Festival start: 01 April 2026
Festival end: 30 October 2026
The International University Short Film Festival "CINESTESIA FEST" is an international cultural space founded in 2017 at the Fundación Universitaria Los Libertadores, located in Bogotá and Cartagena, Colombia.
The main objective is to provide a platform for emerging filmmakers and students enrolled in universities worldwide to exhibit their projects, foster professional recognition, encourage reflection, and cultivate new audiences.
The Festival takes place annually in the second semester of the year in Bogotá and Cartagena, Colombia, awarding the "Cinestesia" statuette—a recognition of international university talent.
AWARDS AND MENTIONS
Official Selection Laurels and Screening (30 short films).
Best Fiction Short Film Award.
Best Documentary Short Film Award.
Best Animation Short Film Award.
Best Experimental / New Narratives Award.
Best 9:16 Short Film Award.
Best Poster Award.
"Orgullo Libertador" Award: For the best short film produced by students of the Fundación Universitaria Los Libertadores.
"Libertador 10 YEARS" Award: For the best Colombian short film (produced in Colombia and/or directed by a Colombian national).
"CINESTESIA 10 YEARS" Award: For the best short film of the year (from any category in the selection).
Mentions:
Best Director.
Best Cinematography.
Best Editing.
Best Sound.
Best Acting.
Best Soundtrack.
Best Art Direction.
GENERAL CONDITIONS
1. Registration is free of charge.
2. Submissions must be made exclusively through the festival's official platform FestHome. Entries outside these platforms will not be accepted.
3. Directors, producers, and/or those responsible for the submission may enter more than one short film.
4. The entry must be a student project completed between January 1, 2025, and June 20, 2026.
5. By participating, entrants accept all festival conditions, including the screening of the submitted material in public and private media for promotional purposes.
6. The representing university or institute must appear in the credits.
7. Short films must have a runtime between 1 and 15 minutes (including credits), according to the specifications of each category: Fiction, Documentary, Animation, and New Narratives.
8. The "Short Film Poster" category corresponds to a graphic piece representing a short film participating in the four categories mentioned in point 7.
9. In the event of winning an award or mention and being unable to attend the award ceremonies in person (Bogotá or Cartagena), the participant must cover the shipping costs of the award to their place of residence.
10.Short films produced in a language other than Spanish must include subtitles in english or Spanish.
SELECTION PROCESS
- The selection of short films or audiovisual material will be carried out in two stages: the first by the festival team and the second by a jury commission appointed by the festival directorate.
- The CINESTESIA FEST organization reserves the right to exhibit participating works in any public or private media for festival promotion purposes.
- The festival may withdraw or disqualify any short film or audiovisual product at any time if it fails to comply with the established rules or if false information was provided during registration.
- If a short film is part of the Official Selection, the director or producer will be contacted via the email registered at the time of entry to provide documentation certifying the university affiliation of the project. Failure to respond within 5 calendar days of notification will result in disqualification.
- If a short film is part of the Official Selection, the director or producer must ensure the file is available for download from the platform for the festival's official screening. If the download is not available, the short film will be disqualified.
CONTACT
International University Short Film Festival - CINESTESIA FEST
www.cinestesiafest.com
Email: cinestesiafest@libertadores.edu.co
Fundación Universitaria Los Libertadores
Organized by: Faculty of Communication Sciences
Carrera 16 # 63 – 68, Bogotá – Colombia
+57(1) 254 4750 - Ext: 3107
CATEGORIES
FICTION SHORT FILM
awards excellence in fictional cinematic storytelling, highlighting character development, dramatic structure, and technical quality in stories created from original or adapted scripts. Runtime: 1 to 15 minutes, including credits.
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
Recognizes works that explore reality through a creative lens, using audiovisual language to document facts, social issues, personal portraits, or research with an artistic approach. Runtime: 1 to 15 minutes, including credits.
ANIMATION SHORT FILM
A category dedicated to short films using animation techniques (2D, 3D, stop motion, etc.) to bring stories to life, valuing visual innovation, art design, and narrative fluidity. Runtime: 1 to 15 minutes, including credits.
EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FILM / NEW NARRATIVES
A space for works that challenge traditional cinematic language conventions, exploring abstract forms, non-linear narratives, and the use of new technologies or hybrid formats. Runtime: 1 to 15 minutes, including credits.
9:16 SHORT FILM (Vertical)
A category dedicated to works conceived and produced exclusively in a 9:16 aspect ratio. It values the filmmaker's ability to adapt cinematic language, framing, and composition to verticality, exploring new visual aesthetics of the digital era. Runtime: 1 to 10 minutes, including credits.
SHORT FILM POSTER
A3 format, PDF or JPG, at 300 dpi, RGB. (Only posters belonging to a short film registered in this edition may participate).
-8%
