COLOURS IN THE DARK | 1-2 October 2026 | Madeira Islands
Santa Luzia Gardens – Funchal
INTERNACIONAL OPEN CALL
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
The Colours in the Dark Festival returns in 2026 for its second edition, celebrating contemporary video art in the poetic and natural setting of Santa Luzia gardens. Through the projection of audiovisual works in an open-air environment, the festival offers a sensory and immersive experience that invites the audience to reflect on time, memory, the body, and the environment.
For this edition, we invite national and international artists to submit video projects for screening across the three days of the event.
ELIGIBILITY
This Open Call is aimed at contemporary video artists, both emerging and established, of any nationality. Video works of an artistic nature suitable for outdoor projection will be accepted.
OPEN THEME
Proposals that explore contemporary issues through a sensitive, experimental, or poetic approach—promoting dialogue between art, nature, and society—will be highly valued.
HOW TO APPLY
Fill out the application form below and submit the required materials by 31 July 2026
Colours in the Dark Festival is an independent cultural initiative, supported by the Regional Government of Madeira through the Regional Secretariat for Tourism and Culture, the Funchal City Council, and the **Portuguese Directorate-General for the Arts*.
As part of the Colours in the Dark 2026 international open call, three prizes will be awarded to outstanding video works selected by the jury,m selected by the MOVE association:
- 1st Prize – €500
- 2nd Prize – €250
- 3rd Prize – €150
Prize Rules and Conditions:
- Eligibility: All video works submitted and selected for screening as part of Colours in the Dark 2026 are eligible for prize consideration.
- Jury Decision: The prizes will be awarded by an independent jury composed of professionals in the fields of contemporary art, film, and curation. The jury’s decision is final and not subject to appeal.
- Evaluation Criteria: Works will be evaluated based on artistic quality, originality, relevance to the festival’s vision, and technical execution.
- Announcement: Winners will be announced publicly during the festival, which takes place from October from 1 to 3 , 2026, at Santa Luzia Gardens, Funchal.
- Prize Payment: Prizes will be paid via bank transfer within 30 days after the winners are announced. Artists must provide a valid invoice or receipt in accordance with Portuguese tax regulations.
- Shared or Withheld Prizes: The jury reserves the right to:
- Share a prize between two works (in which case the prize amount will be divided).
- Withhold a prize if no work meets the criteria.
- No Entry Fee Required: Participation in the open call is free of charge.
📄 APPLICATION FORM
Artist Information:
- Full Name:
- Email Address:
- Phone Number (with country code):
- Website / Portfolio (if applicable):
Artist Statement:
Please provide a brief statement (maximum 500 words) about your artistic practice and your interest in participating in Colours in the Dark.
Project Information:
- Project Title:
- Project Description:
Please provide a detailed description of your video project, including the concept, creative approach, and intended impact on the viewer. - Technical Requirements:
Specify the technical requirements for your video, including format, resolution, file size, and any other relevant details. - Budget:
If applicable, provide a breakdown of the project’s budget, including anticipated expenses. (Note: production funding is not guaranteed.)
Required Materials:
- Completed Application Form
- Artist Statement
- Link to your video work (via Vimeo, YouTube, or other platforms – password protected if necessary)
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION:
🕓 31/07/2026 – 23h59 GMT
Submissions and inquiries should be sent to:
📧 movemadeira@gmail.com
Selected >Project (OPEN CALL 2025)
Project Title: I WAS HERE-WITH HER 3, by and with José Crúzio+DRUUNA JAGUAR [Jorge Mantas]
Descrição genérica: conjunto de videogramas de curta duração, com som e para rodagem em loop contínuo e que se intitulam “I Was Here”, frase essa que aparece a meio. Advém de um processo de recolha contínua de pequenos vídeos em câmara lenta e pós-produzidos com normas especificamente delineadas (estrutura, duração, composição) e através de um processo de trabalho colaborativo, com composição musical à distância.
SINOPSE: Com o projecto I WAS HERE, constrói-se um conjunto de pequenos videogramas como testemunhos de passagem do autor/artista pelos diversos “não lugares”/”lugares”- ou melhor, lugares de passagem, circunstancial ou não, e aos quais confere um valor e um significado através de uma revisão e re-composição, com sons e novas interpretações de diversa origem, espelhando, aos mesmo tempo, as suas principais referências.
Assim, I WAS HERE constitui-se com um longo conjunto de vídeo-testemunhos – e em processo de construção – que reflectem uma contextualidade muito particular hiperbolizada na frase/genérico que surge em cada um da série: a indicação, se solitária ou não; as coordenadas do “não lugar”/”lugar”; a data e a hora e, por fim e consubstanciando o processo colaborativo, a co-autoria na criação sonora que o acompanha e o complementa/completa.
Sandrine Deumier
Project Title: From the place where the light goes out
Project Description: Inspired by existing natural environments and carried by the notion of porosity of temporal planes and crossing of geological surfaces, this work is a dive into intermediate landscapes, neither natural nor artificial, beyond human memories.
Technical Requirements:
Digital animation | HD video | Stereo | Duration : 5min 45s
Citron | Lunardi
Project Title: Kingdom Plantae
Project Description: Kingdom Plantae is a speculative video work that envisions a post-human future, where nature re- emerges in hybrid, synthetic forms after the collapse of human civilization. The piece explores the intersection between technology and ecology, imagining ecosystems reconstructed through data, artificial intelligence, and memory fragments. Created through a collaborative process between human artists and machine learning tools, the video challenges traditional representations of the natural world. Luminescent digital flora, suspended in artificial landscapes, evoke both beauty and loss – suggesting a world where life persists, but only as simulation or memory.
The creative approach combines AI-generated visuals, abstract sound design, and poetic pacing to construct a meditative environment. Rather than offering a linear narrative, the work immerses the viewer in a sensory experience that encourages contemplation of time, extinction, and transformation.
Kingdom Plantae invites viewers to reflect on the fragile boundaries between the organic and the artificial, the past and the possible. It aims to provoke a shift in perception – encouraging a post- anthropocentric awareness of our entangled relationship with the environment, even in its absence.