About the LusOFest; tldr
LusOFest is a regional festival for Portuguese-language films held in Offenbach am Main, Germany. It presents a small selection of feature films, short films and documentaries from the Portuguese-speaking world. In addition to Portuguese-language films, the short film competition (including medium-length films) also accepts local productions from Hesse and the Rhine-Main region. The festival takes place at the end of January at various venues in Offenbach, including Hafen 2, Studio 57Nord and the Digital Retro Park museum. Submissions can be made free of charge from May to June via the Filmfreeway and Festhome platforms and our online form (exception: late fee in August).
Accepted film formats
Short films, medium-length films and feature-length films may be submitted to LusOFest. Short and medium-length films may either have a Lusophone connection or origin, or be from the Rhine-Main region and Hesse. Lusophone and regional productions compete in the same category. For feature-length films, the programme is restricted to Lusophone productions. Please find below the details for the three length categories.
Short films (up to 20 minutes)
We accept short films of all genres with a maximum running time of 20 minutes. Short films may have a connection to the Portuguese-speaking world (storyline, cast and crew, filming location, production or language) or to the Rhine-Main region or Hesse (storyline, cast and crew, filming location or production). Productions in which the dialogue is recorded in a language other than German or English must include subtitles in either English or German.
Medium-length films (20 to 60 minutes)
We accept medium-length films of all genres with a running time of between 20 and 60 minutes. Medium-length films may have a Lusophone connection (subject, cast & crew, location, production or language) or a connection to the Rhine-Main region or Hesse (subject, cast & crew, location or production). Productions in which the dialogue is recorded in a language other than German or English must have subtitles in either English or German in order to be screened at the festival.
Feature films (over 60 minutes)
We accept medium-length films of all genres with a running time of between 20 and 60 minutes. Medium-length films may have a Lusophone connection (subject, cast & crew, location, production or language) or a connection to the Rhine-Main region or Hesse (subject, cast & crew, location or production). Productions in which the dialogue is recorded in a language other than German or English must have subtitles in either English or German in order to be screened at the festival.
Definitions, explanations and special cases
Lusophone origin and/or connection
Lusophone origin means that the film was predominantly produced in one of the countries of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP), or by a team originating from there. This community comprises Angola, Equatorial Guinea, Brazil, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, Mozambique, East Timor, Portugal and São Tomé and Príncipe. Naturally, the autonomous regions of Portugal, Madeira and the Azores, are also included. As we regard the Lusophone world primarily as a linguistic rather than a political space, we also accept, as a special case, productions from Galicia, whose regional language, Galician, is likewise considered Lusophone. Incidentally, the Lusophone connection need not be linguistic or technical in nature; it may also be established through the film’s content or theme.
Languages and subtitles
LusOFest generally screens films in their original language with subtitles. The festival’s official languages – like those of this website – are German, Portuguese and English. Although LusOFest has a strong linguistic focus, films may be submitted in any language. However, for films to be screened in languages other than German or English, subtitles in either German or English must be provided.
Costs, Awards and Prizes
Costs for submitting films
LusOFest aims to be an accessible festival for both guests and filmmakers. In addition to professionals, we expressly welcome and encourage submissions from students, newcomers, amateurs and enthusiasts. LusOFest does not charge a fee for film submissions – with the exception of a small late fee in the final month, which is intended to encourage interested parties to submit their entries as early as possible to ease our workload.
Prizes, screening fees and awards
In the short film competition (which also includes medium-length films), LusOFest awards an Audience Award and a Jury Prize, each worth €150. For feature-length films screened at the festival, a screening fee of between €100 and €200 is paid – depending on the venue (with or without an admission charge) where the film is shown. In addition, the festival awards a number of honourable mentions through the jury, the results of the audience voting and the teams at the participating venues. LusOFest would like to award more and higher prize money in future and is therefore seeking further supporters and sponsors.
Submission period and platforms
The platforms are open from May to July, with an additional month in August for late submissions. LusOFest screens digital formats. In cinemas, we screen DCPs, whilst in smaller short film venues we primarily screen short films in common digital formats such as MP4. The festival will notify applicants of acceptance or rejection by 1 November at the latest.
FilmFreeway
Submissions for LusOFest via the Filmfreeway platform are open from May to July. There is no charge for submitting short films, medium-length films and feature-length films. A late fee applies only to submissions made in August. Various categories are available for submissions, based on the film’s length and country of origin. The platform can be accessed via the following link:
Festhome
Submissions for LusOFest via the Festhome platform are open from May to August. There is no charge for submitting short films, medium-length films and feature-length films. Various categories are available for submissions, based on the film’s length and country of origin. The platform can be accessed via the following link:
LusOFest Webform
If you are not active on the two platforms mentioned above, you can use the online form, which has been kindly provided in three languages by our agency, Sustain Release. The form is open from May until either July or August. Please note that it often takes a little longer for us to respond to submissions made via the form, as they require more work on our part.
Thank you very much for your attention. We look forward to receiving your submissions and watch every film that comes our way. Every year, we receive original entries that inspire, surprise and move us, and broaden our horizons. Thank you for that! Please note, however, that we cannot provide detailed feedback on every film and, due to the limited number of screening slots, we are unable to show many films, even though we consider them important, interesting and worth watching. Thank you for your understanding and trust. Do you have any other questions about the festival? Why not have a look at our FAQs, where many of them may already have been answered, or simply get in touch with us.
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