11 · 05 · 26

The Curaçao International Film Festival opens a call for entries for the second edition of Impact, in collaboration with FICM

 

The Curaçao International Film Festival (CIFF), in collaboration with the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM) and with the support of Atomica Laboratorio de Postproducción and oa sound design is launching Impact, a project for films in post-production by filmmakers from or working in the Caribbean and the Caribbean basin (including the coasts of Mexico, Central America, and South America), as well as filmmakers from those countries living or working in the diaspora.

Impact invites feature-length fiction or documentary projects in post-production to receive feedback from an international panel of experts, including of programmers and film professionals.

Selected projects will be invited to Curaçao with travel expenses and four nights of hotel accommodation covered. Films will be presented on April 15 and 16 during the 2027 edition of CIFF.

The panel will award a cash prize of $5,000 USD to a film of its choice. Additionally, Atomica will award a prize consisting of post-production services with a total value of $15,000 USD for color correction, generative AI and DCP mastering services; while oa sound design will award a prize for sound post-production services with a total value of $5,000 USD, to be used as required by the winning project.

Selected films will be screened in Curaçao during the Curaçao International Film Festival. 

• Deadline for submitting the registration form, including the viewing link for pre-selection: December 31 2026, 00:00 AST (22:00 CST).
• The results will be announced on January 25 2027.

 

PRIZES

• $5,000 USD in cash, provided by CIFF.

• $15,000 USD in post-production services awarded by Atomica to be redeemed as follows:

  i. $8,000 USD for professional color correction services for the final cut of the winning project. Scope: up to 60 hours of work in a color suite with an Atomica colorist, at a time to be agreed upon with the company.
  ii. $5,000 USD for image creation using Generative AI*. Scope: Up to 40 hours of work on a generative AI platform, at a time to be agreed upon with the company. This does not include additional licensing costs, credits, or purchases of specific assets for image creation. The rights and authorizations for use of the material must be verified and confirmed by the production team. * If the AI service is not required, 50% of this amount can be allocated to additional color grading hours.
  iii. $2,000 USD for mastering. Scope: Up to 1 DCP and 1 uncompressed master of the final master. Atomica will receive the online version with integrated graphics, sound, and credits per client for master production. A schedule will be arranged with the company.
  Redemption window: The service must begin within 365 days of official notification of the award.

• $5,000 USD in sound post-production services, provided by oa sound design and tailored to the project's needs. The prize may be used for the following services: dialogue editing; ambience and sound effects editing; Foley recording; sound design; ATMOS & 5.1 sound mixing; sound supervision, and original music composition.

 

RULES OF PARTICIPATION

1. Impact is open to filmmakers from or working in the Caribbean and the Caribbean basin (including the coasts of Mexico, Central America, and South America), as well as filmmakers from those countries living or working in the diaspora.
2. The running time must be between 60 and 120 minutes. Works produced exclusively for television or with an estimated final running time of less than 60 minutes will not be accepted. 
3. The call for entries will close at 12:00 a.m. AST (10:00 p.m. CST) on December 31 2026.
4. It is mandatory to request a registration form from impactciff@gmail.com and fill it out correctly with the requested project details. This information will be used for the Festival catalogue, should the work be selected.
5. A link to view the film, along with the correct password (if applicable), must be included in the registration form. 
6. Submitted films must have English or Spanish subtitles if their spoken language is not English or Spanish. 
7. Registration and participation are free of charge. If the film is selected, the filmmaker must be available to travel to Curaçao and present the film on April 15 or 16, 2027. The Festival will cover round-trip travel and 4 nights of accommodation in Curaçao for the director.
8. Selected films must include the corresponding mentions and logos of CIFF and Atomica or oa in their end credits. 
9. The selection committee's decision is final and cannot be appealed. Results will be announced on January 25, 2026. 
10. For screening during the Curaçao International Film Festival, the film must be subtitled in English.
11. Any information not covered in this call for entries will be decided on a case-by-case basis by the organizing committee.
12. For more information or to receive the registration form, please write to: impactciff@gmail.com