MTPIFF – Montpellier Independent Film Festival (1)

Festival start: 04 July 2026      Festival end: 04 July 2026

MTPIFF – Montpellier Independent Film Festival proudly launches its very first edition!

MTPIFF is an international hybrid film festival based in Montpellier, France.

Each month, we celebrate independent fiction cinema (short and feature films) by selecting winners in regional, national, and international categories.

Monthly winners receive official laurels, certificates digital .

Winning films each month will be announced and published on the festival’s official social media channels (Facebook & Instagram) as well as on the MTPIFF website.

At the end of the season (June 2026), all films selected each month will compete to be included in the final selection. The finalist films will be screened at an in-person event in Montpellier, featuring a special screening at Cinéma in July 2026, followed by an awards ceremony.

Film industry professionals will attend the event, which will include film screenings, meet-and-greets, networking opportunities, masterclasses, and Q&A sessions with the selected filmmakers.

MTPIFF’s goal is to give year-round visibility to independent, bold, and creative voices in cinema, culminating in a physical event to honor the best films of the season.

To be eligible for the cinema screening in Montpellier (annual competition for Best Short and Feature Film), films not originally in French must be subtitled in French.

For monthly selections, films must be either in English or have at least English subtitles.

The submission date determines eligibility. For example, a film submitted on September 15, 2025, will be considered for the October 2025 selection.

REGIONAL AWARDS (Montpellier / Occitanie):
Best Short Film – Fiction
Best Feature Film – Fiction
Best very short film - Fiction

NATIONAL AWARDS (France):
Best Short Film – Fiction
Best Feature Film – Fiction
Best very short film - Fiction

INTERNATIONAL AWARDS:
Best Short Film – Fiction
Best Feature Film – Fiction
Best very short film - Fiction

Best student short film - Fiction

ARTISTIC AWARDS:
Best Director
Best Screenplay
Best Actor
Best Actress

*Special Screening:
Selected films will also have the opportunity to be screened in a cinema in Montpellier during a post-festival public event.

Festival Rules (MTPIFF)

1. Eligibility:
Films completed from 2022 onwards
Short films: under 20 minutes
Feature films: over 60 minutes
Accepted genres: fiction
Subtitles required in French or/and English

2. Geographic Scope:
Regional Category (Montpellier / Occitanie):

To qualify, all of the following conditions must be met:

The director must reside in the Occitanie region, including Montpellier

The film must have been shot in Occitanie

The film must have been produced and directed within the region

National Category (France including Corsica and overseas territories)

To qualify, all of the following conditions must be met:

The director must reside in France, including Corsica and all French overseas territories (DOM-TOM)

The film must have been shot in France

The film must have been produced and directed within France

International Category:
No geographic restrictions
Films from any country are welcome

3. Award Categories:

REGIONAL AWARDS (Montpellier / Occitanie):
Best Short Film – Fiction
Best Feature Film – Fiction
Best very short film - Fiction

NATIONAL AWARDS (France):
Best Short Film – Fiction
Best Feature Film – Fiction
Best very short film - Fiction

INTERNATIONAL AWARDS:
Best Short Film – Fiction
Best Feature Film – Fiction
Best very short film - Fiction

Best student short film - Fiction

ARTISTIC AWARDS:
Best Director
Best Screenplay
Best Actor
Best Actress

4. Submission:
Submissions via Festhome only

Final versions only

A private screening link is required (e.g. Vimeo, unlisted YouTube)

5. Screenings:
Films will be shown online on a secure streaming platform

Public access or jury-only access, at the filmmaker’s discretion

6. Rights:
The applicant must hold all necessary screening rights

By submitting, you authorize non-commercial screening of the film during the festival

7. Submission Fees:
(To be specified as per your pricing model)

8. Awards & Recognition:
Official MTPIFF laurels

Digital certificates

Promotion of winners across our website and social platforms.

9. Submission Fees – Non-Refundable
Submission fees are strictly non-refundable, regardless of the selection outcome.

Submitting a film implies full acceptance of the festival’s rules.

To be eligible for the cinema screening in Montpellier (annual competition for Best Short and Feature Film), films not originally in French must be subtitled in French.

For monthly selections, films must be either in English or have at least English subtitles.

The submission date determines eligibility. For example, a film submitted on September 15, 2025, will be considered for the October 2025 selection.