ARTICLE 1

Organized by the Instituto Nacional de Cine y Artes Audiovisuales (INCAA), and accredited by the Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films (FIAPF), the 40th Mar del Plata International Film Festival will be held in Mar del Plata from November 6 to 16, 2025.
The purpose of this festival is to stimulate and facilitate meetings between members of the national and international film industry, and to present films of all genres, accompanied by their representatives, in order to contribute to the development of culture and the progress and dissemination of the audiovisual industry.

ARTICLE 2

The registration of films in all categories is open to feature, medium and short film productions, national and international, of all genres. The productions must have been completed during the TWELVE (12) months prior to the beginning of the Festival. Films or projects related to any member of the Festival’s organization or programming team are not eligible to participate.

The following are the entry fees according to category:

. International feature films: SIXTY UNITED STATES DOLLARS (USD 60.-).
. International medium and short films: THIRTY UNITED STATES DOLLARS
(USD 30.-).
. National feature films: ARGENTINE PESOS SIXTY THOUSAND ARGENTINE
PESOS ($ 60,000. -).
. National media and short films: ARGENTINE PESOS THIRTY THOUSAND
ARGENTINE PESOS ($ 30,000. -).

It should be clarified that, in the year 2025, again national productions will be benefited by a FORTY PERCENT (40%) bonus on the total value of the
previously declared tariffs. Therefore, the final values for national productions to be transferred will be as follows:

. National feature films: THIRTY SIX THOUSAND THIRTY SIX THOUSAND
PESOS ($36,000. -).

. National medium and short films: EIGHTEEN THOUSAND EIGHTEEN
THOUSAND PESOS ($18,000. -).

Payment of these fees shall be made at the time of registration, from the Festival’s official website, and is a necessary condition for the process to be duly completed. It is hereby clarified that, for the purpose of payment, a feature film is considered to be any film whose duration exceeds SIXTY (60) minutes.

ARTICLE 3

The 40th edition of the Mar del Plata International Film Festival will include the International, Latin American and Argentinean Competitions; feature films and short films. Likewise, the In Transit Competition for Argentine productions and/or co-productions with Latin America in progress. This, in addition to different parallel sections and special events.

ARTICLE 4

Each film may have up to FIVE (5) screenings, including an additional one for the press, if so decided by the Festival authorities.
Once the Festival has been notified of the selection of a film and the producer or his representative has given his written consent, the film may not be withdrawn.

Its producer or designated representative must submit the film and promotional materials requested before the deadline, as indicated in ANNEX I of these Regulations. These materials will be used for the catalog, website, press, publicity and dissemination of the film’s participation in the Festival.
Films shall be submitted in the original language, subtitled in English, with electronic subtitles in Spanish. Only the Festival authorities will be able to decide about the presentation outside these rules.

Films programmed in any of the sections may not be commercially released in Argentina until the end of the Festival. Neither may they be shown publicly in areas other than those of the Festival, unless they sign agreements with the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts (INCAA) for screenings in other cinemas in the country, or for broadcasting through Cine.ar and Cine.ar Play. Only the Festival authorities will be able to decide about the presentation outside these rules.

ARTICLE 5

In order to submit a film for the Festival selection, it is necessary to pay the corresponding fee and complete the following steps:

a) Complete the Online Registration Form.

b) Send a download link whose password will be valid until November 16, 2025.

The links of the registered films must include the download option to be viewed by the Festival’s Selection Committee. A maximum of 2GB is recommended. Their use will be strictly internal.

Registration for all categories opens on Monday, May 05, 2025 and closes on Monday, June 30, 2025.

The Festival offices are located at Lima 319, 8th Floor (CP 1073), Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina. This information is provided for the purposes that may apply, but it is expressly stated that the entire registration process will be exclusively online. At the end of the selection process, the Festival will notify all films received of the results of the process.

ARTICLE 6

The programming team will recommend to the Festival authorities the films that, in the opinion of its members, should be chosen to be part of this edition of the Festival. The authorities will decide on the basis of that proposal, selecting the films that respond to the Festival’s objective and have relevant artistic and/or renovating values, with artistic values, in order to form an Official Section compatible with the requirements of an International Competitive Festival, accredited by the Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films (FIAPF).

ARTICLE 7

The Festival authorities will appoint the members of the juries for each competition. The Co-Artistic Directors of the Festival, or their representative, may be present during the Jury’s deliberations, but they will not be part of them nor will they have any vote. Decisions will be made by absolute majority in the first two ballots and by relative majority in the following ballots. Any person having any interest in the production or exploitation of a film in competition may not be a member of the Jury. The members of the Jury firmly undertake not to publicly express their opinions regarding the films submitted for their consideration before the official announcement of the awards.

ARTICLE 8

INTERNATIONAL OFFICIAL COMPETITION
‍
National and international feature films may participate. The productions must have been completed during the TWELVE (12) months prior to the Festival’s opening date; they must have been premiered in the territory of the Argentine Republic, and must not have had any kind of public exhibition in our country. If selected, they may not be shown elsewhere until the end of their screening at the Festival, unless the organization so decides. Films that have competed in festivals outside Argentina, prior to the date of selection for presentation in Mar del Plata, are not ineligible to be part of the
Competition.

The following prizes will be awarded:

to the Best Feature Film;
Special Jury Prize;
Best Director;
Best Male Performance; Best Female Performance; Best Screenplay.

The Jury may award up to TWO (2) Special Mentions, indicating the motivation that makes the winners worthy of such mentions. Only one award may be given ex aequo, which may not be for Best Film. No film may receive more than TWO (2) awards, and no award may be declared void.

ARTICLE 9

LATIN AMERICAN FEATURE FILM COMPETITION
‍
Films of Latin American production and co-production, which must have been completed during the TWELVE (12) months prior to the Festival’s opening date, be premiered in the territory of the Argentine Republic, and not have had any kind of public exhibition in our country, may participate in the competition. If selected, they may not be shown elsewhere until the end of their screening at the Festival, unless the organization so decides.

Films that have competed in festivals outside Argentina, prior to the date of selection for presentation in Mar del Plata, are not ineligible for the Competition. The copies to be screened must be presented with English subtitles.

The Jury will award the prize for the Best Feature Film of the Latin American Competition, which may not be declared void. It may also make up to TWO (2) Special Mentions.

ARTICLE 10

ARGENTINE FEATURE FILM COMPETITION
‍
Argentinean-produced films will participate. Productions must have been completed during the TWELVE (12) months prior to the opening date of the
Festival; they must be premiered in the territory of the Argentine Republic, and not have had any kind of public exhibition in our country.
If selected, they may not be shown elsewhere until the end of their screening at the Festival, unless the organization so decides.

Films that have competed in festivals outside Argentina, prior to the date of selection for presentation in Mar del Plata, are not ineligible for the Competition. The copies to be screened must be presented with English subtitles.

The Jury will award ONE (1) prize for Best Feature Film in the Argentine Competition, and ONE (1) prize for Best Director. No award may be declared void, and up to TWO (2) special mentions may be granted.

ARTICLE 11

SHORT FILM COMPETITIONS
‍
International Short Film Competition
‍
Short films of international production and co-production may participate. The productions must have been completed during the TWELVE (12) months prior to the Festival’s starting date; they must have been premiered in the territory of the Argentine Republic and must not have had any kind of public exhibition in our country.

If selected, they may not be shown elsewhere until the end of their screening at the Festival, unless the organization so decides. Short films that have competed in festivals outside Argentina, prior to the date of selection for presentation in Mar del Plata, are not ineligible for the Competition.

The copies to be screened must be presented with English subtitles.

Short films may not exceed TWENTY (20) minutes, including credits. The Jury will award ONE (1) prize to the Best Short Film of the International Competition.

Latin American Short Film Competition
‍
Short films of Latin American production and co-production are eligible. The productions must have been completed during the TWELVE (12) months prior to the start date of the Festival; they must have been premiered in the territory of the Argentine Republic, and must not have had any kind of public exhibition in our country.

If selected, they may not be shown elsewhere until the end of their screening at the Festival, unless the organization so decides. Short films that have competed in festivals outside Argentina, prior to the date of selection for presentation in Mar del Plata, are not ineligible for the Competition.

The copies to be screened must be presented with English subtitles.

Short films may not exceed TWENTY (20) minutes, including credits. The Jury will award ONE (1) prize to the Best Short Film of the Latin American
Competition.


Argentine Short Film Competition
‍
Short films produced in Argentina may participate. The productions must have been completed during the TWELVE (12) months prior to the start date of the Festival; they must have been premiered in the territory of the Argentine Republic, and must not have had any kind of public exhibition in our country.

If selected, they may not be shown elsewhere until the end of their screening at the Festival, unless the organization so decides. Short films that have competed in festivals outside Argentina, prior to the date of selection for presentation in Mar del Plata, are not ineligible for the Competition.

The copies to be screened must be presented with English subtitles.

Short films may not exceed TWENTY (20) minutes, including credits. The Jury will award ONE (1) prize to the Best Short Film of the Argentine
Competition.

ARTICLE 12

COMPETITION IN TRANSIT / WORK IN PROGRESS
‍
Argentine or Latin American feature film projects in the process of production and co-production are eligible to participate. They may be fiction, documentary or experimental films.
‍
To register it is necessary to:

1) Complete the Online Registration Form.

2) Send a download link with images of the project (unlimited duration). For the selected works, the duration of the fragment to be exhibited during
the Festival cannot exceed TEN (10) minutes. The links of the registered films must include the download option to be viewed by the Festival’s programming team. A maximum of 2GB is recommended. Its use will be strictly internal.

3) Attach a Word or PDF file with the following information:

ARTICLE 13

Once a film has been programmed and has been approved in writing by the producer or his representative, it may not be withdrawn from the Festival. The producers and distributors of those films included in the Competitions undertake to include in all their publicity and press material the phrase “Official Selection of the Mar del Plata International Film Festival”, using the Festival’s logo.

The producers and distributors of those films that win awards undertake to highlight it in all their publicity and press material, using the Festival’s logo. This logo will be available on the Festival website.

All awards not received at the Closing Ceremony may be picked up at the Festival’s offices in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (or where and how indicated according to the circumstances), up to one month after the end of the event.

ARTICLE 14

The Festival covers the costs of storage and insurance of the copies while they are within the official limits of the Festival. The Festival will not assume customs expenses for the export and import of the copies in their country of origin. In case of damage to a copy or any other claim, it must be communicated to the Festival up to one month after the date of shipment made by the Festival, as a deadline. The Festival’s liability shall not exceed the cost of a new copy, according to the rates in force in the laboratories for a standard copy.

ARTICLE 15

Films participating in VOD platforms will not be admitted, with the exception of those cases in which it is for strictly professional use and with restricted access. The Festival reserves the right to evaluate each particular case.

ARTICLE 16

The Festival authorities will resolve all matters not contemplated in these Rules and Regulations, as well as reserve the right to make decisions regarding registration.

They will also ensure compliance with the regulations of the Fédération Internationale des Associations de Producteurs de Films (FIAPF).

ARTICLE 17

The Festival works to achieve the greatest accessibility in all its contents. For this purpose, Argentine films selected in any of the sections mentioned in these regulations must include a file with a list of dialogues in Spanish.

ARTICLE 18

The submission of a film or project to participate in the Mar del Plata International Film Festival implies, on the part of the interested parties,  the acceptance of these Regulations. The Festival reserves the right to modify the composition of all competitions and sections, according to its needs.

‍ANNEX I OF THE REGULATIONS

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

The screening copies of selected films must be delivered in a DCP format to the address indicated by the Festival organization, before October 6, 2025, respecting the requested technical requirements. Presentation in other formats requires the Festival authorization. Those interested in participating in the Festival must complete the following steps:
‍
a) Complete the Entry Form on the Festival webpage https://www.mardelplatafilmfest.com/
‍
b) Send a downloadable link of 2 GB with a password that is valid through November 16, 2025.
‍
c) Agree to accept the decisions issued by INCAA through its members and juries appointed for the evaluation of these technical issues.
‍
d) Application for all sections will close on June 30, 2025.

FORMATS

Only DCP that are compatible with DCI norms will be accepted.
‍
Disks with USB 2.0 connections will not be accepted.
‍
Submission in other formats requires the express authorization of the Festival’s Technical Department. DCP naming must be under the parameters of the Digital Cinema Naming Convention. Each DCP disk must be delivered in an appropriate durable case to avoid damage. The storage partition format must be EXT2 or EXT3, though NTFS is also accepted. No other file systems will be accepted. KDM (Key Delivery Message): encryption is optional. The festival handles a large quantity of DCP content that does not require KDM. For each encrypted DCP, we request a KDM. The KDM should be valid from the day the DCP arrives and should remain operative through to the last day of the Festival.
‍
JPEG 2000 / COLOR SPACE: XYZ / The maximum bit rate supported in JPEG 2000 is 250 Mbps. Frame rate supported in 2D: 24 fps, 25 fps and 48 fps. Frame rate supported in 3D: 24 fps. Material in 2K or 4K is played in progressive scan 2048 x 1080. Subtitle file types supported: TICineCanvas TM and SMPTE 428-7-2007.