Guatapé Film Fest (4)

Festival Start: 21 Oktober 2026      Festival Ende: 25 Oktober 2026

The GUATAPÉ FILM FEST is an international film festival that promotes the circulation, screening, and dialogue surrounding cinema, strengthening exchanges among creators, audiences, and regions from one of Colombia’s most iconic cultural landscapes.

Through its official competitions, curated screenings, educational programs, industry events, and public engagement activities, the Festival promotes the diversity of contemporary cinema, fosters the discovery of new voices, and contributes to the strengthening of the national and international film sectors.

As part of its fourth edition, GUATAPÉ FILM FEST officially opens this call for entries and invites individuals and organizations involved in the creation, production, distribution, exhibition, and circulation of films to submit their films for inclusion in the Festival’s official program.

These Official Call for Entries Guidelines establish the general conditions for participation, registration requirements, the selection process, screening categories, evaluation criteria, the awards granted by the Festival, as well as the rights and responsibilities of those participating in the call for entries.

GUATAPÉ FILM FEST reaffirms its commitment to promoting cinema as an artistic and cultural expression that contributes to the exchange of knowledge, the recognition of diverse perspectives, and the strengthening of ties between film industries, regions, and their communities.

Submission of a film implies full knowledge and acceptance of these Official Rules, as well as of the decisions made by the Festival within the framework of this call for entries.

The official program of GUATAPÉ FILM FEST IV will consist of Official Competitions and Official Screenings

- The Official Competitions will be competitive in nature, and entries will be eligible for the awards established by the Festival.

- The Official Screenings will consist of a curated selection aimed at highlighting diverse expressions, regions, and perspectives in contemporary cinema.

OBJECTIVES OF THE CALL FOR ENTRIES

The purpose of this call for entries is to establish the official program for the fourth edition of the GUATAPÉ FILM FEST through an open, transparent selection process aimed at recognizing the quality, diversity, and artistic value of the participating films.

Specifically, the call for entries has the following objectives:

1. To select the films that will be included in the Festival’s Official Competitions and Official Programs, in accordance with the categories established in these
Official Rules.

2. To promote the circulation of national and international films, fostering encounters among filmmakers, producers, audiences, and institutions in the film industry.

3. To foster recognition of new voices, perspectives, and forms of filmmaking, encouraging the participation of both emerging and established filmmakers.

4. To raise the profile of Colombian cinema and strengthen exhibition opportunities for national productions, university films, and community-based filmmaking initiatives.

5. Create spaces for artistic, cultural, and professional exchange that contribute to the strengthening of the film industry and the development of audiences.

6. Establish GUATAPÉ FILM FEST as a leading platform for the exhibition, circulation, education, and exchange in film, strengthening its national and international reach.

TIMELINE

This call for applications will proceed according to the following timeline:

-Call for applications opens: July 25, 2026

-Call for applications closes: September 25, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (Colombian time)

-Eligibility review: September 26 and 30, 2026

-Official selection process: October 1–7, 2026

-Announcement of the Official Selection: October 8, 2026

-GUATAPÉ FILM FEST IV: October 21–25, 2026


The Festival reserves the right to modify the dates set forth in this schedule due to force majeure, unforeseeable events, or circumstances that affect the normal course of the call for entries. Any modifications will be communicated in a timely manner through the Festival’s official channels.


SCREENING CATEGORIES

The official program of GUATAPÉ FILM FEST IV will consist of Official Competitions and Official Screenings. The Official Competitions will be competitive in nature and will be eligible for the awards established by the Festival, while the Official Screenings will consist of a curatorial selection aimed at highlighting diverse expressions, regions, and perspectives in contemporary cinema.

Unless otherwise specified in a category’s description, only films and projects completed on or after January 1, 2025, may participate.

1. OFFICIAL COMPETITIONS

1.1. INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM COMPETITION
Scope: A competitive category for feature films that stand out for their artistic, narrative, and technical quality, promoting encounters between diverse cinematic traditions and cultural exchange through film.

Film criteria:
• Feature-length fiction, documentary, animated, experimental, or hybrid films.
• Productions from any country.
• Running time: 60 minutes or longer.

1.2. INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Scope: A competitive category designed to recognize short films that represent new voices, innovative approaches, and diverse forms of filmmaking.

Film requirements:
• Short films in the genres of fiction, documentary, animation, experimental, or hybrid.
• Productions from any country.
• Running time: Up to 15 minutes, including end credits.

1.3. NATIONAL UNIVERSITY FILM COMPETITION
Scope: A competitive category designed to highlight filmmaking by students at Colombian institutions of higher education and to promote the emergence of new talent.

Film Requirements
• Short films produced by students enrolled in technical, technological, or university programs at Colombian institutions of higher education.
• Student status must be verified by a certificate of enrollment, institutional verification, or equivalent document valid at the time of registration.
• Fiction, documentary, animated, experimental, or hybrid films will be accepted.
• Running time: Up to 15 minutes, including end credits.

2. OFFICIAL PROGRAMS

2.1. COLOMBIAN FILM PROGRAM
Scope: A curated section dedicated to screening a representative selection of contemporary Colombian cinema, promoting its circulation and exposure to new audiences.

Film Characteristics
• Colombian feature films and short films of any cinematic genre.
• Running time: No time restriction.

2.2. COLOMBIAN COMMUNITY FILM PROGRAM
Scope: A curatorial space aimed at highlighting filmmaking processes developed by collectives, organizations, and communities across the country that use film as a tool for participation, memory, identity, and social transformation.

Film Characteristics
• Films produced by film collectives, community organizations, indigenous communities, communities of African descent, rural communities, youth initiatives, community film schools, and other collective creative initiatives.
• Films of any cinematic genre will be accepted.
• Running time: No restrictions on running time.

2.3. EXHIBITION OF NEW DIGITAL NARRATIVES
Scope: A curatorial space dedicated to showcasing projects that expand the language of cinema through emerging technologies, platforms, and formats.

Project Characteristics

Eligible entries include, but are not limited to:
• Web series.
• Transmedia projects.
• Immersive cinematic experiences.
• 360° video.
• Virtual reality (VR) works.
• Augmented reality (AR) works.
• Interactive cinema.
• Video art.
• Projects developed using artificial intelligence.
• Other proposals that explore new forms of cinematic creation.
• Duration: There is no minimum or maximum duration. Projects will be evaluated according to the specific characteristics of their format.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION

Individuals or legal entities who can prove they are the rights holders of the film or who have express authorization to register and represent it at the Guatapé International Film Festival – GUATAPÉ FILM FEST may participate in this call for entries.

To participate in this call for entries, films must meet the following requirements:

1. Fall into one of the screening categories established in these Official Rules.

2. Meet the characteristics and conditions specified for the category in which they are entered.

3. Each participant may submit one or more films, provided that each film individually meets the requirements established for the corresponding category.

4. Submission of a film does not guarantee its selection for inclusion in the Festival’s official program.

5. The Festival may request, at any time during the selection or programming process, any documentation it deems necessary to verify the information provided during registration. Failure to comply with this requirement or the submission of false, inaccurate, or incomplete information may result in the film’s disqualification.

6. The person submitting the entry declares, under their own responsibility, that the information provided is accurate and that they have the necessary authority to represent the film before the Festival.

ENTRY PROCESS

Entry of films to FICGUATAPÉ IV is free of charge and must be submitted within the dates established in the official call for entries calendar.

The Festival will provide the following official registration channels:
- Festhome https://festhome.com/festival/guatape
- Direct registration form, available on the Festival’s official website.

Submissions made through any of these channels will be equally valid for the selection process.

Interested parties must comply with the following requirements:
1. Complete the registration form for the selected submission channel in its entirety.

2. Select the screening category for which the film is being submitted.

3. Provide the requested technical, artistic, and contact information.

4. Attach the materials and documents required for the film’s evaluation, in accordance with the specifications established by the Festival.

5. Provide a private link to view the film, free of geographic restrictions, along with the access password when applicable. The link must remain active until the Official Selection is announced.

6. Verify that the information provided is complete, accurate, and corresponds to the final version of the submitted film.

7. Once the entry has been submitted, no changes may be made to the submitted film. However, the Festival may request additional information or documentation when it deems necessary.

8. The entry will be considered formally submitted once the participant has completed the application process.

SCREENING CONDITIONS

1. Films and projects will be screened on the dates, at the times, in the venues, and in the formats determined by the Festival organizers as part of its official program.

2. The individuals responsible for the selected films and projects must provide, within the deadlines established by the Festival, the materials required for their screening and promotion.

3. Selected films and projects must be submitted in digital format, in the highest quality available, in accordance with the technical specifications and deadlines established by the Festival.

4. Films whose original language is other than Spanish must include Spanish subtitles.

5. The selection of a film or project for inclusion in the Festival’s official program does not entail the recognition or payment of screening fees (screening fee or exhibition fee), nor any other financial compensation from the Festival organizers.

6. Once its inclusion in the official program has been confirmed, the film or project may not be withdrawn, except in cases of force majeure that are duly justified and accepted by the Festival organization.

7. The Festival will determine the program, screening order, venues, showtimes, screening formats, and the number of screenings for each film or project, in accordance with curatorial, technical, and logistical criteria.

8. The Festival organizers may suspend, reschedule, or modify screenings for technical or logistical reasons, due to force majeure, or any other circumstance that affects the normal course of the event, without this giving rise to any financial obligations toward the participants.

9. The individuals responsible for the selected films and projects authorize the Festival to use, free of charge and exclusively for the promotion, publicity, and institutional record of the event, the title of the work, the synopsis, the poster, the photographs, the trailer, and other promotional materials provided during the registration process.

10. The authorization granted for the use of promotional materials does not imply a transfer of intellectual property rights nor does it authorize the Festival to commercially exploit the film or project.

FINAL PROVISIONS

1. PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA

GUATAPÉ FILM FEST will process the personal data provided by participants in accordance with the provisions of Law 1581 of 2012, Decree 1074 of 2015, and any other regulations that modify, supplement, or replace them. The information collected will be used exclusively for the administration of the call for entries, the organization of the Festival, and communication with participants, who may exercise the rights provided for in current legislation through the Festival’s official channels.

2. ACCEPTANCE OF THE OFFICIAL RULES

Submitting a film or project to the call for entries implies full acceptance of these Official Rules. Any situation not covered in this document will be resolved by the Festival organizers, in accordance with their organizational and curatorial criteria.