Overview
FestCurtasBH is the Belo Horizonte International Short Film Festival, one of the most important events for short film production in Brazil. The 28th edition takes place October 30 to November 8, 2026, at Cine Humberto Mauro in the Palacio das Artes, Belo Horizonte, capital of Minas Gerais state. The festival is organized by the Clovis Salgado Foundation (FCS) and the Pro-Cultura e Promocao das Artes Association (Appa), through Cine Humberto Mauro.
The 27th edition in 2025 ran for 10 days from October 31 to November 9, screening 113 films in person at Cine Humberto Mauro and simultaneously online via the CHM+ platform. The festival received a record 3,359 entries, including 1,493 national films and 1,866 international works. The festival accepts short films up to 45 minutes in all genres except advertising films, institutional films, series episodes, and music videos. Submissions are free of charge.
The festival awards the Capybara Trophy across competitive sections for International, Brazilian, and Minas Gerais short films. Winning films in the competitive screenings receive a cash prize of 5,000 reais. The Audience Award winner receives 3,000 reais. The 27th edition also introduced the Jose Zuba Junior Prize, honoring the festival's creator, awarded to artists and collectives contributing to the vitality of short films.
Key Sections
Competitive Sections
- International Competition - short films from around the world competing for the Capybara Trophy. The 27th edition featured 18 films from 16 countries
- Brazilian Competition - Brazilian short films across all genres, competing for Capybara Trophy and 5,000 reais cash prize
- Minas Gerais Competition - short films from Minas Gerais filmmakers, with separate jury and awards
Special and Parallel Sections
- Animation - curated animation program
- Children's Program - short films for young audiences
- FilmLab - experimental and innovative short film works
- Midnight Section - late-night programming
- Spell-Films (Filme-Feitico) - curated special program, the 27th edition's central theme
- The Gestures of Narcisa Hirsch - retrospective honoring Argentine experimental filmmaker Narcisa Hirsch (27th edition)
- Youths Program - short films for and by young filmmakers
Submission Details
Submissions for the 28th edition are open from April 2 to May 17, 2026:
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Submission fee | Free |
| Platforms | ShortFilmDepot or FestCurtasBH website |
| Eligibility | Short films completed in 2025 or 2026, up to 45 minutes |
| Accepted genres | All genres except advertising, institutional, series episodes, and music videos |
| Accepted formats | 35mm, 16mm, or digital (DCP 2K, 4K, DCP 3D) |
| Selection notification | September 2026 (based on 27th edition timeline) |
For non-premiere films, the completion date is considered the first public screening date. The selection is made by a specialized curatorial commission.
Past Winners
27th Edition Winners (2025)
- International Competition: Dreams Like Paper Boats (Haiti, 2024, dir. Samuel Suffren) - a black-and-white film about a Haitian family separated by emigration, praised for its "territorialized cinema"
- International Competition Honorable Mention: Daria's Night Flowers (Iran/UK/France, 2025, dir. Maryam Tafakory) - an experimental film about patriarchal violence using archival Iranian cinema footage
- Brazilian Competition: Americana (Para, 2025, dir. Agarb Braga) - recognized for "regional and class decentralization and formal inventiveness"
- Brazilian Competition Honorable Mention: Letters from Absurd (Rio de Janeiro, dir. Gabraz)
- Minas Gerais Competition: Nubia (Belo Horizonte, 2025, dir. Barbara Bello) - recognized for "aesthetic courage, consistency of formal proposal, and unique way of inhabiting the erotic-urban space"
- Minas Gerais Honorable Mention: Princess Macula and the Sad Song (Sao Joao del Rei, dir. Mayara Mascarenhas)
- Audience Award: Tita: 100 Years of Struggle and Faith (Itabira, 2024, dir. Danilo Candombe) - 3,000 reais cash prize
- Jose Zuba Junior Prize: "Lights, Camera, School in Action" project at Newton Amaral Franco Municipal School in Contagem
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
- Dreams Like Paper Boats (Haiti, 2024, dir. Samuel Suffren) - won the International Competition at the 27th FestCurtasBH. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was selected for FESPACO 2025 and the Durban International Film Festival. Suffren's previous film Agwe was selected at Locarno and won Best Diaspora Film at FESPACO 2023.
- Daria's Night Flowers (Iran/UK/France, 2025, dir. Maryam Tafakory) - received honorable mention at the 27th FestCurtasBH. Tafakory is a multiple MIFF award winner whose work has screened at MoMA, Cannes Directors' Fortnight, and the New York Film Festival.
- Americana (Brazil, 2025, dir. Agarb Braga) - won the Brazilian Competition. The film also screened at the Mostra Tiradentes, Festival MixBrasil, and Festival Olhar do Norte, building a strong festival circuit profile across Brazilian festivals.
Awards / Accreditation
Competitive Awards
- Capybara Trophy - Best International Short Film - 5,000 reais
- Capybara Trophy - Best Brazilian Short Film - 5,000 reais
- Capybara Trophy - Best Minas Gerais Short Film - 5,000 reais
- Honorable Mentions - awarded at jury discretion in each competitive section
- Audience Award (Capybara Trophy) - most voted short film, 3,000 reais
- Jose Zuba Junior Prize - awarded to artists, collectives, and film workers contributing to short film vitality
FestCurtasBH is not FIAPF-accredited. It is not an Academy Award-qualifying or BAFTA-qualifying festival. The festival operates as a competitive short film showcase focused on Brazilian and international short cinema.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
- Submissions are free through ShortFilmDepot or the festival website, removing the financial barrier that many festivals present.
- The 27th edition received 3,359 entries for 96 selected slots, making the acceptance rate approximately 2.9 percent. Competition is intense.
- The festival values geographic diversity. The 27th edition jury highlighted "regional and class decentralization" in its Brazilian Competition winner, indicating a programming direction that favors films from outside Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
- Experimental and non-narrative work has a clear pathway. The 27th edition honored Argentine experimental filmmaker Narcisa Hirsch with a retrospective, and the international honorable mention went to an experimental Iranian film.
- The Minas Gerais Competition offers a separate jury and dedicated section, meaning local filmmakers do not compete against the full Brazilian field.
- Selected films are also made available online via the CHM+ platform during the festival, expanding audience reach. However, online availability may affect subsequent festival premiere status eligibility.
- After the main festival, selected films travel to more than 30 cities in interior Minas Gerais through the itinerant program, extending screening life well beyond the 10-day festival window.
Industry Reputation Notes
FestCurtasBH is one of the longest-running short film festivals in Brazil, with 31 years of existence and 27 editions completed. It is the primary short film festival in Minas Gerais state and one of the most significant in Brazil alongside the Sao Paulo International Short Film Festival. The festival does not host a film market or co-production forum. Its industry footprint is focused on curation, cultural exchange, and audience development rather than deal-making.
The festival's connection to Cine Humberto Mauro, the cinematheque of the Clovis Salgado Foundation, gives it an institutional base that many short film festivals lack. The festival publishes an annual catalog with critical essays and dossiers, positioning itself as a research and reflection platform, not just a screening event.
The itinerant program that extends screenings to over 30 cities in interior Minas Gerais reflects the festival's commitment to geographic access. This program brings international short film programming to communities outside the capital that would not otherwise have access to it.
For filmmakers seeking industry exposure in Brazil, FestCurtasBH offers strong visibility within the short film circuit but limited market activity. The Festival do Rio (October) offers a larger industry presence with its market component, while FestCurtasBH provides deeper engagement with short film as a distinct art form.
Watch
What Filmmakers Should Know
For Brazilian Filmmakers
The Brazilian Competition is one of the most significant competitive platforms for short films in Brazil. The 27th edition jury highlighted "regional and class decentralization and formal inventiveness" in its winning selection, indicating a programming direction that values geographic diversity beyond Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The 5,000 reais cash prize for competitive section winners is above average for Brazilian short film festivals. Films are also made available online via the CHM+ platform during the festival, expanding audience reach beyond Belo Horizonte.
For Minas Gerais Filmmakers
The Minas Gerais Competition is the most important regional platform for filmmakers from the state. The separate jury and dedicated competition section means Minas Gerais films are not competing against the full Brazilian field. For filmmakers based in Minas Gerais, this is the primary festival opportunity in their home state.
For International Filmmakers
Submissions are free through ShortFilmDepot or the festival website. The International Competition accepts shorts up to 45 minutes in all genres except advertising, institutional, series episodes, and music videos. The 27th edition honored Argentine experimental filmmaker Narcisa Hirsch, indicating the festival's openness to experimental and non-narrative work. Films must be completed in 2025 or 2026. The festival provides online screening via CHM+ alongside in-person screenings, which means selected films reach audiences beyond those physically present in Belo Horizonte.
See Also
For Brazilian cinema context, see International Film Markets. For festival submission strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. Use the Festival ROI Calculator to evaluate the cost-benefit of submitting to festivals. For other Latin American festivals, see Festival do Rio in Brazil, Mar del Plata in Argentina, or FICCI Cartagena in Colombia. Visit the FestCurtasBH website for current edition details and submission regulations.
