About the Film Festival
Único – International Amateur Film Festival was born from a commitment to value cinema created outside commercial and industrial circuits. Films made at home, in schools, within communities, or through personal urgency and affection. Family records, local narratives, poetic gestures, unfinished attempts — amateur cinema constitutes a vast and largely unseen visual heritage that this festival seeks to reveal, question, preserve, and reactivate.
Rejecting production-year limits, the festival acknowledges that amateur cinema often exists beyond institutional timelines. Many films remain unseen for years, waiting for their first public encounter. Único embraces discovery as a curatorial principle, welcoming films made in any period and valuing their relevance in the present rather than their date of production.
Fees are designed to remain accessible, supporting inclusivity while contributing to the festival’s sustainability.
The programme brings together multiple dimensions of amateur filmmaking:
the presentation and activation of audiovisual archives;
cinema creation and exchange within schools;
encounters and conversations around memory, access, education, and territory;
and international sessions developed with cultural and educational partners, including institutions working under challenging social or geopolitical conditions.
By creating a shared space for filmmakers, educators, archivists, and audiences, Único positions amateur cinema not as a marginal practice, but as a living field of experimentation, attention, and collective authorship.
Best Amateur Film – World Competition
Awarded to an outstanding non-professional film that demonstrates originality, freedom of form, and a strong personal or collective vision.
Best Amateur Film – Portugal Competition
Recognizes an exceptional amateur film produced in Portugal, highlighting local voices and independent filmmaking practices.
Best Film Made in School – World Competition
Awarded to a film created in an educational context that reveals the expressive and creative potential of cinema in schools.
Best Film Made in School – Portugal Competition
Celebrates an outstanding school film produced in Portugal, reflecting innovation, engagement, and cinematic exploration.
Best Super 8 Film – World Competition
Honours a film shot on Super 8 that explores the materiality of film with artistic or narrative intent.
Best School Cinema Project – Portugal (3 Awards)
Distinguishes sustained and impactful cinema projects developed in Portuguese schools, valuing pedagogy, continuity, and collective work.
International Pedagogical Spotlight (Non-Competitive)
A curated section highlighting inspiring international cinema education projects that use film as a tool for learning, inclusion, and shared authorship.
Subject ：
Video Format ：HDV MPEG4 MOV
Categories and fees
Best Amateur Film - World Competition
Video length ：0 - 60
Open to filmmakers of any nationality and age. Films must be non-professional productions, made outside the industrial or commercial film system. No institutional or major commercial funding. All genres accepted: fiction, documentary, experimental, essay, hybrid. Maximum duration of 20 minutes Films previously screened at other festivals are eligible.
Best School Film - World Competition
Video length ：0 - 60
Open to films produced in a school or educational context, anywhere in the world. Films must be created by students, with or without teacher guidance. All educational levels accepted (primary, secondary, vocational). The film must be completed as part of a pedagogical, curricular, or extracurricular activity. All genres accepted. Maximum recommended duration of 20 minutes
Best Super 8MM film - World Competition
Video length ：0 - 180
Open to filmmakers of any nationality. Films must be shot primarily or entirely on Super 8 film. Films must be shot on Super 8 film and submitted as digital files for screening. Films must demonstrate a clear artistic, narrative, or experimental intention. Purely private home movies, holiday films, or raw footage without artistic intervention are not eligible. All genres and durations are accepted.
International Pedagogical Spotlight
Script ：0 - 200
Open to schools, educators, collectives, NGOs, and cultural institutions worldwide. Projects must involve cinema or audiovisual creation in an educational or pedagogical context. Both ongoing and completed projects are eligible. Projects may include school film clubs, long-term programs, interdisciplinary initiatives, or community-based cinema practices. Submissions must include: A written description of the project (objectives, context, methodology) and link(s) to audiovisual materials (films, exercises, documentation).
Live Event
