Short
Rules
Who can participate?
Any natural person over 18 years of age or any legal entity may participate and/or compete, regardless of their nationality. *
* View Country Specific Awards for the Best Short Film on Human Rights Award
What type of short film can participate?
The Author/Producer/Distributor may submit as many short films as they wish that were produced after January 1, 2021.
Important: Short films are audiovisual productions of up to 30 minutes and must be fiction, animation and documentary. The recommended video formats are mov, mp4 and with a resolution of 1080, framing of 16:9. The recommended sound format is Dolby 5.1.
In the Mobile Filmmaker Pro category, the same rules apply as for the rest, but with the following conditions: only authors who have made more than three short films with high-end smartphones will be admitted, indicating previous works, brand and model; the use of mobile devices (drones, action cameras, etc.) is allowed in a maximum of 10% of the total length of the short film; the duration will be up to 15 minutes; the use of external elements (microphones, lighting dollies, etc.) is allowed during the filming of the short film and in post-production.) in a maximum of 10% of the total duration of the short film; the duration will be up to 15 minutes; the use of external elements (microphones, lighting dollies) is allowed during the shooting and in post-production the use of editing programs or image treatments that the participant deems appropriate.
Important: Reduced, modified or extended versions of other short films will not be accepted, nor can they have been presented in previous editions of FICIE or under another title. Commercials, video clips or trailers for other films or unfinished works (work in progress) will not be accepted.
Important: If your language is NOT Spanish you must have the subtitles inserted in Spanish, or the subtitles separately in srt. If a non-Spanish language short film is selected, you must provide the subtitles in Spanish in .srt format, otherwise it will be disqualified.
How do i participate?
Important: No physical digital files will be accepted, only links on Vimeo and/or Youtube or other cloud storage platforms.
Important: The Author/Producer/Distributor may submit as many short films as he/she wishes from the date of publication of these rules until 23:59:59 p.m. (Spanish time) on April 30, 2023 through the official partner platforms: Movibeta and Festhome. The rules of this edition of FICIE will also be available there in Spanish and English.
At the time of registration, the Author/Producer/Distributor will have at his/her disposal a menu where he/she can choose the category in which he/she wishes to register his/her short films. Only one short film can be entered in one category, NOT in more than one.
The Organization will contact, through the associated online platforms, all participants from the closing date of the registration period to confirm or not their effective participation in this edition.
All questions can be answered at:
E-mail: festivalelche@fundacionmediterraneo.es
Facebook: https://es-es.facebook.com/festivaldecine/
Twitter @festivalelche
When, which short films are projected and where?
Important: The Selection Jury will select the short films that will be part of the Official Selection. Their decision will be announced on June 15th, 2023. All those short films that have been finally selected will be notified of their participation at least two weeks before the beginning of the screenings.
Important: The screenings of the competitive Official Section and the Mostra’t Sections (non-competitive) will take place from July 14 to 20, 2023, from 21:45 approximately (Spanish time), at the “Hort del Xocolater” Park and at the Arenales del Sol Beach.
At the moment of communicating the selection, the Organization will send to each of the finalists a pdf of the screening conditions, the Official Section laurels and the reminder of the optimal audio and video formats and the details of the screening venue. In the “Hort del Xocolater” Park (Elche) there is a capacity for a maximum of one thousand people.
Important: it is mandatory to include the Official Selection laurels for all films selected for FICIE.
The screening point at “Arenales del Sol Beach” (Elche) has a capacity for a maximum of 300 people.
The Mostra’t Section is NOT competitive and aims to support short films made by authors from Elche, associations, students from educational centers, from the “Miguel Hernández” University of Elche, as well as those short films provided by Amazon Prime Video Channel TVShorts that stand out for having been nominated for the Oscar Awards.
The aim is to promote values of equality, human rights and training in local audiovisual production to both future filmmakers and young people as a film-consuming public. These screenings are held in the same locations and on the same dates but from 21:30 to 21:45 (Spanish time), approximately, according to programming needs.
Likewise, Amazon Prime Video Channel “TVShorts” will contact the authors of the short films selected for the Official Selection to obtain the necessary permissions to be screened on its platform.
The FICIE Organization will publish the calendar and schedule of screenings in its usual media, on its website and social networks.
Important: Participation in this Festival implies the transfer of the rights of diffusion of the images sent within the scope of the Festival itself, which will be archived by the organization if deemed appropriate and by mutual agreement with the owners of the work.
If applicable, certify membership in SGAE or other copyright management organization. At this point, no obligation will be considered by the Festival if the information is not provided.
How is it projected?
Important: Once the short films that will be part of the Official Selection are known, the Organization will contact the Author/Producer/Distributor to request the high quality screening copies that will have to be in their possession by June 25, 2023, ideally two weeks before the beginning of the screenings.
The selected short films must be identical in length, content and title to those presented on the official partner platforms and Vimeo links submitted. Failure to comply will result in disqualification.
Important: The Organization is committed to the highest quality in the screenings and will guarantee the satisfaction of the Author/Producer/Distributor. The recommended video formats for this festival are mov, mp4 and with a resolution of 1080, framing of 16:9.
The delivery method will be online: Dropbox, Google Drive, Onedrive, Wetransfer, etc. Physical means of delivery (flash drives, pendrives, etc.) will NOT be accepted.
Important: In the spirit of reaching all audiences, this year the Organization will give the option and will request permission from the authors/distributors/producers of the selected works to screen online on the same days with the usual security measures and the required geographical restrictions. It is optional, NOT mandatory. The same short film can be screened in front of both in-person and online audiences at the same time or only in front of the in-person audience, at your choice.
Important: The Organization wants to facilitate the presentation and networking of the selected Spanish participants.
Accordingly, it will organize a series of activities that will be published on the official FICIE website. The Author/Distributor/Producer of the selected Spanish film plus companion will be offered travel, meals and a hotel stay of more than one night (if possible, depending on hotel availability and agenda of those selected), informing them of the day of the screening of their short film.
What categories of contestants are there?
Important: When registering their short films on FICIE’s official platforms, the Author/Producer/Distributor will decide in which category to enter their short film. Each short film can only be entered in one category, not in several.
However, the Organization and/or the FICIE Selection Juries will have the power to change the category of those short films that, according to their criteria, are not in the one that corresponds to them and that, consequently, may better qualify for the prizes of the list of winners.
- Fiction Category: Those who register for this category will be Spanish and international Fiction authors who want to opt for the “Fundación Mediterráneo” Award for Best Short Film, Best European Short Film Award, Best International Short Film and Best Ibero-American Short Film Awards.
- Animation Category: Those who enter this category will be Spanish and international Animation authors who want to compete for the Best Animation Short Film Award, Best European Short Film Award, Best Ibero-American Short Film and Best International Short Film Awards.
- Documentary Category: Those who enter this category will be Spanish and international documentary filmmakers who wish to compete for the “Ciutat d´Elx” (Elche City Council) Best Documentary Short Film Award, Best European Short Film Award, Best Ibero-American Short Film and Best International Short Film Awards.
- Fes Curt Category: Award open to productions by authors from the Valencian Community and/or Film Festivals of the Valencian Community and/or production companies based in the Valencian Community.
They can be works of Fiction, Animation or Documentary and preferably in Valencian language or subtitled in it.
- New Author Category: Both Spanish and international authors who have made up to their third short film and wish to compete for the “Cineclub Luis Buñuel” Award for Best New Short Film. They can be works of Fiction, Animation or Documentary.
- Human Rights Category: International authors from Mediterranean countries or countries linked to it* , who wish to compete for the Best Short Film on Human Rights Award. They can be works of Fiction, Animation or Documentary.
- Mobile Filmmaker Pro Category: Both Spanish and international authors whose production has been made using a smartphone are eligible. It can be Fiction or Documentary. The details of this category are discussed above.
* They are considered Mediterranean for the purposes of the festival:
a) Mediterranean countries are understood to be all the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Palestine, Palestine, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Turkey, Tunisia.
b) Countries linked to Mediterranean cultures include Andorra, Jordan, Kosovo, the Kurdistan territories (within Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey), San Marino, Northern Macedonia, Mauritania, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and Romania.
OVERALL 46th EDITION AWARDS: 14,000 EUROS
MEDITERRANEAN FOUNDATION BEST FICTION SHORT FILM AWARD. It is endowed with 3,000 euros and the Dama Trophy*1. In the event that the winner is domestic, he/she will be shortlisted for the Goya Awards 2024.
“CIUTAT D’ELX” (ELCHE CITY COUNCIL) DOCUMENTARY AWARD*2. It is endowed with 3,000 euros and Dama Trophy. In the event that the winner is domestic, he/she will be shortlisted for the Goya Awards 2024.
ANIMATION AWARD. It is endowed with 3,000 euros and Dama Trophy.
EUROPEAN AWARD, in any category and belonging to the European area (not Spain). Endowed with 1,000 euros and Lady Trophy.
IBERO-AMERICAN AWARD, in any category and belonging to Latin America and Brazil. Endowed with 1,000 euros and Dama Trophy.
FES CURT AWARD, endowed with 500 euros and Dama Trophy. Which may be chosen in any of the categories and whose production comes from authors of the Valencian Community or production companies based in the Autonomous Community and preferably in Valencian or subtitled in this language.
“CINECLUB LUIS BUÑUEL” NEW FILMMAKER AWARD, endowed with 500 euros and Dama Trophy, eligible in any of the categories. Both Spanish and international authors who have made up to their third short film are eligible.
MOBILE FILMMAKER PRO AWARD, endowed with 500 euros and the Dama Trophy, starting with the third short film. They can be Fiction or Documentary, to which both Spanish and international authors whose production has been made by high-end smartphones and who have at least three short films to their credit are eligible.
“HORT DEL XOCOLATER” AUDIENCE AWARD, endowed with 500 euros and Dama Trophy from among those Spanish and international short films that are part of the Official Selection of FICIE. The short film that has received the most votes from the audience attending the Official Selection screenings at the Hort del Xocolater between July 14 and 20, 2023 will be chosen.
Important: In the event that, at the discretion of the Organization and/or the Jury, any of these prizes may not be awarded.
Important: FICIE will award the laurels of each prize to the winners and their insertion in the short film is mandatory.
Important: FICIE does not oblige its winners to come to collect the prizes, nor does it condition the awarding of a prize, but it provides the above mentioned facilities so that they can attend with the public of the city of Elche.
Important: Some of these awards will be announced before the Closing Gala on July 21, 2023. The how, when and where will be announced in due time and through the usual media, digital and social networks.
In this edition of FICIE, the following collaborations and joint awards have been reached:
BEST SHORT FILM ON HUMAN RIGHTS AWARD, of any category and belonging to the Mediterranean coast and/or linked to it*3, except Spain, in collaboration with SocialMed València – Mediterranean Human Rights Festival. It is endowed with 1,000 euros and Dama Trophy.
Important: In the event that, at the discretion of the Organization and/or the Jury, this prize may not be awarded.
The Association of Women Filmmakers and Audiovisual Media (CIMA) will present the CIMA Award to the Best Female Filmmaker with a statuette and a one-year subscription to the association.
Important: At CIMA’s discretion, this award may be declared void.
The winner of the Mobile Filmmaker Pro Award will be entered directly as a finalist in the 2023 edition of the Cinephone Smartphone Film Festival.
The winner of the Mostra de Cinema Jove d’Elx, in its 2022 and 2023 editions, will enter directly as selected in our Official Short Film Section, Fiction category of this edition.
At the discretion of the Jury and the Reykjavik International Film Festival Organization, one or more Spanish short films from the Official Selection or the Palmarés will be finalists in the 2023 edition.
From Amazon Prime Video Channel “TVShorts” will contact, at its discretion, the authors that are part of the Official Section to obtain the corresponding permissions to be able to broadcast them on its grid.
Important: Finally, FICIE will announce and incorporate all new collaborations and awards that have not been closed at the time of publication of these rules.
*1 Complying with the regulations set by the Film Academy for the 2023 Edition Goya Awards for Fiction, it will automatically enter the Pre-Selection.
*2 Complying with the regulations set by the Film Academy for the 2023 Edition Goya Awards for Fiction, it will automatically enter the Pre-Selection.
*3 They are considered Mediterranean for the purposes of the festival:
a) Mediterranean countries are understood to be all the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Palestine, Palestine, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Turkey, Tunisia.
b) Countries linked to Mediterranean cultures include Andorra, Jordan, Kosovo, the Kurdistan territories (within Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey), San Marino, Northern Macedonia, Mauritania, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic and Romania.
What is done with the short films and the personal data stored?
The Author/Director/Distributor of the works submitted to the competition declares that they are of their authorship, direction and production and that, being original, they are free from third party claims
Without prejudice to the use and commercialization that the Author/Director/Distributor may make of the awarded work, the Organization shall be entitled to:
- The right to keep the works in a digital archive so that they can be viewed only by users during the week of screenings at the FICIE venues in the “Hort del Xocolater” Park (Elche) and Arenales del Sol Beach (Elche).
- The limited rights of public communication of the winning works so that the Mediterranean Foundation, through the activities it organizes or collaborates with, can carry out as many screenings as necessary in order to promote the winning works. The screenings will serve to promote the short film and the Festival itself, as long as this does not affect the distribution and possible commercialization of the short film and the necessary permissions to be able to screen the works of its Official Section and/or negotiate the fee or canon to be able to screen them.
- The reproduction rights of the winning works so that it can be archived and the Mediterranean Foundation can make a special edition in cd, dvd, or similar format in which the work is included along with the rest of the works presented to this or previous editions of the International Independent Film Festival of Elche, but always with the authorization of the Author/Director/Distributor in order not to harm its distribution and commercialization.
- Mediterranean Foundation supports the short film industry by paying royalties to the SGAE in all its reproductions, whether during the Official Selection screenings or in other cycles organized.
- All personal data and only the e-mail addresses of those registered in the edition of FICIE will be kept for the purpose of communication of new editions. Those registered for the newsletter on the official FICIE website.
How and when are prizes paid?
The FICIE Organization will contact all award winners to inform them of the payment conditions. The Organization undertakes to make the payment within a maximum of three months after having the corresponding information, with the following exceptions:
- If the Organization is unable to contact the winner(s) within this period, the prize money will revert to the Fundación Mediterráneo as organizer of FICIE.
- If the Organization is unable to make the bank transfer due to international trade embargoes.
- The economic endowment of the prizes are gross amounts to which the corresponding withholdings will be applied according to Spanish and international legislation.
What about the shipping of trophies?
Trophies not collected by non-attending awardees will be returned after the Closing Ceremony.
Due to the safety and hygiene conditions foreseen by the health authorities as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the trophies will be duly packaged, sanitized and sealed and then sent to the winners through the international courier service SEUR.
After the end of this edition, the Organization will contact the Author/Producer/Distributor to request their mailing address and contact telephone number.
If the Organization is unable to contact or have a postal address to properly deliver the trophies of the authors who could not come to collect them, they will be returned to the Mediterranean Foundation, which will keep them in deposit.
The same applies if there are trade embargoes in the destination country and delivery cannot be made.
