The Curtas Vila do Conde – International Film Festival returns for its 34th edition, taking place from July 17 to 26, 2026, in Vila do Conde, Portugal. Organised by Curtas Metragens CRL, the festival remains one of the most important platforms for promoting audiovisual and film production, showcasing fiction, animation, documentary, experimental films, and music videos.

International Competition and Oscar Eligibility

The festival will feature several competitions, with the International Competition standing out. This section includes fiction, animation, and documentary films up to 60 minutes in length. Only Portuguese premieres are eligible. The winner of the Grand Prize automatically becomes eligible for the Academy® Awards in the Best Live Action Short Film or Best Animated Short Film categories, without the need for a commercial release in the United States.

Portuguese Competition and Other Awards

The Portuguese Competition, open to works by Portuguese directors or majority-Portuguese productions, also requires Portuguese premieres. Winners of the Portuguese Competition Audience Award and the Best Film Award will become eligible for nomination to the Ibershorts Award, an initiative by the Festival de Málaga and Festhome.

Films submitted to this section may also be considered for the International Competition.

Other competitions include:

• Experimental (experimental films up to 60 minutes);

• Take One! (films up to 30 minutes from Portuguese higher education institutions or Portuguese students studying abroad);

• My Generation (films for teenagers, up to 30 minutes, selected by local students);

• Curtinhas (films for children aged 3 to 13, up to 30 minutes);

• Music Videos (videos up to 30 minutes by Portuguese artists or directed by Portuguese filmmakers).

Each section will have its own jury, composed of professionals invited by the festival, who will assign the respective awards. The audience will also have a key role, voting for Audience Awards in the International, Portuguese, and My Generation competitions.

Submissions open until April 2026

Submissions for all competitions (except Curtinhas) are open until April 30, 2026, with different submission fees depending on the date. The Take One! competition is free of charge. Films must be submitted via FilmFreeway, Shortfilmdepot, or Festhome.

Festival Tour and Special Screenings

After its run in Vila do Conde, the festival will tour several Portuguese cities between July 2026 and March 2027. Selected films may also be included in the Video Library, available exclusively to industry professionals during the festival.

For more information about rules and submission guidelines, please contact submissions@curtas.pt.


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