Festival de Cine de Santa Pola (14)

Inizio del Festival: 29 ottobre 2026      Festival si chiude: 31 ottobre 2026

The Santa Pola City Council is ushering in a new era in its cultural policy with the consolidation of the 14th Santa Pola Film Festival, a strategic development that places the municipality on the national audiovisual map and strengthens its cultural and tourist appeal.

The festival, which will be held on October 29, 30, and 31, 2026, at the Casa de Cultura (Cultural Center), is opening its doors to filmmakers from across Spain, thus solidifying its national character without abandoning its roots and its strong support for Valencian and Alicante talent, as well as young local filmmakers.

This new phase is reflected in broader and more ambitious guidelines, establishing a competitive structure with national, regional, and local youth categories, reinforcing a model that combines international exposure with a commitment to the municipality's cultural fabric.

Among the main new features is the increased prize money, with awards for the best national, regional, Alicante, and Valencian-language short films, as well as local and audience awards.

The Santa Pola City Council is committed to a strategic cultural project designed to attract talent, boost the local economy, and solidify a distinct cultural identity linked to audiovisual media.

The 14th Santa Pola Film Festival is thus presented as a key event on the cultural calendar, where tradition, growth, and national reach converge in an event with a promising future and greater ambition and impact.

Premi in contanti: 2,300€

- Best Short Film: €500

- Best Short Film from the Valencian Community: €500

- Best Short Film from Alicante: €300

- Best Short Film in Valencian: €300

- Best Local Short Films: 2 Prizes of €200 each

- Audience Award: €300

- Special Mentions

The Santa Pola City Council, through its Departments of Culture, Youth, and Linguistic Normalization, announces the 14th Santa Pola Film Festival, which will take place at the Casa de Cultura (Cultural Center) on October 29, 30, and 31, 2026.

Those interested in participating must be born or reside in any municipality within Spain and may submit their work individually or as a group, with the exception of those involved in organizing the festival, who will not be eligible for awards.

The organizers may request documentation proving residency or place of birth.

There will be a National Category, a Regional Category, and a Local Youth Category, the latter being for young people from Santa Pola between the ages of 12 and 30.

Submitted works must be original and of any genre and theme. Each participant may submit as many works as they wish.

- Short films with a maximum duration of 59 minutes and a production date after January 1, 2024, will be accepted.

- Short films in any language will be accepted. If the short film is made in a language other than Spanish or Valencian, it must have subtitles in either of these two languages.

- Submissions must be made through the Festhome platform.

- If awarded a prize, it will be paid by bank transfer, and the winner must submit a Bank Account Ownership Certificate to the City Hall.

- Submissions will be accepted from the date of publication of these rules until September 6, 2026.

- The organizers will select the short films received for the competition, reserving the right to reject any work due to poor image or sound quality.

- The authors will grant free, non-profit broadcasting rights so that the works can be screened in the auditorium of the Santa Pola Cultural Center and in other possible venues, such as during the Festes d’Estiu (Summer Festival) program.

- Those submitting a work to the competition declare that it is their own original work, directed or produced by them, and that, being original, it is free of any third-party claims.

- The competition offers the following prizes, all subject to applicable tax withholdings, and some prizes may be combined:

- Best Short Film from the Valencian Community: €500
- Best Short Film from Alicante: €300
- Best Short Film in Valencian: €300
- Best Local Short Films: 2 Prizes of €200 each
- Audience Award: €300
- Special Mentions

- For the Audience Award, viewers will receive ballots at each screening in the Official Section. They must mark two of their favorite short films; otherwise, the vote will be considered invalid. The short film with the most votes across all screenings will win the Audience Award.

- The creation of new awards, special mentions, etc., may also be proposed. Awards may also be declared void if they do not meet the required quality standards.

- All data and materials may be included in the Festival's publications or other publications and disseminated through other media.

- The submitted short films will be screened in person and will be announced in due course through the media.

- Participation in this Festival implies the transfer of distribution rights for the submitted images within the Festival itself. These images will be archived by the organization if deemed appropriate and by mutual agreement with the copyright holders. Where applicable, participants must provide proof of membership in SGAE or another copyright management organization. Failure to provide this information will not constitute an obligation on the part of the Festival.

- A jury, composed of specialists in the audiovisual arts, will be responsible for issuing the corresponding decision, which will be final. The Jury also reserves the right to modify any point of these rules if it deems it necessary.

- The Awards Ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 31st, at the Gala held at the Cultural Center.

- The authors of the winning works must attend the awards ceremony, or, if applicable, be represented by a designated representative.

- Participation in the competition implies acceptance of these rules.