1. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE

The 18th edition of the Santarém International Film Festival (FICS), organized by the Cineclube de Santarém, based in Santarém, Portugal, and co-produced by

the Municipality of Santarém, will take place from 25 to 31 May 2026. The main objective is the dissemination and promotion of moving image works that explore the representation of human interaction with the environment, especially agricultural, rural and environmental issues in cinema.

2. ELIGIBILITY

Animation, documentary, fiction and experimental films of any length, produced in 2025 or 2026, are eligible for the various competitions.

3. COMPETITIVE SECTIONS, JURIES AND PRIZES

The National Competition jury and the International Competition jury are composed of professionals of recognized merit, a maximum number of 3 each, who will award the following prizes: 

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION 

• Cacho de Ouro for Best Film (Cash prize: €1200)

• Special Jury Award (Cash prize: €500)

NATIONAL COMPETITION 

• Cacho de Ouro for Best Film (Cash prize: €1200)

AUDIENCE AWARD
Awarded to the most-voted film in the National Competition section (Cash prize: €500).

4. REGISTRATION DEADLINES AND COSTS

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

Open to internationally produced films of any length. Submission deadline: 3 March 2026.
Submission fees:
– Submissions completed and paid by 1 February 2026 – €10
– Submissions completed and paid from 2 February to 3 March 2026 – €19

PORTUGUESE COMPETITION
Open to films of any length, directed by Portuguese filmmakers or produced in Portugal. Submission deadline: 3 March 2026.
Free submissions.

The Festival does not guarantee the viewing or consideration of films received after the stated deadlines.

5. REGISTRATION

- Registration of films at the Festival must be done through the following platform: FilmFreeway.

- You must follow all suggested steps and procedures. The costs associated with the use of the mentioned platforms are the responsibility of the user, as well as respecting and filling in all the data requested to complete the registration. If you have any questions, please contact the Festival team via email geral@ficsantarem.pt

6. SELECTION

- The Festival management will inform the directors of the selected films and the contact details of the respective copies by April 15, 2026. 

- Immediately after notification of selection, upon request, it is mandatory to send the following materials to the Festival, via email or download link: 

- 3 photographs of the film (minimum resolution: 300 dpi – 10x10cm) in digital format; 

- Trailer (or excerpt of up to 3 minutes) of the film; A photograph of the director(s) in digital format; 

- Short biography and filmography of the director; 

- List of film dialogues (in Portuguese and/or English), whenever possible with timecode, for subtitling purposes; 

- Written authorization from the director/producer/distributor to display the work during the event;

-  EPK’s (Electronic Press-Kit) and other promotional materials for the film are optional, but equally important. 

- The texts used to promote the different films, sections and programs in the various communication materials (catalog, program, website, social networks) are the sole responsibility of the Festival, based on the information provided by the rights holders of the selected films. The Festival undertakes to display/disclose posters, postcards and physical promotional materials of films selected at the Festival in its spaces. These can be sent by post (costs borne by the film's representatives) or delivered by guests when they participate in person at the Festival. 

- In situations where the film does not have a trailer, and/or video materials dedicated to its promotion are not sent, the Festival is authorized to create an excerpt of up to three (3) minutes to promote the Festival via TV, radio and internet. 

- For short films, the length of this excerpt should not exceed a maximum of 10% of the total length of the film. The remaining promotional material for the film (press dossier, clipping, digital posters, etc.) may also be included in the Festival's promotional materials. 

- The lack of selection notification from the Festival management, by the aforementioned dates, determines that the respective film was not selected for the 18th FICS competitions. However, every effort will be made to ensure that all applicants are notified by email of the status of their films. 

- After selection, it is the responsibility of the contact person to inform the Festival of any editing changes in relation to the copy used during the selection period. This is important information, since the translation process is based on the copy that the Festival has access to at the time of selection. 

- The Festival reserves the right to share a viewing copy duly authorized by the film's representative with selected journalists for promotion and press purposes.

7. SELECTION CRITERIA

- The selection committee will consider all films as candidates for selection as long as they meet the admission conditions described in point 2 of these regulations and with correctly completed registrations, particularly with regard to points 4 and 5. 

8. SCREENING COPIES

- The deadline for receiving screening copies of the films selected for screening at the Festival is May 1, 2026. 

- Screening copies of selected films must be made available in the following formats: DCP 2K; ProRes or H.264.

- If you do not have a copy available in any of the planned exhibition formats, please contact us immediately after the selection notification. 

- In the case of a DCP copy that is protected, it is essential that a KDM valid in the period from 10 May to 2 June 2026 is sent in a timely manner. 

- Respect for these characteristics of digital files is important to ensure the film is shown in the best conditions. 

- The Festival will not be responsible for the eventual need to convert files whose characteristics differ from those mentioned above. 

- In the case of films spoken in Portuguese, screening copies must include subtitles in English. If Portuguese-produced films have dialogues in English, they must include subtitles in Portuguese. In the particular cases of other languages, please contact the Festival.

9. TRANSPORTATION AND OTHER IMPORTANT PROVISIONS

- The costs of transporting screening copies of the selected films to the Festival must be borne by the respective candidates. 

- No films sent at the Festival's expense will be accepted. These will be refused reception and will therefore be automatically returned to their sender. 

- In the case of physical sending of films from non-EU countries, the copy must be accompanied by a pro-forma invoice with the name of the sender, the title of the film, weight, measurements and number of physical supports. The inscription “NO COMMERCIAL VALUE” must be clearly displayed on the respective packaging. 

- FICS will exclusively bear the transport costs of returning screening copies after their presentation at the Festival. 

- The Festival won’t cover the screening fees of films in any of the Competitions when it also covers the travel expenses of a film representative.

10. HOSPITALITY

- Upon invitation, the Festival will inform the director/film representative of the travel and accommodation conditions offered. 

- These conditions differ based on criteria such as premiere status, the section in which the film is included, distribution rights in Portuguese territory or other participation of film representatives in Festival activities. 

- FICS guests are not covered by Festival insurance. 

- FICS intends, as much as possible, to promote communication between the Festival's directors and the Festival's audience. If they are in Santarém, the director or other representative of the film must participate in the film screening sessions, with a presentation of the session or debate. 

- The calendar for participation in sessions and other activities, as well as other relevant details, will be shared by email closer to the Festival dates. 

11. EXCEPTIONS AND UNFORESEEN SITUATIONS

The Festival management reserves the right to consider and decide on any issue omitted in these regulations. FICS prioritizes public health and safety, and therefore strictly follows the COVID-19 restrictions indicated by the DGS. If changes to the Festival's usual format are necessary, these will be duly shared with the film representatives and subject to authorization/confirmation on their part.