The Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA) announced on October 2 the provisional resolution proposal for the 2026 grants aimed at the production of short film projects. The call maintains the same financial volume as in the two previous years, with 2.2 million euros distributed among 37 titles supported on a provisional basis.
The publication of this resolution is significant as it marks the beginning of the selection process for short films that will receive public funding next year, in a context where the Spanish audiovisual sector continues to rely heavily on these state grants to sustain the production of short-format works, especially independent ones and those directed by emerging talent.
Details of the 2026 call
According to the proposal released by the ICAA, in addition to the 37 beneficiary projects, the resolution includes ten titles that remain as alternates, as the available budget has been exhausted. Additionally, 13 applications were excluded from the process.
The maximum amount that each beneficiary project can receive is 70,000 euros, while in the case of animated short films, that limit rises to 130,000 euros per project.
Female presence and animation
Among the highlights of this edition is that 19 of the supported short films are directed by women. Together, these projects account for more than one million euros of the total funding.
On the other hand, seven of the beneficiary shorts correspond to the animation genre, receiving more than half a million euros in total, reflecting the weight this modality continues to have within the ICAA grants.
Deadline for allegations
Production companies affected by this provisional resolution proposal have a non-extendable period of five business days to submit allegations. This period begins the day after the document is published on the ICAA website.
Allegations must be processed through the Electronic Office of the Ministry of Culture, using the same link and digital certificate used in the original grant application.
The 2025 precedent: reference figures
To contextualize this new call, it is useful to review the data from the previous year. In 2025, out of a total of 559 applications submitted, 45 short film projects were beneficiaries.
Of that total, 29 were fiction, representing 59.19% of the global funding; seven were documentary in nature, with 11.11% of the funds; and 18 corresponded to animation projects, which accumulated 29.71% of the total funding.
Co-productions and territorial distribution
Last year, four of the beneficiary short films were made under a co-production regime with foreign companies, a formula that allows for expanding resources and international projection for these short-format works.
Regarding female presence in 2025, a total of 22 short films were directed exclusively by women, which accounted for 47.83% of the total funding for that year. Of these, 14 were fiction, four documentary, and four animation.
Regarding geographical distribution, the 2025 grants were distributed among production companies based in 11 different autonomous communities. Catalonia led the list with 16 beneficiary projects, followed by the Community of Madrid and the Valencian Community, with seven each. Andalusia had four projects, while the Canary Islands, the Chartered Community of Navarre, Galicia, and the Basque Country had two each. Aragon, Castilla-La Mancha, and the Region of Murcia completed the distribution with one beneficiary project each.
What to expect for 2026
Although the final resolution of the grants for 2026 must still pass the allegations stage, the provisional data confirm the continuity of a stable support policy for Spanish short films, with a budget similar to that of the two previous years.
The audiovisual sector will closely follow the outcome of this process, which will determine which projects will finally have public funding for their production during the next year.
Frequently asked questions
How much money does the ICAA distribute in short film grants for 2026?
The provisional resolution proposal includes a total of 2.2 million euros, the same amount allocated in the 2024 and 2025 calls.
How many short films are beneficiaries in this provisional proposal?
According to the ICAA, 37 short films would receive financial support on a provisional basis, in addition to ten alternate titles and 13 excluded applications.
What is the maximum amount a project can receive?
Each beneficiary project can receive up to 70,000 euros, while animated short films can opt for a maximum of 130,000 euros.
How many of the supported shorts are directed by women?
A total of 19 short films benefiting from this proposal are directed by women, who together receive more than one million euros.
What is the deadline for submitting allegations to the provisional resolution?
Production companies have five non-extendable business days from the day after the publication of the proposal to submit allegations through the Electronic Office of the Ministry of Culture.
Which autonomous community received the most grants in the 2025 call?
Catalonia was the autonomous community with the highest number of beneficiary projects in 2025, with 16 supported short films, followed by the Community of Madrid and the Valencian Community, with seven each.
