Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria and comply with all requirements:

1. Filipino citizen of legal age (18 years old and above).
2. Filipino director and producer registered in the FDCP National Registry
3. Holds or shares the intellectual property rights of the project
4. Have all necessary rights to develop, produce, and distribute the project
5. Do not have any overdue obligations from any FDCP assistance or funding programs
6. Fully comply with all eligibility requirements as set by the FDCP, including the timely
   submission of required documents and adherence to all application guidelines.

Eligible Projects, Format, and Theme

Submitted projects must meet all of the following conditions:

1. The Films For Peace Competition is a short film competition open to all Filipino citizens
   regardless of location and age, whether student, amateur, semi-professional or professional.
   Employees and contractual workers of the Film Development Council of the Philippines as well as
   their immediate relatives are disqualified from participating in the competition.

    

2. Short films must be any of the following:
   a) short narrative feature;
   b) documentary;
   c) animation; or 
   d) mixed media

    

3. Films must be in any Philippine language, dialect, or English, with English subtitles required for wide release in cinemas and on streaming platforms.

    

4. Submissions must have a running time of not less than twelve (12) minutes but must not exceed twenty (20) minutes inclusive of opening billboard (OBB) and closing credits/closing billboard (CBB).

    

5. Films must be completed between February 2026 to August 2026.
    

6. Films must have their Philippine premiere at the Films for Peace Competition and must not have
   been previously screened or participated in any other local or international festivals, including
   those organized by schools, universities, or film organizations. If the film is currently under
   consideration by another festival or competition, this must be declared in the submission form.

    

7.  Resolution of at least 1920x1080 (Full HD)

    

8. Accepted formats - MP4, MOV. 

    

9. Music and Copyright - any music that is royalty-free or properly licensed.

Films must carry the theme of:

• The importance of peace;
• The need for inclusivity;
• The respect for diversity; but most of all

• The celebration of being Filipino as a people and as citizens of the world

   

1. By entering the Competition, the participants agree to abide by the Festival guidelines and rules. The
   FDCP shall be indemnified of any liabilities.

    

2. In case of any violation of the guidelines and rules, the organizers and the judging Committee reserves
   the right to disqualify the participant and their film or remove them from the program.

    

3. The organizers and the selection committee reserves the right to disqualify any participant and/or to
   forfeit any prize from a participant who is found to have committed plagiarism or has undertaken
   fraudulent practice and/or activities harmful to the Competition or the Competition submission
   process.

    

4. FDCP reserves the right to create, revoke, and modify at any time, in any way its entry requirements,
   rules and regulations at its absolute discretion without prior notice. Finalists and submitted entries
   shall be bound by any amendments or addition to the entry requirements, rules and regulations
   herewith.

    

5. The decision of the Selection Committee is final and irrevocable. The organizers and the selection
   committee are not obliged to give an explanation for the results.
    

The Films for Peace Competition is NOT available or eligible for:

1. Films more than twenty (20) minutes long

    

2. Advertisements or commercials

    

3. Television series/programs

    

4. News or current affairs programs

    

5. Productions of public or live events

    

6. Projects that contain pornography, promote violence, issues that insult,  offend, and/or portray the Philippines in a negative light as well as  threaten national security.

    

7. Films with excessive violence, political propaganda, or films sponsored by government entities.

    

   "Excessive violence" refers to graphic or disturbing depictions of harm, injury, or suffering that are not essential to the story, theme, or artistic intent.

    

   "Political propaganda" refers to content that overtly promotes or advocates for a particular political agenda, ideology, or viewpoint, often in a biased or manipulative way, with the intent to influence public opinion or behavior.

    

8. Projects based on adaptations for which the applicant does not hold the necessary intellectual property rights or permissions for adaptation

    

9. Projects that infringe on existing copyrights, trademarks, or other intellectual property rights

A. Application Process

1. Applicants must read and understand the terms of the General Guidelines on the  expectations and deliverables.  

    

2. Each applicant may submit only one (1) project per cycle. Projects that will not get selected may only be eligible to reapply for the same competition if there are evident major creative and/or financial changes from its previous application.

    

3. Fill out the application form through this link: fdcp.ph/FFP2026-Application

    

4. Submit your film through online or offline entry:

    

   Online: Upload your film to a private video-sharing platform such as Google Drive or Vimeo (with or without password protection) in a high-quality format like Apple ProRes or a similar file type. Include the access link in the submission form. Please ensure that the link remains active and accessible until the competition concludes.

    

   Offline: Submit your film on a USB drive and send it to the FDCP office at Film Heritage Building, Sta. Lucia St., Intramuros, Manila

    

   The courier must be prepaid by the participants and properly labeled with the subject: Films for Peace Competition Entry, Your Name, Film Title.

5. Please ensure that the following materials are also provided along with the film. Failure to provide may result in your submission being ineligible.

   Film Trailer: 30 to 45 seconds uploaded in Google Drive or included in USB for offline submission.

    

   Film Poster: High resolution uploaded in Google Drive or included in USB for offline submission.

    

   Director's Statement: Submit a brief explanation (maximum of 200 words) detailing how your film aligns with the theme "Films for Peace."

    

   Accomplished Entry Form: Complete the official Films for Peace entry through the google link posted on the FDCP.

    

   Copyright Clearance: If applicable, provide legal documentation for any third-party material used in the film (music, footage, etc.).

   Applicants must read and understand the terms of the General Guidelines on the 5 expectations and deliverables.

    

B. SELECTION PROCESS
 

C. Evaluation

Projects will be reviewed based on the following:

• Impact of material: (30%)
  The emotional and intellectual influence the film has on its audience.

   

• Originality of theme:  (25%)
  The uniqueness and creativity in the film’s central theme or message.

   

• Technical Excellence: (25%)
  The quality and craftsmanship in the film’s production, including aspects like cinematography, editing, sound design, and visual effects.

   

• Universal Appeal: (20%) 
  The film’s ability to resonate with a wide audience, regardless of their culture, location, or language.

There shall be two tiers in the competition: from all the submitted entries, the top twelve (12) entries will be selected by a committee of three (3) members composed of filmmakers and film scholars/ academicians.

Three (3) winners will be selected by a second jury composed of three (3) members, including representatives from major film agencies in the country: the Film Academy of the Philippines, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the Directors Guild of the Philippines, and the academe.

All twelve (12) finalists will be scheduled for exhibition at Cinematheques and select cinemas as part of the Philippine Film Industry Month celebrations in September 2026.

D. Selected Projects & Final Verification Process

1. Selected applicants will be notified via email after the deliberation process.

    

2. All exhibition and ancillary rights of the film remain with the filmmaker. However, the filmmaker grants the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) the right to screen the film free of charge for special screenings at Cinematheques, as well as for educational purposes at schools and universities that are members of the Academic Film Society (AFS). These screenings will be made available upon request by the FDCP, within a period mutually agreed upon by both parties, not exceeding two (2) years from the film’s premiere.

    

3. Streaming Platforms: The films submitted to the competition may not be distributed on commercial streaming platforms during the competition period. After the competition, distribution on commercial platforms may be permitted, subject to the film owner’s discretion and any applicable rights agreements.