Festival Internacional de Cine de la Universidad Central (9)

Festival Start: 15 Oktober 2026      Festival Ende: 21 Oktober 2026

The International Film Festival of the Central University (FICUC) and the Central University’s film program are once again present to invite students, alumni, and the public to the ninth edition of FICUC.

This year’s vision will be an invitation to reflect on a cinema that embraces Latin American diversity, rather than pursuing a model tailored to satisfy those colonial perspectives that seek to dictate what cinema in our continent should be.

The ninth edition of FICUC opens its call for submissions to all types of national and Latin American short films created during academic periods at the undergraduate, graduate, master’s level, etc. Likewise, short films produced outside academic periods will be accepted, provided they are certified by the participants’ university (such as creation labs, research groups, etc.). In the same way, Colombian feature films that align with the curatorial line will also be accepted.

1. All films competing across the different categories will also be eligible for the Audience Award. This prize will be decided by attendees of the screenings, with the aim of fostering dialogue around the presented works.

2. Each winner in the respective categories—National Short Films, Latin American Short Films, School Short Films, and National Feature Films—will receive a prize previously arranged with the festival’s official sponsors.

The competition will be divided into four categories: National Feature Films, National Short Films, Latin American Short Films, and School Short Films. Each category will have one winning film, selected by the jury of its respective category, as well as an Audience Award chosen from all selected films.


• National Competition (Short Films):
Short films created by Colombian university students and completed within the last two years, coming from film schools, undergraduate programs, postgraduate studies, technical programs, master’s degrees, etc.

The objective is to find works that reflect the author’s personal explorations, encouraging storytelling rooted in their own context and embracing imperfection as a possibility, a resource, and a cinematic decision.

Exploration is not limited to any genre or format; all types of short films—fiction, experimental, animation, or documentary—will be accepted and evaluated as cinematic works.

Minimum duration: 7 minutes (excluding credits)
Maximum duration: 20 minutes (excluding credits)


• National Feature Film Competition:
Feature films created by Colombian students and/or filmmakers.

The objective is to identify works that reflect the concerns and inquiries of contemporary independent cinema, grounded in the Latin American context and not shaped by models tailored to European—or Europeanized—perspectives of what cinema in our continent should be.

The aim is to decentralize the notion of Colombian cinema through films that emerge from diverse perspectives. Projects with both formal and aesthetic narrative concerns are encouraged.

Exploration is not limited to any genre or format; all types of feature films—fiction, experimental, animation, or documentary—will be accepted and evaluated as cinematic works.

Minimum duration: 70 minutes


• Latin American School Short Film Competition:
Short films created by students from Latin American schools, completed within the last two years, that demonstrate an interest in audiovisual experimentation and filmmaking.

The objective is to bring audiences closer to innovative proposals from young emerging filmmakers with foundational training, and to showcase the diverse possibilities of youth cinema across the continent.

Exploration is not limited to any genre or format; all types of short films—fiction, experimental, animation, or documentary—will be accepted and evaluated as cinematic works.

Minimum duration: 3 minutes
Maximum duration: 20 minutes


• Latin American Short Film Competition:
Short films created by Latin American students (non-Colombian) and completed within the last two years, from film schools, undergraduate programs, postgraduate studies, technical programs, master’s degrees, etc.

The objective is to identify perspectives from across the continent that engage with the concerns and questions of contemporary independent cinema, while highlighting the author’s personal explorations, encouraging storytelling rooted in their own context, and embracing imperfection as a possibility, a resource, and a cinematic decision.

Exploration is not limited to any genre or format; all types of short films—fiction, experimental, animation, or documentary—will be accepted and evaluated as cinematic works.

Minimum duration: 7 minutes (excluding credits)
Maximum duration: 20 minutes (excluding credits)


REQUIREMENTS:

-Short films must be submitted with Spanish subtitles if Spanish is not the language spoken in the audiovisual piece.

-Selected short films and feature films must be delivered in the highest possible quality, preferably in ProRes or H.264 format.


BY SUBMITTING YOUR SHORT FILM OR FEATURE FILM, YOU AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING:

1. That your film may be screened in the official venues of the festival, as well as used in future editions or events organized by the festival, with the aim of promoting the cultural perspectives of each filmmaker.

2. That the festival may organize additional screenings during the festival period in international educational institutions. For feature films, prior authorization will be requested from the filmmakers and/or producers.

3. That the festival may host the short film on its website for at least one month after the festival has concluded, in order to promote its national and international visibility. After this period, the festival and the filmmaker must reach an agreement regarding how long the material will remain available.

4. That, with prior authorization from the filmmakers, the short film or feature film may be included in pre-festival events in the year following its participation. This means the work may be used for screenings in schools, film clubs, libraries, museums, etc.

5. After the official selection announcement date, no film may be withdrawn from FICUC. Participants whose works are selected in any category agree to provide any additional materials requested by FICUC.

6. If deemed appropriate, the FICUC team reserves the right to reassign selected works to a different category.

7. FICUC does not cover travel, accommodation, or per diem expenses for participants. The Film Program of Universidad Central and FICUC may provide an invitation letter upon request.

8. The participant grants FICUC the rights to exhibit their work during the official dates of the festival.

9. By submitting their work, the participant declares that they hold all rights to the film, including its sound, music, and visual elements, and releases FICUC, the Film Program, and Universidad Central from any claims by third parties regarding public exhibition or intellectual property rights.

10. Screenings of the National Short Film Selection will take place in a ticketed venue open to the public. It is important to note that box office revenue does not include any screening fees or payments to filmmakers.

11. The decisions of the jury and curators are final.