Hendaia Film Festival
International short film festival in Hendaye
2026
About Hendaia Film Festival
The Hendaia Film Festival is Hendaye's premier short film event. Established in 2013 by the Begiradak association, it is built on a simple premise: to showcase works that celebrate linguistic, cultural, and social diversity rather than smoothing them over. Each edition features an international selection of short films, screened with French and Spanish subtitles at the Les Variétés cinema.
Hendaia Film Festival — edition 2026
The Hendaia Film Festival will take place from October 15th to 18th, 2026, at the Les Variétés cinema. The call for entries, open until September 15th, 2026, will feature a new selection of international short films subtitled in French and Spanish, focusing on the festival's core themes: sharing, humanity, and cultural diversity.
Call for entries open until September
The 2026 edition features short films produced after June 2023 with a maximum runtime of twenty minutes, presented in their original language with French and Spanish subtitles. The submission deadline is September 15th, 2026. Films must be provided in DCP and MP4 formats and may be screened up to twice during the festival.
Two awards presented
A professional jury will select the international award for Best Short Film, while the audience will choose their own winner through a vote. Both awards include a trophy and a selection of local products.
Programme Hendaia Film Festival 2026
The detailed screening schedule for the 2026 edition has not yet been released by the organizers; it will be added as soon as it becomes available.
Practical information — Hendaia Film Festival
Screenings take place at the Les Variétés cinema, 10 rue du Théâtre, in Hendaye. Associated exhibitions are held at the Mendi Zolan space and the Halles de Gaztelu, both located near the cinema.
A festival born from a local association
The Begiradak association has been behind the Hendaia Film Festival since its inception in 2013. Its name, which means "glances" or "perspectives" in Basque, perfectly captures the festival's mission: to open a window onto minority cultures and languages through the medium of short film.
An international competition with subtitles
Films in competition must be under twenty minutes long, produced after June 2023, and presented in their original version with both French and Spanish subtitles—a requirement that stems directly from the festival's cross-border vocation, located just a few kilometers from the Spanish border. A professional jury awards the international prize for best short film, while the audience selects their own winner; both awards include a trophy and local products.
Two venues, one neighborhood
Screenings are held at the Les Variétés cinema, located at 10 rue du Théâtre, complemented by exhibitions at the Mendi Zolan space and the Halles de Gaztelu. Past editions have paired the competition with round-table discussions on themes such as freedom of expression, featuring journalists and film industry professionals.
Where does it take place — Hendaia Film Festival
Hendaia Film Festival in brief
History of Hendaia Film Festival
Edition 2024 Oct 2024Other festivals near Hendaye
Festival-goer reviews
No review yet. Be the first!
No rating yet — be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community
Have you spotted an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Every suggestion is reviewed by our team before publication.
Festival-goer photos
No photo yet. Share yours!
5 photos max, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
A quick word
Find us more easily on Google
Add Festivals en France to your preferred sources: our line-ups and calendars will show up more often in your Google results. It’s free, it takes two seconds, and you can undo it whenever you want.
Add us to my sourcesYou stay on this page: Google opens a window, then brings you back here.