KURSAAL-AI Film Festival San Sebastián (KFFSS) (2)

Festival start: 15 March 2027      Festival end: 15 April 2027

The KURSAAL-AI, part of the Kursaal Film Festival San Sebastián (KFFSS), is an international film festival for movies and series that aims to highlight the artistic talent of filmmakers who utilize AI tools. The festival’s exhibition format is online VOD (streaming), and it includes an awards ceremony held as part of the AI Weekend Fest (AIWF).
The KFFSS operates according to the principles and standards of the film industry—a crucial distinction from many other AI-focused festivals that do not originate from a background in cinema.
We value the cinematic talent of filmmakers capable of creating ultra-realistic fiction, artistic animation, and documentaries firmly grounded in real-world events.
We believe that, within the realm of generative AI, artistic and narrative creativity hold particular value.

KURSAAL-AI Award: The “FILMMAKER’S DRAGONHEART” trophy for the best film in each category (short film, feature film, and series) and across the genres of FICTION, ANIMATION, and DOCUMENTARY.

ACCESIT DIPLOMA: A certificate of recognition for the second-best film submitted in each category.

Do you know what the “FILMMAKER’S DRAGONHEART” trophy is and what it signifies?
This trophy was designed to capture the soul of filmmakers through three symbolic elements:
1. The figure of the dragon is inspired by the dragons that top the lampposts on the Maria Cristina Bridge in San Sebastián, representing the festival’s host city.
2. The legendary dragon, representing the cinematic element that appears in so many films.
3. The spirit of a “dragon’s heart”—a quality every filmmaker must possess to fight and make sacrifices in order to bring their project to fruition.

Furthermore, each trophy is a numbered, unique, and one-of-a-kind piece, which accounts for its great value.

+INFO https://www.kursaalffss.com/trofeo-dragonheart

Trophies that cannot be collected by filmmakers at the official AI Weekend Fest (AIWF) awards ceremony will be shipped to the recipients at the festival's expense. Should the destination country impose customs charges, these costs must be covered by the recipient.

RULES OF PARTICIPATION

1.- GENERAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

- Films and series (hereinafter referred to as "film") may be of any genre, within the framework established by these rules.

- Films duration by category:

+ Short films: 1 to 30 minutes
+ Feature films: over 60 minutes
+ Series: 5 to 30 minutes per episode; the first two episodes must be submitted together.

- Films must be hosted on Vimeo (password-protected), accessible without age restrictions, and with the embedding option enabled. Use of any other streaming platform (such as YouTube or Dailymotion) that lacks Vimeo's embedding, security, and privacy features is at the filmmaker's own risk.

- languages: Films in a language other than Spanish must include Spanish subtitles in selectable SRT format; subtitles should preferably not be hardcoded (burned-in) into the video.

- Submissions must be made by the director, producer, or legal rights holder responsible for the film's distribution (hereinafter "filmmaker"), who must hold the rights to the work's content and any other materials provided.

- Works must be original artistic creations; works of an advertising nature are accepted.

- As an international festival, films from any country are accepted.

- Films that have not won awards in previous editions may be resubmitted.

- Production date limit: None.

- Maximum number of films per author: None.

2. PROGRAM:

a.- Registration from November 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027.
b.- Notification on February 25, 2027.
c.- Festival from March 15 to April 15, 2027.
d.- AI Weekend Fest (AIWF) with awards ceremony on April 10 and 11, 2027.

3/.- awards:
KURSAAL-AI Award: The “FILMMAKER’S DRAGONHEART” trophy for the best film in each category (short film, feature film, and series) and across the genres of FICTION, ANIMATION, and DOCUMENTARY.

ACCESIT DIPLOMA: A certificate of recognition for the second-best film submitted in each category.

Do you know what the “FILMMAKER’S DRAGONHEART” trophy is and what it signifies?

This trophy was designed to capture the soul of filmmakers through three symbolic elements:

1. The figure of the dragon is inspired by the dragons that top the lampposts on the Maria Cristina Bridge in San
Sebastián, representing the festival’s host city.

2. The legendary dragon, representing the cinematic element that appears in so many films.

3. The spirit of a “dragon’s heart”—a quality every filmmaker must possess to fight and make sacrifices in order to bring their project to fruition.

Furthermore, each trophy is a numbered, unique, and one-of-a-kind piece, which accounts for its great value.

+INFO https://www.kursaalffss.com/trofeo-dragonheart

Trophies that cannot be collected by filmmakers at the official AI Weekend Fest (AIWF) awards ceremony will be shipped to the recipients at the festival's expense. Should the destination country impose customs charges, these costs must be covered by the recipient.

4/.- REGISTRATION AND SELECTION PROCESS
Film pre-registration may be completed online via the festival's own website or through one of the partner festival platforms.

Once a film has been pre-selected, the filmmaker will be notified by email. If the film was registered via a partner platform, the filmmaker must—as a mandatory requirement—register the film online through the KFFSS festival website; once this step is taken, the entry cannot be withdrawn or modified. The filmmaker agrees to keep the selected film accessible to KURSAAL-AI for the entire duration of the festival.

Films entered in the festival may be classified as follows:

1.- Winner (per Genre/Category)
2.- Accesit (per Genre/Category)
3.- Finalist Nominees.
4.- Official Selection (in competition).
5.- Participants.
A jury selected by KFFSS will determine the finalist nominees and the winners of the various awards. The jury's decisions will be confidential and final.

5/.- FESTIVAL INFORMATION OFFICE:
All questions and requests can be sent to the following official email address:
kursaalffss.004 @ gmail.com

6/.- REGISTRATION FEES
The festival has a non-refundable registration fee of €10.

7/.- AI WEEKEND FEST (AIWF)
All filmmakers whose films have been officially selected in any of the KURSAAL-AI editions are entitled to register and participate in any of the AI Weekend Fest (AIWF).

8/.- KURSAAL CHANNEL (KC)
Once the festival is over, films registered with the KURSAAL-AI will be invited to register with the Kursaal Channel (KC).

9/.- GUARANTEES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF PARTICIPANTS.
To ensure respect for the rights of third parties and to avoid irregularities during the course of KURSAAL-AI:

9.a).- PROTECTION OF MINORS. KURSAAL-AI is a festival aimed at an adult audience (individuals of legal age or 18 years and older); consequently, KFFSS cannot control access by minors. Therefore, KFFSS accepts no liability in this regard, noting that parents and guardians are solely responsible for supervising and assisting minors while they browse the KFFSS and festival websites. They are also responsible for implementing any necessary mechanisms to prevent access by minors where appropriate; KFFSS accepts no liability or claims regarding this matter.

9.b).- FILM CONTENT. Participating filmmakers who register their film for KURSAAL-AI must hold all intellectual property rights to their creations and original sources (video, music, script, individuals, etc.), as well as the necessary rights regarding image and public distribution via any medium. They shall be solely legally responsible for the film's content and answerable for said content, as well as for any declarations, obligations, and liabilities assumed through their participation in accordance with the rules set out in this document. Films must not contain any illicit or pornographic material, nor any material that infringes upon the rights of third parties. The participating filmmaker shall be solely and exclusively responsible for any claims received by KFFSS or the festival's production entities, thereby absolving them of any liability arising from the film's use and assuming any financial or other liabilities that may arise.

9.c).- FILM RIGHTS. Participation in KURSAAL-AI entails the participating filmmakers granting—free of charge, without territorial limitation, and for the duration of the festival—all rights regarding the reproduction, public communication, making available, and distribution of the films submitted to the festival (including excerpts or trailers thereof and any graphic material related to the films or series, if requested). This grant covers their exhibition, inclusion, and dissemination during the festival—via online VOD (streaming)—by public and/or private entities collaborating with the festival. Participants acknowledge that KFFSS may announce the names of the winners through any media channel.

10/.- MISCELLANEOUS.
In the event that: (i) there are no participants, (ii) the level of participation is lower than expected, or (iii) the quality of the films does not meet the minimum standards required by KURSAAL-AI and/or the Jury, the awards may be declared void, or the current edition of the festival may be cancelled. The festival may also be modified, cancelled (in whole or in part), or postponed—even after it has commenced—due to force majeure, at the discretion of KFFSS.

KURSAAL-AI reserves the right to withdraw from the festival any film that fails to meet the participation requirements set forth in these Rules or otherwise violates them.

In the event that these Rules are translated into any other language, the Spanish version shall prevail.

For any legal dispute arising from this festival, KFFSS, the winners, and all other participants expressly waive any other jurisdiction to which they might otherwise be entitled and expressly submit to the jurisdiction of the courts and tribunals of the city of San Sebastián (Spain).

PARTICIPATION—OR ATTEMPTED PARTICIPATION—IN THIS EDITION OF THE FESTIVAL CONSTITUTES FULL ACCEPTANCE OF THESE RULES.

KFFSS shall make determinations regarding any unforeseen situations as they arise.