Mare Iwff (Muestra De Artistas Y Realizadoras En Español) International Women’s Film Festival (1)

Festival start: 03 September 2026      Festival end: 03 September 2026

From Valencia, the cosmopolitan and Mediterranean city where diverse cultures from around the world converge, we extend an invitation to all women filmmakers to connect. MUDECIN VLC is a platform for women filmmakers worldwide, aiming to give voice and recognition, regardless of their ideology, religion, or culture, to films made by women.

MUDECIN VLC is an open space for all of us, a space where all women filmmakers with a story to tell on the big screen are welcome.

OFFICIAL FEATURE FILM SECTION (Fiction)

International Category (In Spanish)

Best International Film: Grand Prize for the best Spanish-language production (Latin America and the rest of the world).

Best International Production: Recognition of technical efficiency and best resource management.

Best International Director: Recognition of the director's technical and narrative approach.

Best International Cinematography: Recognition of the director's visual storytelling.

Best International Screenplay: International recognition for the most solid and impactful story in Spanish.

Best International Actress: Award for excellence in leading female performance.

Best International Actor: Recognition for the best male acting performance in a film directed by a woman.

National Category (Spain):

Best Spanish Film: Award for excellence in national production.

Best Spanish Production: Recognition of technical efficiency and best resource management.

Best Spanish Director: Recognition of the director's technical and narrative approach.

Best Spanish Cinematography: Recognition of the director's visual storytelling.

Best Spanish Screenplay: International recognition for the most compelling and impactful story.

Best Spanish Actress: Award for outstanding performance in a leading female role.

Best Spanish Actor: Recognition for the best male performance in a film directed by a woman.


DOCUMENTARY SECTION (Feature Films)

Best International Documentary: Non-fiction film from any Spanish-speaking country.

Best National Documentary: Promoting the documentary genre produced in Spain.

"Women's Realities Showcase" Award: Special mention for documentaries that highlight women's history or current social issues.

SHORT FILM SECTION

Best International Short Film: For films up to 30 minutes long produced in Spanish-speaking countries worldwide.

Best Spanish Short Film: Supporting the national short film format.


WOMEN IN FILM SCHOOL

Best Short Film: Award for the best short film produced by a film school.

Directing: Award for the best directing approach in a film school project.

Edition: Award for Best Audiovisual Narrative in Film School.

MARE SPECIAL AWARDS 2026

MARE Honorary Award: A tribute to a professional career dedicated to paving the way for women in Spanish-language cinema.

Mare La Terreta Award: A tribute to a professional career dedicated to paving the way for women in Valencian cinema.

Exemplary Woman of the Year Award: An award given to the woman who is a true role model for her impeccable and inclusive career, and who can be considered a role model for all women.

Honorary Ambassador Award: To the most outstanding person or institution in promoting women in film.

2026 Call for Entries

Organized by: Malu Zamora Productions

Presentation
MARE IWFF is a national and international showcase for films made by women in the Feature Film, Short Film, and Documentary categories.

Objectives
We seek to create an exhibition space for films made by all women who have something to say on the big screen. We look for narrative power, image quality, and the strength of the message, always from a female perspective.

To generate opportunities for dialogue to empower women through audiovisual expression.

To expand the reach of thoughtful cinema, without aligning ourselves with preconceived ideological discourses.

Categories
• Feature Film Competition

Official Selection focused on the exhibition of feature films in the fiction and documentary genres, Spanish or foreign, with a minimum runtime of 60 minutes, in FullHD or higher quality, and directed or produced by women.

• Short Film Competition

Official Selection focused on showcasing Spanish or international fiction and documentary short films, with a maximum length of 25 minutes (including credits), in FullHD quality or higher, and directed or produced by women.

General Conditions of Participation

a) Works completed from January 2023 onwards are eligible for the first edition.

b) Submitted works will undergo a selection process conducted by the Malu Zamora Producciones team.

c) To participate, entries must be registered through the Festhome platform.

d) Submission of a work to this call for entries implies full acceptance of these terms and conditions.

1. Exhibition Right:
The Festival acquires the non-exclusive right to screen the complete work for viewing by the jury and/or an invited audience.

If the film is selected as a finalist, the Festival will also have the right to screen it for invited audiences during the 2026 Festival, add it to the festival's film library, and screen it at non-commercial events both within the Festival itself and in partnership with affiliated institutions.

These screenings will take place exclusively within the Festival or its partnerships and under the conditions described herein, and will not be for commercial purposes unless expressly authorized in advance.

2. Promotional Use:
The participant authorizes the Festival to use excerpts from the work (with a maximum duration of 3 minutes), up to four stills, and the film's official poster.

This material will be used exclusively for promotional and outreach purposes for the Festival or its partners, both in this edition and in future editions, on any platform or media (website, social media, press, etc.).

3. Commitment to Displaying awards:
Works selected for the Festival agree to display the official "Official Selection" awards of the MARE IWFF Festival in all future communications and exhibitions.

If the work receives an award, the participant agrees to include the award's awards in their posters, promotional materials, trailers, and any other public exhibition or dissemination of the work.

Participant Responsibility:
The participant declares, under their own responsibility, that they hold all necessary intellectual property rights to the submitted work, or that they have the relevant authorizations and licenses from third parties for its exhibition and promotional use in accordance with these rules. The participant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the MARE IWFF Festival against any claim, demand, or legal action by third parties that may arise from a breach of this guarantee, assuming all resulting costs and expenses.

e) All works in a foreign language must be submitted with Spanish subtitles; otherwise, they will not be accepted.

Registration Period

Exclusively through Festhome from January 23th to 1st of July .

Notification
Selected works will be notified via Festhome and email during the first half of August.

Further information, questions, or inquiries regarding this call for entries can be sent to mare.iwff@gmail.com.

Inquiries are accepted in English and Spanish.

JURY COMPOSITION:

Among others still pending confirmation, the jury for the 2026 edition will include:

Rafa Marí (Journalist and Film Critic)
Lola Moltó (Actress)
David Gaspar (Director and Producer)
Carmen Mayordomo (Actress and Artistic Director)
Tote Trenas (Director of Photography and Producer)
Eulalia Ramón (Actress and Director)
Marcos Campos (Cultural Promoter and Producer)
Malu Zamora (Producer, Director, and Journalist)
Javier Jorge (Director of Photography, Journalist, and Cultural Event Manager) ...