5th International Sea Film Festival
17 Jul 2026
Call for entries
17 Oct 2026
Final deadline
2
mths
18 Dec 2026
Notification date
05 May 2027
08 May 2027
Festival start: 05 May 2027 Festival end: 08 May 2027
The International Sea Film Festival invites national and international documentary and cinematic productions that explore the seas and oceans as their central narrative thread, approaching these themes from scientific, cultural, and/or artistic perspectives, to participate in the 2027 Edition of the Festival.
Cash Prizes: 950$
The “Best Film” award will include 500 USD
The “Best Short Film” award will include 250 USD
The "Best animation" award will include 200 USD
General Information
• The 5th edition of the International Sea Film Festival will take place in Concepción, Chile, from May 5 to 8, 2027.
• The call for entries is free of charge and open to documentary feature films, documentary short films, and animated short films, both national and international.
• Eligibility requirement (mandatory): Submitted works must have the ocean, seas, marine ecosystems, or cultures connected to the sea as the central focus of their narrative.
• Previously screened productions or films that have participated in other festivals are eligible.
• Films submitted to previous editions of the Festival may apply again, provided they were not officially selected.
• Only films produced after January 2024 will be accepted.
• Submissions must be made through Festhome.
• Each submission must include a marketing kit consisting of: the screening file, Spanish or english subtitles, a synopsis, posters, and promotional stills.
• The submission period runs from July 17 to October 17, 2026.
• Officially selected productions will be announced in December 2026.
Screening Format & subtitles
Accepted video formats
• .MOV / .MP4
• Codec: H.264
• Resolution: 1920 × 1080p (progressive)
Audio requirements
• Stereo 2 CH
• Codec: AAC
• 48,000 Hz – 320 Kbps
Accepted frame rates
• 23.98 / 24 / 25 / 30 fps
subtitles
• Spanish or english subtitles in .SRT format.
• Maximum 45 characters per line, with up to 2 lines per dialogue.
• subtitles must be accurately synchronized with the film.
• Embedded ("burned-in") subtitles are also accepted, provided they are legible and visually compatible with the cinematography.
• A clean screening copy without subtitles is preferred.
For formats not specified above, the Festival reserves the right to review and determine whether they are suitable for exhibition.
Official Selection & Screening
• All submissions will be reviewed by a Curatorial Committee composed of specialists in audiovisual arts, marine sciences, and cultural management, who will determine the Official Selection.
• Selected films will be screened in their original version during the Festival.
• For international productions, a screening copy with Spanish subtitles is recommended whenever available.
• The Festival will particularly value animated films in Spanish or without dialogue, in order to facilitate access for children and family audiences. Films in other languages must include Spanish subtitles.
• No screening fees or royalties will be paid for the exhibition of selected works.
Competition
Categories
Feature Films
• Running time: 41 to 90 minutes
(including credits).
• The ocean, seas, marine ecosystems, or sea-related cultures must be the central theme.
Short Films
• Running time: 3 to 40 minutes (including credits).
• The ocean, seas, marine ecosystems, or sea-related cultures must be the central theme.
Children's and/or Family Animation
• Animated films with a running time of 1 to 8 minutes (including credits).
• The ocean, seas, marine ecosystems, or sea-related cultures must be the central theme.
Jury Deliberation & Conflict Resolution
• Any situation not covered by these regulations will be resolved by the Festival's Executive Committee.
• Jury deliberations will take place during the Festival, and the results will be announced at the awards Ceremony.
• Jury members agree not to publicly disclose their opinions before the official announcement of the awards.
Awards
• Best Feature Film
• Best Short Film
• Best Animation
Additional Recognition
• Jury Special Mention in each competition category.
No Fee
Submissions deadline
17 Oct 26
There will be a "Best Film" category in which medium-length and feature-length films with a maximum duration of 90 minutes with the seas and oceans as the main theme, can be submitted.
No Fee
Submissions deadline
17 Oct 26
There will be a "Best Short Film" category where short films with a maximum duration of 40 minutes with the seas and oceans as the main theme can be submitted
No Fee
Submissions deadline
17 Oct 26
There will be a "Best Animation" category open to animated short films for children and family audiences, with a maximum duration of 8 minutes, that have seas and oceans as their main theme.
