SUBMISSION DEADLINE:
Saturday, 10 October 2026
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OMovies
Monday, 07 December 2026 until Monday, 14 December 2026
On the occasion of the 19th edition of OMOVIES – International LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, i Ken APS ETS Association announces an international competition for audiovisual works exploring sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, bodies, relationships, families, communities, and LGBTQIA+ cultures through free, pluralistic, and intersectional perspectives.
Particular attention is given to questioning, understood not as an incomplete or merely transitional condition, but as a legitimate experience of self-exploration, reflection, and self-determination. OMOVIES recognizes every person’s right to question their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression; to take time before adopting a definition; to change, over time, the language used to describe themselves; or to choose not to adopt any label at all. Cinema has the power to restore dignity to these journeys by freeing them from the pressure of certainty, from pathologization, and from representations that reduce them to confusion, fragility, or merely a transitional stage toward a supposedly definitive identity.
Article 8 — Awards and Recognition
Official Competition Awards
• OMOVIES 2026 Award – Best Fiction Short Film;
• OMOVIES 2026 Award – Best Documentary Short Film;
• OMOVIES 2026 Award – Best Fiction Mid-Length Film;
• OMOVIES 2026 Award – Best Documentary Mid-Length Film;
• OMOVIES 2026 Award – Best Fiction Feature Film;
• OMOVIES 2026 Award – Best Documentary Feature Film.
Nomination and Award Allocation Clause. For each running-time category, separate Fiction and Documentary awards will be presented only if at least four works are nominated in each of the two sections. Should either section fail to reach the minimum threshold of four nominated works, the Fiction and Documentary sections will be merged and a single award will be presented for the relevant running-time category, without distinction between Fiction and Documentary. By way of example, instead of the awards “Best Fiction Mid-Length Film” and “Best Documentary Mid-Length Film”, a single “OMOVIES 2026 Award – Best Mid-Length Film” will be presented. Verification of the minimum number of nominations and any resulting merger of sections shall be the sole responsibility of the Artistic Direction, whose decision shall be final and not subject to appeal. The Direction retains the right not to present an award if, even following such a merger, the number or quality of the works does not allow for an adequate evaluation.
Special Awards
• Vincenzo Ruggiero Award 2026, presented by the Vincenzo Ruggiero Academy;
• David Queer Award 2026, presented by the Direction according to the criteria and any sections established by the Festival;
• Soap Power Award 2026 – “Wash Away Prejudice”, presented to individuals and organizations that have distinguished themselves in promoting cultural and social inclusion;
• Any Special Mentions awarded by the Juries, the Direction, Festival partners, or Festival academies.
Awards consist of plaques, artistic prizes, or official certificates. The Direction may modify or withhold an award category if the number or quality of the works does not allow for an adequate evaluation.