Cinema takes off again with TAP Air Portugal

Following the success of the inaugural edition, TAP Air Portugal announces the second edition of Altitude Film Fest, its On Board Film Festival, which returns to continue celebrating the seventh art at 30,000 feet of altitude. This innovative project celebrates international cinema in the unique context of the flight experience, while promoting Portugal, its culture and traditions, within and across borders. Applications are open until 31 May 2025 and registration costs 10 US dollars.

The Altitude Film Fest offers an international platform for emerging filmmakers, challenging them to submit short fiction or documentary films with a maximum duration of 30 minutes, which fulfil at least one of the following criteria: part of the film was shot on Portuguese territory and/or the content focuses on Portuguese culture. Only short films produced between 1 March 2024 and 30 April 2025 will be accepted. The works submitted will be pre-selected by a committee appointed by TAP and, after this initial sorting, a list of films will be submitted for final evaluation by an independent jury made up of professionals from the film industry. The finalists will be notified by 28 July 2025.

Created with the aim of showcasing new talent and providing passengers with a distinctive cultural offer, the Altitude Film Fest transforms the in-flight entertainment system on TAP's long-haul aircraft into a real cinema room. During the month of October 2025, passengers on the Portuguese national airline's long-haul flights will have the opportunity to watch the 10 finalist films and vote for their favorite, thus helping to choose the winners. The final selection of winners will result from a combination of the jury's vote (40 per cent) and the on-board public's vote (60 per cent).

The awards ceremony is scheduled for World Cinema Day, on 5 November 2025, in Lisbon. The films honored with the Best Fiction Film and Best Documentary Film Grand Prizes will be rewarded with a travel grant worth 1,500 euros each. This award not only recognizes the artistic and narrative excellence of the winning films, but also offers filmmakers the chance to explore new horizons and be inspired by new experiences around the world.

All the information about the new edition of the Altitude Film Fest is available here.