IKUSKA - Muestra Internacional De Cortometraje De La Bahía De Pasaia (28)

Festival start: 13 November 2026      Festival end: 21 November 2026

XXVIII the International Short Film Show of the Bay of Pasaia, IKUSKA 2026.

The festival has an international short film competition in 5 screenings, and other parallel non-competition sessions related to the development of Basque and language coexistence (MINTZAGUN projection in collaboration with Oarsoaldea euskaltegis), Gender Equality (BEKOZ BEKO award in collaboration with the Association against gender violence Bekoz Beko), the promotion of culture in Pasaia and its surroundings, etc.

Cash Prizes: 61,000€

* Best Short Film: €1,500
* Feminine Plural Award: €1,000
* MINTZAGUN Award: €600
* Best Animated Short Film: €500
* Best Documentary Short Film: €500
* Best Actress: €500
* Best Actor: €500
* Youth Jury Award: €500
* Audience Award: €500

1.- The 28th International Short Film Showcase of Pasaia Bay, IKUSKA 2026, will take place in Pasaia (Gipuzkoa, Spain) from 13 to 21 November 2026.

2.- Participation is open to any natural person, regardless of nationality or place of origin (except those directly affiliated with the organization), as well as to legally constituted legal entities. All participants must be at least 18 years of age. IKUSKA does not charge submission fees for participating short films.

3.- Eligible works must have been completed after 1 January 2025 and may not exceed 20 minutes in length.

4.- There are no restrictions regarding theme or genre. Submitted works may be either silent or with sound.

5.- With regard to dialogue, works in any language may be submitted, subject to the following conditions:

a) During the submission and pre-selection phase, films whose dialogue is in a language other than Basque or Spanish must include subtitles in either of those languages, or alternatively in English or French.

b) For the final selection phase, if the short film is in a language other than Basque or Spanish, participants must provide the organization with either a copy containing Spanish subtitles (preferred) or a copy without subtitles together with a transcript of the dialogue in Spanish or English for subtitling purposes.

6.- Submissions will be accepted until 31 August 2026 (inclusive).

7.- Short films must be submitted through the online submission platforms listed on the website [www.ikuska.eus](http://www.ikuska.eus), by completing the entry forms provided by those platforms. Participants are responsible for understanding and, where applicable, assuming any costs associated with participation through such online platforms.

Free submission is also available by completing and submitting the form available on the festival website. This form must include a link for viewing and/or downloading the short film via Vimeo (preferred), WeTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox, or similar services.

8.- The Showcase Selection Committee will review all submitted works and determine the films selected for the Official Competition Section and the Parallel Sections. For the Parallel Sections, the organization will invite selected filmmakers to participate; invitees may decline the invitation and withhold authorization for screening. The Festival will notify all applicants of the Selection Committee’s decision. Selected participants will also be informed of the details of their participation, including screening date and time, requests for high-quality screening copies where necessary, and other relevant information.

9.- The MINTZAGUN Award for Best Basque-Language Short Film will be determined by audience voting during several special screenings attended by students from the Euskaltegis (Basque-language learning centers) of the Oarsoaldea region in Gipuzkoa.

10.- The Jury for the Official Competition Section will consist of individuals appointed by the organization and will determine the recipient of each award. The Youth Award will be granted by a youth jury appointed by the organization, which will select a film from the Official Competition Section. In both cases, the decisions of the juries shall be final and will be announced during the Closing Ceremony. The juries reserve the right to withhold any award.


11.- The monetary prizes are as follows:

* Best Short Film: €1,500
* Feminine Plural Award: €1,000
* MINTZAGUN Award: €600
* Best Animated Short Film: €500
* Best Documentary Short Film: €500
* Best Actress: €500
* Best Actor: €500
* Youth Jury Award: €500
* Audience Award: €500

12.- Trophies will be presented during the Closing Ceremony on 21 November 2026, preferably to the directors, producers, actors, actresses, or other representatives of the winning films who attend to receive their awards. If attendance is not possible, the trophies may be presented to a designated representative.

13.- The organization will cover, insofar as its resources permit, the travel and accommodation expenses of award recipients attending the Closing Ceremony. All cash prizes will be paid by bank transfer after the conclusion of the festival. Prizes are subject to any tax withholdings required under applicable legislation.

14.- All monetary awards will be paid to the natural or legal person identified in the submission form as the beneficiary of the prize. If no beneficiary is specified, the organization will contact the individual or entity that submitted the short film. This provision does not apply to the Best Performance Award or to the Special Jury Prize when awarded to an individual.

15.- The organization of IKUSKA 2026 will make every effort to ensure that screening copies are suitable for exhibition and of the highest possible quality. The authors and/or producers of selected films authorize the organization of IKUSKA 2026 to use excerpts from their works for promotional purposes in the media, without commercial intent, up to a maximum of 10% of the film’s duration and in no case exceeding one minute and thirty seconds.

Likewise, the technical and artistic information provided in the submission form (title, running time, director, etc.) may be included in Festival publications. Copies submitted for selection purposes will become part of the Showcase archive.

16.- Selected short films may also be screened outside the Festival itself, in promotional events related to the Showcase or in activities concerning youth, women, education, the promotion of the Basque language, and similar initiatives, in collaboration with local associations. Such screenings will always be free of charge and non-profit in nature. Prior authorization will be requested from the rights holders, who may decline the invitation and refuse permission for screening.

17.- The individual, company, organization, or other entity submitting the short film must ensure that they are duly authorized to do so and that participation in IKUSKA 2026 does not infringe the rights of third parties, sponsors, or other stakeholders. Participants further release the organization from any legal liability that may arise.

18.- The organization reserves the right to amend these regulations, resolve unforeseen circumstances, or suspend the competition in cases of force majeure. Should this occur, participants will be duly informed.

19.- Human Authorship. Submitted works must be of human authorship. The organization will make every effort, to the greatest extent possible, to ensure that works employing generative artificial intelligence in their production are not included. The Festival reserves the right to request information regarding the creative process where reasonable doubts exist and to disqualify a work at any stage of the competition if the use of such tools is confirmed.

20.- Submission to the 28th International Short Film Showcase of Pasaia Bay constitutes full acceptance of these rules and regulations.