Lusca Film Fest (20)

Festival start: 14 October 2026      Festival end: 21 October 2026

LUSCA Film Fest (former Puerto Rico Horror Film Fest) is the Caribbean's Premier Fantastic Film Festival. LUSCA is open to the public. Accredited national and international press, as well as TV and film buyers and distributors also participate.

In addition to showcasing the best genre films that indie movie making has to offer, this exotic fest also features a number of special events.

Best International Feature Film
Best International Director
Best International SciFi/Fantasy Short Film
Best International Horror/Thriller Short Film
Best International Dark Comedy Short Film
Best International Animation Short
Best International Short film Director
Best International Music Video
International People's Choice
Best Local Feature Film
Best Local Feature Film Director
Best Local Female Feature Film Director
Best Local Feature Film Actor
Best Local Feature Film Actress
Best Local Short Film Female Director
Best Local SciFi/Fantasy Short Film
Best Local Horror/Thriller Short Film
Best Local Dark Comedy Short Film
Best Local Experimental Short Film
Best Local Documentary Short
Best Local Student Short Film
Best Local Music Video
Local People's Choice
Best Local Short Film Original Score
Best Local Short Film Actor
Best Local Short Film Actress
Best Local Short Film Screenplay
Best Local Short Film Editing
Best Local Short Film Cinematography
Best Local Short Film Sound Design
Best Local Visual FX
Best Local Practical & MakeUp FX
Best Local Short Film Animated Short
Short Script Contests
Other Local and International Prizes & Special Mentions

AUDIOVISUAL PROJECTS - GENERAL TERMS

SELECTION & SCREENING PROCESS

You will hear from us by early September at the latest, most likely by e-mail. If your contact details change at any time, please let us know so that we can update our records. The program will be published early October.

All Pre-Selected films must send their completed and signed Acceptance Form and final screening version of the movie (if it wasn’t sent by the submission process) and must be received no later than September, 15.

We prefer that you submit your projection screener via the Internet. You can use WeTransfer, Hightail, Vimeo, or any other large file transfer platform.

Programming decisions are made by a professional selection committee composed of working industry professionals. It is LUSCA policy not to provide comments on why a film was not selected for the Festival.

FESTIVAL PASSES AND COMPLEMENTARY TICKETS

Feature Films accepted into the Festival will receive four (4) Complementary Filmmaker Passes for use by attending members of the film’s crew only.

Short Films accepted into the Festival will receive two (2) Complementary Filmmaker Passes for use by attending members of the film’s crew only.

Music Videos accepted into the Festival will be granted four (4) Complimentary Tickets for the Music Video Competition Showcase and/or any regular screening session in the festival program (excluding special screenings/events).

Animation Short Films accepted into the Festival, participating in the competition, will be granted four (4) Complimentary Tickets for the Animation Competition Cinema Showing and other Animation Competition Related Events.

Short Scripts accepted to the Festival will receive two (2) Complimentary Tickets for any regular festival showing and other Short Script related events.

LUSCA FANTASTIC SHORT SCRIPT CONTEST

Participants shall submit:

1) Brief synopsis of the story in the script in no more than 6 lines.

2) Expanded synopsis of the story in the script in no more than one paragraph.

3) Premise of the story in no more than two lines.

4) Full screenplay with numbered pages in standard script format. Please submit the script file. Scripts cannot exceed 10 pages.

LUSCA Fantastic Script Contest - Participation Rules & Terms

The LUSCA Script Contest is open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents over 18, residing in Puerto Rico, the mainland U.S., or U.S. territories. Eligible scripts must align with genres supported by LUSCA: fantasy, science fiction, comedy or bizarre.

Submitted scripts must be written in Spanish and/or English, be unpublished, original, and no longer than 10 pages. They should not be entered in other contests or have any existing production agreements. Only final submissions are accepted, with no changes allowed after registration. If the script has co-authors, any awards will be issued to the main author, who is responsible for distributing them as needed.

Entries must comply with all contest guidelines and be in standard script format; non-compliance will lead to disqualification. Winners will be announced through LUSCA’s website and social media channels.

The contest jury, composed of reputable filmmakers and film experts, will make the final decisions. In case of a tie, LUSCA’s Executive Board will make the final call. The jury’s decision is final and not open to appeal.

LUSCA reserves the right to publish winning scripts. All copyrights remain with the authors, with due credit provided.

Contest winners and selected works will keep all the rights under the Federal Copyright Law and the Intellectual Property Law of Puerto Rico. The only responsibility is to establish that it was a winner of the LUSCA Fantastic Script Contest on a separate card shown for no less than 4 (four) seconds, a short film, in case the script is produced.

Submitting a script constitutes acceptance of these rules.