En ocasiones veo cortos (12)

Festival start: 30 October 2026      Festival end: 30 October 2026

Horror Short Film Contest organized by the Youth Department of the Cartagena City Council and managed by Ana Ballabriga.

Cash Prizes: 600€

The audience attending the screening will vote to choose the best short film in the Main Section, which will be awarded €600.

A jury appointed by the organization will select the winning short film in the Cartagena Youth Section, which will receive a gift card worth €250.

The jury's decision in both sections will be final and not subject to appeal.

RULES FOR THE SELECTION PROCESS OF THE 12TH HORROR SHORT FILM CONTEST
“SOMETIMES I WATCH SHORT FILMS” OCTOBER 30, 2026

Coordinated by: Ana Ballabriga
In collaboration with: Cartagena City Council. Youth Services.

PURPOSE

The competition, which promotes talent and creativity within the horror genre, will be divided into two sections: Main Section and Cartagena Youth Section.

The Main Section is open to horror short films made by professional
and amateur filmmakers from around the world. Participants may submit original works that explore various themes within the genre, ranging from psychological horror to gothic horror.

The Cartagena Youth Section is designed to encourage the participation of young local filmmakers between the ages of 14 and 30. This section aims to highlight the concerns and expressions of the municipality’s emerging talent, offering a space for young people to tell their horror stories. Short films in this category may be produced independently or in collaboration with local educational institutions. Awards will be given not only for technical quality but also for creativity and an innovative approach to storytelling.

CARTAGENA YOUTH SECTION.

Young people between the ages of 14 and 30 may submit entries.
It is a fundamental requirement that at least 50% of the participants involved in the production and creation of the short film be registered residents of the municipality of Cartagena.

SHORT FILM REQUIREMENTS

 Maximum length: 15 minutes.

 Technique: Short films made using any technique are accepted, with no restrictions.

 Language: Short films must be in Spanish or include Spanish subtitles.

 Intellectual property rights: The creators are solely responsible for ensuring that their short films comply with copyright and intellectual property laws.

 Previously Submitted Short Films: Short films that have been submitted in previous editions will not be accepted.

 Production Date: Only works produced after January 2026 will be accepted.

REGISTRATION AND SUBMISSION DEADLINE

Short films may be submitted from the date of publication of these rules on the platform Festhome until October 13, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

Link to submissions: https://festhome.com/festival/en-ocasiones-veo-cortos

SELECTION COMMITTEE

The selection committee will be appointed by the organization.

The organization reserves the right to use excerpts from the selected short films to promote the event and will resolve, at its discretion, any eventuality or incident not specified in these instructions.

SCREENING

The selected short films will be screened on October 30, 2026, in the multipurpose room of the Youth Resource Center (Paseo Alfonso XIII, No. 51, 30203 Cartagena). This activity is part of the Youth Services program to celebrate Halloween.

AWARD

The audience attending the screening will vote to choose the best short film in the Main Section, which will receive a prize of €600.

A jury appointed by the organization will select the winning short film in the Cartagena Youth Section, which will receive a gift card worth €250.

The jury’s decision in both sections is final.

ACCEPTANCE OF THE RULES

By submitting their entries, participants acknowledge and agree to
these rules. For any questions, please contact the festival’s
organizers:

MORE INFORMATION:

Ana Ballabriga: anaballabriga@gmail.com

Department of Youth Affairs: participacionjuvenil@ayto-cartagena.es or tel. 968128862