Cinedans FEST

The International Short Film Competition presents the Cinedans Jury Award and Jury Encouragement Award; the short documentary competition has a separate Cinedans Jury Award. The international student competition awards the Cinedans Student Award in odd-year editions. Selected films also participate in audience voting. In 2026 the Best International Short Dance Film award carries EUR 5,000 and the Best International Short Doc Film award EUR 1,000; audience awards distinguish fiction and non-fiction. The separate Cinedans LAB Pitch Award carries EUR 1,000 for a dance-film project in development. Prize amounts refer to 2026 and are not a commitment for later editions.

Cinedans FEST 2027 and 2028 — film-entry conditions The festival alternates between a Practice & Potential edition, including the International Student Competition, in odd years and an international showcase with professional short-film competitions in even years. The 2027 film-entry deadline is 30 September 2026 (extended from 15 September); it has passed. The 2028 International Short Film and Short Docs competitions accept entries until 30 June 2027. Applications are made through the Cinedans Filmchief entry portal. 2027 International Student Competition: fiction and experimental dance films of 1–25 minutes, developed or completed while the maker is enrolled in an educational institution; films must be no more than three years old and must not have been submitted to an earlier Cinedans edition. Up to three submissions per filmmaker. No entry fee. Films compete for the Cinedans Student Award. 2027 New Dutch: professional short dance productions from the Netherlands, 1–25 minutes, no more than three years old and not previously submitted to Cinedans; up to three submissions per filmmaker. The terms include fiction, documentary and experimental work. No entry fee. This section is outside competition. Professional Dutch shorts are automatically considered for both New Dutch 2027 and the International Competition 2028; a second application is unnecessary, and the selection committee decides which Dutch films enter the 2028 competition. 2027 Outside of Competition: professional and student features and documentaries longer than 25 minutes, performance relays, installations, stereoscopic work, VR and other project proposals. The terms also accept short documentaries of any length in this section; the portal directs performance registrations and relays here. Projects must be no more than three years old and not previously submitted to Cinedans. Up to two submissions per filmmaker; no entry fee. Installation makers may send supplementary material to entry@cinedans.nl, but must also complete the entry portal application. 2028 International Short Film Competition: professional fiction and experimental films related to dance, choreography, movement or performance, 1–25 minutes, no more than three years old and not submitted to previous Cinedans editions. Up to three submissions per filmmaker; entry fee EUR 20. Films compete for the Cinedans Jury Award and Encouragement Award, with cash prizes. 2028 International Short Docs Competition: professional documentaries related to dance, choreography, movement or performance, 1–25 minutes, no more than three years old and not previously submitted to Cinedans. Up to three submissions per filmmaker; entry fee EUR 15. Films compete for the Cinedans Jury Award for Short Documentaries. Longer films belong outside competition. The live entry portal and current official call identify this as the 2028 competition with a 30 June 2027 deadline; the linked 2027 terms PDF retains an outdated 2026 heading and 1 September 2025 date for this section. Submission materials and payment: consideration requires the completed online form and selection screener. Work in progress is accepted if available information and materials are supplied and the applicant states when a screener can be delivered; the 2027 call prefers a preview by October 2026. Online screeners may be password protected; the form also allows DVD delivery. The form requests English/international and original titles, duration, logline of up to 30 words, synopsis, production and completion details, credits and a primary contact. Up to three JPG or PNG stills, maximum 5 MB each, may be uploaded; installation proposals allow up to three DOCX/PDF attachments, maximum 5 MB each. For fee-bearing entries, consideration requires payment. The portal accepts iDeal, Mastercard, Visa, PayPal or bank transfer. Expressions of interest in subsequent Cinedans TOUR and Cinedans WEB presentation are non-binding. Selection: criteria cover originality and authorship; content and meaning; concept and clarity of script; the relationship between dance and film; camera work and editing contributing to that relationship; choreography and dancing; the function of sound; and technical execution in relation to artistic intention. Programmers may move a film to another category or competition, informing its maker. Screening schedules are entirely at the festival's discretion. Notifications for 2027 are due by January 2027 and online announcement by the end of February 2027. All selected films enter audience-award voting. Screening and masters: submission grants the festival up to three screenings at Eye Filmmuseum or another Amsterdam festival location during the festival, without screening fees. Selected makers supply DCP and ProRes master copies according to the specifications and delivery instructions sent with selection. The linked 2027 terms retain an obsolete January 2026 master deadline; the separate 2027–2028 master specifications instead refer to the deadline in the festival's email. The latter must be checked with the selection notification. The 2027–2028 master specifications apply to screening masters, not preview screeners. DCPs follow standard DCP guidelines; professional preparation and testing are recommended. Digital master containers are MOV. Accepted codecs include Apple ProRes 422 through XQ4444, Avid DNxHD/DNxHR, H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, H.265/HEVC, AVC-Intra/Ultra, and XDCamHD422 at 50 Mbit/s or better. H.264 guidance is 10-bit Hi422 profile, level 4.x, around 80 Mbit/s; HEVC guidance is 10-bit Main 4:2:2, level 5.x, around 37 Mbit/s. Recommended colour spaces are Rec.709, DCI-P3 or Rec.2020. Specified square-pixel sizes are 1920×1080 HD, 1998×1080 DCI Flat, 3840×2160 UHD, 3996×2160 4K DCI Flat, 2048×858 2K Scope, 4096×1716 4K Scope and 1440×1080 4:3. Other aspect ratios must be letterboxed or pillarboxed within these sizes. Accepted frame rates are 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97 and 30 fps, progressive only; interlaced video is not accepted. English subtitles must be burned into the picture inside the frame; separate subtitle tracks cannot be played. Audio is uncompressed PCM, 16- or 24-bit, 48 kHz, in two channels. Stereo, Dolby Stereo/LtRt, Dolby Pro Logic and DTS:Neo6 are supported; state the format in the filename. Discrete multichannel audio is downmixed to LtRt. Surround must use a stereo-compatible Dolby Pro Logic/LtRt encoding. Dolby Digital/AC3, DTS-HD, Dolby E and comparable bitstreams are not supported. Non-compliant masters may prevent correct playback and lead to exclusion; technical questions go to entry@cinedans.nl. Promotion and publication: submission grants use of films, stills, posters and trailers for promotion across internet, television and other media. Promotional excerpts may cover up to 10% of a film, capped at three minutes. Full films may be previewed privately to the press or for educational purposes. Entry-form information supplies festival publications; catalogue text remains at the festival's discretion, and the festival is not liable for inaccuracies in the submitted material. Submitters' contact details remain in the festival database for additional-screening requests and are not published or shared with third parties without consent. Rights and liability: submitters warrant full ownership or clearance of all film rights. The festival accepts no liability for third-party claims. Responsibility for a master starts when it reaches the festival office and continues until return shipment. Compensation for loss or damage during the festival is limited to the cost of a replacement copy at current laboratory rates. Damage must be reported within one month after return and before any subsequent screening. Normal screening wear is excluded. Masters are returned as soon as possible or as agreed with the filmmaker. Projection faults do not create liability for non-material losses suffered by directors, producers or distributors. Filmmaker passes and invitations are discretionary; the festival communicates its ticket policy separately. Travel and accommodation are not covered. Festival management or its board may make exceptions to the regulations. Filmchief's separate service terms and privacy policy also apply when using the entry portal. These are film-entry conditions; the festival's professional visitor pass and LAB pitch/workshop applications have separate terms and do not constitute film competition entries. Separate professional activities — last published conditions, 2026 (closed) Cinedans LAB Pitch 2026 invites professional makers with original projects in which dance and movement provide the central narrative. Five makers are selected to present to programmers and producers, with a EUR 1,000 development prize. The extended application deadline is 17 February 2026; the pitch session is 27 March 2026, 13:30–15:00, at Eye Filmmuseum. Its application portal now reports submissions closed. These conditions do not announce a 2027 pitch call. The Cinedans LAB Dance and Camera Workshop 2026 is for professional makers with a movement and/or filmmaking background. The workshop is on 28 March 2026, 10:00–18:00, at Eye Filmmuseum; places are limited and allocated in application order. The fee is EUR 50; applicants unable to pay are directed to laura@cinedans.nl. Its linked ticket shop now has no current or upcoming events. These are the closed 2026 workshop conditions, not a current registration offer. The 2026 Professional Pass covers the festival programme, including professional events, but pass holders must still reserve a ticket for each event. Some professional activities are separately accessible to general audiences and makers through the festival programme. No 2027 professional-pass or workshop conditions are announced in the sources above. Entry portal service conditions are distinct from festival selection regulations: users must be at least 18, keep registration information current, protect their accounts, and have the necessary rights to uploaded material. Unlawful material, impersonation, unsolicited advertising and interference with the service are prohibited. Filmchief retains rights in its software; unauthorised commercial resale and reverse engineering are prohibited. Its terms provide for indemnity for user-caused third-party claims, account termination, service and third-party-link disclaimers, warranty exclusions and liability limits subject to applicable law. Claims related to the service must be brought within one year, and the terms specify courts chosen by Filmchief. The separate portal privacy policy explains collection of account, entry, credit, payment and usage data, festival administration and communications, service providers, retention, security, international transfers and users' access, correction and deletion rights. These service documents are available through the entry portal footer and do not create additional festival competitions.