The Caribbean International Film and Environment Festival, Isla Verde, founded in 2022 by Cuban actor, director, and National Film Award winner (2024) Jorge Perugorría, announces its third edition, which will take place on the Isle of Youth from April 6th to 12th, 2025. The festival maintains its competitive nature, bringing together feature and short films with narratives that promote the conservation and protection of the environment and document the active relationship between humans and nature.
The primary mission of Isla Verde is to highlight, raise awareness, and promote the development of sustainable solutions through the seventh art. In addition to the competitive sections, the event will host conferences, workshops, concerts, training sessions, exhibitions, thematic cycles, an entrepreneurial fair, and much more.
Organized by the Local Development Project «Isla Verde,» Four Wives, the Antonio Núñez Jiménez Foundation for Nature and Humanaity, and Galería Taller Gorría, the Festival aims, through film, to provide a critical perspective on the major challenges of protecting natural resources currently facing the Caribbean. It emerges as a vital creative space to promote common environmental actions in the region.
The film festival, set to be the third edition in 2025, serves as the main platform for the Isla Verde Local Development Project, based on Isla de la Juventud, where projects, conferences, training sessions, and exchanges related to sustainability, the circular economy, eco-tourism, and environmental conservation and care will take place.
The call for the 3rd International Caribbean Film and Environment Festival, active from September 26th, 2024, will remain open until January 26th, 2025.
Competitive Sections
Best Feature Film (Fiction/Documentary/Animation)
Isla Verde will award a unique prize for the best feature film, whether fiction, documentary, or animated, that addresses environmental themes in a broad sense, including the relationship between humans and their environment. Works produced in 2023 and 2024 from anywhere in the world may be submitted.
Best Short Film (Fiction/Documentary/Animation)
Isla Verde will award a unique prize for the best short film, whether fiction, documentary, or animated, that addresses environmental themes in a broad sense, including the relationship between humans and their environment. Works produced in 2023 and 2024 from anywhere in the world may be submitted.
Special Jury Prize
The jury of the Caribbean International Film and Environment Festival, Isla Verde, will grant—on an exceptional basis—a special prize to the feature or short film that has the greatest impact and reach in addressing environmental themes, considering the high aesthetic and creative value of the work. This award will be given to materials previously submitted in the competitive sections.
Call for Entries: Cine en Construcción
The International Caribbean Film and Environment Festival, Isla Verde, in partnership with Orizzonti HUB – Italia Cuba, is proud to announce the inaugural edition of the competitive section Cine en Construcción. This initiative is designed to support unfinished audiovisual projects, particularly those in the post-production stage.
Cine en Construcción aims to contribute to the completion of feature films and short films, both fiction and documentary, that explore narratives promoting the conservation and protection of the environment and documenting the intricate relationship between humans and nature.
Selected films will receive post-production awards and gain international visibility, as part of a competition judged by film professionals, researchers, and scientists. The Cine en Construcción award seeks to open doors for alternative productions with limited budgets, prioritizing auteur cinema.
Guidelines
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Eligibility:
Fiction and documentary feature films and short films of any nationality are eligible, provided they are in the post-production stage with at least a rough cut of 45 minutes minimum in length (apply only for feature films). -
Submission Process:
Projects for the Cine en Construcción section must be submitted electronically by completing our registration form. -
Required Materials:
A detailed project folder must be attached to the submission form, outlining the film’s needs as well as any existing partnerships or agreements. -
Language Requirements:
If the submitted film is not in Spanish, a copy with Spanish subtitles must be provided. -
Jury Panel:
The jury will consist of renowned national and international figures from the film and visual arts industries, as well as researchers and scientists.
Regulations
1. Both feature and short films produced between 2023 and 2024, that develop environmental themes and address the active relationship between humans and nature, will be considered for competition.
2. For international productions, it is a necessary condition that the film has not been premiered in Cuba. This condition does not apply to works created and produced within the national territory.
3. The reception of materials for competition will begin with the publication of this call on September 26th, 2024, and will remain open until 11:59 p.m. (Havana, Cuba time) on January 26th, 2025.
4. All materials for the competition selection must be submitted in their original version, with subtitles in Spanish.
5. The final exhibition formats will be: DCP* (Unencrypted) and MP4 or MOV Files (with H264 codec). Resolution: 1080p (FULL HD) or higher.
6. The festival may use photos and excerpts from the films for promotional purposes.
7. The decision of the jury is final.
9. The Caribbean International Film and Environment Festival, Isla Verde, will NOT pay any fees for screening rights for films in either of the two categories of the Official Selection in Competition.
10. Selected films will be notified by the Organizing Committee of the Caribbean International Film and Environment Festival, Isla Verde, on February 20th, 2025.
11. All materials and information requested during the submission process must be submitted in full by January 26th, 2025. If the requested materials and information are not provided, the works will not be accepted into the competition.
12. Registration must be done through our website home page or directly on the following form: REGISTRATION FORM
For more information, please write to:
comunicacion@islaverdefestival.com
coordinacion@fourwivescuba.com
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