The 5th Chica Pelega Film Festival honors the caboclo, a people that represents the entire region affected by the Contestado conflict, born from the historical interaction between the Kaingang and Guarani indigenous peoples and Luso-Brazilian inland communities.
Chapter I — About the Event
1.1 The 5th Festival will take place in 2027, in person in Chapecó/SC, Brazil, with online screenings via Pupilo Play.
1.2 Organized by Pupilo, funded by the Circuito Catarinense de Cultura (Aldir Blanc National Policy – Santa Catarina Cultural Foundation), and may also count on other sponsorships, support and cultural incentive mechanisms.
1.3 The program includes: an online showcase (31 days), an in-person showcase (five days, 15 sessions followed by talks), itinerant and educational screenings in other towns of the Contestado region, three training workshops, a photography exhibition, and cultural performances.
1.4 The official program will be announced in advance on the website and social media.
1.5 This edition’s focus is a tribute to the caboclo and rural inland territories, in dialogue with the memory of the Contestado.
Chapter II — Submissions
2.1 Submissions are made exclusively through FilmFreeway (filmfreeway.com/mostrachica). Period: August 27 to October 28, 2026 (extended deadline).
2.2 Eligibility: films of any length; fiction, documentary, animation, experimental and hybrid genres; works from any country, Brazilian and international; no production-date requirement; final digital copy; works in other languages must have subtitles in Portuguese, Spanish or English (for selected films, the Festival may provide Portuguese subtitles); preferably films not screened in previous editions; films must relate to the theme (caboclo, traditional peoples, rural inland territories).
2.3 Submissions are free of charge.
2.4 A submission is only valid once the form is fully completed; the film’s link/password must remain active until the end of the curation.
2.5 Categories: Contestado; Traditional Peoples (short and feature); Childhood on Screen.
2.6 The curatorship may move films between categories and invite films, provided they relate to the theme.
Chapter III — Selection
3.1 Selection is carried out by a Caboclo Curatorial Committee, formed by caboclo members and/or scholars of the theme.
3.2 Curatorial decisions are final and not subject to appeal.
3.3 The list of selected films will be announced on the website, expected on January 10, 2027 (provisional).
3.4 Required materials for selected films: final copy (MOV ProRes HQ/H.264 or MP4, minimum Full HD, stereo 2.0 or 5.1 audio), 3 to 5 still photos, poster, trailer/teaser, full credits, short and long synopsis, and screening authorization form. Failure to submit may lead to disqualification.
Chapter IV — Representation
4.1 Films selected in the competitive showcase must indicate 1 representative to attend the event.
4.2 The organization may provide accommodation, ground transportation, and air transportation (subject to budget and prior agreement).
Chapter V — Awards
5.1 Chica Pelega Trophy: Best Film — Childhood on Screen; Contestado; Traditional Peoples (short); Traditional Peoples (feature).
5.2 Audience Award — decided by votes from in-person sessions and the online platform.
5.3 Little Critics Award — children and youth juries by age group (3–5, 6–10, 11–14, 15–17).
5.4 The trophy, by a guest artist, comes with an in-kind award (there is no cash prize), a t-shirt, a catalogue, and an ecobag. Winners are announced in an online closing livestream. The organization may add awards from new partnerships.
Chapter VI — Authorizations and Rights
By submitting, the applicant: authorizes, if selected, free exhibition in the in-person showcase, itinerant and educational screenings and the online showcase during the 5th edition; authorizes the use of excerpts up to 2 minutes for promotion; declares ownership of all copyrights; declares ECAD exemption; assumes legal responsibility for all materials used (music, archive, image); assumes responsibility for plagiarism or disputes.
Chapter VII — Final Provisions
7.1 Submission implies full acceptance of these Rules.
7.2 False information leads to immediate disqualification.
7.3 Plagiarism leads to disqualification without appeal.
7.4 The organization may change items for sanitary, technical, or budget reasons, announcing them on the website.
7.5 Omitted cases will be resolved by the Organizing Committee.