PUFA - Pucela Fantástica (2)

Festival start: 28 June 2025      Festival end: 05 July 2025

PUFA (Pucela Fantástica) is an international fantastic and horror Film Festival that takes place in Valladolid (Spain), open to short films of less than 30 minutes and feature films of more than 60 minutes, from each country (with synchronized subtitles in Spanish or English), of the fantastic genre, science fiction, horror, fantasy, thriller/suspense...

Cash Prizes: 1,000€

A Jury made up of professionals related to cinema, performing arts and/or communication will choose the winning works. In addition, the public attending the screenings will choose the audience awards through digital voting. No prize may be declared void.

The following recognitions will be determined:

-Best Feature Film in Official Competition: Trophy (designed by Juan Villa).
-Best Direction in a Feature Film in the Official Competition: Trophy (designed by Juan Villa).
-Audience Award for Best Feature Film in the Official Competition: Trophy (designed by Juan Villa).
-Best Feature Film in the Aquelarres Section: Trophy (designed by Juan Villa).
-Best Short Film: €1,000 and Trophy (designed by Juan Villa).
-Audience Award for Best Short Film: Trophy (designed by Juan Villa).
Gargoyle of Honor: Trophy (designed by Juan Villa).

Negotiations are underway with sponsors to increase the financial allocations for the prizes and/or increase the award categories, something that, if applicable, would be duly notified.

A single special mention or an ex aequo prize may be awarded in each category if the Jury deems it appropriate, but always in categories that do not involve financial amounts. The decision of the Jury will be final. Its members undertake not to publicly express their thoughts on the films. The festival management may be present, with voice, but without vote, in the deliberations of the Jury.

GENERIC CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

PUFA (Pucela Fantástica) - Valladolid International Fantastic and Horror Film Festival - opens call for short and feature films of any nationality assigned to the fantastic genre (science fiction, horror, fantasy...), fiction, animation, documentary... Any natural person over 18 years of age or any legal entity may participate. The works may be done in any language, but if that the dialogues are not in Spanish, they must be accompanied by synchronized subtitles in Spanish or English.

The deadline for receiving viewing copies will be April 30, 2025.

SPECIFIC CONDITIONS FOR SHORT FILMS

The Selection Committee will take into consideration only short films that meet the following conditions:
Production date: Authors may present as many works as they consider appropriate, as long as their production date is 2024 or 2025 and they have not participated in previous editions of the PUFA (Pucela Fantástica). Your participation in other festivals will not be exclusive.
Duration: Short films submitted may not exceed 30 minutes in length.
Format: Regardless of the format in which they have been recorded (digital/celluloid), the short films will be sent to the Festival for screening in DCP format and online.
Registration of short films will have a progressive cost:
Early: December 1-December 31 (€2), Standard: January 1-March 31 (€2.5) and Late: April 1-April 30 (€3).
The Festival reserves the right to program, out of competition, short films from previous years or make specific exceptions to these rules.

SPECIFIC CONDITIONS FOR FEATURE FILMS
(Official Competition and Aquelarres Section)

The Selection Committee will take into consideration only feature films that meet the following conditions:
Production date: All feature films whose final production date is 2024 or 2025 may participate, as long as they have not been released in commercial theaters or digital platforms in Spain prior to the Festival and have not participated in previous editions of PUFA (Pucela Fantástica). Participation in other film festivals will not be exclusive, although priority will be given to the unpublished nature of the films presented in Spain.
Duration: Feature films submitted must have a minimum duration of 60 minutes, with no restrictions regarding their maximum duration.
Format: Regardless of the format in which they were recorded (digital/celluloid), the feature films will be sent to the Festival for screening in DCP format and online.
Section: The Programming Committee will decide the most appropriate section for the selected film.
Registration for feature films is free.
The Festival reserves the right to program feature films from previous years or make specific exceptions to these rules.

OTHER GENERAL CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION

Those titles that are selected will receive confirmation from the PUFA (Pucela Fantástica) organization in order to formalize their participation and no individualized correspondence will be maintained with the authors of non-selected works.
The company or individual that provides the short/feature film for participation in the Festival must provide sufficient advertising material (photos, posters, press kits, trailer, clips, etc.) so that the organization can promote the film adequately. These promotional materials will not be returned and will become part of the Festival archive.
The producers and/or distributors of the selected films (short films and feature films) authorize, by accepting their participation, the use of these materials for dissemination in any media, social networks or institutional presentation. For these purposes, it is recommended that you make available to the Press Department a selection of sequences with a maximum duration of three minutes.
The registration of a film in the Festival implies full acceptance and compliance with these Participation Rules and their possible Annexes. Once the selection of a film has been made and communicated by the Festival, and participation has been confirmed by the person who registered, it may not be withdrawn from the programming under any circumstances.

SELECTION OF WORKS

-The Selection Committee will announce before May 31, 2025 the works (short films and feature films) selected to be part of the competition and parallel sections of the festival. In exceptional cases, the festival may extend the date of these communications.
-The selection of a feature film or short film DOES NOT INVOLVE THE INVITATION (transfer, accommodation and/or meals) to their representatives (distributor, director, artistic or technical team, etc.). The assignment of an award does not imply invitation to attend the festival, however, the organization reserves the right to invite any of the participants.

SHIPPING OF WORKS

The DCP to be screened of the selected short and feature films must be available to the PUFA (Pucela Fantástica) organization before June 10, 2025, with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint as much as possible, the file will be sent by digital means. In exceptional cases and at the discretion of the festival organization, other media may be accepted, but the Festival will not assume any cost for receiving or sending physical copies.
If the film is distributed in Spanish territory, the distribution company must provide the festival with a screening copy in the original version subtitled in Spanish. In all other cases, an .srt file must be attached with the subtitles in Spanish or English duly synchronized.
The short/feature films screened at the festival will have to be identical in duration, content and title to those initially presented for selection; any unjustified modification may lead to the disqualification of the work.
The festival reserves the right to reject copies that, after the necessary technical checks, are not suitable for screening. A new copy may be required or the title replaced with another if it is not possible to obtain said copy in time.

PROGRAMMING

The second edition of PUFA (Pucela Fantástica) will be held at the beginning of July 2025 in the city of Valladolid (Spain). The Festival will decide the number of times and the time in which each short/feature film will be screened, notifying its authors in advance.
The registration of short films and/or feature films through the platforms mentioned in these rules implies the willingness of their authors to transfer the exhibition rights without claiming any fee for said screenings during the dates of the festival.
The dates of the event may vary depending on organizational needs and, where appropriate, changes would be promptly communicated to those selected.

ATTENDANCE TO THE FESTIVAL IN CASE OF BEING SELECTED AND/OR AWARDED

If the director of the selected short/feature resides in Castilla y León (Spain), it will be an essential condition that he or, failing that, someone from the team, present the work to the public. If it is a winning short/feature, someone from the team must attend the closing gala to collect the award. If not, it will be considered rejected.
If the director of the selected short/feature resides outside of Castilla y León (Spain) and cannot attend the screening, a short video will be requested to present his work. If you are awarded the prize, it will be an essential condition that someone from the team attend the closing gala to collect the prize or, failing that, send a short video of gratitude. If not, the prize will be rejected.

LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The authors will be solely responsible for their works (short films/feature films) in terms of copyright and/or civil, criminal or any other type of liability or jurisdictional and/or administrative order derived from their content.

ACCEPTANCE OF THE RULES

Participation in PUFA (Pucela Fantástica) implies acceptance of these Terms and possible Annexes. Any unexpected circumstance that arises during the Festival and that is not contemplated in these Rules will be decided by the organization of the event. The Participation Rules may be supplemented or modified prior to the start date of this edition of PUFA (Pucela Fantástica), prior communication to the interested parties. In the event of a discrepancy, the organization's criteria will prevail. Any questions not contemplated in these bases may be consulted through informacion@pufa.es.