Lusca Film Fest (18)

Festival start: 17 October 2024      Festival end: 24 October 2024

LUSCA Film Fest (former Puerto Rico Horror Film Fest.) is one of Latin America’s premier fantastic film festival. LUSCA is open to the public. Accredited national and international press, as well as TV and film buyers and distributors also participate.

In addition to showcasing the best genre films that indie moviemaking has to offer, this exotic fest also features a number of special events, including an exposition of Bizarre Artwork exhibition, Cosplay Contests, Cinema Arcade and Musical Events.

Best Feature Film
Best SciFi/Fantasy Short Film
Best Horror/Thriller Short Film
Best Dark Comedy Short Film
Best Director
Best Female Director
Best Short Film Director
People's Choice
Best Screenplay
Best Animation Short
Best Local Feature Film
Best Local Short Film
Best Music Video
Local People's Choice
Short Script Contests
Other Local Prizes

The regular submission fee of the LUSCA Fantastic Film Fest is $20.

LUSCA Fantastic Film Fest don't pay screening fees to any selected movie.

All films in a language other than English or Spanish should be subtitled in English or Spanish, unless dialogue or commentary is unnecessary for comprehension and appreciation.

We usually do not accept works in progress. However, we will consider a work in progress if your film has received press coverage, has generated a lot of buzz and if you can grant the Festival an exclusive premiere.

The program is finalized in August. You will hear from us by late august at the latest, most likely by e-mail. If your contact details change at any time, please let us know so that we can update our records.

All Pre-Selected films must send their completed and signed Acceptance Form and final screening version of your movie (if it wasn’t sent by the submission process) and must be received no later than the first week of September.

We prefer that you submit your projection screenner via Internet. You can use Vimeo, WeTransfer, Hightail or any other large file transfer platform.

If you need to send your movie via Air Mail or Courier, the BluRay Screener (NTSC) must be clearly labeled with: (1) film title; (2) director’s name and (3) film duration. Please submit films in a usb or hard drive.

Viewing material should be insured by the sender and sent via air mail or courier at the sender’s expense

The festival cannot accept responsibility for damaged or lost materials while in transit. Only use BUBBLE PACK envelopes when shipping. Please do NOT use fiber envelopes.

Submissions will only be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed prepaid mailer.

All entries selected grant the Festival the right to use audio, video and still images for promotional materials. The Festival will request artwork or promotional material for use in it’s website once the film is accepted to screen.

Excerpts from films will only be shown on television for promotional purposes. Permission is granted during submission.

Wherever possible each film is presented twice.

No cuts or changes to any film will be made by the Festival management.

Programming decisions are made by a professional selection committee composed of working industry professionals. It is LUSCA policy not to provide comments on why a film was not selected for the Festival.

Filmmakers accepted into the Festival will receive two (2) ALL-ACCESS PASSES if attending the Festival.

Submission of a film represents agreement with the rules set forth herein.

LUSCA Fantastic Film Festival is open to the public. Accredited national and international press, as well as TV and film buyers and distributors also participate.

LUSCA, Caribbean International Fantastic Film Festival (LUSCA) is presented by Puerto Rico Film Academy, Inc. Its main objective is to promote cinematographic art by presenting high-quality films. LUSCA is an event held in different venues in Puerto Rico and runs for fifteen (15) days.

LUSCA FANTASTIC SCREENWRITING CONTEST
RULES AND TERMS

AWARDS
LUSCA Fantastic Screenwriting Contest

1st, 2nd & 3rd Place
1 Final Draft screenwriting software; A table read-through of the top 3 winning scripts of the contest at an event open to the general public; LUSCA Screenwriting Contest Award Certificate.

* The selected works will be part of the online collection of LUSCA Film Fest.

ENTRY DOCUMENTS
LUSCA Fantastic Script Contest

Submitting a script for this competition constitutes acceptance of the rules established in this document.

Participants shall submit:

1) Brief synopsis of the story in the script in no more than 6 lines.

2) Expanded synopsis of the story in the script in no more than one paragraph.

3) Premise of the story in no more than two lines.

4) Full screenplay with numbered pages in standard script format. Please submit the script file.

AGREEMENTS WITH PARTICIPATION RULES
LUSCA Fantastic Script Contest

1) Contest registration will open on the posting date of the call for entries.

2) Contest is open to any author over 18 years old of American citizenship or foreigners with American citizenship or permanent residency living in Puerto Rico, the mainland, or other U.S. territories. Authors younger than 18 years old and not residing in the U.S. are not eligible to enter the contest.

3) The script should be in one of the genres promoted by LUSCA Fantastic Film Fest (fantasy, science fiction, comedy, bizarre).

4) For co-authored scripts, the awards will be issued only to the main author who will have the responsibility, if any, to distribute them as appropriate.

5) The screenplay should be written in Spanish and/or English, unpublished and with no previous production agreements.

6) The script should not be longer than 10 pages.

7) All entries should be original works and not currently participating in similar contests or other screenwriting competitions.

8) Submitted scripts are considered final and no substitutions or changes will be accepted once a script is duly registered for the contest. Submitted scripts should comply with all the established participation requirements and should be in standard script format. Failure to comply with any of the participation requirements established in the call for entries constitutes enough reason to be disqualified and taken out of competition.

9) Award winners will be announced in a national press release and through the www.lusca.net sites and social media.

10) The jury of the LUSCA Script Contest will be comprised of reputable filmmakers and film specialists. It’s a closed jury who submit their scores to be counted. The jury’s decision is unique, final, and unappealable. In the event of a tied vote, the Executive Board of Directors of the LUSCA Fantastic Film Fest will decide the impasse through a special vote.

11) Events unforeseen by the call for entries will be resolved by Executive Board of the festival and the contest jury, if needed.

12) LUSCA Fantastic Film Fest reserves the right to publish and distribute the works either in print or electronic format through the online collection.

13) Participants’ copyrights will be respected at all times. The corresponding credits will be given.

14) LUSCA Fantastic Film Fest Executive Board of Directors and/or the LUSCA Fantastic Script Contest organizers will address any concerns that could arise during the jury deliberation sessions and its jurors, as well as concerns related to justifiable exceptions, if any, from the contest participants.

15) Once the project is registered, under no circumstances and for no reason it can be retrieved from competition.

16) The winning authors agree to attend promotional events or media-tours of the LUSCA Fantastic Film Fest and to participate in scheduled alternating activities related to the LUSCA Fantastic Script Contest and which are to be notified at least 24hrs (twenty-four hours) in advance.

17) Contest winners and selected works will keep all the rights under the Federal Copyright Law and the Intellectual Property Law of Puerto Rico. The only responsibility is to establish that it was a winner of the LUSCA Fantastic Script Contest on a separate card shown for no less than 4 (four) seconds at the beginning of the short film, in case the script is produced.

18) Participants with questions or interested in additional information about the call for entries, as well as the selection process, the jury or its results, should write to the contest official email: scriptcontest@lusca.net. No requests will be accepted through other means.