Кинопремия Гамильтона (1)

Início do Festival: 01 Dezembro 2025      Fim do Festival: 13 Setembro 2026

About the Festival

Hamilton Film Awards is an international competition with public screenings and an exclusive award ceremony, created to honor the finest talents of the independent film industry, selected from the most prestigious competitions around the world. This award is dedicated exclusively to short films, indie films, experimental films, and music-driven films.

The festival accepts films made after 2023.

Hamilton Film Awards is an international competition with public theatrical screenings and an exclusive award ceremony, designed to celebrate the best independent talents participating in prestigious competitions worldwide.
The Hamilton Film Awards (HFA) aims to discover and honor cinema to which the festival is ready to offer its “hand and heart.”

To identify and preserve those acts of cinematic creation where form becomes revelation and craftsmanship reaches the level of a spiritual feat. We believe that true cinema is not an imitation of life but its transformation into light—where every frame is a carved-in-time ode to the invincible power of beauty in the art of film. We seek works in which the filmmaker’s reverence for the eternal becomes a visible miracle—film stock turned into revelation, whose final frame becomes pure feeling itself.

The “OVE” statuette is not just an award. It is a living symbol of what lies at the foundation of great cinema: love for creativity and for filmmaking. OVE, holding this gift, becomes the guardian of the eternal. She is not merely inspiration but a conduit between the creator’s world and immortality. In her hands rests the director’s diamond heart — a pledge of loyalty, a promise that even when the director is gone, their love remains, like diamonds that continue to shine in the darkness of eternity.
We believe that true art is the quintessence of eternal values, embodied in the fleeting moment of a single frame. Our goal is to present cinema that evokes emotion, sparks conflict, and is as deep and eternal as true feeling—unique as a proposal of lifelong devotion.

Submitting your work to us is not about winning, career advancement, or recognition in the usual sense. It is for you if you are ready for another kind of dialogue: for your love of cinema to be seen. Not the plot, not the budget, not the technical methods—but the feelings and emotions that make us experience, empathize, love, and live through what gave birth to the film itself. So that your work may be noticed, recognized as a kindred heart, and told: “We know how deeply you love cinema. We see it in every frame.”
If your work is a crystal, we will not shatter it with the hammer of market trends. We will place it in the treasury where cinema becomes legacy—not product. You have already given your heart to the screen. Now allow us to become the mirror in which it is reflected—pure, eternal, and invulnerable.

Your heart, given to art, is recognized and returned to you—cut and polished into a diamond.

OVE is inlaid with a 4-carat diamond heart of exceptional clarity and cut, and coated in 24-carat gold.

Symbolism:
The OVE award is not a prize but a knighthood of vision—a sign of belonging to the brotherhood of those who bring into the world not just a film, but visible proof of the soul’s immortality.
The Hamilton Film Awards strives to become one of the world’s most respected festivals, and its top prize—the OVE statuette—aims to become as coveted as the Oscar.
Hamilton Film Awards announces the launch of its first festival, which has already generated great anticipation thanks to its extraordinary prize.

O. V. E. = Opening — Vertex — End
Symbolizing the Triad of Creation and embodying the three acts—beginning, climax, and finale.

Why submit your work?
So that your “heart,” offered to art, may be recognized and returned to you—cut into a diamond.

Submit to us if you are ready for another kind of dialogue: for your love of cinema to be seen. Not the plot, not the budget, not the techniques—but the emotions, the feelings, the life force that gave birth to the film. So that your work may be recognized as a kindred soul: “We know how deeply you love cinema. We see it in every frame.”
If your film is a crystal, we will not break it with the hammer of convention. We will place it where cinema becomes heritage, not product. You have already given your heart to the screen—now let us become the mirror that reflects it: pure, eternal, invulnerable.

So that your heart, given to art, may be recognized and returned to you—cut into a diamond.

Prêmios em dinheiro: 1,000€

AWARD
The OVE Statuette

“Ode Visual Excellence” – Ode to Visual Perfection

Concept:

The OVE Award is not merely a prize — it is a knighthood of vision, a sign of belonging to the brotherhood of those who have brought into the world not just a film, but a visible proof of the soul’s immortality.

The OVE statuette is a living symbol of what lies at the foundation of great cinema: a profound love for creativity and filmmaking. OVE, holding this sacred gift, becomes the guardian of the eternal. She is not just inspiration — she is a conduit between the creator’s world and immortality.

In her hands rests the director’s diamond heart — a pledge of loyalty, a promise that even when the filmmaker is gone, their love remains, like diamonds that continue to shine in the darkness of eternity.

The OVE statuette, “Ode Visual Excellence”, is inlaid with a 4-carat diamond heart of exceptional clarity and cut, and coated in 24-karat gold.


Purpose:

To bestow a diamond — a symbol of eternity, purity, and brilliance that never fades. Cinematic works born of love carry the alchemical power to transform the fragile human heart into the diamond of eternal art.


Motto:

Art that cannot be stopped.
Films that have been told “YES.”

Essence:

To find the MASTERPIECES that make OVE herself pause in awe. Art worthy of her “yes.”

The Hamilton Film Awards strives to become one of the most respected festivals in the world, and its grand prize — the OVE statuette — seeks to become as coveted as the Oscar.

Hamilton Film Awards announces the launch of its first festival, which already generates great anticipation thanks to its extraordinary prize.

OVE symbolizes the Triad of Creation, embodying the three acts — Opening, Vertex, End.

Symbolism of OVE
O — Opening — Ode

Beginning.

The spark, the first cause. The sacred impulse that compels the artist to reach for the eternal. It is not merely a poetic form — it is a vow of loyalty to something greater than the moment, greater than time itself.

A pledge to the muses, to beauty, to the essence of existence — the vow that precedes every act of creation. The determination to create.
An ode to the muse and to the director — to their vision and intention, to the beauty capable of changing the world.

V — Vertex — Visual

The Culmination.

The moment of miracle, when the call takes shape. The perfect image revealed to the world. Not just a picture — a universe being born, where every frame is a revelation.

Here the idea, having passed through the crucible of inspiration and mastery, reaches its highest intensity, becoming visible, tangible, alive.
The epicenter of creative explosion — the visual ideal of form and beauty.

E — End — Excellence

The Perfect Finale.

Not simply an ending, but the crowning act of perfection.

The triumphant conclusion where everything finds its final, immutable, and flawless form.

The moment when the work distances itself from its creator and becomes a self-sufficient artifact — an eternal diamond carved from time.

A finale that is not an end, but the beginning of immortality — a point that becomes eternity.
The perfection of the director’s diamond heart.

Significance

Presenting such an extraordinary trophy — a golden statuette set with a real diamond — elevates the prestige of the award to an unprecedented level, turning victory into a historic milestone in the filmmaker’s career.

The golden statuette with a diamond becomes not merely an award, but a cultural artifact, a material testament that the work has been recognized as a masterpiece worthy of eternity.

Rules

Films submitted to the festival must have been produced after 2023.

To submit a film to the competition, you must own the rights to the film or have permission from the rights holder.

All communication with the Hamilton Film Awards will be conducted exclusively with the applicant.

Any foreign film not in Russian must have Russian or English subtitles.

You always retain 100% of all rights to your intellectual property.

All fees are non-refundable.

All fees are non-refundable.

Not all submissions are selected for the official competition. Our judges are free to make their own choices, and we will not provide explanations regarding films that were not selected.

The Hamilton Film Awards may reject any film if the festival deems its content unacceptable.

Directors may submit a film in multiple categories in order to obtain several awards. However, selection is strictly determined by our judging team, and selection is not guaranteed.

Applicants must comply with the rules and conditions of the Hamilton Film Awards.

All submitted films will be screened and evaluated as part of the festival’s competition program.

The committee will select only a limited number of films to be screened at the Hamilton Film Awards. Directors whose films are selected will be notified 4 weeks before the event. Participation must be confirmed at that time.

Selected films will be notified in due time by the festival organizers, and no film will be screened without the consent of the director/producer.

Entry fees are charged for administrative purposes only and do not guarantee participation in the event or the receipt of any award.

All physical materials sent to the festival must be paid for by the sender, including shipping costs and import duties.

Sponsorship and advertising packages are non-refundable and must be paid in advance. We reserve the right to cancel or reschedule advertising at the client’s request, but payments already made are non-refundable.

Participants are strongly advised to obtain full or comprehensive travel insurance, as the Hamilton Film Awards or its partners are not responsible for injuries, incidents, or damages resulting from accidents, weather conditions, political events, or natural disasters before, during, or after the event.

Participants must inform the organizers of any limitations that may affect their participation in the event; reasonable accommodations will be provided.

Pop-up banners may be returned to their owner after the event or kept by us for future use, but will be discarded after 3 months. Please cover shipping costs if needed.

Please carefully read all information before submitting your film to the festival.

In case of technical issues beyond our control, we may need to postpone the awards ceremony, and we will not be able to offer refunds.

Winners who do not attend the ceremony may receive a digital winner’s certificate upon request, but the trophy is granted only to winners who attend the ceremony.
To receive the trophy, attendance at the festival is mandatory.

All submissions in individual categories must include the name of the person being registered in that category. You can easily send us this information in a cover letter on our website, https://hamiltonfilmawards.com
. Otherwise, your film may not be considered in that specific category.

By submitting your film, you authorize the Hamilton Film Awards to use, distribute, and publish the film’s poster, trailer, synopsis, and stills on our social media. (We will never publish the full film or project under any circumstances.)

Premiere status is not required.

Submitting a film does NOT guarantee selection.

We strongly recommend adding a cover letter to your submission.
If no main category is selected in the expedited feedback option, the submission will automatically not be considered.
A complete submission is one that includes a main category or multiple categories. You cannot submit to additional categories without selecting a main category.
All films must be submitted in at least one main category.

DISCOUNT CODES APPLY ONLY when submitting films to the festival*.
Note: codes provided by our partners can only be used for specific categories.

Award categories may vary from edition to edition depending on submissions and other criteria such as quality and storyline. If a category does not open, the project may be reassigned to another category at the discretion of the jury and organizers.

If a project is “selected” for our festival, it will be sent to qualifying sessions, which are the next stage of selection for the official competition.

Official Selection – Projects that meet our high standards.
Semi-Finalists – Carefully selected projects advancing to the next stage.
Finalists – An exclusive group representing outstanding storytelling quality.
Nominees – Projects officially competing for awards in specific categories.
Winners and Honorable Mentions – The highest recognition in our competition, awarded to exceptional projects demonstrating excellence in storytelling, creativity, and technical execution.

The competition reserves the right to reject submissions, and the jury may disqualify a film at any time. Entry fees are non-refundable. The individual or company submitting a film guarantees that they have the right to submit the film for potential screening (private and/or public) and that they understand and accept these requirements, rules, and regulations. You agree to indemnify and hold the Hamilton Film Awards harmless from any claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney fees and court costs) arising from claims regarding copyrights, trademarks, credit, publicity, exhibition, or loss/damage of submitted materials.

The festival reserves the right to reject any submission at any time if issues arise concerning ownership rights, copyright infringement, or disrespect (in any form) toward the festival or its representatives. If the project is submitted without a poster, trailer, credits, or any of the above materials, judges will deduct points from the final score.

You may not withdraw your film after the Official Selection has been announced.

All official communication must be sent via email. We cannot respond to social media messages due to the large volume of inquiries.

If the committee determines that the selected categories do not meet competition standards, they will be removed. If the film has potential, it may be reassigned to another category according to the criteria of the jury and organizers.

The “Official Selection” status does not mean your film will be screened at the festival. It means the committee highly valued your film, and you may use the festival’s laurel on your poster.

Festival dates and times may be changed or rescheduled without prior notice. Please check your account and email for updates.

No work or artist will be discriminated against or given preferential treatment based on country of origin, language, age, race, education, ideology, sexual orientation, or economic resources. Any content, form, or technique will be considered without censorship.

According to the rules of the Hamilton Film Awards, we do not comment on or explain reasons why films were not selected, nor do we comment on results and/or decisions regarding the program.

All information provided, participant requirements, submission rules, participation conditions, and submission details may be changed by the festival organizers without prior notice. By submitting your film/script, you confirm that you have read, understood, and accepted all the above rules, regulations, and conditions.

BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR FILM, PLEASE CAREFULLY REVIEW ALL RULES AND CONDITIONS – ENTRY FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

The current annual awards cycle ends on September 13 each year (date may change).*
Hamilton Prize and the OVE Statuette

A unique trophy — the most beautiful and expensive statuette in the world with a diamond — is awarded to the most outstanding film of the year!

The format for advancing films to the finals is as follows:

Each month, several films are selected to advance to the annual final.

Between 12 and 26 films will be chosen. Only these finalists will compete for the statuette.

All finalists will be screened at the final event, and the jury will assign scores in each category, determining the winner.

To win, the film must receive the highest score in four categories: Best Short Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Production Design.

Audience Award – a vote by all attendees of the festival. Cash prize: 100,000 rubles ($1000).

All finalists will receive laurels, certificates, and special gifts from the festival (to be announced).

The winner must attend the festival to receive the statuette; the trophy will not be shipped. It can only be collected in person at the festival.