Festival Escenario (Cine + Musica) (7)

Festival start: 30 August 2026      Festival end: 06 September 2026

Escenario: Cinema + Music, is the first musical documentary film festival in Argentina.

In 2026, it will mark its seventh edition and return with its international feature film competition.

Award for Best Feature Film and Best Director

FESTIVAL ESCENARIO — 7TH EDITION

FEATURE FILM COMPETITION RULES AND REGULATIONS

1. Organization and Purpose

1.1. FESTIVAL ESCENARIO (hereinafter referred to as "the Festival") is a film festival dedicated to works related to music, with the purpose of promoting and providing visibility to this audiovisual production.

1.2. The seventh edition of the Festival will take place in person from August 30 to September 6, 2026, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Final dates will be announced on the official website, [www.festivalescenario.com](http://www.festivalescenario.com), and through the Festival’s social media channels.

1.3. This edition will feature an International Feature Film Competition, an Argentine Short Film Competition, an Argentine Work in Progress (WIP) Competition dedicated to films in development, and non-competitive Parallel Sections.

1.4. These Rules and Regulations apply exclusively to the FEATURE FILM category. Argentine short films and Argentine WIP projects have separate submission procedures, which will be published exclusively on the Festival website: [www.festivalescenario.com](http://www.festivalescenario.com), and not on the Festhome platform.

2. Categories and Eligible Works

2.1. The Festival program will consist of four sections. These Rules and Regulations apply specifically to the International Feature Film Competition.

2.2. A feature film shall be defined as any work with a total running time (including credits) of 60 (sixty) minutes or longer.

2.3. Fiction films and documentaries whose central theme is music and/or music-related subjects are eligible.

2.4. Works may have been originally produced in any format or medium.

2.5. Only works completed after January 1, 2025, will be accepted.

2.6. To be eligible for the competitive section, works must not have been commercially released. Feature films that have already been released may be considered for the Parallel Sections. In all cases, premiere status must be indicated in the submission form.

3. Submission

3.1. The call for entries is open and free of charge and will remain open from June 15, 2026, to July 20, 2026.

3.2. Entries must be submitted by completing the application form available on the official website, [www.festivalescenario.com](http://www.festivalescenario.com), and/or through the Festhome platform, providing all required information.

3.3. Applicants must provide a private screening link allowing full access to the work. Films not spoken in Spanish must include English subtitles. The link must remain active and accessible—without expiration dates or passwords unknown to the Festival—until September 10, 2026.

3.4. The submission must be made by the copyright holder of the work or by a duly authorized representative, who guarantees having sufficient authority to accept these Rules and Regulations and grant the authorizations provided herein.

3.5. Incomplete submissions, submissions received after the deadline, or submissions containing inactive links may be rejected without further notice.

4. Selection

4.1. The pre-selection and final selection of works shall be carried out by the Festival’s Artistic Director and Programming Team.

4.2. The Festival will notify selected participants via the email address provided in the submission form, with notifications expected on or around August 5, 2026.

4.3. Works not selected for the competitive sections may be invited to participate in the Parallel Sections, subject to the participant’s prior approval.

4.4. All selection decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

5. Materials for Selected Works

5.1. Upon notification of selection, participants must submit the screening materials by August 20, 2026, in accordance with the technical specifications provided by the Festival.

Preferred format:

* ProRes 422 HQ or high-bitrate H.264 file
* Resolution: 1920 × 1080 pixels
* Audio: WAV, Stereo or LT/RT
* 16/24-bit – 48 kHz

For screening purposes, works spoken in languages other than Spanish must be provided with Spanish subtitles permanently embedded (“burned-in”) in the image. Subtitle preparation costs shall be borne exclusively by the participant.

5.2. Participants must also submit by email, no later than August 15, 2026:

* Three (3) high-resolution JPG stills (minimum 300 dpi)
* Poster image (300 dpi)
* Trailer
* Synopsis
* Complete technical credits
* Official website and/or social media profiles

5.3. Failure to provide the required materials within the specified deadlines may result in the exclusion of the work from the Festival program, without any right to claim compensation.

6. Irrevocable Participation

6.1. Once selection has been communicated and confirmed by the participant, producer, or authorized representative, the work may not be withdrawn from the Festival program.

7. Intellectual Property and Music Rights

7.1. The participant declares and warrants that they are the copyright holder of the submitted work or, alternatively, that they have obtained the express and sufficient authorization of the relevant rights holders to submit, exhibit, and authorize the uses contemplated in these Rules and Regulations.

7.2. In particular, given the musical nature of the Festival, the participant declares and warrants that all necessary authorizations, licenses, and/or assignments relating to the music contained in the work have been obtained, including, without limitation, composition copyrights, performers’ rights, phonographic rights, and synchronization rights, and that the participant is authorized to permit the public exhibition of the work within the framework of the Festival.

7.3. The participant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Festival, its organizers, management, venue, and sponsors against any claim, action, or demand brought by third parties—including collective rights management organizations such as SADAIC, AADI-CAPIF, Argentores, or equivalent entities—arising from the content of the work or from any lack of rights clearance concerning music or other incorporated elements. The participant shall bear sole responsibility for any resulting costs, damages, compensation, or legal fees.

7.4. Submission to the Festival does not imply any transfer of copyright ownership to the Festival. All rights remain with their respective owners.

8. Promotional and Exhibition Rights

8.1. The participant grants the Festival, free of charge and on a non-exclusive basis, the right to:

(a) Exhibit the work in person as part of the current Festival edition and any related touring screenings organized by the Festival;

(b) Use the participant’s name, image, and information, as well as the title of the work and excerpts of up to three (3) minutes or ten percent (10%) of its total running time, for promotional, press, and publicity purposes related to the Festival through any medium, including audiovisual, print, digital, and outdoor advertising;

(c) Edit and compile such excerpts exclusively for promotional and/or institutional purposes related to the Festival.

8.2. These authorizations are granted for the period necessary for the promotion and implementation of the current edition of the Festival and for archival or institutional purposes for a period of twenty-four (24) months. Under no circumstances shall these authorizations permit the commercial exploitation of the work.

9. Awards and Jury

9.1. Jury members, composed of distinguished figures from the cultural sector, will be announced through the Festival’s official communication channels.

9.2. Awards shall consist of recognition diplomas. Within the International Feature Film Competition, awards will be presented for:

* Best Film
* Best Director

9.3. The Jury may also grant up to two Special Mentions within the Feature Film Competition.

10. Personal Data Protection

10.1. Personal data provided by participants will be processed by Festival Escenario solely for the purposes of managing participation in the Festival and its promotion, in accordance with Argentine Personal Data Protection Law No. 25,326.

Participants may exercise their rights of access, rectification, and deletion by contacting:

[escenariofilmfestival@gmail.com](mailto:escenariofilmfestival@gmail.com)

11. Liability

11.1. The Festival shall not be liable for technical issues related to the receipt or playback of materials caused by defective files, inaccessible links, or other deficiencies attributable to the participant, nor for any use made by third parties of materials lawfully disseminated by the Festival.

12. General Provisions

12.1. The Festival reserves the right to amend these Rules and Regulations for organizational reasons, provided that any such modifications are duly communicated through its official channels.

12.2. Any matter not expressly covered herein shall be resolved by the Festival organization, whose decisions shall be final.

12.3. Submission to and participation in the Festival imply full knowledge and unconditional acceptance of these Rules and Regulations.

Contact:
escenariofilmfestival@gmail.com
www.festivalescenario.com