Festival de Cine de Elche (49)

Inizio del Festival: 10 luglio 2026      Festival si chiude: 17 luglio 2026

The Elche Film Festival, organized by Mediterraneo Foundation's main objective is to offer a cultural space to filmmakers and moviegoers.

In a constant commitment to the promotion of culture and supporting emerging values of cinema, focusing on innovation, public conversation with the authors and the elimination of technological compete when barriers and vote.

Premi in contanti: 15,500€

AWARDS (€15,500 in total):

“FUNDACIÓN MEDITERRÁNEO” AWARD FOR BEST FICTION SHORT FILM. Endowed with €3,000 and Dama Trophy.

“CIUTAT D’ELX” AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM. Endowed with €3,000 and Dama Trophy.
AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM. Endowed with €3,000 and Dama Trophy.

AWARD FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM, in any category and from any nationality (excluding Spain). Endowed with €2,000 and Dama Trophy.

FES CURT AWARD FOR BEST SHORT FILM FROM THE VALENCIAN COMMUNITY, endowed with €1,500 and Dama Trophy. It will be chosen from among the productions submitted within the Fes Curt category.

“CINECLUB LUIS BUÑUEL” NEW FILMMAKER AWARD, endowed with €1,500 and Dama Trophy, and may be awarded in any of the categories. Both Spanish and international filmmakers who have made up to their third short film are eligible.

“HORT DEL XOCOLATER” AUDIENCE AWARD, endowed with €1,500 and Dama Trophy, chosen from among those Spanish and international short films that are part of the Official Selection. The winner will be the short film that receives the highest number of votes from the audience attending the Official Section screenings at Hort del Xocolater between 11 and 17 July 2025.

AWARDS (Dama Trophy only):

Best Director Award
Best Actress Award
Best Actor Award
Best Screenplay Award

The awards include VAT and will be subject to personal income tax (IRPF) withholdings as established by law.

The Festival does not require its winners to attend in order to collect their prizes, nor does attendance affect the granting of an award, but it will provide facilities to enable them to attend.

If applicable, at the discretion of the Festival Organisation and Jury, any of these awards may be declared void.

49th ELCHE FILM FESTIVAL

DATES: The 49th edition of the Festival will take place from 10 to 17 July 2026.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Short Film Submission: 10 January – 15 March 2026.

Official Section Notification: From 19 May 2026.

Delivery of screening files: Before 15 June 2026.

Official Section Screenings: 10 – 16 July 2026.

Closing Gala: 17 July 2026.


WHO CAN PARTICIPATE? Any individual (over 18) or legal entity of any nationality.


SHORT FILM REQUIREMENTS:

Production after 1 January 2024.

Maximum length: 30 minutes.

Non-Spanish language: Spanish subtitles required (burned-in or in *.srt format).

Trailers, unfinished works or works already submitted in previous editions will not be accepted.


HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

Submission deadline: until 15/03/2026, 23:59:59 Spanish mainland time.

Submission can only be completed through the platform Festhome.

One single short film per participant and per category. The Festival Organisation and/or Jury reserves the right to move a short film to a different category if, in its opinion, it does not belong in the one originally selected.


CATEGORIES:

Fiction: Spanish and international fiction filmmakers competing for the “Fundación Mediterráneo” Award for Best Fiction Short Film and for Best International Short Film.

Animation: Spanish and international animation filmmakers competing for the Award for Best Animated Short Film and for Best International Short Film.

Documentary: Spanish and international documentary filmmakers competing for the “Ciutat d’Elx” Award for Best Documentary Short Film and for Best International Short Film.

Fes Curt: Productions by filmmakers born or residing in the Valencian Region and/or by Film Festivals in the Valencian Region and/or by production companies based in said Autonomous Community. They may also be shot in Valencian, or subtitled into this language.

New Filmmaker: Spanish and international filmmakers who have made up to their third short film, competing for the “Cineclub Luis Buñuel” Award for Best Short Film by a New Filmmaker. Works may be Fiction, Animation or Documentary.


CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION:

The Author/Director/Distributor of the works submitted to competition declares that they are the author, director and producer of these works and that, being original, they are free from third-party claims.

In order to promote the Festival, participants authorise the organisation to use posters, photographs and/or fragments of the selected works for dissemination in the media.

Without prejudice to the use and commercial exploitation that the Author/Director/Distributor may make of the awarded work, the Organisation shall be entitled to:

The right to preserve the works in a digital archive so that they may be viewed only by users during the week of screenings at the Festival venues in the “Hort del Xocolater” park (Elche) and on Arenales del Sol Beach (Elche).

Limited public communication rights for the winning works, so that Fundación Mediterráneo, through the activities it organises or collaborates in, may carry out as many screenings as are necessary in order to promote the winning works. These screenings will serve to disseminate the short film and the Festival itself, provided that this does not interfere with the distribution and possible commercial exploitation of the short film and always with the necessary permissions and/or following negotiation of any fee or royalty required for such screenings.

Fundación Mediterráneo supports the short film industry by paying authors’ rights to SGAE for all its screenings, whether during the Official Section screenings or in other cycles it organises.

Of all personal data, only the email addresses of entrants will be retained for the purpose of communicating future editions. The email addresses of those subscribed to the newsletter on the Festival’s official website will also be used for this purpose: https://festivaldecine.fundacionmediterraneo.es/

Information: https://festivaldecine.fundacionmediterraneo.es/

Queries: festivalcinelche@fundacionmediterraneo.es
Date of publication: 10 January 2026