The Òrbita Film Fest festival opens a new call for applications focused on narratives about nature
Òrbita Film Fest, the festival that explores the interaction between science, society and cinema, opens the new call for short films
The Òrbita Film Fest festival opens the call for short films for its second edition that will take place next October at the Espai Texas in Barcelona . Fiction, animation or documentary short films can be submitted through the Festhome platform from March 5 to August 31, 2026 .
In this second edition, in which the Institute for the History of Science is once again actively collaborating, the festival definitively adopts the name Òrbita Film Fest (formerly "Ficcions de Ciència"), consolidating an identity aligned with its desire to put the dialogue between cinema, science and society into orbit .
The theme of this edition: “Narratives about nature”
The competitive programming of Òrbita Film Fest is divided into two complementary categories that define the festival's identity. On the one hand, the transversal section "Science and Society", present in all editions, constitutes the stable core of the project. This section includes short films that explore how science crosses everyday life, social conflicts and contemporary imaginaries.
On the other hand, each edition incorporates a specific thematic axis that guides part of the programming. This 2026, the focus is on "Narratives about Nature" to give visibility to the stories, images and discourses with which we explain how we understand nature and what place we occupy in it. It is not only about landscapes or biodiversity, but also about the climate crisis, sustainability, urban life, global health or eco-social conflicts. The ÒFF thus invites us to reflect on how these narratives influence the way we inhabit the territory, consume, make decisions and imagine the future.
The festival accepts short films up to 30 minutes long that dialogue with these thematic lines and reflect science as a living cultural practice, with social, ethical, emotional and political implications.
The selected works will be eligible for two prizes of €1000 each :
- Órbita Award for the best "Science and Society" short film
- Òrbita Award for the best short film "Narratives about Nature"
More than a competition, a meeting space
In addition to the official competition, Òrbita Film Fest will include special screenings, open debates with filmmakers and researchers, participatory activities and decentralized actions in civic centers and other cultural facilities in the city.
As a novelty for this edition, the festival incorporates the educational program Ments en Òrbita ("Minds in orbit"), which connects cinema and scientific culture with the school environment. The program includes morning sessions for secondary and high school students with dynamic discussions, specific training for teachers and pedagogical materials to work on the contents before and after the screenings.
For the second consecutive year, the ÒFF becomes a meeting point for filmmakers, researchers and the general public, where science and society can be put into dialogue through cinema.
This is a project promoted by the Catalan Association for Scientific Communication (ACCC) together with Espai Texas. It also has the support of the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation (FCRI), the Catalonia Culture Foundation and the Barcelona City Council; and the collaboration of the Institute for the History of Science of the UAB (iHC-UAB) and the Carulla Foundation, among others.
Source: ACCC