Blanes - Costa Brava International Film Festival (3)

Festival start: 05 October 2026      Festival end: 11 October 2026

III Edition - The Blanes – Costa Brava International Film Festival is an international film festival that includes short films of the documentary, fiction, and animation genres, and a non-competitive section of specifically invited films. All films that make up the different sections will be selected by the Festival organisation.


The 3rd edition of the Festival will be held from 5 to 11 October 2026, in-person in Blanes.

FESTIVAL AWARDS

Awards and prizes for films and acting

The following details all the Festival's awards and prizes, both those with financial awards and honorary awards:

• Best Feature Film: honorary award
• Best Short Film: 2,500 €
• Best Short Film from a Film School: 1,000 €
• Best Documentary Short: 1,000 €
• Best Animated Short: 1,000 €
• Best Short Film "Kilometre Zero" (locally-sourced): 1,000 €
• Best Short Film on Diversity and Equality: 1,000 €

The total financial award for prizes is € 7,500 €, VAT included.


Awards for best direction, acting and career
The official international jury may award the following prizes, consisting of a trophy and/or a Festival diploma, without any monetary prize:

- Honorary Award
- Best Direction
- Best Actor in a leading role
- Best Actress in a leading role
- Special mentions from the jury
- Prize of Honour a for the Best Artistic Career (one prize for edition)


Conditions of prizes

Cash prizes are subject to current IRPF legislation for Spanish productions and international double taxation agreements for foreign films, with the responsibility for paying the corresponding taxes lying with them.

The monetary prize and trophies are subject to the attendance of a representative of the film at the awards ceremony. Trophies can only be collected in person and will not be sent by post.

The official jury may award prizes ex aequo. In the case of prizes with a monetary award, the amount of the prize will be divided equally among the winners of the ex aequo prize. Honorary ex aequo awards may be given without restriction on number.

All the decisions made by the Festival and by the jury are inappealable.

The registration and participation of a film in the Competition imply full acceptance of these rules. Any doubts not resolved in these rules will be resolved by the management of the Festival Organisation.

BASES FOR A THE REGISTRATION OF FILMS AT BLANES – COSTA BRAVA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL – 2026 EDITION


The Blanes – Costa Brava International Film Festival is an international film festival that includes short films of the documentary, fiction, and animation genres, and a non-competitive section of specifically invited films. All films that make up the different sections will be selected by the Festival's programming committee.


The 3rd edition of the Festival will be held from 5 to 11 October 2026, in Blanes. The following bases regulate the application of films for the Official Competitive Sections:

- The Official Section – Short Films: Selection of the best short films from the most recent international panorama.

- The Official Section – Film Schools: Selection of the best short films from the international panorama of film and audiovisual schools.

- Non-Competitive Section – Films: Selection of fiction, animation, and documentary films specifically invited based on production interest criteria.


1. ADMISSION CRITERIA

1.1 Films participating in the Official Sections will be selected by the Festival organisers. Their decision will be final.

1.2 The films must of comply with the following requirements:

- Production after a the 1st of January of 2024.

- Not having participated in previous editions of the festival.

- The Festival Directorate reserves the right to programme, as an exception, films that do not meet these requirements, always out of competition.

1.3 The maximum duration of short films in official competition shall be 30 minutes. Films programmed out of competition are not subject to this limit.


2. REGISTRATION PROCEDURES

2.1 The procedures accepted for submitting a film are:
- online platforms: Festhome.

2.2 Films must be in their original version and subtitled in Catalan or Spanish. If subtitles are not available, the festival may decide whether to accept the screening or request the original dialogues in SRT format for translation and subtitling. The minimum resolution accepted for projection copies is 1080p.

2.3 The Festival accepts the submission of films with non-definitive edits (rough cuts / non-definitive version) for programmers to consider. At the time of submission, it must be clearly notified that it is a non-final edit. The Organisation will contact the participant directly to request a final version if necessary.

2.4 The participant assures that the film submitted is original and is not subject to contracts, assignments or licenses to third parties for copyright or intellectual property rights or other rights, except those of the author.

2.5 Only timely submissions will be accepted and incomplete applications will not be considered.


3. ENTRY FEE
The entries for this edition will be free.


4. FESTIVAL awards

4.1 awards and prizes for films and acting
The following details all the Festival's awards and prizes, both those with financial awards and honorary awards:

• Best Feature Film: honorary award
• Best Short Film: 2,500 €
• Best Short Film from a Film School: 1,000 €
• Best Documentary Short: 1,000 €
• Best Animated Short: 1,000 €
• Best Short Film "Kilometre Zero" (locally-sourced): 1,000 €
• Best Short Film on Diversity and Equality: 1,000 €

The total financial award for prizes is € 7,500 €, VAT included.

4.2 awards for best direction, acting and career
The official international jury may award the following prizes, consisting of a trophy and/or a Festival diploma, without any monetary prize:

- Honorary Award
- Best Direction
- Best Actor in a leading role
- Best Actress in a leading role
- Special mentions from the jury
- Prize of Honour a for the Best Artistic Career (one prize for edition)


4.3 Conditions of prizes
Cash prizes are subject to current IRPF legislation for Spanish productions and international double taxation agreements for foreign films, with the responsibility for paying the corresponding taxes lying with them.

The monetary prize and trophies are subject to the attendance of a representative of the film at the awards ceremony. Trophies can only be collected in person and will not be sent by post.

The official jury may award prizes ex aequo. In the case of prizes with a monetary award, the amount of the prize will be divided equally among the winners of the ex aequo prize. Honorary ex aequo awards may be given without restriction on number.

All the decisions made by the Festival and by the jury are inappealable.

The registration and participation of a film in the Competition imply full acceptance of these rules. Any doubts not resolved in these rules will be resolved by the management of the Festival Organisation.


5. REMUNERATION

5.1 The Festival will cover the accommodation expenses (1 double room for 2 nights) for all selected films that demonstrate in-person participation at the Festival. The Festival may establish remuneration for fiction, animation, and documentary films that have been specifically invited to a non-competitive section, based on criteria of promotional interest or market demand, among other factors.

The Festival may cover distribution expenses (platform fees such as Festhome) for specifically invited films, under agreed terms.

The amounts will be paid to the person or entity that holds the rights to the film and has registered it for the Festival. It is mandatory to present the corresponding invoices to the Organisation to process payment, which will be paid after participation. No payment will be made without the required invoice.

5.2 In the case of non-Spanish productions, invoices will be issued without VAT and the payment of taxes will be the responsibility of the issuer.


6. SELECTION PROCESS, REQUIREMENTS AND AUTHORISATIONS

6.1 The selection for the different festival sections will be handled by the organisation. The results will be published on the festival website and social media from the last week of August 2026. Applicants of selected films will receive a confirmation email and the Festival regulations.

6.2 This selection will be made without distinction of theme and will include proposals from the guest culture. The objective is to offer a diverse and quality representation of contemporary cinema at national and international level.

6.3 A Jury appointed by the organisation will deliberate on the Festival awards.

6.4 The selected films will be screened in person during the festival dates at the Teatre Municipal de Blanes and in other venues decided by the organisation. The organisation reserves the right to tour the sessions.

6.5 Participants exempt the Festival Organisation from any liability arising from plagiarism or any breach of current legislation that they may incur. The films will be presented by a person who holds the rights to them or represents them. The person presenting films in the competition will be responsible for making payments for copyright generated by their works.

6.6 The award winners undertake that in subsequent screenings of the film, the mention of the award received will be included. Furthermore, they authorise the Organisation to use extracts (less than 1 minute) and photographs for the promotion and advertising of the Festival on all physical and digital media, including social networks.

6.7 Selected films may not, under any circumstances, be withdrawn from the competition unilaterally by the person or production company that has registered the film once notification of selection has been given, and must comply with the requirements of the section in which they participate until their presentation at the Festival. The Festival will recognise the signatory of this registration as the sole point of contact for all aspects related to the film's participation in the competition.


7. CONTACT
For queries related to the rules and/or the registration process you can contact us at:

- Physical address: Passeig de 29 – 17300 Dintre, Blanes
- email: festivalcineCB@blanes.cat
- Phones: +34 606 908 071 – +34 608 880 002 – +34 972 379 310