Cinefantasy - International Fantastic Film Festival (16)

Festival start: 02 September 2025      Festival end: 07 September 2025

Welcome to the 16th Cinefantasy!

We created CINEFANTASY – INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL to encourage, discuss, and promote fantastic cinema and its universe. Over fifteen editions, we have presented 1,500 films, held more than 100 educational activities, received 8,000 film submissions, and attracted an audience of over 90,000 people.

Now, in 2025, the 16th CINEFANTASY arrives in São Paulo from September 2 to 7, bringing a vibrant program with competitive screenings, special exhibitions, and immersive experiences for all genre lovers.

Come be enchanted, surprised, and celebrate this magical and extraordinary universe with us!

The trophy is a tribute to the director José Mojica Marins, known as Zé do Caixão (Coffin Joe), a renowned Brazilian filmmaker in the fantasy genre.

The trophies will be given only to the top prizes of each competitive.

Each qualified jury of the 16th CINEFANTASY - INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL will choose the winners of the following prizes:

Fiction Feature Film
a) Best Film
b) Best Feature film by the Popular Jury
c) Best Screenplay
d) Best Direction
e) Best Actress
f) Best Actor

Documentary Feature Film
a) Best Film

Short film
a) Best film Black Fantastic
b) Best film Animation
c) Best film Brazilian Fantastic
d) Best film Fantastic Women Directors
e) Best film Fantastic Spain
f) Best film Student
g) Best film Fantasy
h) Best film Science Fiction
i) Best film Fantastic France
j) Best film Horror
k) Best film AI Fantastic
l) Best film LGBTQIA+ Fantastic

16th CINEFANTASY
INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL

FLY COW PRODUÇÕES CULTURAIS presents the 16th edition of the festival, which will take place from September 2 to 7, 2025, in the city of São Paulo. Submissions are open from February 10 to April 15, 2025.

REGULATION

I. ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS

1. Only professional directors, producers, and/or distributors may participate in the 16th CINEFANTASY – INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL.

2. By submitting a film to the 16th CINEFANTASY – INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL, participants agree that, if selected by the curatorship, the film will be screened as part of the festival program from September 2 to 7, 2025, at the organization’s discretion.

3. Selected films may have excerpts used, at the discretion of the organization, for media promotion, graphic materials, and on the festival’s official website: www.cinefantasy.com.br.

4. Participants must guarantee that they hold all necessary rights or provide authorization from the rights holder.

5. The festival organization will not be responsible for any legal issues related to the submitted films.

6. Directors, producers, and distributors submitting films to the 16th CINEFANTASY – INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL are responsible for securing all licenses, permissions, rights, and authorizations required for public exhibition.

II. SUBMISSION

1. The submission period for the 16th CINEFANTASY – INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL runs from February 10 to April 15, 2025.

2. Submissions must be made exclusively via online links (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo, or similar platforms). If the link is private, a password must be provided. The organization will not accept download links (e.g., WeTransfer).

3. Films in foreign languages must be subtitled in Portuguese, English, or Spanish.

4. Directors, producers, and/or distributors may submit multiple films.

5. The 16th CINEFANTASY – INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL is divided into the following competitive sections:

5a. FEATURE FILM COMPETITION

- Fiction Feature Films: Produced within the last 24 months, never before screened at festivals in São Paulo, and shot in any format.

- Documentary Feature Films: Produced within the last 24 months, never before screened at festivals in São Paulo, and shot in any format.

5b. SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Films produced within the last 24 months, with a maximum runtime of 20 minutes, never before screened at festivals in São Paulo, and shot in any format.

Categories include:

a) Afrofantástico (Black Fantastic) – Films by Black filmmakers.

b) Animation – Films using various animation techniques, from stop-motion to 3D.

c) Brasil Fantástico – Brazilian fantastic films.

d) Diretoras Fantásticas (Fantastic Women Directors) – Films directed exclusively by women.

e) Espanha Fantástica (Fantastic Spain) – Spanish fantastic films.

f) Student – Films by Brazilian students enrolled in technical or higher education courses in film, radio and TV, audiovisual, or communication.

g) Fantasy – Films featuring supernatural phenomena in imaginary worlds.

h) Science Fiction – Films exploring speculative fiction about the future, science, and technology.

i) França Fantástica (Fantastic France) – A special selection of French fantastic films celebrating 200 years of diplomatic relations between France and Brazil.

j) Horror – Films spanning horror subgenres: psychological, slasher, gore, supernatural, and contemporary horror.

k) IA Fantástica (Fantastic AI) – Films exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and fantastic cinema.

l) QueerFantástico – Films celebrating LGBTQIA+ diversity within fantastic cinema, featuring narratives that explore identities, bodies, and universes beyond traditional norms.

6. Only films that fit within the fantastic genre (horror, science fiction, or fantasy) will be accepted. This includes fiction, animation, and documentary films.

7. Films previously screened at past editions of the festival are not eligible for submission.

8. By submitting a film, participants agree to all 16th CINEFANTASY – INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL rules and conditions.

III. SELECTION

1. The Festival Director will appoint and coordinate the curatorship for each competitive section.

2. A minimum of 24 short films and 10 feature films will be selected for the official competition.

3. The curatorship will assess films based on artistic and technical quality.

4. Selected participants will be notified via email by June 2, 2025, and may be required to provide additional documentation.

5. Selected filmmakers must promptly provide promotional materials (high-resolution images, posters, press kits, etc.) for marketing purposes. The festival reserves the right to use these materials for promotional activities.

5a. Foreign-language films must provide dialogue lists with timecodes in English, Spanish, or Portuguese.

6. The festival organization will determine screening dates and times. No film will be screened more than twice during the competitive section.

7. Selected films may also be included in special screenings or retrospectives at other festivals to promote CINEFANTASY – INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL.

IV. AWARDS

1. The festival will appoint qualified juries to evaluate the selected films:

- One jury of three members for feature films.
- Twelve juries of three members each for short film competitions.

2. Awards will be given in the following categories:

2a) Feature Film (Fiction)

- Best Film
- Best Screenplay
- Best Direction
- Best Actress
- Best Actor

2b) Feature Film (Documentary)

- Best Film

2c) Short Film Competition – Best Film in Each Category

- Afrofantástico (Black Fantastic)
- Animation
- Brasil Fantástico (Brazilian Fantastic)
- Diretoras Fantásticas (Fantastic Women Directors)
- Espanha Fantástica (Fantastic Spain)
- Student
- Fantasy
- Science Fiction
- França Fantástica (Fantastic France)
- Horror
- IA Fantástica (AI Fantastic)
- QueerFantástico (LGBTQIA+ Fantastic)

2d) FANTLATAM Award

- Best Feature Film Nominee
- Best Short Film Nominee

3. The juries will assess films based on the following criteria:

- Narrative & World-Building
- Direction & Artistic Vision
- Technical Excellence
- Impact & Emotional Engagement
- Innovation & Experimentation

4. The jury’s decisions are final.

5. In case of a tie, the jury will break it based on the highest scores in the following order: Technical Excellence, Direction & Artistic Vision.

6. The winners will be announced during the closing ceremony and subsequently on the festival’s website, social media, and email.

V. GENERAL CONDITIONS

1. The festival does NOT cover travel, accommodation, or meal expenses for selected participants.

2. The organization is not responsible for any damage or loss related to the festival.

3. The festival reserves the right to modify dates, rules, and conditions if necessary.

4. Any disputes will be resolved by the festival’s organizing committee, and its decisions will be final.

São Paulo, February 10, 2025.

CINEFANTASY
INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL