Festival de Málaga. Sección Afirmando los Derechos de las Mujeres (30)

Début du Festival: 26 février 2027      Fin du Festival: 07 mars 2027

ASSERTING WOMEN'S RIGHTS is a project that emerged from the Festival de Málaga, in collaboration with documentary filmmaker Mabel Lozano and the Equal Opportunities Department of the Malaga City Council, as a tool for protest and advocacy. This section was created with the aim of exploring and addressing issues that raise social awareness about women's rights each year.

Launched in 2008, this section of the Festival de Málaga is now in its 19th edition. The project has a dual purpose: to shed light on the injustices that women continue to face in the 21st century simply because they are women, and to promote and support films created by women.

Through Asserting Women's Rights, we have brought attention to the challenges women face in different parts of the world. Even today, there are many places where women and girls must fight daily for their survival. In these regions, traditional practices and cultural norms often hinder their personal and social development, preventing them from achieving equality with their male counterparts.

ASSERTING WOMEN’S RIGHTS AWARDS

• Asserting Women’s Rights Biznaga
• Asserting Women’s Rights Special Jury Award Biznaga
• Asserting Women’s Rights Audience Award Biznaga


ANNEX


WOMEN ON STAGE AWARDS CEREMONY.

During the Asserting Women’s Rights Awards Ceremony, the Awards of Women on Stage, held in October
and November 2026 and organised by Festival de Málaga in collaboration with the Equal Opportunities
Department of Malaga City Council, will also be presented.

• Women on Stage Biznaga for Best Fiction.
• Women on Stage Biznaga for Best Documentary.
• Women on Stage Audience Award Biznaga.
• Málaga Biznaga. Women on Stage.

The Organisation reserves the right to incorporate into the Festival archive one copy of the winning works
for cultural, non-profit purposes.

ASSERTING WOMEN’S RIGHTS RULES 2027
GENERAL PARTICIPATION RULES | 30th FESTIVAL DE MÁLAGA

1. OBJECTIVES
Festival de Málaga aims to disseminate and promote Spanish cinema and its entire cultural sphere. In this
regard, the Festival also serves as a platform for Ibero-American cinematographies. Among its functions
is to host the meeting point for the various professional sectors of Spanish-language cinema (understood
as cinema produced in Spain and throughout the Ibero-American territory, including Portugal), promoting
both its development and its international commercialisation.

Festival de Málaga is recognised by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations, FIAPF
www.fiapf.org www.fiapf.org

In order to fulfil these objectives, Festival de Málaga will hold its 30th Edition from 26 February to 7 March 2027.

ASSERTING WOMEN’S RIGHTS is a project created by Festival de Málaga, Mabel Lozano (documentary filmmaker and Festival collaborator), and the Equal Opportunities Department of Malaga City Council as a tool of protest.

This space was created to explore and address, each year, issues that contribute to raising social awareness of women’s rights.

This Festival de Málaga section was created in 2008, with this being its 19th edition. The project has a dual
purpose: to report on the injustices that women continue to suffer in this century simply because they are
women, and to foster and support film work created by women.

Through Asserting Women’s Rights, we have been able to give visibility to the realities of women in different
countries around the world and to show how, even today, there are many places where the struggle for life is
a daily objective for many women and girls; where traditions and cultural patterns prevent girls and women
from achieving personal and social fulfilment with equal rights to their male counterparts, etc.


2. PARTICIPATION CONDITIONS

Works competing within the Asserting Women’s Rights section must meet the following requirements:

Feature films with a minimum duration of 50 minutes, produced in Spain and throughout the Ibero-American
territory after 1 January 2026, which have not been commercially released in cinemas, on video,
television, at audiovisual events in Spain or on VOD (video on demand) platforms.

Medium-length films and short films produced in Spain and throughout the Ibero-American territory
after 1 January 2026, which have not been commercially released in cinemas, on video, television or VOD
(video on demand) platforms.

Particular consideration will be given to works that reflect the reality of women in situations where obstacles
still exist to their development under equal conditions with men, with a plurality of voices from
indigenous, migrant, trans, older, disabled and Afro-descendant women; situations of discrimination
and vulnerability of the human rights of women and/or girls; innovative experiences of empowerment and
the fight against the social exclusion of women and girls; as well as works that promote and/or reflect
progress in equal opportunities between men and women, that give visibility to women’s work and achievements in different fields that are not socially recognised, or that give visibility to the contribution to environmental care being made through Ecofeminism. Works that reflect men’s contribution to achieving gender equality, co-responsibility and the reconciliation of personal, working and family life, etc., will also be considered.

Deep commitment, authenticity, artistic sensitivity and the ability to raise awareness and promote
transformation will be valued. It is not merely a matter of talking about women, but of doing so with an
ethics of care, truth and justice.

It will be valued that the direction, screenplay and/or production of the audiovisual work has been carried
out by women, given their underrepresentation in the film industry.


3. SUBMISSION AND SELECTION PROCESS

SUBMISSIONS

In order to participate in the 20th edition of Asserting Women’s Rights, registration and completion of the
submission form exclusively through FESTHOME (www.festhome.com) is mandatory before the following
deadline: www.festhome.com
8 November 2026

For the submission of a work to be valid, all steps in the process must be completed:

1. Register on the FESTHOME platform (or log in if an account already exists).

2. Register the film on said platform, including all required information as well as the viewing link.

3. Complete the submission by selecting Asserting Women’s Rights within FESTHOME.

• To do so, access the festival search engine on the platform and locate Festival de Málaga.

• Choose the category in which you wish to participate and pay the corresponding submission fee for
the selected section.

• Click “Send” to complete the process effectively.
Failure to complete the above steps will result in the audiovisual works being excluded from the selection
process.

*Important:

Simply uploading the film to FESTHOME does not constitute submission to the Asserting Women’s Rights
Section of Festival de Málaga.

Participation will only be valid if all the aforementioned requirements have been met.


Submission fees

Submissions to Festival de Málaga will be subject to payment of the corresponding fees according to the
submission section or category, the amounts and deadlines of which are detailed below:

Early Fee

• Fiction short films: 15 euros (until 8 October 2026, inclusive).

• Documentary short films: 15 euros (until 8 October 2026, inclusive).

• Documentary feature films: 20 euros (until 8 October 2026, inclusive).

• Fiction feature films: 40 euros (until 2 November 2026, inclusive).


Regular/Late Fee

• Fiction short films: 30 euros (until 8 November 2026, inclusive).

• Documentary short films: 30 euros (until 8 November 2026, inclusive).

• Documentary feature films: 40 euros (until 8 November 2026, inclusive).

• Fiction feature films: 80 euros (until 2 December 2026, inclusive).

The amount paid as a submission fee, intended to cover the management and evaluation costs of the submitted
works, shall not be refunded under any circumstances.
During the submission and/or selection process, and due to Festival de Málaga’s commitment to parity and to supporting the presence of women in film production, applicants will be asked to indicate the gender of the people participating in the projects, with the aim of compiling reliable and accurate statistics to
determine the degree of women’s participation in the audiovisual sector

REQUIREMENTS FOR SELECTED AUDIOVISUAL WORKS

The invitation to each of the films selected by the selection committee shall remain strictly confidential
between the Festival’s management and the producers or representatives of the invited film until the Festival
decides to announce it officially.

Once the selection of an audiovisual work has been communicated by the Festival and its participation
has also been confirmed by the production/distribution company that submitted it, the work may not be
withdrawn and, from that moment, may not compete, be exhibited or be presented at any other Spanish
festivals or similar events before its screening in Málaga.

This latter prohibition shall not apply to any short film category.

The submission of a film to the 30th Edition of Festival de Málaga implies full acceptance of and compliance
with these Participation Rules and any annexes thereto.
All films selected for the 30th edition will receive a certificate of participation from the management of
Festival de Málaga.

The submission of an audiovisual work in competition to the 30th Edition of Festival de Málaga implies full
acceptance of and compliance with these Participation Rules and any annexes thereto.


PROGRAMMING AND EXHIBITION RIGHTS

During the Festival, no film submitted to any of the sections may be screened more than a total of five
times, including screenings reserved for the press. In this regard, the production companies shall grant
the rights for public exhibition during the Festival period at no cost to the Festival and shall waive any
exhibition fees. For any additional screening, the Festival must obtain prior written authorisation from the
producer or, failing that, from their appointed representative.

The signatory of the audiovisual work submission form declares that they hold the reproduction, public
communication, dissemination and exhibition rights necessary for its commercial exploitation and peaceful
participation in Festival de Málaga, holding Málaga Procultura harmless from any liability arising from
the falsity, inaccuracy or breach of said obligation, and being liable to it for any damages and losses that
any such situation may cause.

Likewise, the signatory of the submission form expressly declares that they hold all licences, authorisations
and administrative permits required for the peaceful participation of the audiovisual work in the
Festival, observing and undertaking to observe all administrative formalities required under the applicable
regulations in force.

Málaga Procultura shall recognise the signatory of the submission form as the sole interlocutor for negotiating
all matters relating to the participation of the audiovisual work in the Festival and as the sole party responsible vis-a-vis any other companies or persons who may have participated in the production of the film.

The Organisation reserves the right to incorporate into the Festival archive one copy of the winning audiovisual
works for cultural, non-profit purposes.


VERSIONS

All screening copies of the audiovisual works selected in the Festival’s different sections shall be presented
in their original version:

• With Spanish subtitles, if the original version of the film is not in Spanish, either wholly or partially.

• With English subtitles, if the original version is entirely in Spanish.

If the original version of the film is in any of the co-official languages of the Spanish State or in other
languages, it must be subtitled in Spanish and must provide an SRT file with English subtitles, as well as
an online, downloadable screener, which shall be used exclusively for internal and confidential purposes.
This last requirement will be requested by the Print Traffic department depending on the section in which
the film is selected.

Where required, the Festival will provide, at its own expense, additional electronic subtitling through the
subtitling company providing services to the Festival.
Failure to comply with this condition may lead to the disqualification of the selected work.


SCREENING FORMATS

Selected audiovisual works in all sections must deliver the screening copy in DCP format.

Screening copies in Digital Cinema Package (DCP) format must comply mandatorily with DCI standards
and will remain in the possession of Festival de Málaga until the conclusion of the last scheduled screening
within the Festival. In addition, the company that submitted the selected film must certify that the
copy functions correctly (audio/video synchronisation, colour, etc.) by testing it before sending it to Málaga.

Said company shall also provide the technical department with the necessary KDMs. These must
remain open from the beginning until the end of the Festival. The company shall bear the costs arising
from their generation, as well as the management of new KDMs —or DKDMs— if required.

The Festival reserves the right not to accept copies which, following the necessary technical checks, are
not deemed suitable for screening, providing a technical report to the film representatives and requesting
a new copy.

No replacement copies will be accepted due to the inclusion of logos, title cards, credits, editing changes,
subtitles or other modifications after delivery of the final DCP, unless such changes respond to a documented
technical incident and are expressly authorised by the Festival and approved by Management.


PRINT TRAFFIC

Selected participants must send the film copy to the Festival before 13 January 2027, choosing one of the
following methods:

• Physical shipment of the DCP together with a digital file that may be used as a backup copy.

Payment of shipping costs (transport and insurance policy) arising from the dispatch of the copy of each
audiovisual work selected to participate in any of the Festival sections from the place of shipment to the
Festival’s print warehouse shall be borne by the production companies.

In the case of participating films, the production companies must deliver the screening copies to the Festival, mandatorily before 13 January 2027, and must inform the Organisation of the dispatch date of the
copy and the means of transport used.

All copies of participating audiovisual works must indicate the details for their return. Such returns will
be carried out within a maximum period of fifteen days from the Festival closing date. Payment of the
transport costs arising from this return shall be borne by the Festival.

The insurance taken out by the Festival covers the risks of fire, loss, theft, damage and destruction of the
copy for the period between its arrival at the Festival and its return to the return address provided. The
maximum period for submitting any claim regarding a copy shall be three months from the date of return.

• Digital delivery of the DCP through a platform enabled by the Festival for this purpose. In this case, the
DCP must be hosted uncompressed, and ZIP or RAR files will not be accepted. Companies will have seven
(7) days to upload the film, counted from the first day on which they receive access to this platform.

The Organisation will destroy these files once the edition has concluded.

Once this delivery method has been communicated to the Print Traffic department (always before 13 January),
access details to the platform will be provided, as well as all information relating to the download.

If a technical screening in a cinema is required during the Festival, it may be requested before 22 January
2027 by email at gestiondecopias@malagaprocultura.com. After this date, technical screenings may no
longer be requested.gestiondecopias@malagaprocultura.com


4. JURIES AND AWARDS

The jury of the Asserting Women’s Rights section shall be composed of: the Equal Opportunities Department
of Malaga City Council; the Women’s Institute; filmmaker Mabel Lozano; Mujer Hoy magazine;
and Festival de Málaga. Its decisions shall be final and shall not have to be justified. This jury may be
subject to change.

Persons with interests in the production, distribution or any other form of exploitation of or participation
in the films selected for competition may not form part of the jury.

The jury may grant up to two special mentions in addition t o the official awards.

The jury may grant a maximum of two ex aequo awards.
Awards in all categories may not be declared void.
The jury undertakes not to publicly express its views on the selection of films for which it is required to
issue its decisions.

The Management of Festival de Málaga may be present, with the right to speak but not to vote, at the jury’s
deliberations and communications.

ASSERTING WOMEN’S RIGHTS AWARDS

• Asserting Women’s Rights Biznaga
• Asserting Women’s Rights Special Jury Award Biznaga
• Asserting Women’s Rights Audience Award Biznaga

IMAGE RIGHTS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Mere participation in Festival de Málaga in any of its sections will allow production/distribution companies
to insert the Festival and Asserting Women’s Rights logos at the beginning of the audiovisual works, with
the wording “30th Edition”. This logo and wording may also be included in all print press insertions, and
this participation may be expressly mentioned in the various audiovisual media in which advertising for
the film is included prior to or during the Festival. For the correct insertion of the logo, which may not
under any circumstances be altered or adapted, the Festival’s style guide may be consulted at www.festivaldemalaga.com or, in case of doubt, the Organisation may be contacted.

CATALOGUE AND DOCUMENTATION

Once an audiovisual work has been confirmed for participation in the Festival, an exclusive online form for each film will be sent and must be completed with the content required for its programming.

The documentation requested by the Festival for the official catalogue, programme guide and website (synopsis,
biofilmography, cast and crew credits, photographs of the director and the film, trailers and other
audiovisual materials) will be taken from this form, which must be completed no later than 23 January.


PRESS AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL

The Festival Press Department will contact the respective production and/or distribution companies of the
selected films in order to supervise and coordinate the materials included in the selection form, which
will be accessible to the media and accredited professionals through the “Press Room” on the website.

The production and/or distribution companies of the selected feature films, documentaries and short
films authorise, by accepting their participation, the use of one or more excerpts from their title for dissemination
as informational material in any media outlet.


ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS

These participation rules may be supplemented or amended by the Festival Management with any other annexes it deems appropriate, prior to the start date of the 30th Edition of Festival de Málaga and after
prior communication to the interested parties.

The interpretation of these rules shall fall under the exclusive competence of the Festival Management.

5. ANNEX

WOMEN ON STAGE AWARDS CEREMONY.

During the Asserting Women’s Rights Awards Ceremony, the Awards of Women on Stage, held in October
and November 2026 and organised by Festival de Málaga in collaboration with the Equal Opportunities
Department of Malaga City Council, will also be presented.

• Women on Stage Biznaga for Best Fiction.
• Women on Stage Biznaga for Best Documentary.
• Women on Stage Audience Award Biznaga.
• Málaga Biznaga. Women on Stage.

The Organisation reserves the right to incorporate into the Festival archive one copy of the winning works
for cultural, non-profit purposes.

6. CONTACT

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES DEPARTMENT OF MALAGA CITY COUNCIL
C/ Concejal Muñoz Cerván, 3. Module 3, 2nd Floor.
29003 - Málaga (Spain)
T. 951 926 006
cine.areaigualdad@malaga.eu