Regulations

REGULATIONS

Organization

Founded by Zita Carvalhosa, the Festival is organized by Associação Cultural Kinoforum with general coordination by Vânia Silva and Marcio Miranda Perez.

Festival Dates

The 37th Kinoforum - Sao Paulo International Short Film Festival will take place in the city of São Paulo from August 20th to 30th, 2026.

Objectives

The Kinoforum - São Paulo International Short Film Festival aims to foster exchange between Brazilian and international film production. Being cultural in nature, the Festival seeks to showcase films that contribute to the development of short films, their language, specific format, and production methods. The 37th Kinoforum - São Paulo International Short Film Festival will take place with in-person screenings in the city of São Paulo and on tour, as well as online screenings of selected content on geolocated platforms in Brazil for a limited time between August 21st and September 30th, including re-screenings of award-winning films and highlights in program selections.

Brazilian Programs

Films submitted to the Brazilian Programs may participate in the Brazilian Showcase and/or other showcases dedicated to Brazilian cinema, in addition to the Children's and Youth Showcase, Unlimited Showcase, and Special Programs. Respecting the specific conditions of each short film, the same work may participate in more than one section of the festival, with the organization having the prerogative to program the selected short film in one or more of its sections.

Foreign Films

Foreign films submitted may participate in the following sections: International Program, Latin American Showcase, Children's and Youth Showcase, Unlimited Showcase, and Special Programs. Subject to the specific conditions of each short film, the same work may participate in more than one section of the festival, with the organization having the prerogative to program the selected short film in one or more of its sections.

Immersive Films

Films with immersive characteristics may be submitted to any of the festival sections corresponding to their country of production. Subject to the specific conditions of each short film, the same work may participate in more than one section, with the organization having the prerogative to program the selected short film in one or more of its sections. At the time of submission, it is necessary to indicate whether the short film has an immersive version, and if so, the available format(s) (3D, VR, 360º, etc.).

Films Made with the Aid of AI (Artificial Intelligence)

Films made with the aid of AI (Artificial Intelligence) at any stage of their creation — including, but not limited to, screenwriting, editing, soundtrack, image or voice generation — may be submitted to any of the festival sections corresponding to their country of production; however, the submission form must indicate whether the film used this resource, and if so, in which areas (screenwriting, image, or sound).

The festival organization reserves the right to request additional clarification regarding the use of AI if deemed necessary for evaluation, curatorial purposes, or transparency with the public and jury.

Submission Conditions

  1. Films of all genres, with a duration of up to 25 minutes (including credits), completed in 2025 and 2026, provided they have never been submitted to previous editions of the Festival. 
  1. Submissions of unfinished works (Work in Progress) will be accepted under the following conditions: 

٠ Videos for selection must be submitted in their final cut, with the only acceptable modifications between this and the screening file being mixing, color correction, and mastering.

٠ The Work in Progress condition must be explicitly stated at the time of submission, in the designated field, detailing what remains to be done; 

٠ The work must be completed by May 31, 2026, for the selection process to continue. 

  1. Advertising and/or institutional videos will not be accepted. 
  1. Submission of the film implies the agreement and authorization of the rights holder for the online screening of the selected films during the week of the event. 

Submission Deadlines

  • March 31, 2026, for films completed in 2025; 
  • April 15, 2026, for films completed in 2026 (International Program); 
  • April 30, 2026, for films completed in 2026 (Latin American and Brazilian Showcases). 

Registration Procedure

  1. To submit, interested parties must register their film on the Short Film Depot (www.shortfilmdepot.com) and then submit it to the 37th São Paulo International Short Film Festival; 
  1. When registering the film, the interested party must upload the film file according to the platform's specifications.
  1. In addition to the selection process for submitted works, the Festival reserves the right to invite films for its programs. 

The festival will not cover expenses or fees related to sending any materials for selection. These are the sole responsibility of the person submitting the short film.

Announcement of Selected Films

The list of selected works will be published by July 15, 2026 on the www.kinoforum.org .

Exhibition Copies and Supplementary Documentation

  1. Digital exhibition copies of the selected films must be submitted to the festival organization in DCP (Digital Cinema Package) format, following the guidelines available at https://isdcf.com/dcnc/, and MP4 codec H.264 for standard films. MP4 and DCP copies can be screened in cinemas; it is crucial and the filmmakers' sole responsibility to ensure that these copies are identical and suitable for cinema projection. In the case of immersive works, monoscopic films must be submitted in 2:1 aspect ratio and stereoscopic films in 1:1 aspect ratio, by the date indicated in the selection email, in .mp4 files with H264 codec for 360º films.
  1. To broaden accessibility for all audiences, it is mandatory to submit SRT subtitle files in Portuguese ((preferably in LSE format - Subtitling for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing) for Brazilian films submitted to the festival. For all films, due to the hybrid and international nature of the event and, consequently, the presence of filmmakers and professionals who do not speak Portuguese, it is also necessary to submit SRT subtitle files in English. The SRT files must be formatted for use with the copy submitted for the screening of the selected short film, with corresponding timecode and frame rate. 
  1. Age Rating System: According to Brazil's Ministry of Justice Ordinance 368/2014, films shown in screenings and festivals must self-classify according to the “Practical Guide to Rating System Classification”. It is mandatory to fill in the film's rating system on the submission form, in accordance with these rules. The event organizers are responsible for ensuring compliance with this measure and may even change this classification as deemed necessary by the festival to comply with the regulations. 
  1. Those responsible for short films who declare, at the time of registration, the availability of a copy with accessibility features (LSE, LIBRAS, audio description) must send the screening files with the accessibility features highlighted in the submission and synchronized with the screening copy. If accessibility features were added after submission, it is important to communicate these features to broaden the possibilities for programming the film at the event. 

Promotional Materials

All information present in the submission form, as well as images and excerpts from the films (up to 30 seconds), may be used for promotion on the festival website and in the media. Up to 3 still images (at least one vertical), a poster, and a teaser/trailer/excerpt of up to 3 minutes of the selected works will be requested. These may be used by the Festival strictly for the purpose of promoting the event and its program in any media. This material must be submitted within one week of the selection notification date.

Remuneration for Screening

The Festival does not provide remuneration/screening fees for the exhibition of works submitted in the selection process.

Awards

The Festival includes public participation in the evaluation of the productions and establishes partnerships that result in awards announced at the closing of the event, offered to Brazilian and foreign films. For the first time, the 37th edition will feature the Zita Carvalhosa Award, a cash prize offered to Brazilian films that have their national premiere at Kinoforum – an independent jury will be convened by the Association to choose the winning film. Furthermore, Brazilian short films produced in audiovisual courses are eligible for the Breakthrough Award, which consists of services and equipment for the production of a new work of up to 15 minutes in length. The condition for a film to be eligible for this award is the express indication, at the time of submission, of the educational institution to which the short film is linked and which is also credited in the work. 

More information about partnerships and awards will be available on the website www.kinoforum.org 

Brazilian Product Certificate (CPB)

Only Brazilian works that possess a Brazilian Product Certificate (CPB) issued by the National Film Agency (Ancine) will be eligible for the awards promoted by the Festival and its partners. Issuance of the CPB is free and can be requested by any individual or legal entity registered with Ancine. More information is available on the website: www.ancine.gov.br.

The festival will accept the submission of works that do not yet possess the CPB; however, only works that provide proof of registration with Ancine (Brazilian National Film Agency) by July 20, 2026, will be eligible for awards. 

Regarding Filmmaker Participation

Both accommodation and transportation may be offered to filmmakers from cities outside São Paulo whose works are selected, granted democratically and within the event's budgetary limits, ensuring equal parameters for representatives of works in each section. These representatives must be the director or producer of the work; other cases will be subject to prior evaluation by the festival team. 

Festival Archive

The material submitted for selection will not be returned and will become part of the Kinoforum - São Paulo International Short Film Festival's archive, and may be used strictly for cultural purposes without commercial objectives.

Festival Tours

The Festival's touring programs may take place in the month following the event. Only films with explicit authorization in the Registration Form for free screening during the itinerant program may be included in these programs. 

Final Considerations

The person responsible for the submission declares, at the time of registration, that the producer of the work holds all applicable rights, guaranteeing its exhibition at the 37th São Paulo International Short Film Festival, and that all elements or any type of work used in the submitted short film, including the soundtrack and archival images, do not violate any image rights or intellectual property rights of third parties in accordance with Federal Law No. 9610/98. The person responsible for the submission agrees to assume exclusive legal responsibility for any eventual claim, legal action, or litigation, whether directly or indirectly arising from the exhibition or use of the works. Furthermore, the person responsible for the submission, representing all applicable rights holders at the time of registration, agrees that the selected films are authorized to be exhibited in cinemas and/or online exhibition platforms, and that any withdrawal from participation in the event must be formally communicated by June 1, 2026, for the film to be excluded from the final selection process.

Participation in the Festival implies unreserved acceptance of these regulations.

If you have any questions, please contact us by email at inscricoes@kinoforum.org .

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