Skyline Benidorm Film Festival (10)

Festival start: 18 April 2026      Festival end: 25 April 2026

The 9th edition of the Skyline Benidorm Film Festival will take place in the city of Benidorm, from March 29 to April 5, 2025, in the city of Benidorm (Spain).

Cash Prizes: 11,000€
Screening Fee Shorts: 200€

Best National Fiction Short Film (€1,000) – Goya Awards Qualifying

Best National Documentary Short Film (€1,000) – Goya Awards Qualifying

Best National Animated Short Film (€1,000) – Goya Awards Qualifying

Best International Short Film (€500)

Best Ibero-American Short Film (€500)

DAMA Award for Best Short Film Screenplay (€1,500)

Best National “Shortpitch” Project (valued at €23,000)

Best Young Filmmaker Short Film (MB distribution award and trophy)

Best Direction (trophy)

Best Production (trophy)

Best Performance (trophy)

Audience Award (trophy)

The headquarters of Skyline Benidorm Film Festival is located at the following address: Calle Alameda 17, Benidorm (Alicante). Its official website www.skylinefest.es provides detailed contact information.

Through a cultural project with a forward-looking vision, Skyline Benidorm Film Festival aims to promote, disseminate, professionalise and enhance the value of cinema in the short format.



ARTICLE 1. DATES



The 10th edition of Skyline Benidorm Film Festival will take place in the city of Benidorm from April 18 to 25, 2026.



ARTICLE 2. REQUIREMENTS



Short fiction, animation and documentary works with a maximum running time of 30 minutes and a production date after October 1, 2024 may compete. Short films premiering at the festival will be positively valued.

Short films may compete in the following sections:

Official National Section – Goya awards Qualifying

Only short films of fiction, animation and documentary with Spanish nationality and official ICAA rating prior to the festival may participate.

Official International Section

Short films of fiction, animation and documentary produced in any country in the world except Spain and Latin America may participate. Works should preferably be submitted with Spanish subtitles; viewing copies with english subtitles will also be accepted.

Official Ibero-American Section

Short films of fiction, animation and documentary produced in any Latin American country may participate.





Young Filmmakers Section

National competition of short films directed by students under 25 years of age. Each work must have a maximum running time of 20 minutes and address themes related to gender equality and/or social inclusion.



ARTICLE 3. SUBMISSIONS



The submission period begins on October 13, 2025 and will remain open until December 12, 2025. A late submission period will be opened until December 20. Each author may submit a maximum of two works.

Films may be submitted to the different sections through any of the following platforms:

www.festhome.com



SUBMISSION FEES

Official National Section:

From October 13 to December 12 the submission fee will be €7.

From December 13 to 20, a late submission period opens in which the fee will be increased by 50%.

Official International Section:

From October 13 to December 12 the submission fee will be €15.

From December 13 to 20, a late submission period opens in which the fee will be increased by 50%.

Official Ibero-American Section:

From October 13 to December 12 the submission fee will be €7.

From December 13 to 20, a late submission period opens in which the fee will be increased by 50%.

Young Filmmakers Section:

Until December 13. Fee exempt.



ARTICLE 4. awards



Best National Fiction Short Film (€1,000) – Goya awards Qualifying

Best National Documentary Short Film (€1,000) – Goya awards Qualifying

Best National Animated Short Film (€1,000) – Goya awards Qualifying

Best International Short Film (€500)

Best Ibero-American Short Film (€500)

DAMA Award for Best Short Film Screenplay (€1,500)

Best National “Shortpitch” Project (valued at €23,000)

Best Young Filmmaker Short Film (MB distribution award and trophy)

Best Direction (trophy)

Best Production (trophy)

Best Performance (trophy)

Audience Award (trophy)

prizes will be paid by bank transfer to the natural or legal person who submitted the entry or is directly linked to the registered work, and will be subject to the legal withholdings established by current law. Trophies and awards will be presented at the closing gala to the director, producer or representative of each award-winning short film. The organisation will not be responsible for shipping trophies to those who do not attend the festival.

Once the festival informs that it will proceed with the payment of the selection fee and/or prizes, interested parties will have a period of four months to send the required documentation. After this deadline, no amount may be claimed from the festival.



ARTICLE 5. SELECTION FEE



The organisation will pay all short films selected in the Official National Section the amount of €200 as a selection fee and exhibition rights.

Participation in the festival implies the assignment of the rights to disseminate the images submitted within the scope of the festival itself, which will be archived by the organisation if deemed appropriate and by mutual agreement with their owners.

Authors must inform the organisation whether they are members of SGAE or any other society that manages their copyrights. In this regard, the festival will not assume any obligation if the relevant data are not provided.

The amount of all cash prizes awarded by the festival or its sponsors will be subject to the tax restrictions established by law.







ARTICLE 6. SELECTION OF WORKS



One month before Skyline Benidorm Film Festival is held, the organisation will notify the selected participants of their participation in the different sections of the festival. The selected films in competition must confirm their participation within 72 hours following notification by the festival.

The producer or representative who has confirmed the film’s participation in the festival will be responsible for communicating the acceptance and participation to institutions, companies, sales agents and other professionals involved in the production and/or distribution of the film.

The selection of each film by the festival will be strictly confidential between festival management and the producers or representatives of each invited film until the festival decides to announce it officially and publicly.



ARTICLE 7. JURIES



The different juries will be made up of outstanding professionals from the film industry and will be responsible for granting the awards.

Each jury may declare any of the awards void, as well as grant a special mention without financial endowment if it deems it appropriate.

No person who has an interest in the production or exhibition of the films on which they must rule may participate as a juror.

The jury’s decisions are final.



ARTICLE 8. DELIVERY OF SCREENING AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS



The festival organisation reserves the right not to accept copies that, after the control of the festival’s technical department, prove unsuitable for screening. The organisation will inform the holders or representatives of the films if irregularities are found in the copies. All required materials must be sent via download link before February 3, 2025.

LIST OF REQUIRED MATERIALS:

High-quality poster of the short film

Director’s photo and biography

Two HD still frames

Official synopsis and list of awards/selections

Short technical sheet: year of production, running time, country, director and production company

ICAA certificate of nationality

Authors sheet, copyright collecting society

Screening copy without subtitles in HD h264 stereo

Screening copy with english subtitles burned-in to the image, HD h264 stereo

Screening copy with Valencian subtitles burned-in to the image, HD h264 stereo. Only if it is a Valencian or Catalan production.

Screening copy with audio description and special subtitling (if available).

Trailer in VOSE: .mp4 (between 5–10 MB).

4K copy.



ARTICLE 9. GENERAL RULES



The festival organisation will determine the format and screening schedule, whether in-person or hybrid.

The festival’s selection committee will choose the works that will become part of the competitive official section as well as the rest of the sections, informing all participants personally and in writing of the result of the official selection.

Festival management may withdraw at any time any film that does not comply with these regulations. Likewise, falsification of production data will entail withdrawal from the different sections if it had been selected for any of them.

The festival will cover the accommodation and meals of one representative of each film selected in the Official National Section during the days they are invited to the festival. If the guest wishes to come with a companion, this extra expense will not be covered by the festival under any circumstances.

The festival may screen the selected short films in the venues and schedules it deems appropriate during the festival days, and in parallel screenings that may take place during the rest of the year, up to a maximum of five sessions, always informing the authors in advance and obtaining their consent.

The director, producer or representative of the selected work in competition will take part in a Q&A after the screening of their work.

Short films competing in the Official National Section whose director or production company is Valencian will also be eligible for the Best Valencian Short Film award.





ARTICLE 10. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY



The author or owner will retain their intellectual rights and will be responsible for ensuring that the work is not subject to any legal liability and that no third-party rights exist.

Submitting a short film to Skyline Benidorm Film Festival entails, for selected participants, the non-exclusive assignment of the material to the organisation for use in different activities programmed with the festival’s sponsors.

All documentation received will become part of the festival archive.



ARTICLE 11. ACCEPTANCE OF THE RULES



Submitting to the festival implies acceptance of these regulations.

Any matter not provided for in these rules will be resolved by the festival organisation.

These rules are subject to possible modifications and/or annexes for reasons beyond the organisation’s control.

For more information:

info@skylinefest.es

www.skylinefest.es

www.twitter.com/skylinefilmfest

www.facebook.com/skylinefilmfestival

www.instagram.com/skylinefilmfestival