Curtas Vila do Conde – International Film Festival returns from 9 to 18 July 2027. The festival remains one of Portugal's leading platforms for film and audiovisual production, bringing together fiction, animation, documentary and experimental films from around the world.

A BAFTA and Goya qualifying festival

For the first time, Curtas Vila do Conde has joined the BAFTA Qualifying Festival List. This means British short films under 40 minutes selected for the festival may become eligible for the BAFTAs, provided they meet the criteria set out by the British Academy. The festival also retains its status as a Qualifying Festival for the Goya Awards, open to Spanish shorts selected in competition.

International Competition: a shortcut to the Oscars and the European Film Awards

The International Competition accepts fiction, animation and documentary films up to 60 minutes long, provided they are Portuguese premieres. Alongside the Great Prize, the jury awards the Fiction Award, Animation Award and Documentary Award, and selects the festival's candidate for the European Film Awards.

The winner of the Great Prize — as well as the winner of the Best Film Award in the Portuguese Competition — becomes automatically eligible for nomination to the Best Live Action Short Film, Best Documentary Short Film or Best Animated Short Film categories at the Academy Awards, with no need for a commercial release in the United States.

Portuguese Competition and other competitions

The Portuguese Competition is reserved for works by Portuguese directors or having a majority of Portuguese production, also requiring a Portuguese premiere.

The winner of Best Film Award is eligible for nomination for the Ibershorts Award, an initiative of Festival de Málaga and Festhome. The winner of the Audience Award is likewise eligible for nomination for the Ibershorts Award and is automatically nominated for the European Short Film Audience Award. Films in this competition are also considered for the International Competition awards.

Other competitions include:

→ Experimental: experimental films up to 60 minutes, with a mandatory Portuguese premiere;

→ Take One!: up to 30 minutes, aimed at Portuguese higher education institutions or Portuguese directors studying abroad, with free submission;

→ Curtinhas: up to 30 minutes, for films aimed at children aged 3 to 12, with a jury of children aged 7 to 13.

The International and Portuguese Competitions share the same jury; the Experimental, Take One! and Curtinhas competitions each have their own jury.

Deadlines and submission platforms

Entries are open until 30 April 2027 for all competitions, except Curtinhas, which closes on 15 April 2027.

Submission fees vary depending on when you apply:

€20 until 31 October 2026,
€25 until 31 January 2027,
€30 until 30 April 2027.

Submissions to Take One! remain free.

Entries should be submitted through one of the following platforms:

FilmFreeway,
ShortFilmDepot

or Festhome.

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