Festival start: 16 October 2025
Festival end: 23 October 2025
The International Unseen Film Festival 'Social Films' from Bilbao (Basque Country, Spain) is organized by Kultura, Communication y Desarrollo KCD NGOD; Organization dedicated to promoting a human, intercultural, equitable and sustainable development through Communication and Culture.
The International Unseen Film Festival 'Social Films' from Bilbao is an annual celebration dedicated to show a cinema full of diversity and social commitment, a cinema that is usually excluded from commercial screens.
The Festival is centered on four major themes: Sustainable Development, Human Rights, Interculturality and Gender Equity.
With its continuous work, it has become an indispensable appointment for all those interested in communication for development and social transformation.
The Festival is also a recognition of all people who make a communication that allows to reflect through their audiovisual works all those different causes and problems of humanity.
Cash Prizes: 18,000€
There are a total of 9 prizes at the International Unseen Film Festival "Film Sozialak" Bilbao each one for TWO THOUSAND EUROS (2.000 euros), although the organisation reserves the right to vary this amount depending on the contributions of the corresponding entities.
The selected works will be eligible for the prize of the thematic category for which they are selected, plus the additional prizes mentioned above, which will be deposited with the directors, according to the data provided in the registration forms.
So, the awards for which participants are eligible are:
• Those corresponding to the thematic topic categories described in point 5:
• Award in the category of Sustainability.
• Award in the category of Gender Equality.
• Award in the category of Interculturality.
• Award in the category of Human Rights.
• Likewise, there will be awards in the following categories:
• Award for Best Work by a Woman: this award makes women filmmakers visible and encourages the participation of women in audio-visual communication beyond the subject matter of the different works. All films directed or co-directed by women participating in the festival in any of its thematic categories will be eligible for this award.
• Prize for the Best Social-content Work Made in Basque: this prize includes all the participating works in any of the thematic categories that are made in Basque and/or subtitled in Basque. Works made in Spanish and subtitled in Basque are not included in this category. In the event of a film made in various languages in addition to Basque, the festival reserves the right to decide if it enters this category or not.
• Unseen Film Award: this category includes all the works participating in any of the thematic categories, in Basque or Spanish, the aim being to support the work of a director according to the festival's criteria.
• Education in Values Award includes works in any of the thematic categories that are screened in secondary and vocational training schools that are venues for the festival. Only short films will be screened in these centres. Its aim is to promote social cinema and critical thinking among students. The most outstanding film will be decided on a vote cast by the students themselves.
• Audience Award: this category encourages audience participation, giving festival attendees or spectators the opportunity to evaluate the works they see and support the work of the filmmakers by using their votes. The Audience Award includes all the works in the competition that are screened in non-educational venues, as educational venues have their own award.
Rules and regulations of the 17th International Unseen Film
Festival “Film Sozialak” Bilbao 2025.
Registration: 1 January to 1 May 2025
Presentation
Kultura Communication Desarrollo-KCD NGOD (hereinafter the holder or KCD NGOD, indistinctly) registered in the General Register of Associations of the Basque Country with Tax ID G-95550943, and address at Beurko Viejo 3, Pabellón 38, Oficina 12, Barakaldo-Bizkaia (Vizcaya) 48902, Spain, will hold a festival dedicated to screening diverse and socially-committed films, films that are usually excluded from conventional screens.
KCD NGOD, organisers of the 17th International Unseen Film Festival “Film Sozialak” of Bilbao (Basque Country) and commissioned to organise the International Unseen Film Festival “Film Sozialak” is an entity whose aim, among others, is to promote Human, Intercultural, Equitable and Sustainable Development through Communication and Culture.
The International Unseen Film Festival “Film Sozialak” Bilbao is an annual celebration dedicated to screening diverse film content that is socially committed, films that are usually excluded from conventional screens.
With the continuous work that is being done, the festival has become an indispensable meeting place for all those interested in communication for social transformation and the defense of human rights. The Festival is also a space of recognition of all those people who, through their audio-visual work, reflect different realities of humanity.
Since its beginning, the festival has applied parity quotas and positive actions for equality, both in the selection of the films, as well as in their dissemination, the presence of women filmmakers, and the selection of the people on the jury, as well as other actions.
The main venue of the festival is the Azkuna Zentroa Alhóndiga Bilbao and the Golem cinemas located there. The official dates are 16 to 23 October 2025.
1. Who can benefit from the contest?
All persons or groups presenting works from any part of the world may participate in this contest, regardless of their origin or nationality. Minors must have the corresponding authorisation of a responsible adult (mother, father, legal guardian).
Each person or group may present one or various works, provided they possess the copyright or distribution rights. The festival is not responsible for any possible infringements arising in this respect.
In the same way, all films in digital format that fall into any of the categories described in these Rules and Regulations, as well as films that have already been screened at other festivals or venues, may participate.
Films that do not meet the above-mentioned conditions are not eligible to participate in the competition.
Participation in the Festival implies the acceptance without reservation of all the terms contained in these rules and conditions.
2. Registration and submission of films
To participate in the Festival it is necessary to register online using the form available in the festival organiser’s website:
https://www.kcd-ongd.org
The films cannot be sent in DCP format. Postage and return expenses will be paid by the participants.
All works that do not comply with submission of documentation within the deadline indicated by the organisation will be discarded.
a) Submission by internet
Submissions made by Internet must be done so by one of the following methods:
The portal www.festhome.com (support HD quality).
Vimeo or YouTube with permission to download without expiry date, sending the link to cineinvisible@kcd-ongd.org
Download link via platforms such as Dropbox, MyAirBridge, Mega, WeTransfer, and similar, sending the link to
cineinvisible@kcd-ongd.org
b) Physical shipping (only DCP)
• By post to:
Office of the International Unseen Film Festival “Film Sozialak”
Important: For international shipping, write on the packet “CONTENTS HAVE NO COMMERCIAL VALUE, FOR CULTURAL EXHIBITION ONLY”
• Other forms which KCD NGOD considers relevant and which will be notified publicly.
Films submitted after 1 May 2025 and/or do not meet the above-mentioned requirements and/or do not have the necessary documentation, may only be included in the contest at the Festival’s own criteria.
The festival does not grant any financial compensation in favour of the person who registers or has rights over the participating work.
3. Documentation to be presented
The persons participating must provide the following documentation:
a) Photograph of the director(s)
b) CV and Filmography of the director(s)
c) Poster of the film
d) 3 photograms or photographs related to the work in the best possible quality. The best photographs received will be candidates for:
• the central image of the festival’s poster.
• part of the exhibition of the 17th International Unseen Film Festival “Film Sozialak” Bilbao 2025 which will be displayed in Bilbao metro stations.
e) Extended data sheet following the format provided by the Festival.
f) Screening version of the film (best available quality and without watermark).
4. Requirements of the films
Admission of films will be subject to compliance with the Rules and Regulations as well as the following requirements:
• The films must address at least one of the festival’s four categories of thematic focus.
• Fiction, documentary and animation works can participate, whether short, medium or full-length films.
• Films entered must be presented in their original language and if this is not Spanish and/or Basque, they must be subtitled in one of these two languages (Spanish or Basque).
• The films in the competition must have been produced after 1 January 2023
5. Categories of the Festival
The festival has four thematic foci into which the works selected are divided.
• Sustainability: this encompasses audio-visual works that deal with the social, political, economic and environmental impacts of different development models as well as alternative proposals that contribute to human well-being and sustainability.
• Gender Equality: contributes to the construction of an egalitarian culture and generates tools for pro-gender equality change in society. The films in this section stimulate reflection and critical thinking in relation to the prevailing reality of inequality between women and men and/or propose alternative models to the patriarchal system.
• Interculturality: reflects both the diversity and wealth of existing cultures in the world and issues related to human migrations, coexistence between people from different cultures, as well as denunciations of any form of racism, segregation, xenophobia and other forms of discrimination.
• Human Rights: includes audio-visual works on the promotion and guarantee of individual and collective human rights, as well as the struggle for respect and fundamental freedoms. Also included are all those works that promote opposition to authoritarian, elitist, racist, xenophobic and LGBTI-phobic political currents and any form of discrimination, or that denounce the causes that give rise to poverty and social exclusion.
6. Selection criteria
The Selection Committee of the Unseen Film festival will be composed equally of women and men and will be commissioned with selecting the Festival films.
Films will be selected based on the following criteria:
• Adaptation to the thematic foci of the festival.
• Technical quality.
• Adaptation to the public objectives of the festival.
Without neglecting the above-mentioned criteria, positive actions will be taken to include:
• Films made by directors from countries in the southern hemisphere
• Films made by women
• Films in Basque
• Films with subtitles for the hearing impaired and/or audio description.
Regardless of the category in which the works are entered, the Festival's Selection Committee will finally decide the category into which the films will be included and their decisions will be final.
All participants will be informed by the end of July 2025 whether their work has been selected or not. Once the decision of the Selection Committee has been communicated, the work cannot be withdrawn from the Festival.
Subsequently, when the festival programme has been determined (approximately September 2025), the directors of the films selected will be notified of the venues and days of screening.
Insofar as the festival considers it appropriate or has the necessary funds to cover the respective expenses, the festival will promote and support the attendance of the directors of the selected works, and may cover the expenses of transport, accommodation and/or per diem of these persons.
7. Jury
In order to carry out positive actions for gender equality, 66% of the Jury will be women. Jury members will be linked to the cinema, to development cooperation and solidarity, or to other social, cultural and/or artistic disciplines. The jury will decide the winning films in all categories except the Education in Values Award, the Audience Award and the Unseen Film Award. Their decisions in all categories will be final.
8. awards
8.1. General
In any case, and depending on the circumstances, it is possible that the awards described below are not granted to any of the contestants and may be declared void.
Cash prizes are subject to the taxes and regulations established by Spanish law (VAT or personal income tax).
8.2 Financial gift to prize winners
There are a total of 13 prizes at the International Unseen Film Festival "Film Sozialak" Bilbao, 9 of which will included a cash prize of TWO THOUSAND EUROS (2.000 euros), although the organisation reserves the right to vary this amount depending on the contributions of the corresponding entities.
The selected works will be eligible for the prize of the thematic category for which they are selected, plus the additional prizes mentioned above, which will be deposited with the directors, according to the data provided in the registration forms.
So, the awards for which participants are eligible are:
• Those corresponding to the thematic topic categories described in point 5:
• Award in the category of Sustainability.
• Award in the category of Gender Equality.
• Award in the category of Interculturality.
• Award in the category of Human Rights.
• Likewise, there will be awards in the following categories:
• Award for Best Work by a Woman: this award makes women filmmakers visible and encourages the participation of women in audio-visual communication beyond the subject matter of the different works. All films directed or co-directed by women participating in the festival in any of its thematic categories will be eligible for this award.
• Prize for the Best Social-content Work Made in Basque: this prize includes all the participating works in any of the thematic categories that are made in Basque and/or subtitled in Basque. Works made in Spanish and subtitled in Basque are not included in this category. In the event of a film made in various languages in addition to Basque, the festival reserves the right to decide if it enters this category or not.
• Unseen Film Award: this category includes all the works participating in any of the thematic categories, in Basque or Spanish, the aim being to support the work of a director according to the festival's criteria.
• Education in Values Award includes works in any of the thematic categories that are screened in secondary and vocational training schools that are venues for the festival. Only short films will be screened in these centres. Its aim is to promote social cinema and critical thinking among students. The most outstanding film will be decided on a vote cast by the students themselves.
• Audience Award: this category encourages audience participation, giving festival attendees or spectators the opportunity to evaluate the works they see and support the work of the filmmakers by using their votes. The Audience Award includes all the works in the competition that are screened in non-educational venues, as educational venues have their own award.
9. Data protection and confidentiality
The information provided will be treated solely and exclusively within the framework of these Rules and Regulations, guaranteeing as far as possible the strict confidentiality of all information provided for the dissemination and participation of the projects in the competition. The personal data provided to participate in the competition will be processed by KCD NGOD, in order to manage the participation of contestants and, where appropriate, the subsequent allocation of prizes. The personal data provided will be kept for the duration of the competition and up to 6 years thereafter to cover possible legal liabilities.
At any time, the person concerned may exercise their rights of access, rectification, suppression, limitation of processing, opposition and portability by writing to the address indicated at the beginning of these Rules and Regulations or to , by calling 94 602 46 68 or by contacting KULTURA, COMMUNICATION Y DESARROLLO "KCD", Beurko Viejo, 3 - Pabellón 38, Oficina 12 CP: 48902 – Barakaldo.
info@kcd-ongd.org
Occasionally, a copy of the corresponding identity document may be requested in order to guarantee the security of the data. You may at any time assert your rights before the competent data protection supervisory authority.
10. Intellectual and industrial property and image rights
The persons participating expressly declare that they are the original authors of the films submitted to the competition, of the images, scripts or music contained therein. It is forbidden to submit works made by third parties, which are already published or others over which a third party holds any rights whatsoever. Likewise, it is forbidden to submit any film that totally or partially contains content protected by intellectual or industrial property of third parties. KCD NGOD declines any responsibility in the event that the works submitted do not meet these conditions.
Therefore, participants who affirm compliance in all these matters, authorise KCD NGOD to reproduce, use and disseminate the works received in full or in part, being able to modify and adapt them as it sees fit; as well as the names, surnames, image and voice of the participants, in any advertising and/or marketing activity related to this competition or to KCD NGOD, and in any media, including the Internet, without these activities conferring the right to any remuneration or benefit with the exception of the prize-giving in accordance with these Rules and Regulations.
Specifically, the person(s) or entity(entities) holding rights over the works selected for the competition expressly authorise(s) KCD NGOD to carry out the following actions:
• Reproduce, view and project the work and photos or moving images provided in exhibitions open to the public as many times as necessary during their participation in the Festival, including promotional screenings prior to the official dates of the festival and the festival screenings that will take place immediately after the festival has ended.
• Adapt the work to the necessary formats for its viewing and exhibition during the Festival.
• Dub and/or subtitle the work in languages other than the original.
• Use images and/or fragments from the work for inclusion in the audio-visual promotion of the festival, press kits, informative posters and/or on the official website of the Festival for promotional purposes.
• Use material corresponding to the works selected for the competition to promote and disseminate audio-visual and printed materials (catalogue, promotional spot, website, exhibitions) related to the Festival itself.
The works submitted to the competition will be incorporated into the Kultura, Communication y Desarrollo KCD NGOD archive. In the event that any of the selected works are used by KCD NGOD for cultural or educational purposes beyond their participation in the festival, prior express authorisation will be requested from their director by signing the corresponding contract.
11. Viewing the works
The International Unseen Film Festival “Film Sozialak” of Bilbao intends to continue with the in-person nature of their programme in the official sections. However, if it is not possible to have the screenings in person, they will be conducted in online format.
The screenings of the winning films will be online regardless of the situation and through the online streaming platform "Film Sozialak" of the organization.
Any online screening will be carried out through registration access and for a limited period of time.
12. Fraudulent participation and other causes for disqualification
In the event that we detect any anomaly or suspect that a participant is impeding the normal development of the competition, illegitimately altering participation by means of any technical or computer procedure or fails to comply with these Rules and Regulations in any other way, we may unilaterally exclude them from participating in the competition, and this decision shall be final.
In other words, KCD NGOD reserves the right to disqualify any participant who evidences or is suspected of irregular behaviour, in the sense described above.
Works with violent or denigrating content, or that may offend the sensibilities of the average person, or that incite illegal conduct, will not be accepted. KCD NGOD reserves the right to refuse participation of those persons whose images show inappropriate content, or do not fall within the realms of aesthetics, ethics and good taste.
13. Exclusion of liabilities
KCD NGOD will not be responsible for interruptions or errors during the application process for participation in the competition.
KCD NGOD will not be responsible for the exclusion of a participant from the competition as a result of a delay in celebrating the competition which results in it taking place outside the corresponding competition period.
Nor will KCD NGOD be held responsible for any liability derived from the non -compliance of the participants with the legal regulations and with these Rules and Regulations.
Furthermore, the waiver of the prize will not entitle the winner(s) to any indemnity or compensation whatsoever.
14. General conditions
Participation in the competition implies full acceptance of the Rules and Regulations, and the criteria of KCD NGOD regarding the interpretation of the Rules and Regulations and the resolution of any incident that may arise.
KCD NGOD reserves the right to modify, if necessary, these Rules and Regulations for other similar ones.
The Rules and Regulations shall apply to applications submitted from the date of their approval and during the period for the submission of applications. This period may be extended by agreement of KCD NGOD.
These Rules and Regulations and the competition are governed by Spanish law. Any cause of litigation that may arise in relation to this competition shall be submitted by the participant and KCD NGOD, expressly waiving any other jurisdiction that may correspond, to the Courts and Tribunals of the City of Bilbao, unless another jurisdiction is imperatively determined by law.
Bilbao, 31 December 2024.
COMMUNICATION.
The festival uses the following dissemination tools:
Web page: https://www.kcd-ongd.org
Twitter: @KCDONGD
Facebook: @CineInvisibleBilbao
Instagram @kcdongd
Tel. +34 946024668
Email:
cineinvisible@kcd-ongd.org
Human Rights
Short and Feature Films
No Fee
Submissions deadline
01 May 25
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Human rights: the struggle for respect, promotion and wide warranty of individual and collective human rights, fundamental freedoms and all those works that promote an opposition to the authoritarian, elitist, racist, xenophobic, homophobic political movements and any form of discrimination or those that denounce the causes of poverty and social exclusion.
