Festival Internacional De Cine De Pilar De La Horadada - Cortopilar | Premios Pilar ()

**RULES FOR THE CALL FOR ENTRIES – NATIONAL FEATURE FILM COMPETITION “ÓPERA PRIMA”**
**9th INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OF PILAR DE LA HORADADA 2025**

1.- The scope of the competition is national. All Spanish production companies or directors who hold the rights and full legal control over the works they submit may participate.

All fiction or animation feature films of Spanish nationality that constitute the director’s first work in either of these categories will be eligible for competition. The completion of a first feature film in one of them (fiction or animation) does not exclude participation with a first work in the other. Filmmakers presenting their first feature film as sole directors may also participate, even if they have previously taken part in a co-direction.

Films must be submitted in their original language. If this is not Spanish, they must include Spanish subtitles. Registration is free of charge.

2. Only **fiction feature films** will be accepted. Documentaries, commercials, promotional, educational or informational videos, fashion films, and music videos are not permitted. The minimum running time must be **over 60 minutes**.

3. Feature films produced in **2024 and 2025** are eligible, provided they have **not been submitted in previous editions** of this competition.
Films may have premiered or been screened at other festivals, but they must **not be available for free viewing on any public online platform**.

4. Only **one feature film per director** is allowed. However, a production company may submit as many entries as it wishes.

5. The call for entries opens on **July 1, 2025**, and the **deadline** for submission is **September 5, 2025**.

6. Submissions must be made **online via the platform Festhome**.

7. A **Selection Committee** composed of industry professionals and members of the Festival's organizing team will be responsible for selecting the feature films that will participate in the **OFFICIAL “ÓPERA PRIMA” FEATURE FILM SECTION**, to be screened during the Festival, **from November 5 to 15, 2025**, at the venue designated by the organization. These films will compete for the **PILAR AWARD for Best “Ópera Prima” Feature Film**.

The decision of the Selection Committee is final. The official selection will be announced in **October 2025**.

The Festival will notify all selected participants in writing via the email address provided at registration, at least two weeks prior to the Festival. The selection will also be published on the official website and may be gradually announced on social media for promotional purposes, with simultaneous communication to the selected filmmakers.

The Festival will provide transportation from the nearest train station, bus station, or airport to Pilar de la Horadada so that the filmmaker or a representative may attend the screening of the selected film.

Selected works must be submitted in a **digital format suitable for screening**, along with promotional materials.

8. The **audience attending the screenings** will be responsible for **selecting the winner by vote**.

9. Feature films in the **“ÓPERA PRIMA” FEATURE FILM SECTION** will compete for:

**PILAR AWARD FOR BEST “ÓPERA PRIMA” FEATURE FILM 2025**,
endowed with **€800 in cash + statuette**.

The winner will be announced at the **PILAR AWARDS 2025 GALA**, to be held on **November 15, 2025**, in **Pilar de la Horadada (Alicante)**.

10. Nominees will be **invited to attend the Closing Gala and Awards Ceremony**. The organization will cover **two nights of accommodation** (Friday, November 14 and Saturday, November 15), as well as transport from the nearest station or airport to the Gala venue. Therefore, **technical or artistic representation**—preferably the director—of each nominated film must be present.

11. The **audience vote is final** and will be made official through a record issued by the Pilar de la Horadada Town Council. If there are no participants, if the turnout is lower than expected, or if the quality of the entries does not meet the Festival’s minimum standards, the award may be declared void. Likewise, if any winner does not meet the conditions set forth in these rules, the prize may also be declared void.

12. The **screening rights** for selected works are granted **exclusively for screenings within the “Ópera Prima” Official Feature Film Section**.
The winning feature film may also be screened again at a later date, after the Festival, to promote the winning entries. By registering, producers and directors **authorize the Festival’s promotional use** of up to **three minutes of their submitted film** to be used in any media strictly for promotional purposes for the Festival in any of its editions.

13. Award-winning feature films may be **re-screened in future Festival programming**, to commemorate past editions, in special events such as **“Cortopilar Classics”**, always with **free admission and non-profit** purposes.

14. Materials received from selected feature films will be **archived in the Festival’s library**.

15. Participants guarantee that the submitted works **are not subject to any legal claims** and that they **comply with Spanish Intellectual Property Law**. The Festival is not liable for any unlawful content in the submitted films.

16. The Festival may grant **honorary mentions** not specified in these rules. The organization **will not provide feedback** on the submitted films or the selection process. Participation implies full acceptance of these rules.

17. The Festival will promote its events and programming through its official website **[www.cortopilar.com](https://www.cortopilar.com)** and social media:
**Instagram**: @cortopilar
**Facebook**: [facebook.com/cortopilar](https://facebook.com/cortopilar),
as well as through regional TV, radio, and print media.

18. Participation in the competition implies **full acceptance of these rules**, including the organization’s resolution of any issues not covered herein.

19. **Cash prizes** are subject to **applicable tax withholdings**.

20. The organization reserves the right to **modify these rules**, notifying participants of any significant changes. It also reserves the right to **change the Festival dates** should unforeseen circumstances require it.

RULES FOR THE CALL FOR ENTRIES – 9th INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL OF PILAR DE LA HORADADA 2025
IX EDITION – “PILAR awards OF THE VALENCIAN COMMUNITY FOR SHORT FILMS 2025”

The competition is international in scope. All producers or filmmakers who hold the rights to the submitted works may participate. Each participant may submit as many works as they wish, in any language. If not in Spanish, the film must be subtitled in Spanish. Registration is free of charge.

Only short films in the following genres will be accepted: fiction, animation, or documentary. Commercials, promotional, educational, informational videos, fashion films, and music videos are not allowed. The duration must not exceed 35 minutes, including credits.

Short films produced in 2024 and 2025 that have not been submitted in previous editions of this Festival will be accepted.

Submitted short films must not be available on any free-access internet platform.

The call for entries opens on July 1, 2025, and submissions will be accepted until September 5, 2025.

Submissions must be made via the online platform Festhome.

A Selection Committee, composed of professionals in the industry and members of the Festival organizing team, will select from among all submissions the short films that will take part in the “OFFICIAL SECTION”, to be screened during the Festival dates, from November 5 to 15, 2025, in the venue chosen by the organization. From these, nominees will be selected for the awards in two categories: national and international.

The same committee will also select short films for the competitive section known as “ANNUAL SECTION”, which will be screened throughout 2026 as part of the Festival's year-round activities. These screenings will take place in a venue designated by the organization. The “ANNUAL SECTION” is competitive, and all selected short films are eligible for the “LUCERNA AWARD”.

The decision of the Selection Committee is final. The official selection and the nominees for the Pilar awards will be announced between October and November 2025.

The Festival will notify all selected participants via the email address provided at registration, at least two weeks prior to the start of the event. The selection will also be published on the official website and may be gradually announced on social media for promotional purposes, with simultaneous communication to the selected parties.

The Festival will provide transportation from the nearest train station, bus station, or airport to Pilar de la Horadada for the creators or representatives of selected works, so they may attend the public screening of their films.

Selected films must be sent in a digital format suitable for screening, along with any promotional materials.

The Official Jury, composed of professionals from the cultural, audiovisual, and film sectors, will be appointed by the Mayor of Pilar de la Horadada and announced on the Festival’s official website.

National short films included and nominated in the OFFICIAL SECTION will compete for the “PILAR awards OF THE VALENCIAN COMMUNITY FOR SHORT FILMS 2025”. International short films in the OFFICIAL SECTION will compete for the “INTERNATIONAL PILAR AWARD 2025”. Short films in the ANNUAL SECTION will compete for the “LUCERNA AWARD 2026”.

The Official Jury will grant the following awards, with four nominees per category:

“PILAR AWARD” FOR BEST SHORT FILM, €1500 cash + statuette.

“PILAR AWARD” FOR BEST DIRECTING, €750 cash + statuette.

“PILAR AWARD” FOR BEST SCREENPLAY, €750 cash + statuette.

“PILAR AWARD” FOR BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, €750 cash + statuette.

“PILAR AWARD” FOR BEST EDITING, €600 cash + statuette.

“PILAR AWARD” FOR BEST ORIGINAL SCORE, €600 cash + statuette.

“PILAR AWARD” FOR BEST ART DIRECTION, €600 cash + statuette.

“PILAR AWARD” FOR BEST MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING, €600 cash + statuette.

“PILAR AWARD” FOR BEST ACTRESS, €600 cash + statuette.

“PILAR AWARD” FOR BEST ACTOR, €600 cash + statuette.

“INTERNATIONAL PILAR AWARD” FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM, statuette only.

SPECIAL awards (NOT GRANTED BY THE OFFICIAL JURY – PUBLIC VOTE):

“AUDIENCE AWARD” for Best Short Film, €750 cash + statuette.

“LUCERNA AWARD” for Best Short Film in the ANNUAL SECTION, €600 cash + statuette.

Winners will be announced at the PILAR awards 2025 Gala, held on November 15, 2025, in Pilar de la Horadada (Alicante).

The nominees for the awards will be invited by the organization to attend the Closing Gala and the Pilar Awards 2025 Ceremony.
To facilitate their attendance, the organization will cover the expenses of two nights of accommodation (Friday, November 14, and Saturday, November 15), as well as transportation from the nearest bus station, train station, or airport to the venue of the gala, in Pilar de la Horadada.
At least one representative from the technical or artistic team of the nominated short film must be present, preferably the person directly nominated.
In the event that the awarded short film does not have a representative physically present at the Closing Gala, the jury’s decision and the public recognition will remain valid, and the corresponding statuette will still be awarded; however, it shall be understood that the representative of the short film voluntarily waives the cash amount of the prize, which will therefore have no economic effect.

The decision of the Official Jury is final and will be made public through a formal record issued by the Pilar de la Horadada City Council. If participation is insufficient, or the submitted works do not meet the minimum quality standards, the Festival reserves the right to declare the awards void. Likewise, if any winner fails to meet the requirements of these rules, the corresponding awards may also be declared void.

The rights to exhibit the selected films are granted solely for screenings in the Official and Annual Sections, according to the Festival’s schedule. All award-winning short films will also be screened in a special follow-up session after the Festival dates to showcase the winners to the public. By registering, producers and directors authorize promotional actions, including up to three minutes of footage from the submitted short films for media use, strictly for promotional purposes related to the Festival.

Award-winning short films may be screened in future Festival programs to recall past editions, including events such as “Cortopilar Classics”, always in free-entry, non-profit sessions.

Materials received from selected films will be archived in the Festival’s library.

Participants are responsible for ensuring that their films are not subject to any legal claims and comply with Intellectual Property Law. The Festival declines all responsibility for any unlawful content in the submitted works.

The Jury may award honorary mentions not specified in these rules. It will not provide feedback on the submitted works or its decisions. Participation implies full acceptance of these rules.

The Festival will promote all events, activities, and programming via its official website www.cortopilar.com, Instagram (@cortopilar), Facebook (facebook.com/cortopilar), and local media (TV, radio, press, etc.).

Participation in the Festival implies full acceptance of all sections of these rules and the organization’s authority to resolve any unforeseen issues.

Cash prizes will be subject to applicable tax withholdings.

The organization reserves the right to modify these rules if necessary and will communicate any relevant changes to participants. The Festival dates may also be modified due to external circumstances.claims and comply with Intellectual Property Law. The Festival declines all responsibility for any unlawful content in the submitted works.

The Jury may award honorary mentions not specified in these rules. It will not provide feedback on the submitted works or its decisions. Participation implies full acceptance of these rules.

The Festival will promote all events, activities, and programming via its official website www.cortopilar.com, Instagram (@cortopilar), Facebook (facebook.com/cortopilar), and local media (TV, radio, press, etc.).

Participation in the Festival implies full acceptance of all sections of these rules and the organization’s authority to resolve any unforeseen issues.

Cash prizes will be subject to applicable tax withholdings.

The organization reserves the right to modify these rules if necessary and will communicate any relevant changes to participants. The Festival dates may also be modified due to external circumstances.