Curtas Vila do Conde - International Film Festival is one of the most prestigious film festivals in Portugal, reaching its 33rd edition in 2025.
Assuming as the main objective the promotion and diffusion of cinematographic and audio-visual works, selected according to quality criteria, Curtas Vila do Conde focus on the discovery of new films and filmmakers and also on the recognised legacy of Cinema.
Short film competitions with animations, documentaries, fiction films, experimental films, and music videos, produced in 2024 or 2025, no longer than 60 minutes (exception made, under 30 minutes duration limit, for Curtinhas – youth and children; My Generation - competitive section aimed for teenagers; Take One! – student films; and music videos), preferably with subtitles in Portuguese or English, are admitted to the various competitions.
Side programs, to be progressively announced, will highlight not only a selection of worldwide contemporary short films but also the relations between shorts and features, music, and film or art and cinema.
The jury of Portuguese and International competitions, composed of a maximum number of 5 recognised professionals to be designated by the festival board, will attribute the following prizes:
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
- Great Prize (for the best film in competition);
- Animation Award (to distinguish an animation film in competition);
- Manoel de Oliveira Award (to distinguish a documentary in competition);
- Fiction Award (to distinguish a fiction film in competition).
PORTUGUESE COMPETITION
- Best Film Award (to the best film in the Portuguese Competition);
- Best Director Award (to a distinguished filmmaker in the Portuguese Competition);
Films in the Portuguese competition are also eligible for the International Competition awards. All films by directors of Portuguese nationality are eligible, as well as those having a majority of Portuguese production.
Oscar Qualifying Film Festival List
Curtas Vila do Conde IFF is an Oscar Qualifying Film Festival, meaning that both the winners of the International Competition’s Grand Prix and the Portuguese Competition’s Best Film Award become eligible in the Best Animated Short Film or Best Live-Action Short Film categories at the Academy Awards®, thus dispensing with the obligation of a commercial release in the United States, and provided they comply with the Academy’s regulations.
Vila do Conde Short Film Candidate for the European Film Awards
One of the winning films at the International or Portuguese competition will become eligible for a nomination for the European Film Academy’s European Film Awards.
Audience Awards
In addition to the prizes awarded by the jury of Portuguese and International Competitions, the festival’s audience will award two films through ranked voting, choosing the best film of the International Competition and the best film of the Portuguese Competition, in both cases corresponding to the highest average:
- Audience Award – International;
- Audience Award – Portuguese.
EXPERIMENTAL COMPETITION
This competition is dedicated to experimental films, particularly those that will reveal new approaches to moving images and the development of the language of Cinema. The jury of this competition, composed of a maximum number of 3 recognised professionals, to be designated by the festival board, will attribute the:
- Best Experimental Film Award.
MUSIC VIDEOS COMPETITION
Dedicated competition to music videos of bands or artists of Portuguese origin or produced by Portuguese authors, up to 30 minutes, with a specific jury also composed by a maximum number of 3 recognised professionals to be designated by the festival board, will attribute the prize for:
- Best Music Video.
TAKE ONE! COMPETITION
Dedicated to films up to 30 minutes, directed by Portuguese students, enrolled in Portuguese Universities or in cinema schools or filmmaking courses abroad. The jury of this competition, composed of a maximum number of 3 recognised professionals to be designated by the festival direction, will attribute the:
- Take One! Award.
MY GENERATION COMPETITION
The competitive section is aimed at teenagers, with films up to 30 minutes, where a group of students from schools in the region will make the final selection of films, promotion, writing texts, and the presentation of the screenings. The films of this competition will be pre-selected and suggested to the group by the various selection committees of the other competitions. During the event, another group of 12 teenagers will be the jury that will award the:
- My Generation Award.
CURTINHAS COMPETITION
This competition is dedicated to children’s films rated over 3 years old, and up to 30 minutes. The jury is composed of a large group of children aged from 7 to 13 years old, which will attribute the:
- Curtinhas Award.
Until the announcement of the final program of the 33rd Curtas Vila do Conde, in June 2025, the amounts in cash or in-kind attributable to each award require confirmation.
2025 COMPETITION
RULES AND REGULATIONS
SUBMITTING A FILM TO THIS FESTIVAL IMPLIES THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE FOLLOWING:
1. OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE
The 33rd Curtas Vila do Conde – International Film Festival, organised by Curtas Metragens CRL – Cooperativa de Produção Cultural CRL, based in Vila do Conde, Portugal, will be held from July 12th to 20th 2025. Its main objective will be the dissemination and promotion of audiovisual and film production, selected according to quality criteria, in an event that will focus not only on the discovery of new films and directors, but also on the legacy of renowned filmographies.
2. ELIGIBILITY
Animated, documentary, fiction, and experimental films, as well as music videos, no longer than 60 minutes (unless otherwise noted), produced in 2024 or 2025, either in film (16mm e 35mm) or digital (DCP), are eligible for the various competitions.
3. COMPETITIVE PROGRAMS, JURIES, AND AWARDS
Portuguese and International Competition Juries
Both the juries for the Portuguese and International competitions will be comprised of up to 5 renowned professionals, designated by the festival board, who will award the following prizes:
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
- Grand Prix (awarded to the best film in competition);
- Animation Award (to a distinguished film in the animation category);
- Prix Manoel de Oliveira (awarded to a distinguished film in the documentary category);
- Fiction Award (to a distinguished film in the fiction category).
PORTUGUESE COMPETITION
- Best Film Award (to the best film in the Portuguese Competition);
- Best Director Award (to a distinguished filmmaker in the Portuguese Competition);
The films in the Portuguese competition are also eligible for the International Competition awards.
Oscar Qualifying Film Festival List
The Academy of Motion Picture, Arts, and Sciences, which annually hosts the Academy Awards, has decided that Curtas Vila do Conde IFF is now a part of the Oscar Qualifying Film Festival List, meaning that both the winners of the International Competition’s Grand Prix and the Portuguese Competition’s Best Film Award become eligible in the Best Animated Short Film and Best Live-Action Short Film categories at the Academy Awards®, thus dispensing with the obligation of a commercial release in the United States, and provided they comply with the Academy’s regulations.
Vila do Conde Short Film Candidate for the European Film Awards
One of the winning films at the International or Portuguese competition will become eligible for a nomination for the European Film Academy’s European Film Awards.
Audience Award
In addition to the prizes awarded by the Official Competition Juries, the festival’s audience will award two films through ranked voting, choosing a best film in both the Portuguese and International Competitions, corresponding in both cases to the highest average attained:
- Audience Award – International;
- Audience Award – Portuguese.
EXPERIMENTAL COMPETITION
This competition is dedicated to experimental films, particularly those featuring new approaches regarding the moving image and the development of film language. This competition’s jury, also comprised of up to 3 renowned professionals, designated by the festival board, will award the prize for:
- Best Experimental Film
MUSIC VIDEO COMPETITION
Competition dedicated to music videos either by Portuguese artists and bands, or produced by Portuguese authors, no longer than 30 minutes, which will have a specific jury, also comprised of up to 3 renowned professionals, designated by the festival board, who will award the prize for:
- Best Music Video.
TAKE ONE! COMPETITION
Dedicated to films no longer than 30 minutes, directed by Portuguese students, enrolled in either Portuguese higher education institutions or film schools abroad. This competition’s jury, also comprised of up to 3 renowned professionals, designated by the festival board, will hand out the:
- Take One! Award
MY GENERATION COMPETITION
Competitive program dedicated to teenagers, with films no longer than 30 minutes, in which a group of students from regional schools will be responsible for the final film selection, advertising, writing the material and introducing the screenings. This competition’s films will be pre-selected and suggested to the group by the different selection committees of other competitions. The festival’s audience will award one film through ranked voting, choosing the competition’s best movie, which will receive the:
- My Generation Award
CURTINHAS COMPETITION
This competition is dedicated to children’s films rated over 3 years old, no longer than 30 minutes. Its jury is comprised of a vast group of kids aged 7 to 13, who will hand out the:
- Curtinhas Award.
The outstanding cash and/or monetary prizes of each award will be disclosed prior to the announcement of the 31st Curtas Vila do Conde’s final program.
4. DEADLINES AND SUBMISSION FEES
The deadline for film submissions at the festival is April 30th, 2025, for all competitive sections.
Submission fees (except Take One!):
- Submissions completed and paid by December 31st, 2024 - 16 EUR;
- Submissions completed and paid from January 1st to February 28th, 2025 - 20 EUR;
- Submissions completed and paid from March 1st to April 30th, 2025 - 25 EUR.
Take One! Competition
- Free submission.
The festival does not guarantee the viewing and assessment of films submitted after the dates set out above.
