SHORT FILM CATEGORY
A. MECHANICS
1. Submission Requirements:
• Final work in MP4 format, with violator/watermark (for screening
purposes only),
• The file should be properly labeled with:
⮚ Title
⮚ Production company
⮚ Address and contact numbers
⮚ Production date
⮚ Director’s name
⮚ Running time (should not exceed 20 minutes, inclusive of credit titles)
• Duly completed entry form;
• Synopsis in English;
• A brief résumé/bio-data and one 2×2 photos of the filmmaker(s).
ONLINE SUBMISSION
• Follow this link to fill out the online entry form and upload your film and filmmaker’s
profile: https://forms.gle/nRccEEA1SUkEAFrRA
OFFLINE SUBMISSION (Optional):
• Film entry must be submitted in a thumb drive or USB.
• All entries must be submitted in a long brown envelope properly labeled with
the following:
⮚ Proponent’s name
⮚ Title of film
⮚ Contact details
• Interested participants must submit the requirements to the Film, Broadcast,
and New Media Division (FBNMD), CCP ANNEX Vicente Sotto St. corner
Magdalena Jalandoni St., Pasay City
DEADLINE OF SUBMISSION
• On or before FEBRUARY 27, 2026 (Friday)
2. The ten (10) finalists will be informed on MAY 15, 2026 (Friday).
3. By JUNE 05, 2026 (Friday) each of the chosen ten (10) finalists must submit the
following press conference requirements:
➢ Soft copy of official poster in hi-res jpeg format
➢ Soft copy of production stills on jpeg format
➢ Soft copy of behind-the -scenes stills
➢ Trailers in mp4 file format (15 seconds & 30 seconds)
➢ Updated logline and synopsis
➢ Updated profile of the filmmaker and Director’s statement
➢ Photo (bust or medium shot) of the filmmaker(s) in jpeg format;
4. By JUNE 19, 2026 (Friday) each of the chosen ten (10) finalists must submit the
following:
⮚ HD file (MP4 with bit rate not more than 15 mbps) of the film with
hardcoded subtitles;
⮚ HD file ((Apple Pro res HQ without subtitle plus .srt file) of the film;
⮚ 30 and 15-seconder trailers with English subtitles for HD playback as data
file;
⮚ DCP of film (with English subtitles) with video frame rate of 24fps;
⮚ Eight (8) printed and captioned horizontal behind-the-scenes and film
stills in jpeg format to be used for the souvenir program (soft copy);
⮚ Eight (8) copies 8”x10” printed horizontal behind-the-scenes and film stills
for the exhibit (properly labeled at the back);
⮚ Official poster in high resolution jpeg format;
⮚ One (1) 20”X30” vertical official poster mounted on sintra board (2-3mm
thickness);
⮚ One (1) iconic item (memorabilia) which figures prominently in the film for
the exhibit.
5. The ten (10) short film finalists will be screened during the 2026 Cinemalaya Film
Festival from AUGUST 6-18, 2026.
The Awards Ceremony will be held at a selected venue of the Cultural Center of the
Philippines on AUGUST 17, 2026, Monday, and shall give out the following cash
prizes subject to appropriate government taxes:
Best Film P 150,000
Special Jury Prize P 60,000
Audience Choice P 50,000
B. RULES AND REGULATIONS
1. Only entries by Filipino filmmakers are accepted to the Short Film Category.
2. Revised version of a film previously submitted to the festival but not selected will not
be reconsidered.
3. Members of the Cinemalaya Organizing Committee are disqualified from joining the
competition.
4. Interested participants may submit a maximum of three (3) entries but only one (1)
entry per proponent may be considered as a finalist.
5. Entries must have been produced within the period of May 16, 2025 to February 27,
2026.
6. Short film entries that participated in other local and international festivals and
competitions are qualified to join the Cinemalaya competition. However, if an entry
was submitted and is selected as finalist in both the Cinemalaya Shorts competition
and Gawad Alternatibo, the said entry will automatically be removed from the Gawad
Alternatibo lineup in favor of Cinemalaya.
7. Works exceeding 20 minutes, inclusive of credit titles, are disqualified.
8. Entries selected as finalists cannot be withdrawn from the competition.
9. The selected film shall be considered as the official entry, thus, further editing is not
allowed.
10. All entries must be in digital video format. The following copies will be submitted for
screening and archival purposes:
• 30 and 15-seconder trailers with English subtitles for HD playback as data
file;
• HD file (MP4 with bit rate not more than 15 mbps) of the film with hardcoded
subtitles;
• HD file ((Apple Pro res HQ without subtitles plus .srt file) of the film;
• DCP of film (with English subtitles) with video frame rate of 24fps;
11. Due to copyright laws, music used in any entry must be original, licensed or in the
public domain. Refer to http://archive.org/details/audio/ for available materials or
check https://iclg.com/practice-areas/copyright-laws-and-regulations/philippines for
more information on copyright.
12. Dialogue should be primarily in Filipino or any Philippine language as appropriate,
with English subtitles.
13. If the entry involves several individuals, they must assign a single representative to
act on their behalf. The Cinemalaya Organizing Committee shall not be liable for any
controversy regarding the sharing of awards among members of the group.
14. The Festival will ensure safety of the films throughout the period in which the
cinematographic materials are in its custody. In case of loss or damage to the
materials, the Festival’s obligation is limited to the replacement only of the lost or
damaged USB.
15. All shipments to the Festival must be prepaid and properly labeled. The Festival
cannot accept any collect shipments of any entry.
16. The Cinemalaya Foundation, Inc. (CFI) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines
(CCP) reserve the right to show the ten (10) short films for educational purposes in
perpetuity within CFI/CCP-designated venues and online platforms including
CFI/CCP-initiated outreach programs. In all instances, the CFI/CCP shall inform the
filmmaker of the screenings and their purposes.
17. The Festival also reserves the right to use snippets and images of the film entry for
print, broadcast, and online promotions of the festival. The CFI and CCP shall inform
and secure the permission of the filmmaker on the other use and application of
images.
18. The Board of Judges reserves the right not to give an award in any category should
no entry merit it.
19. The decision of the Board of Judges is final.