I. GENERAL RULES
1. Sections:
a) Méliès d'argent Award – Best European Feature Film – European productions, including majority European co-productions;
b) Room Service – Feature films;
c) Doc Horror – Documentary films about horror cinema or subjects related to the genre;
d) Retrospectives – Acclaimed masters of horror and other cult figures;
e) Special Screenings – Anniversaries, restored prints and television series;
f) The Lost Room – A journey through the history of Portuguese genre cinema;
g) MOTELX Award - Best Portuguese Horror Short Film – Portuguese productions of up to 15 minutes, including co-productions with a majority of Portuguese participation;
h) International Shorts – Films of up to 59 minutes;
i) SectionX – Underground, experimental or surreal films;
j) Big Bad Wolf – Special programme for younger audiences.
2. Awards:
a) Méliès d'argent Award - Best European Feature Film;
b) Méliès d'argent Award - Best European Short Film;
c) Best Portuguese Horror Short Film;
d) Best Portuguese Horror Animated Short Film;
e) Audience Award - Room Service Section;
f) Best Portuguese Horror Screenplay;
g) Best Big Bad Wolf Short Film.
3. Entries to MOTELX must be submitted exclusively through the FilmFreeway platform (filmfreeway.com/MOTELX).
4. All preview copies must include English subtitles, except where the dialogue is in English or, in the case of films competing for the Best Portuguese Horror Short Film Award, where the dialogue is in Portuguese.
5. The submission deadline for films and screenplays is 31 May.
6. Applicants will be notified of the selection or non-selection of their films or screenplays by email or through the FilmFreeway platform. The Festival is unable to provide feedback on selection or non-selection decisions, due to the large number of submissions received.
7. Participants are solely responsible for the content of the films they submit, including, but not limited to, copyright and related rights. Participants under the age of 18 must provide written authorisation signed by a parent or legal guardian.
8. Submission of films from Portuguese directors, Portuguese productions or majority Portuguese co-productions are free of charge. Applicants must send an email to films@motelx.org requesting a waiver code.
9. All student films are eligible for a discounted submission fee. Applicants must send an email to films@motelx.org requesting a discount code.
10. Resubmissions of films or screenplays will not be accepted, including revised treatments or new versions of screenplays that have previously been submitted.
11. The winners of the Méliès d'argent Award for Best European Feature Film and Best European Short Film will be nominated for the international Méliès d'or competition, organised annually by the MIFF.
12. European films selected for the International Shorts and SectionX programmes will be considered for the Méliès d'argent Award - Best European Short Film competition.
II. MOTELX AWARD – BEST PORTUGUESE HORROR SHORT FILM
13. Horror films produced in the year of the Festival edition for which they are submitted or in the preceding year shall be eligible for selection, provided that they meet all of the following requirements:
a) Portuguese productions or majority Portuguese co-productions;
b) Total running time (including end credits) does not exceed 15 minutes;
c) Not commercially released in Portugal before the closing date of the Festival
(previous participation in other festivals or competitions shall not constitute grounds for exclusion);
d) Not publicly available online before the closing date of the Festival.
14. The winning film will receive a cash prize of €5,000. A Special Mention will also be awarded.
III. MOTELX AWARD – BEST PORTUGUESE HORROR SCREENPLAY
15. Entrants to the MOTELX Award - Best Portuguese Horror Screenplay must be Portuguese citizens aged 18 or over by the final day of the submission period.
16. Screenplays written jointly by two or more authors are eligible for submission.
17. In the case of co-authored screenplays, foreign authors are permitted, provided that they are resident in Portugal and that at least half of the authors are Portuguese nationals.
18. Submitted screenplays must be original works and must not have been the subject of any agreement for the production of a cinematographic work before the end of the submission period.
19. Screenplays based on a pre-existing work by the submitting author may also be entered, provided that the relevant rights have not been assigned, in whole or in part, to any third party.
20. Each author may submit a maximum of two screenplays.
21. Screenplays must be written in Portuguese. Other languages may be included, provided that they do not account for more than one quarter of the total text. Screenplays must be between 80 and 120 A4 pages in length.
22. Screenplays must be submitted in PDF format, following the standard screenplay format and using 12-point Courier font. Examples of software include: Final Draft (paid software, available for Windows and macOS), WriterSolo.com (available free of charge both online via a web browser and offline for Windows and macOS), and Beat (free of charge, exclusively for macOS).
23. The PDF file must contain the screenplay only. No additional documents or supporting materials will be considered as part of the evaluation.
24. Participation in this Award does not entail the assignment of any intellectual property rights or commercial exploitation rights in the work.
25. Up to six screenplays will be selected to take part in a pitching session, to be held at Cinema São Jorge, Lisbon, during MOTELX, on a date to be announced.
26. Each screenplay selected for the competition must be represented by its author at the pitching session. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.
27. The winner will receive a cash prize of €2,000.
IV. JURIES
28. The Award juries shall each consist of three individuals appointed by the Festival organisation.
29. No member of the juries may have any direct or indirect personal interest in any of the films competing for the Awards.
30. The juries may not award the Méliès d'argent Awards to feature films or short films that have already received the same distinction at another festival belonging to the Federation.
31. The winning films will be announced at the Closing Ceremony.
32. The winning screenplay will be announced during the Festival.
33. The decisions of the juries are final.
V. SELECTED FILMS
34. Selected participants must provide, in due time, any promotional materials and legal authorisations requested by the Festival organisation.
35. Screening copies must comply with the following format and subtitling requirements:
a) Screening format: DCP or digital file (MP4);
b) All films must be submitted with English subtitles, unless the dialogue is in English;
c) Portuguese films in competition must be subtitled in English. This is the responsibility of the participants. Where a film contains dialogue in more than one language, participants must ensure that Portuguese and English subtitles are provided.
VI. FINAL PROVISIONS
36. MOTELX’s organisation will decide on any issues not covered by the current regulations.
Lisbon, 1 July 2026
