Mostra de Cinema do Atlântico Sul (1)

Festival start: 08 June 2026      Festival end: 10 June 2026

The South Atlantic Film Festival was created to celebrate the multiple relationships between the ocean, its territories, and its cultures.

Submitted films are evaluated by the curatorial team based on the following criteria:

- Alignment with the thematic focus on the South Atlantic Ocean

- The film’s relationship with territory, landscape, and coastal ways of life

- Cinematic quality, considering language, narrative, and aesthetic approach

Held in Balneário Piçarras (SC), on the southern coast of Brazil, the Festival aims to bring together films that engage with the sea, coastal ways of life, and the diversity of the peoples who inhabit the South Atlantic.

In its inaugural edition, the event offers free screenings, discussion circles, and initiatives focused on accessibility and audience development.

Regulations of the South Atlantic Film Festival (Mostra de Cinema do Atlântico Sul)

The South Atlantic Film Festival is a non-competitive, in-person event, held in Balneário Piçarras (SC), with the aim of promoting audiovisual works that engage with the South Atlantic Ocean, its territories, coastal cultures, and sea-related communities.

1. Eligibility

1.1. Mandatory thematic axis
The Festival is exclusively dedicated to works that engage in a direct, central, and explicit way with the South Atlantic Ocean, encompassing its territories, peoples, coastal communities, ways of life, social and cultural dynamics, historical processes, ecosystems, environment, and the human relationships established with the sea.
Works whose themes are not clearly related to this axis will not be considered.

1.2. The Festival is open to short films with a maximum running time of up to 20 (twenty) minutes.

1.3. Films released from 2016 onwards will be accepted. Films produced prior to this date will not be considered.

1.4. Works produced in countries, territories, and communities bordering the South Atlantic Ocean are eligible to participate, as well as works produced in other geographical contexts, provided that the thematic axis is directly linked to the South Atlantic, as described in item 1.1.

1.5. Documentaries, fiction films, animations, and hybrid works are accepted.

1.6. subtitles are mandatory, preferably in Brazilian Portuguese, for films whose original language is not Brazilian Portuguese.

2. Submission

2.1. Submissions will be made free of charge through the Festhome platform.

2.2. Film submissions must include:

• Synopsis;
• Technical credits;
• Poster or promotional image.

2.3. Submission implies agreement with these regulations and authorization for the film to be screened at the Festival.

3. Curation and Selection

3.1. The curatorial committee will consist of five (5) members appointed by the organization.

3.2. Film selection will be made by a simple majority of the curators.

3.3. The curatorial committee may nominate and invite films that were not submitted, provided they are approved by the majority of the committee.

3.4. Preference will be given to works that include accessibility features such as subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SDH) and/or Audio Description (AD).

3.5. Submissions may be made until March 13, 2026, or until a total of 200 valid submissions has been reached, whichever occurs first.

4. Nature of the Festival

4.1. The South Atlantic Film Festival is non-competitive.

4.2. There will be no cash prizes or screening fees.

4.3. Selected films will receive a digital certificate of participation.

5. Rights and Responsibilities

5.1. The applicant must guarantee that they hold the exhibition rights to the submitted work, as well as the necessary authorizations related to image, sound, music, and all other elements that comprise the film.

5.2. The organization shall not be held responsible for any claims regarding copyright or image rights related to the submitted works.

5.3. Participation in the Festival does not imply the transfer of copyright, except for the in-person exhibition of the work during the official period of the event and for the use of excerpts from the work, exclusively for institutional and promotional purposes, including the production of teasers, trailers, and other promotional materials for the Festival, with no commercial purpose

6. Final Provisions

6.1. Submission to the Festival implies full acceptance of these regulations.

6.2. Any matters not covered herein will be resolved by the curatorial committee in conjunction with the general coordination.