The deadline for submitting works to the competition, considered the festival's longest-standing contest, is next August 14th. 'Almería en Corto' represents a significant opportunity for emerging filmmakers, with specific awards for Almerian and Andalusian authors. This year, FICAL will distribute over 28,000 euros in prizes for this section.
Almudena Morales, the Deputy for Culture, Cinema, and Almerian Identity, emphasized the emotional significance of this section, which marked the festival's inception. Despite FICAL's evolution towards feature films, the essence of 'Almería en Corto' remains unchanged, reflecting its growing international reach with thousands of short films submitted from every continent.
The Provincial Council aims to promote the province and strengthen its historical ties with the international audiovisual industry through this competition. The event offers a total of 28,600 euros in prizes, including Best International Short Film (7,000 euros), National (4,000 euros), Audience Award (2,700 euros), and accolades for Andalusian, Almerian, Ibero-American, documentary, screenplay, direction, cinematography, art direction, and acting. The special Amnesty International Award for human values and rights is also maintained.
The awards include 7,000 euros and a trophy for Best International Short Film, 4,000 euros and a trophy for Best National Short Film, and 2,700 euros and a trophy for the Audience Award, decided by attendee votes. The Association of Andalusian Film Writers (ASECAN) grants 2,300 euros for the best Andalusian short film, while the Association of Journalists-Press Association of Almería (AP-APAL) awards 2,200 euros for the best Almerian short film.
Other accolades feature 2,200 euros for the best Ibero-American short film and another 2,200 euros for the best documentary. Awards for Best Direction, Screenplay, Cinematography (Cecilio Paniagua Award), and Art Direction (Gil Parrondo Award) each come with 1,000 euros. Additionally, 1,000 euros are allocated for Best Female Performance and another 1,000 euros for Best Male Performance, along with a special trophy for the Amnesty International award.
To participate, producers or directors must hold the rights to the submitted works and can submit any number of films. Works should be sent on independent media with their own registration form and in their original language, requiring subtitles in Spanish or English if not in Spanish. Films selected in the previous edition are not eligible. Registration must be completed through the platforms MOVIBETA or FESTHOME. Accepted short films must have national or international production after January 1, 2025, a maximum duration of 30 minutes (including credits), and be in high-definition digital format or superior, or on film (35 mm or 16 mm).
