Regulation
1. PURPOSE
1.1 The 2026 Short Film Screenwriting Competition aims to recognize and support outstanding original screenplays in the following categories: Short Film (Animation, Comedy, Drama, Experimental, Fantasy/Science Fiction, Children’s & Young Adult live action, and Thriller/Horror), Vertical Series, Advertising, Best International Screenplay, and Best Screenplay of 2026.
1.2 The Competition will award 11 (eleven) winning screenplays, which will receive the prizes set forth in Section 6 of these Rules and Regulations.
2. SUBMISSIONS
2.1 Submissions for the Competition will be open from August 17, 2026, through October 11, 2026, until 11:59 p.m. Brasília Time.
2.2 Participants residing in Brazil or abroad may enter the Competition. For the Short Film categories (Animation, Comedy, Drama, Experimental, Fantasy/Science Fiction, Children’s & Young Adult live action, and Thriller/Horror), Vertical Series, Advertising, and Best Screenplay of 2026, only screenplays written in Portuguese will be accepted. For the Best International Screenplay category, screenplays written in English and Spanish will be accepted.
2.3 Entry is open only to Brazilian citizens and foreign nationals aged 18 or older. Portuguese-language screenplays will not compete against screenplays written in other languages.
2.4 Only original screenplays will be accepted. Adapted screenplays will not be accepted, except when the underlying work is authored by the screenwriter themselves.
2.5 The entry fee for the Best International Screenplay category is US$10 during the First Submission Period, valid through September 17, 2026. As of September 18, 2026, entries submitted during the Second Submission Period will cost US$10.
2.6 There is no limit to the number of screenplay submissions per author.
2.7 To enter the Competition, participants must fully complete the submission form available on the Curto Criativo website and submit the screenplay in accordance with the eligibility requirements set forth in Section 3 of these Rules and Regulations.
2.8 The submission form requires the following information: author’s name, co-author’s name (if applicable), phone number, email address, city and state of residence, brief résumé, proof of payment of the entry fee, project title, synopsis, genre, and screenplay PDF.
2.9 In the case of a screenplay written by co-authors, the screenwriter responsible for the submission must have authorization from the other co-authors and is responsible for ensuring that they are aware of the submission to this Competition. Such authorization must be declared by completing the corresponding field in the submission form. The Competition also disclaims any responsibility arising from copyright infringement that may be committed by participants.
2.10 The screenplay must be submitted and the entry fee must be paid before the submission deadline.
2.11 The entry fee must be paid via PIX.
2.12 Incomplete submissions or submissions with pending payments will not be reviewed by the selection committee, and the entry fee paid for a disqualified submission will not be refunded.
2.13 Participants are advised to have their submitted screenplays duly registered with the Brazilian National Library or through other forms of registration. The Event Organization shall not be responsible for any situation arising from the lack of registration of the submitted project.
2.14 The organization of the Curto Criativo Competition reserves the right to extend the submission deadline, as well as the deadlines for announcing the semifinalists and winners, as it deems appropriate, by announcing such changes through its communication channels.
3. DEFINITIONS
3.1 For the purposes of this Competition, a screenplay is understood to mean a written document describing the story, settings, action, and visual elements of a short film.
3.2 Short film screenplays must be at least 2 pages and no more than 20 pages long, excluding the cover page.
3.3 The screenplay must follow Master Scenes formatting and be submitted in PDF format.
3.4 Screenplays that do not comply with these requirements will be disqualified.
4. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
4.1 The screenplay PDF file must be named using only the category name and the screenplay title, as in the following example: Drama_Title.pdf.
4.2 The screenplay MUST be submitted with a cover page containing ONLY the project title. No other information may appear on the cover page, including the author’s name, phone number, email address, draft number, awards, social media profiles, etc., regardless of whether or not such information identifies the author.
4.3 Screenplays must comply with the numbering and formatting requirements described in Sections 3.2 through 3.4. Screenplays that do not comply with these requirements will be disqualified.
4.4 No additional materials beyond those requested in these Rules and Regulations may be submitted, including, for example, character profiles.
4.5 Failure to comply with any of the conditions listed in Sections 4.1 through 4.4 will result in the screenplay being deemed ineligible.
4.6 Once the submission has been completed, materials that could result in disqualification may not be corrected or replaced. In such cases, a new submission may be made upon payment of a new entry fee.
4.7 For the Vertical Series category, the pilot screenplay must be submitted.
4.8 For the Advertising category, eligible submissions are videos created for brands in commercial, web, or branded content formats.
5. SELECTION PROCESS
5.1 The Competition organization will appoint the jury for the Competition, which will be composed of professionals with recognized experience in the audiovisual industry.
5.2 Screenplays will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Creativity; Originality; Character Development; Quality of Narrative Structure; Grammar and Formatting.
5.3 The Competition is not responsible for providing written evaluations or any quantitative or qualitative feedback regarding the materials submitted to the Competition.
5.4 The selection of the Competition’s finalists and winners will be the sole responsibility of the selection committee and jury. The decisions of the selection committee and jury are final and not subject to appeal.
6. AWARDS
6.1 Finalists will be announced in the 10 (ten) categories: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Experimental, Fantasy/Science Fiction, Children’s & Young Adult (live action), Thriller/Horror, Vertical Series, Advertising, and Best International Screenplay. Each category will have 3 (three) finalists. The finalists for Best Screenplay of 2026 will be announced at the awards ceremony, as the winners of each category will compete for this award.
6.2 Among the three finalists in each category, one winner will be announced for each category at the in-person awards ceremony.
6.2.1 The winners of the Animation, Comedy, Drama, Experimental, Fantasy/Science Fiction, Children’s & Young Adult (live action), Thriller/Horror, Vertical Series, and Advertising categories will receive the following prize: a one-hour collective online consultation with an experienced professional, during which they may ask technical questions regarding the production of their screenplay, including how to film it and what type of equipment may be used.
6.2.2 Screenplays in the Best International Screenplay category, written in English or Spanish, will not compete against Portuguese-language screenplays in the Best Screenplay of 2026 category.
6.2.3 The winner of the Best International Screenplay category will receive the following benefits:
a) a one-hour one-on-one online script development session with an international screenwriting or audiovisual industry professional, focused on the development of the project and its potential for international circulation;
b) inclusion of the winning project in a screenwriting talent database.
6.3 The winner of the Best Screenplay of 2026 award will receive a trophy and a cash prize of R$1,000.00 (one thousand Brazilian reais).
7. GENERAL PROVISIONS
7.1 The Competition shall not be responsible for the consequences of any false information provided in connection with screenplay submissions made by participants in this Competition and reserves the right to disqualify, at any time, those responsible for any violations of these Rules and Regulations. By submitting their screenplay(s), the screenwriter expressly declares their agreement with the terms set forth in these Rules and Regulations and further affirms that all information provided to the Competition organization at the time of submission is true.
7.2 Any screenwriter who enters the Competition and is selected as a finalist shall be responsible for ensuring that, when the work is produced, the credits include the Curto Criativo logo, preceded by the phrase “This project was a finalist in the 2026 Curto Criativo Competition.” In the case of winning projects, the credits must include the Curto Criativo logo, preceded by the phrase “This project was a winner of the 2026 Curto Criativo Competition.” The updated Curto Criativo logo must be requested from the Competition’s production team when the work is finalized, by email at contato@curtocriativo.com.br.
7.3 The Event Organization shall not be responsible for any expenses related to the participation of screenplays or screenwriters in this Competition, whether related to the submission or attendance at the awards ceremony. Expenses such as accommodation, meals, and transportation shall be entirely the responsibility of the Competition participants.
8. CONTACT
Questions regarding these Rules and Regulations should be sent to: