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Regulation

PREAMBLE

Moinho Cine Fest is an international film festival directed by filmmaker André Almeida Rodrigues and holder of the EFFE Label 2026–2027. The festival is dedicated to promoting contemporary cinematic creation, both national and international.

 

ARTICLE 1 – Objective

Moinho Cine Fest aims to celebrate and encourage the contemporary production of films, music videos, and videodance works through the awarding of monetary prizes and the payment of screening fees. The festival also seeks to entertain, enrich, and educate the audience by promoting new perspectives on the world and fostering artistic and cultural diversity.

 

ARTICLE 2 – Dates

The 9th edition of Moinho Cine Fest will take place in April 2027 in Matosinhos municipality, Portugal. The specific dates and venue will be announced in due course.

ARTICLE 3 – Sections

Submissions are accepted in the following categories:

  • Short Film: Competition for Portuguese and international films, music videos, and/or videodance works with a duration between 05:01 and 40:00 (mm:ss), produced within the last two years.
  • Micro Film: Competition for Portuguese and international films, music videos, and/or videodance works with a duration between 01:01 and 05:00 (mm:ss), produced within the last two years.
  • Nano Film: Competition for Portuguese and international films, music videos, and/or videodance works with a duration up to 01:00 (mm:ss), produced within the last two years.

 

ARTICLE 4 – Eligibility Conditions

  1. Filmmakers of any age or nationality may participate.
  2. Works of all genres are accepted.
  3. Works produced using Artificial Intelligence (AI) are accepted.
  4. Defamatory, threatening, pornographic, racist, ethnically offensive works or works that violate Portuguese law are not accepted.
  5. There is no limit to the number of works submitted per participant.
  6. There is no premiere policy; works already published online are accepted.
  7. In competitive sections, works directed or produced by individuals connected to the festival’s management are not accepted.
  8. Participants are responsible for correctly indicating the section in which their work is competing.

 

ARTICLE 5 – Subtitling

  1. Works spoken or containing text in Portuguese do not require English subtitles.
  2. Works spoken or containing text in any other language must include English subtitles.
  3. The festival management will translate and subtitle into Portuguese the competing works spoken or containing text in other languages

 

ARTICLE 6 – Jury

  1. The Jury will consist of three personalities invited by the festival management.
  2. Individuals with direct interests in the production and/or exploitation of the competing films may not serve on the Jury.
  3. The Jury composition will be announced on the website and social media.

 

ARTICLE 7 – Evaluation Criteria

  1. Works will be evaluated according to criteria such as originality, artistic quality, technical quality, and thematic relevance.
  2. Other criteria deemed relevant may also be considered.
  3. The decisions regarding the official selection and award winners are final and not subject to appeal.

 

ARTICLE 8 – Awards

  1. The Jury will grant the following awards:
  • Álvaro Martins – Best Film: 300 EUR + Trophy + Certificate
  • Best National Film: 200 EUR + Trophy + Certificate
  • Best International Film: 200 EUR + Trophy + Certificate
  • Best Short Film: 100 EUR + Certificate
  • Best Micro Film: 100 EUR + Certificate
  • Best Nano Film: 100 EUR + Certificate
  • M – Best Music Video or Videodance: 100 EUR + Certificate
  1. The Jury may award Honorable Mentions to non‑winning films when justified.
  2. No ex aequo awards will be given.
  3. The Best Portuguese Film Award is granted to works produced in Portugal.
  4. Payment:
  • Prizes are paid via SEPA bank transfer or PayPal (the latter may apply fees).
  • In countries without SEPA or PayPal, payment cannot be made.
  • Payment will be made within 31 days after the festival’s closing, based on the information provided by the participant.

 

ARTICLE 9 – Screening Fees

  1. In competitive sections, the festival management pays a screening fee of 0,05 EUR per second, excluding the duration of opening and closing credits.
  2. If a fee waiver is granted, the corresponding submission fee will be deducted from the screening fee.
  3. Maximum amounts per work:
  • Short Film: 120,00 EUR
  • Micro Film: 15,00 EUR
  • Nano Film: 3,00 EUR
  1. Payment:
  • Fees are paid via SEPA bank transfer or PayPal (the latter may apply fees).
  • In countries without SEPA or PayPal, payment cannot be made.
  • Payment will be made within 31 days after the festival’s closing, based on the information provided by the participant.

 

ARTICLE 10 – Submission

  1. Submissions for competitive sections are made through FilmFreeway: https://filmfreeway.com/moinhocinefest
  2. The submission period runs from May 1 to December 31, 2026 (PST).
  3. Submission fees per month:
  • May: Short 5 EUR, Micro 3 EUR, Nano 1 EUR
  • June: Short 6 EUR, Micro 4 EUR, Nano 1 EUR
  • July: Short 7 EUR, Micro 5 EUR, Nano 1 EUR
  • August: Short 8 EUR, Micro 6 EUR, Nano 1 EUR
  • September: Short 9 EUR, Micro 7 EUR, Nano 2 EUR
  • October: Short 10 EUR, Micro 8 EUR, Nano 2 EUR
  • November: Short 11 EUR, Micro 9 EUR, Nano 2 EUR
  • December: Short 12 EUR, Micro 10 EUR, Nano 2 EUR
  1. Discounts:
  • 10% for FilmFreeway Gold members.
  • Additional 10% for 2 or more submissions (cumulative with Gold discount). Requests must be made by email to moinhocinefest@gmail.com
  • 100% according to Article 11 – Fee Waiver.
  1. Submission fees are non‑

 

ARTICLE 11 – Fee Waiver

  1. Requests must be made by email to moinhocinefest@gmail.com, indicating the work and the reason.
  2. The festival management reserves the right to accept or reject the request.
  3. If the request is accepted and the work is selected, the submission fee in effect at the time of submission will be deducted from the screening fee.

 

ARTICLE 12 – Resubmission

  1. Resubmissions of works submitted in previous editions are accepted, provided they were not selected and comply with the current regulations.
  2. Works selected in previous editions will not be accepted.

 

ARTICLE 13 – Selection

  1. The selection of works is the responsibility of the festival management.
  2. Results will be communicated by January 15, 2027, via email, website, and social media.
  3. All selected works will receive a participation certificate.

 

ARTICLE 14 – Screening Copy

  1. The screening copy must be sent in H.264 or Apple ProRes codec, accompanied by a synopsis and still frame.
  2. Failure to provide these materials by January 31, 2027, results in automatic exclusion unless exceptional and duly justified reasons are presented.
  3. The festival management may accept other formats in duly justified cases.

 

ARTICLE 15 – Copyright

  1. Each participant guarantees that they hold the necessary rights and that the work does not infringe third‑party rights.
  2. When applicable, the participant guarantees they have authorization from the individuals filmed.

 

ARTICLE 16 – Privacy and Data Policy

  1. Data provided by participants is used exclusively for submission, selection, programming, communication, and exhibition within Moinho Cine Fest.
  2. Data will not be shared with third parties except when necessary for the festival’s operation.
  3. Participants authorize the use of their name, biography, images, and promotional materials of the work for festival promotion and its non‑commercial extensions.
  4. Participants may request the update or removal of their personal data by email, except when retention is legally required or necessary for the festival’s historical records.
  5. The festival management commits to handling all data in accordance with applicable Portuguese and European data protection laws.

 

ARTICLE 17 – Withdrawal Policy

  1. Withdrawal of a submitted work follows FilmFreeway’s withdrawal policy.
  2. After official selection, withdrawal is only possible in exceptional and duly justified cases, subject to the decision of the festival management.
  3. Withdrawal does not imply reimbursement of submission fees, granted waivers, or any associated amounts.

 

ARTICLE 18 – Guests

  1. The festival management may invite filmmakers and works from local associations for out‑of‑competition screenings.
  2. Invited works do not receive screening fees.
  3. Copyright remains the responsibility of the authors.
  4. Filmmakers in competition are invited to attend, but all travel expenses are their responsibility.

 

ARTICLE 19 – Extensions

Award‑winning works may be included in non‑commercial showcases or extensions promoting the festival, without payment of screening fees.

 

ARTICLE 20 – Non‑Commercial Screening Rights

  1. Selection of a work for Moinho Cine Fest implies authorization for its screening during the festival and in non‑commercial extensions.
  2. This authorization does not imply any transfer of commercial rights, television broadcasting rights, distribution rights, or exploitation outside the festival and its non‑commercial extensions.
  3. The work will not be screened in commercial contexts nor provided to third parties for any type of exploitation without the express authorization of the rights holder.
  4. Participation in the festival does not imply transfer of intellectual property rights, which remain fully with the authors or rights holders.

 

ARTICLE 21 – Technical Responsibility

  1. Participants are responsible for ensuring that all submitted files are complete, functional, and compliant with the festival’s technical requirements.
  2. The festival is not responsible for external technical failures, including internet issues, servers, submission platforms, or software incompatibilities.
  3. If technical problems occur during screening that are not attributable to the festival, the festival cannot be held responsible.

 

ARTICLE 22 – Communication Policy

  1. All official communications between the festival and participants are conducted via email using the contacts provided on FilmFreeway.
  2. The festival is not responsible for messages not received due to spam filters, full inboxes, or incorrect addresses provided by participants.
  3. Relevant information regarding selection, programming, and procedures will be communicated exclusively by email and/or through the festival’s official website and social media.

 

ARTICLE 23 – Disqualification Criteria

  1. Providing false or incorrect information during submission results in immediate disqualification.
  2. Failure to meet the deadlines defined by the festival may result in exclusion.
  3. Submitting corrupted, unreadable, or non‑compliant files may lead to disqualification if replacement is not possible within the deadline.
  4. Proven violation of copyright or use of unauthorized materials results in disqualification.
  5. Failure to comply with the eligibility conditions set out in these regulations constitutes grounds for exclusion.

 

ARTICLE 24 – Acceptance

Participation in Moinho Cine Fest implies full acceptance of these regulations.

 

ARTICLE 25 – Programming Changes Policy

  1. The festival management reserves the right to alter schedules, venue, sessions, format, or programming order due to technical, logistical, or force majeure reasons.
  2. Whenever possible, any changes will be communicated in advance via the website, social media, or email.
  3. Programming changes do not entitle participants to financial compensation or any form of indemnification.

 

ARTICLE 26 – Omitted Cases

The festival management reserves the right to decide on situations not covered and to introduce changes to the regulations, communicating them in due time to those concerned.