Festival dossier

Cinephone - International Smartphone Film Festival

Spain · Est. 2011 · Established legitimate festival with meaningful track record

Tier BTrusted
Spain
65
Legitimacy Score

Should I submit?

Solid signals — do normal diligence

Tier B looks established enough for many filmmakers. Check fees, programming fit, and recent editions before submitting.

  • No physical screenings
  • 15 years of verifiable history
  • 3 verified pro signals

Overview

CINEPHONE 2026 15th Edition **Feature films are allowed. The rules are the same as for short films** 1. Cinephone is for filmmakers who make productions exclusively with smartphone. 2. The festival is free theme organized in 4 categories -FICTION-DOCUMENTARY-MUSICAL VIDEO-ANIMATION. 3. There is no limitation on the number of films submitted by the same participant. 4. The submitted short films must be shot with smartphone and it's very important indicate smartphone brand and model. 5. It's allowed the use of mobile devices (drones, action cameras, etc) in a maximum of 10% of the total length of the short film or feature film. Additionally, the integration of content generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools is permitted for up to 20% of the total content, provided that such use is declared and complies with the conditions described in point 17 of these rules. In all cases, at least 80% of the footage must be shot with a smartphone. 6. It's allowed during the filming the use of external elements (microphones, lighting, dolls, etc.) and in the post-production the use of any software for editing or treatment of images. 7. Allowed formats: mov, wmv, avi, mp4 (h264), mkv. The short films must have a quality no lower than 1080p. 8. All persons or private spaces that appear in the short films must do so under their consent. We don't accept short films that containing discriminatory material and/or violate the dignity of persons. 9. The short films must be owned of the author or authors and unpublished earlier in this festival. 10. The participant must have the rights to use the music or soundtrack of the short film presented. 11. The Short Films must not exceed 15 minutes, credits included. The Feature Films duration should be 40 to 120 minutes, credits included. 12. The short films must submitted through the online platform filmfreeway at following link: https://filmfreeway.com/festival/cinephone. 13. All non-English foreign-language films must be subtitled in English (and if possible in Spanish) The foreign-language films that are selected as finalists must be MANDATORY subtitled in Spanish. 14. The period for submission of short films is from January 1, 2026 to June 30, 2026. The films submitted after this date will not enter at current edition of the festival. 15. Participants agree Reproduction and dissemination of their short films with informative or promotional purposes related to the festival. Never ask for the rights of the short film, which at all times will be from the same participant. 16. To participate there is no age limit, but if the filmmakers are under the age of 18 it is mandatory to send an authorization signed by their parents or legal guardians to our email info@cinephone.es. 17. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools is permitted in the creation of submitted works, under the following conditions: • The use of AI must be explicitly declared in an additional technical sheet, specifying the type of tool used (e.g., script generation, image, voice, music, editing, etc.). • AI may be used in processes such as: • Scriptwriting or co-writing • Creation of visual effects or backgrounds • Generation of music or sound • Animation, color correction, editing or image processing • No more than 20% of the total content of the short film or feature film may be fully generated by AI, including synthetic actors or entirely artificial scenes. • In all cases, at least 80% of the footage must have been shot with a smartphone, as stated in the general rules of the festival. The organization reserves the right to request clarifications, original footage samples, or technical details if AI use is not clearly specified. Any deceptive or undeclared use of AI that contradicts the spirit of the festival may lead to disqualification. 18.The subjects not contemplated in these bases will not be the responsibility of the organization of the festival.

Last updated Sep 6, 2026

Legitimacy Analysis

Positive Indicators (+30 pts)

  • 15 years of verifiable history
  • 3 verified pro signals
  • Verified trusted status
  • Legitimacy signals outweigh concerns (3 vs 1)

Red Flags (-15 pts)

  • No physical screenings

Trust Signals

Positive Signals

  • FilmFreeway Gold festival
  • Documented history with archived programs
  • Has FilmFreeway community ratings

Festival Details

Founded

2011

Visit Festival Website

FilmFreeway communityGold festival

Avg. rating

4.0/ 5

Reviews

41

Synced 4 days ago

  • Filmmaker

    Cinephone is a great festival and I was proud to have been part of it. Great communication and they clearly care about the quality of the work they screen.

  • Filmmaker

    Great festival for those who love shooting films on mobile phones! One of the most prestigious around. I have to thank the organisers, the artistic director and jury for the selection and the award for Best Short fiction film for my short "Every Three Days". I'm really honoured to have received this award. Thank you!

  • Filmmaker

    We are honored to win Best Music Video (under our feet) great festival to be part of.

  • Filmmaker

    Nikoonava Productions

  • Filmmaker

    Thank you for the selection and being among the 3 finalists of a fiction short film. A great festival! Thank you!

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At a glance

Legitimacy Score65/100
TierTier B
Reviews0
Community Reports0
FilmFreeway4.0★ · 41

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