Overview
SANFIC (Santiago Festival Internacional de Cine) is Chile's primary international film festival. Founded in 2005 and co-financed by the Ministerio de las Culturas, las Artes y el Patrimonio, the festival is produced by Storyboard Media and presented by Fundacion Corpartes. The 21st edition (SANFIC 21) ran from 17 to 24 August 2025 in Santiago. The 22nd edition (SANFIC 22) is scheduled for 2 to 8 November 2026.
SANFIC screens approximately 150 films across three official competitions and several non-competitive sections. The festival accepts open submissions for all three competitions. It is not an Academy Award-qualifying festival. It does not operate an official film market, but industry activities include networking events, works-in-progress showcases, and industry panels organized alongside the festival program.
The festival is the most important domestic platform for Chilean filmmakers and the primary venue for international cinema in Chile. Chilean cinema has gained significant international recognition in recent years, with films like "A Fantastic Woman" (2017, Sebastian Lelio) winning the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film and "The Club" (2015, Pablo Larrain) winning the Silver Bear at Berlin. SANFIC is the domestic festival where Chilean filmmakers premiere their work to local audiences and industry.
Submission Fees and Deadlines
SANFIC 22 (2026 Edition)
- Submissions open: 20 July 2026
- Submission deadline: 14 August 2026
- Submission platform: Festhome
- International productions: USD 30
- Chilean productions: Free
Historical Deadlines (SANFIC 21, 2025)
- Submissions opened: 15 April 2025
- Submission deadline: 26 May 2025
- Notification date: 1 August 2025
- Festival dates: 17 to 24 August 2025
Submission fees and deadlines shift year to year. The 2026 edition moved from August to November and adjusted the submission window accordingly. Always verify current dates on the SANFIC website or the Festhome festival page.
Eligibility and Requirements
International Competition
- Open to feature-length fiction and documentary films (60 minutes or longer).
- Films must be completed after 1 February of the year prior to the festival. For SANFIC 22, films must be completed after 1 April 2025.
- Open to 1st through 5th films by a director, both national and international.
- The festival gives priority to national and international premieres.
- Films are screened in their original version with subtitles (Spanish or English).
- Submission via Festhome only.
Chilean Cinema Competition
- Open to feature-length fiction and documentary films of Chilean production or co-production.
- Same completion date requirements as International Competition.
- Chilean films in competition must have English subtitles incorporated into the screening copy.
National Short Film Competition (Cortometraje Talento Nacional)
- Open to Chilean short films (fiction, animation, or documentary).
- Maximum duration: 30 minutes.
- Must be completed after the date specified in the current year's rules.
- Short films must have English subtitles incorporated into the screening copy.
Technical Requirements for Selected Films
- Exhibition format: DCP (Digital Cinema Package) - INTEROP or SMPTE, FLAT or SCOPE, 2K and 4K.
- Sound: 5.1, 7.1, or 2.0 channels.
- Alternative: Apple ProRes 4444, 422 HQ, or Avid DNxHD file.
- Accepted frame rates: 23.98, 24, 25, and 30 fps.
- Subtitles: Spanish or English, depending on the original language. Films spoken in Spanish require English subtitles for competition screenings.
Key Sections
- International Competition - fiction and documentary features, 1st through 5th films
- Chilean Cinema Competition - Chilean features and co-productions
- National Short Film Competition (Cortometraje Talento Nacional) - Chilean shorts up to 30 minutes
- Non-Competitive Sections - curated programs, special screenings, retrospectives
- SANFIC Educa - educational section, may be hybrid (in-person and digital)
Major Awards
Each competition has its own jury. The juries award the following prizes:
International Competition
- Best Film
- Best Director
- Best Performance (Interpretacion)
- Up to two Special Jury Mentions
Chilean Cinema Competition
- Best Film
- Best Director
- Best Performance (Interpretacion)
- Up to two Special Jury Mentions
National Short Film Competition
- Best Short Film
- Up to two Special Jury Mentions
The festival does not publish cash prize amounts for its awards. The primary value of winning at SANFIC is domestic visibility in Chile and the industry recognition that comes with jury selection at the country's most important festival.
What Filmmakers Should Know
SANFIC is the most realistic top-tier festival target for Chilean filmmakers. For international filmmakers, SANFIC provides access to Chilean and South American audiences, but it is not a market festival and does not typically generate acquisition deals for international films. The festival's industry value is strongest for Chilean and Latin American productions seeking regional visibility.
The submission process is straightforward through Festhome. The USD 30 fee for international productions is low compared to major European and North American festivals. Chilean productions submit for free. The festival gives priority to premieres, so films that have not yet screened in Chile or internationally have a competitive advantage in selection.
For Chilean filmmakers, the Chilean Cinema Competition is the most important domestic showcase. Winning or being selected in this competition carries significant weight within Chile's film industry and can support applications for national film funding through the Consejo del Arte y la Industria Audiovisual. Chile offers a 25% tax rebate on qualifying film and audiovisual productions through the Audiovisual Development Fund, and SANFIC selection can strengthen a filmmaker's track record when applying for these funds.
International filmmakers submitting to the International Competition should note that the festival prioritizes 1st through 5th films by a director. If you have directed more than five features, you are not eligible for the International Competition.
Festival History
SANFIC was founded in 2005 as a small international film festival in Santiago. Over 21 editions, it has grown into the most important film festival in Chile, operating continuously with government and private support. The festival is co-financed by the Ministerio de las Culturas, las Artes y el Patrimonio.
The 20th edition (SANFIC 20, 2024) ran from 18 to 25 August. The 21st edition (SANFIC 21, 2025) ran from 17 to 24 August. The 22nd edition (SANFIC 22, 2026) shifts to November (2 to 8 November 2026), moving into the southern hemisphere spring and away from the August winter slot it occupied for most of its history.
Chile's film industry has grown significantly since SANFIC's founding, with Chilean films regularly appearing at Cannes, Berlin, Venice, and Toronto. SANFIC has served as the domestic showcase for this growing industry, premiering Chilean films that go on to international festival circuits.
Past Winners
International Competition
- 2025 (SANFIC 21): A Poet (Un Poeta) by Simon Mesa Soto (Colombia) - a dark comedy about a failed poet in Medellin. The film also won the Cannes Un Certain Regard Jury Prize and was Colombia's Oscar entry for Best International Feature. Distributed by 1-2 Special in the US (theatrical release January 2026). Best Director ex aequo: Simon Mesa for A Poet and Carlos Marques-Marcet for They Will Be Dust. Best Performance ex aequo: Angela Molina and Alfredo Castro for They Will Be Dust.
- 2024 (SANFIC 20): State of Silence (Estado de silencio) by Santiago Maza (Mexico) - a documentary about press freedom in Mexico produced by Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal. Acquired by Netflix for US and Latin American distribution, released October 2024. Special Jury Mention: The Universal Theory by Timm Kroger.
Chilean Cinema Competition
- 2025: South of Winter, Lies the Snow (Al Sur del invierno esta la nieve) by Sebastian Vidal Campos
- 2024: The Fabulous Gold Harvesting Machine by Alfredo Pourailly De La Plaza and Aullido de Invierno by Matias Rojas Valencia (shared Best Film)
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
SANFIC has premiered and awarded early work by filmmakers who went on to international success:
- Sebastian Lelio - SANFIC awarded his early work before he directed A Fantastic Woman (2017), which won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film in 2018 and the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay at Berlin. Lelio also directed Gloria (2013) and Disobedience (2017).
- Maite Alberdi - SANFIC awarded her early work before she directed The Mole Agent (2020), nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and shortlisted for Best International Feature. Distributed by Gravitas Ventures in the US, it grossed $402,414 at the box office. Alberdi was later Oscar-nominated again for The Infinite Memory (2023).
- Pablo Larrain - SANFIC awarded his early work before he directed No (2012, Oscar-nominated), Jackie (2016), and El Conde (2023, Venice competition).
- Dominga Sotomayor - SANFIC awarded her early work. She later directed Too Late to Die Young (2018), which premiered at Locarno and won Best Director.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
SANFIC's International Competition restricts eligibility to 1st through 5th films by a director. If you have directed more than 5 features, you are not eligible. The festival gives priority to national and international premieres, so films that have not yet screened in Chile have a competitive advantage.
The festival's programming taste leans toward Latin American auteur cinema, socially engaged documentaries, and first-time filmmakers. Documentaries have performed well in competition: State of Silence won Best Film in 2024. For the Chilean Cinema Competition, films must have English subtitles in the screening copy.
The USD 30 fee for international productions is low. Chilean productions submit for free. Submit through Festhome only.
Industry Reputation Notes
SANFIC is one of the three key festival-markets in South America, alongside Guadalajara (FICG) and Rio de Janeiro, according to Variety. The festival has grown its industry arm, Sanfic Industria, with project submissions up 98% in 2025. Sanfic Industria partnered with Netflix to launch a Queer Incubator and welcomed a Locarno Industry Academy for the first time in 2025.
Compared to Guadalajara (FICG), which has a longer history (founded 1985) and broader Iberoamerican scope, SANFIC is more focused on Chilean cinema and has a stronger domestic industry component. SANFIC has premiered more than 150 Chilean features since 2005.
The festival is not Academy Award-qualifying and does not operate a formal film market. Its industry value is strongest for Chilean and Latin American productions seeking regional visibility.
Watch
See Also
For Latin American cinema and international film markets, see International Film Markets. For festival submission strategy, read Film Festival Strategy. For festival entry fee budgeting, use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator. For overall production budgeting, see the Production Budget Calculator.
