Call for candidates Films
This 12th international gathering of filmmakers and industry professionals takes place in Reims, France, bringing together creators and actors from across the globe.
Reims becomes a vibrant hub for conversation, collaboration, and exchange through panels, Q&As, and networking opportunities. The festival features continuous screenings from Thursday, July 2 through Sunday, July 5, 2026. In addition to the main competition, special out-of-competition screenings will showcase select short films, documentaries, and feature-length works. The festival also includes panels and roundtables with film industry professionals, film screenings with audience Q&As, and an award ceremony.
An international jury, made up of film industry professionals, will award prizes to highlight outstanding achievements in filmmaking and acting. The Festival will award these 10 prizes, all valued at 500€:
• Best Feature Film
• Best Short Film
• Best Documentary
• Best Animation
• Best Youth Film (the director must be under 30 years old)
• Best Deaf Director
• Best Deaf Actress
• Best Deaf Actor
• Best Editing
• Best Director of Photography
(Note that the list of categories are subject to change based on festival submissions.)
1. The competition is open to all film formats and genres. However, works which go against human dignity and/or contain messages of hostility or hatred towards specific groups of people will not be accepted.
2. The film must have been produced after September 1, 2024.
3. Short films have a duration between 1 and 30 minutes.
4. Feature films have a duration of between 31 and 100 minutes.
5. Each director or producer may submit as many films as desired, but each film must be submitted separately.
6. Films must be submitted via Film Freeway. We will not accept submissions via any other method.
7. Film nominations for each category will be announced by 31 March 2026. We encourage all nominees to come to the award ceremony during the Festival.
8. We will request nominees to submit Electronic Press Kits (EPKs) which include high-resolution production stills, key art, bio and filmography of the director, production notes and full cast and crew credits.
9. The Festival may require specific participants to sit in Festival panels, roundtables, or Q&As.
10. The Festival may retain digital copies of all submissions for archival purposes. Submission of an entry gives the Festival permission to have excerpts of accepted work, including film trailers, shown in all promotional activities related to the festival.
11. Every precaution is taken when handling your film once submitted but we cannot accept responsibility for lost or damaged files that are submitted to us. The Festival is committed to screening all films in the best technical environment possible. However, the Festival declines any responsibility in cases where the film screening is not satisfactory due to technical reasons.
• The Festival prioritizes authentic representation. We welcome submissions involving individuals who identify as Deaf, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, late-deafened, or hard of hearing. For the purposes of community integrity, we seek individuals who:
• Have a significant hearing loss that impacts daily communication
• Use a sign language as a primary or fluent language
• Identify with and/or are actively engaged in the Deaf and hard of hearing community
• While we recognize that hearing loss exists on a spectrum, this project specifically centers lived experiences aligned with cultural Deaf/HoH identities — not mild hearing loss or temporary impairment. If you're not sure whether this applies to you, please reach out.
• Hearing individuals who have produced projects in collaboration with, and featuring, the Deaf and hard of hearing community are welcome to submit.
• All films must have open subtitles in English for every signed and spoken word, as well as background audio. It is the responsibility of the filmmaker to provide a copy of the film with burned-in subtitles, in addition to a separate SRT file as an attachment. The SRT files will be used and converted into transcripts for DeafBlind attendees. If your film is in LSF and/or French, this requirement does not apply. The festival will add open subtitles in English for you.
If your submission has been nominated for an award, the Festival will sponsor the following:
1. 50% of transport costs (plane or train).
2. 100% of accommodation costs for 3 nights (2-5 July 2026). (Additional nights are at your own expense).
3. VIP Admission to the Opening Ceremony and the Awards Ceremony.
4. 1 Festival Pass (4 days).
Please note we do not arrange transfers to/from the train station or airport to Reims city center.
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