposes.

Should the applicant be selected, they authorise the publication of their name, biography, place of origin, images, film credits and other information associated with the short film on the Festival’s official website, in the catalogue, on social media, in promotional materials and in other media related to VITAFEST 2026.

The Vitacura Cultural Corporation will take reasonable measures to safeguard the personal data provided, without prejudice to any information whose publication is necessary for the promotion and running of the Festival, in accordance with these terms and conditions and current regulations.

5. SCREENING FORMATS AND SUBTITLES:
5.1. WEB TRAILER:

The trailer must be no longer than 1 minute. It must contain subtitles in accordance with the requirements set out in point 5.3 of these Rules.

5.2. SHORT FILMS FOR IN-PERSON SCREENINGS:

● Only short films selected for the festival competition must provide the production team with a copy of the short film in high-quality digital format, suitable for proper screening in a cinema.

● The screening file must be submitted in one of the following professional digital formats:
- Apple ProRes 4444, Apple ProRes 422 HQ or Avid DNxHD / DNxHR.
- H264 High.

● Image resolution:
- 1920 x 1080 pixels (Full HD) minimum.
- All aspect ratios will be accepted, with the following being particularly recommended: Wide (16:9), Full Screen (4:3), Vertical (9:16), Flat (1.85:1) and Scope (2.39:1).
● Frame rate: 24, 25 or 30 frames per second (fps).

● Audio: Uncompressed PCM, with a minimum sampling rate of 48 kHz. Stereo (2.0) or surround (5.1) mixes will be accepted.

● The file must be submitted without watermarks, without export errors and with embedded subtitles.

● The festival organisers reserve the right to request a new screening file should the material submitted fail to meet the established technical requirements or present issues that could affect its proper projection in the cinema. Failure to comply with this request in a timely manner may result in the short film being excluded from the in-person programme.

5.3. SUBTITLES:

English subtitles are required for short films and trailers in Spanish.
For short films and trailers in other languages, indigenous languages of the Americas, or containing dialogue in local dialects, Spanish subtitles are required.
Subtitles must be submitted in a rendered format (embedded) within the audiovisual file, properly synchronised with the submitted film, and must comply with the following specifications:

a) A maximum of 45 characters per line and a maximum of 2 lines per dialogue.
b) Colour matching the film’s cinematography.
c) Font size: 50 (maximum).
d) They must be positioned within the safe projection margins.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Festival reserves the right to check the technical quality of all submitted entries. Furthermore, in the event that digital formats not specified above are submitted, the VITAFEST 2026 organisers reserve the right to review each case individually and determine whether to accept it based on its suitability for screening.

6. CATEGORIES, CRITERIA AND JURIES.

6.1. CATEGORIES
VITAFEST 2026 includes 3 official competition categories divided into:
1. National fiction/documentary/animation.
2. National music video.
3. International fiction/documentary/animation.

A) National:
● Fiction, Documentary and Animation: Short films produced exclusively in Chile or co-produced with Chile (a co-production being defined as a production made with a partner not based in Chile but which forms part of a national project), with a maximum duration of 30 minutes. Fiction, documentary and animation short films fall within the same category.
● Music video: National music videos produced exclusively in Chile and featuring local musicians, with no restrictions on subject matter and a maximum duration of 15 minutes.

B) International:
● Fiction, Documentary and Animation: short films not produced in Chile, submitted as projects originating from outside the country. Fiction, documentary and animated short films fall into the same category.

6.2. SELECTION OF SHORT FILMS FOR SCREENING.
Once the submission deadline has passed, the short films and the required documentation will be reviewed in accordance with these rules.

The review and selection will be carried out by a specialist team from VITAFEST, and the short films with the highest scores according to the evaluation criteria will be selected.

6.2.1. EVALUATION CRITERIA:
The short films will be evaluated according to the following criteria, taking into account narrative, technical and artistic aspects:
a. Story and screenplay. The narrative quality of the short film will be assessed, taking into account:

• Clarity: The narrative must be comprehensible, without confusing or unnecessary elements. The viewer must be able to follow the story fluently, understanding the characters’ objectives and motivations.
• Narrative coherence: The progression of events must have internal logic. Each scene must contribute to the construction of the story, avoiding contradictions or plot holes.
b. Quality of the characters. The construction and development of the characters will be assessed, taking into account:

• Development: Characters must have psychological depth, with a clear evolution or narrative arc, even if brief. Character design is expected to be consistent with the logic of the story.
• Credibility: The characters’ actions and decisions must be plausible within the proposed narrative universe.
• Relation to the story: The characters must serve the plot. Each must have a clear role that contributes to the conflict and resolution of the short film.
c. Direction of actors. The quality of the performances and the direction of the actors will be assessed:

• Quality of performances: The naturalness, expressiveness and emotional coherence of the actors will be assessed. A convincing performance significantly enhances the impact of the short film.
• Effective direction: The director’s ability to guide the actors and achieve performances that are consistent and suited to the tone of the story is key to the overall quality of the work.

d. Sound and music. The overall sound design will be assessed:

• Sound design: The quality of the sound recording, editing and mixing is analysed. The soundscape must support and enrich the narrative experience.
• Music: Its use must be consistent with the tone of the short film. It can function as an expressive, emotional or rhythmic element, but always in the service of the narrative, without being overpowering.
• Sound integration: The way in which sound (dialogue, effects, music) integrates with the image, contributing to the overall atmosphere, will be assessed.
e. Cinematography and lighting. The visual approach of the short film will be assessed:

• Visual composition: The framing, use of space, depth of field, and how visual elements are used to reinforce the story will be analysed.
• Use of light: Lighting must be deliberate, creating atmospheres and heightening emotions. Both technical mastery and the creative use of light and shadow are valued.
• Aesthetics: The visual approach must be stylistically coherent. The cinematography must engage with the tone, genre and content of the short film, contributing to its visual identity.
f. Originality
The short film’s creative approach will be assessed:
It assesses the short film’s ability to present a unique perspective, innovative ideas or a distinctive narrative and aesthetic approach.

This criterion recognises creative risk-taking, the freshness of the proposal and the authorial voice, beyond the available production resources.

6.3. SHORT FILM CATALOGUE

In order to properly edit the selection of short films to be uploaded to the website www.vitafest.vitacuracultura.cl, VITAFEST 2026 will extract the material for each selected short film from Festhome. As specified in these rules, it is therefore mandatory that the following material be attached to your entry form:
● Synopsis of the short film (600 characters max.)
● Director’s filmography, including at least year, city and country of birth; and their released works.
● High-resolution portrait photograph of the director.
● Four or more high-resolution photos of the film.
● List of technical and creative credits, including at least:
➢ Director
➢ Executive producers
➢ Screenwriter
➢ Director of photography
➢ Production designer
➢ Editor
➢ Musician
➢ Cast
➢ Trailer of the short film in digital format: Apple ProRes 4444, Apple ProRes 422 HQ or Avid DNxHD / DNxHR.
If the trailer is in a language other than Spanish or contains slang, it must include embedded Spanish subtitles. If it is in Spanish, it must include embedded English subtitles.
It is hereby noted that decisions regarding the editorial content of the catalogue are the responsibility of the Vitacura Cultural Corporation, which shall decide which short films are screened, on which days, in what format and at which stages of the Festival, amongst other possible options.

6.4 EVALUATION OF SELECTED SHORT FILMS.
In accordance with section 6.2 of these rules, the short films that receive the highest number of points will be selected to form part of the 8th edition of the Vitafest Short Film Festival. A maximum of 40 short films will be selected, depending on the Festival’s programme.

Following this, the jury will evaluate the short films selected by the Vitafest specialist team, in accordance with the criteria set out in sections 6.2.1 and 6.2.2 of these rules.
6.4.1. JURIES.

The VITAFEST organisation will appoint the jury as follows:
● 9 members with no connection to the productions in competition, and at least two-thirds must be actively involved in the local audiovisual sector.

● Each category will be assessed by 3 jury members, who will be selected by the Vitafest production team based on their respective skills and areas of expertise, and their names will be announced during the registration period.

Jury members must abstain from participating in the evaluation of short films in respect of which they have a conflict of interest.
The competition jury will select only one winning short film per category, which will be announced at the awards ceremony to be held on Monday 9 November 2026, in the Sala Vitacura, Auditorium of the Municipality of Vitacura (Av. Bicentenario 3800, Vitacura), at 7.30 pm.
The VITAFEST 2026 organisers will schedule the short films in each category within the Festival’s official programme.

6.4.2. EVALUATION TABLE

The winning short film will be selected based on the average score from the jurors and an internal discussion amongst them.
In the event of a tie, preference will be given to those works that have obtained the highest score in the ‘originality’ criterion.
In the event of a further tie, the VITAFEST 2026 organisers will decide the winner.

The VITAFEST 2026 organisers will select the shortfilm finalists, those competing for the “audience award” and participating in the Festival’s activities. The VITAFEST 2026 organisers will also be responsible for appointing the members of the jury.
6.4.3. VOTES.
The jury’s votes to select the winners in each category will be decided by a simple majority. A representative from VITAFEST 2026 will attend the jury’s deliberations, but will not have the right to vote.

The jury members firmly undertake not to publicly express their opinions regarding the films submitted for their consideration prior to the official announcement of the awards. Any dispute not covered by these regulations shall be resolved by the VITAFEST 2026 organisers.


7. AWARDS

7.1. OFFICIAL AWARDS BY CATEGORY
The following prizes will be awarded for each category in competition:

A) National Category

• Best National Short Film (fiction, documentary or animation)
Prize: $1,200,000 (one million two hundred thousand pesos) and the competition trophy.
• Best national music video
Prize: $300,000 (three hundred thousand pesos) and the competition trophy.

B) International Category
• Best International Short Film (fiction, documentary or animation)
Prize: festival recognition, direct participation in VITAFEST 2027 and digital recognition.

7.2. SPECIAL AWARDS
In addition, the following special prizes will be awarded:

• Best Acting Performance Prize: festival award.
This prize will be awarded to an outstanding performance within the national competition.

• Audience Award: Once the competition call for entries has closed, the Festival’s organising team will select the short films in accordance with these rules; thereafter, the public may register on the website to vote for just one short film in each category.
Prize: $300,000 (three hundred thousand pesos) and the festival’s award.

This will be awarded to the short film that receives the highest number of votes from the public via the official platform.

7.3. GENERAL AWARD RULES.

• There will be only one winner of the audience award, as well as one award for each category in competition. The juries may propose only one special mention.
• Short films that receive an award at VITAFEST 2026 must mention this in all publicity and press material, including the VITAFEST 2026 logo, which will be sent to them in due course.

7.4. CONTINUATION IN THE COMPETITION.
Once entry into any of the categories has been accepted, entries in competition may not be withdrawn from VITAFEST 2026. Nor may they be screened in Chile on any platform other than Vitafest (this includes any distribution platform, such as the internet or any other site other than11 or www.vitafest.vitacuracultura.cl) one month prior to the date of VITAFEST 2026.

7.5. AWARDS CEREMONY.

All short films in competition that win an award in their category must, as a mandatory requirement, send a representative to attend the awards ceremony to receive the prize. If they are unable to attend, they must notify the VITAFEST 2026 organisers at least one week in advance. The ceremony is scheduled for Monday 9 November 2026 at Sala Vitacura – Vitacura Municipal Civic Centre (Av. Bicentenario 3800, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile), at 7.30 pm.
Should the winner fail to attend without providing the requisite notice, the prize for that category will be declared void.

8. PRESS AND PUBLICITY

8.1. USE OF MATERIAL
Based on the entries received for the short film competition, the Vitafest production team will make an official selection of short films to participate in the Festival and related activities.

VITAFEST 2026, the Vitacura Cultural Corporation, its Vitajoven programme and the Municipality of Vitacura may use excerpts from the films – of a maximum of 3 minutes – and photos (in addition to those requested in the application), for promotional purposes. The websites and social media channels of VITAFEST 2026, the Vitacura Cultural Corporation, its Vitajoven programme and the Municipality of Vitacura may include visual material and any promotional media they deem appropriate. If the clips are not made available by the film’s producer, VITAFEST 2026 may copy one or more clips from the film, solely for promotional purposes and for use before, during and after VITAFEST 2026 and until December 2027.

8.2. SCREENER.

Selected films will be required to provide VITAFEST 2026 with a corresponding screener to be sent under embargo (or with a specific viewing code if required) to film critics and festival programmers who wish to view the film in advance of the Festival screenings; for promotional and publicity purposes.

9. ACCEPTANCE OF THE RULES
By submitting an entry to the Vitafest 2026 Short Film Festival, the participant accepts these terms and conditions.
In the event of selection, all projects must attach the copyright assignment document duly signed by the director of the short film production. This will be sent to all projects selected for the official competition.

10. PARTICIPANT INELIGIBILITY.

Those in any of the following situations may not apply for this call for entries:
● Officials and staff of the Cultural Corporation or Vitacura City Council, regardless of their contractual status (permanent staff, contract staff, staff employed under the Labour Code, or freelance staff).

● Be a spouse or civil partner; or being related by blood in any degree in the direct line and up to the third degree in the collateral line, whether by blood or marriage, to any of the directors, managers, senior executives, heads of departments or administrative staff of the Corporation and the Municipality of Vitacura, and to persons serving as members of the VITAFEST 2026 jury. If the incompatibility ceases during the application period, the applicant shall be deemed eligible and may participate in the process whilst the application period remains open, provided that they have not applied prior to the cessation of the disqualification.

In the event of a conflict, the VITAFEST 2026 organisers shall resolve it in accordance with the Regulations of the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) regarding international film festivals.
The competition organisers reserve the right to take any decisions they deem appropriate in cases not covered by these rules.