Festival de Cine de Elche (49)

Festival start: 10 July 2026      Festival end: 17 July 2026

The Elche Film Festival, organized by Mediterraneo Foundation's main objective is to offer a cultural space to filmmakers and moviegoers.

In a constant commitment to the promotion of culture and supporting emerging values of cinema, focusing on innovation, public conversation with the authors and the elimination of technological compete when barriers and vote.

Cash Prizes: 15,500€

AWARDS (€15,500 total):

“FUNDACIÓN MEDITERRÁNEO” AWARD – BEST FICTION SHORT FILM. €3,000 and the Dama Trophy.

“CIUTAT D’ELX” AWARD – BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM. €3,000 and the Dama Trophy.

AWARD FOR BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM. €3,000 and the Dama Trophy.

AWARD FOR BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM, in any category and of any nationality (except Spain). €2,000 and the Dama Trophy.

FES CURT AWARD – BEST SHORT FILM FROM THE VALENCIAN COMMUNITY, €1,500 and the Dama Trophy. The winner will be selected from the productions submitted in the Fes Curt category.

“CINECLUB LUIS BUÑUEL” NEW FILMMAKER AWARD, €1,500 and the Dama Trophy. Open to Spanish and international filmmakers who have made up to their third short film.

“HORT DEL XOCOLATER” AUDIENCE AWARD, €1,500 and the Dama Trophy, among Spanish and international short films included in the Official Selection. The winning short film will be the one receiving the most votes from the audience attending the Official Selection screenings at Hort del Xocolater between 11 and 17 July 2025.

AWARDS (Dama Trophy):

Best Director

Best Actress

Best Actor

Best Screenplay

Awards include VAT and will be subject to the Spanish personal income tax (IRPF) withholdings established by law.

The Festival does not require winners to attend in person to collect their awards, nor does attendance affect the granting of an award; however, the Festival will facilitate attendance where possible.

Where applicable, at the discretion of the Festival Organisation and/or the Jury, one or more of these awards may be declared void.

OBJECTIVE: The Elche Film Festival, organised by Fundación Mediterráneo, aims primarily to promote new talent and to disseminate film culture.

DATES: The 49th edition of the Festival will take place from 10 to 17 July 2026.

KEY DATES:

Short Film Submissions: 10 January – 15 March 2026.

Official Selection Notification: From 19 May 2026.

File Delivery: Before 15 June 2026.

Official Selection Screenings: 10 – 16 July 2026.

Closing Gala: 17 July 2026.

WHO CAN TAKE PART? Any individual (over 18 years old) or legal entity of any nationality.

SHORT FILM REQUIREMENTS

Produced after 1 January 2024.

Maximum running time: 30 minutes.

Non-Spanish language: Spanish subtitles required (burned-in or as *.srt).

Trailers, works-in-progress, or films submitted in previous editions are not eligible.

Recommended video formats for short films selected for the Official Selection: .mov or .mp4, 1080 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio.

If available (not mandatory), to improve accessibility: a screening copy with accessible subtitles.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Submission deadline: 15/03/2026 at 23:59:59 (mainland Spain time).

Submissions must be made exclusively through the Festhome platform.

Only one short film per entrant and category. The Organisation and/or the Festival Jury may move a film to a different category if, in their judgment, it has been submitted to the wrong one.

CATEGORIES

Fiction: Spanish and international fiction filmmakers eligible for the “Fundación Mediterráneo” Award for Best Fiction Short Film and Best International Short Film.

Animation: Spanish and international animation filmmakers eligible for the Award for Best Animated Short Film and Best International Short Film.

Documentary: Spanish and international documentary filmmakers eligible for the “Ciutat d’Elx” Award for Best Documentary Short Film and Best International Short Film.

Fes Curt: Productions by filmmakers born or residing in the Valencian Community and/or selected via film festivals in the Valencian Community and/or produced by companies based in this autonomous community. Films may also be in Valencian or subtitled into Valencian.

New Director (Autor Novel): Spanish and international filmmakers who have made up to their third short film, eligible for the “Cineclub Luis Buñuel” Award for Best New Director Short Film. Fiction, Animation or Documentary works are eligible.

AWARDS (€15,500 total)

“FUNDACIÓN MEDITERRÁNEO” AWARD – BEST FICTION SHORT FILM: €3,000 and Dama Trophy.

“CIUTAT D’ELX” AWARD – BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM: €3,000 and Dama Trophy.

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM AWARD: €3,000 and Dama Trophy.

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM AWARD (any category; any nationality except Spain): €2,000 and Dama Trophy.

FES CURT AWARD – BEST SHORT FILM FROM THE VALENCIAN COMMUNITY: €1,500 and Dama Trophy. Selected among the films submitted in the Fes Curt category.

“CINECLUB LUIS BUÑUEL” NEW DIRECTOR AWARD: €1,500 and Dama Trophy, eligible in any category. Open to Spanish and international filmmakers who have made up to their third short film.

“HORT DEL XOCOLATER” AUDIENCE AWARD: €1,500 and Dama Trophy, among Spanish and international short films in the Official Selection. The winning film will be the one receiving the most votes from attendees of the Official Selection screenings at Hort del Xocolater between 11 and 17 July 2025.

AWARDS (Dama Trophy):

Best Director

Best Actress

Best Actor

Best Screenplay

Awards include VAT and will be subject to the applicable Spanish personal income tax (IRPF) withholdings established by law.

The Festival does not require winners to attend in person to collect their awards, nor does attendance affect the granting of an award; however, the Festival will facilitate attendance where possible.

JURIES

The Festival’s Selection and Awards Juries—responsible for selecting films and granting awards—are made up of recognised film-industry professionals, specialised journalists, university lecturers, and members of the Cine Club Luis Buñuel.

Where applicable, and at the Jury’s discretion, one or more awards may be declared void.

The Jury’s decisions are final.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

The Author/Director/Distributor of the works submitted declares that they are the author, director and producer of the works and that, being original, they are free from third-party claims.

In order to promote the Festival, participants authorise the Organisation to use posters, photographs and/or excerpts from the selected works for dissemination in the media.

Without prejudice to any use and commercial exploitation of the awarded work by the Author/Director/Distributor, the Organisation is entitled to:

Store the works in a digital archive so that they may be viewed only by users during the screening week at the Festival venues: the “Hort del Xocolater” garden (Elche) and Arenales del Sol Beach (Elche).

Exercise limited public communication rights for the winning works so that Fundación Mediterráneo, through the activities it organises or collaborates on, may hold any screenings necessary to promote the winning works. These screenings will serve to promote both the short film and the Festival, provided they do not affect the distribution and potential commercial exploitation of the short film and that the necessary permissions are obtained and/or a screening fee is negotiated, where applicable.

Fundación Mediterráneo supports the short film industry by paying authors’ rights to SGAE for all screenings, whether during Official Selection screenings or other cycles that may be organised.

Of all personal data, only the email addresses of entrants will be kept for the purpose of communicating future editions. Email addresses from subscribers to the newsletter on the Festival’s official website will also be used for this purpose: https://festivaldecine.fundacionmediterraneo.es/

Submitting to the Festival implies acceptance of these rules.

Information: https://festivaldecine.fundacionmediterraneo.es/

Questions: festivalcinelche@fundacionmediterraneo.es

Publication date: 10 January 2026