The volcanic landscapes of Pico Island continue to inspire storytellers far beyond the shores of the Azores. This year, that creative energy has translated into unprecedented international interest in the II Curta Pico Prize, a unique initiative designed to encourage audiovisual production rooted in the island’s extraordinary landscapes, culture, and imagination.
Organized by MiratecArts, the competition has attracted 27 original proposals from filmmakers, writers, and producers representing the Azores, mainland Portugal, Argentina, Canada, the United States, and Spain. From poetic narratives and intimate romances to fantasy, suspense, and horror, the submissions reveal the remarkable versatility of Pico as both setting and source of artistic inspiration.
According to Terry Costa, Artistic Director of MiratecArts, the response surpassed expectations.
“We received more proposals than during the first edition, and selecting the finalists has become an increasingly difficult task,” Costa said. “It was especially encouraging to see that nearly seventy percent of the submissions came from outside the Azores, demonstrating that Pico is becoming recognized internationally as a place capable of inspiring compelling cinematic stories.”
The first phase of the competition focused entirely on the strength of each concept rather than the reputation of its creators. A local jury evaluated the proposals anonymously, allowing ideas alone to determine which projects advanced to the next stage.
The selection panel brought together representatives from across Pico Island, including Cátia Goulart from the Municipality of Lajes do Pico Tourism Department, Fernanda Medeiros, librarian for the Municipality of Madalena, Cátia Andrade, communications intern with the Cultural Association of the Municipality of São Roque do Pico, and Roberto Lino, manager of Azores X and a long-time MiratecArts partner, who contributed his evaluations remotely.
After reviewing the submissions, the jury concluded that the overall quality warranted expanding the list of finalists. Rather than limiting the field prematurely, 19 projects have now qualified for the competition’s second phase.
Those finalists will spend the next 70 days transforming their initial concepts into fully developed production proposals. The next stage requires participants to assemble production teams, identify potential casting, prepare budgets, and complete finished screenplays before presenting their projects to a second jury composed of professionals from the audiovisual industry.
Only one proposal will ultimately receive the Curta Pico Prize, which includes production support of up to €10,000.
The winning project will be announced during the 13th Montanha Pico Festival, beginning January 8, 2027, on Pico Island.
Costa describes the initiative as much more than a film competition.
“This project exists to strengthen audiovisual production in the Azores,” he explained. “Through the support of the three municipalities of Pico Island, we are able not only to finance the winning production but also to co-produce the film locally and help distribute it internationally through film festivals.”
The collaboration between the municipalities of Lajes do Pico, Madalena, and São Roque do Pico has become one of the initiative’s defining strengths.
“The municipalities of Pico are demonstrating that working together is the best way to build the future and create opportunities that benefit the entire Mountain Island,” Costa added.
The competition’s growing reputation has been fueled by the remarkable success of its inaugural winner. First Date, written and directed by Luís Filipe Borges, was produced in 2024 and premiered in 2025. Since then, it has achieved what few Portuguese short films ever accomplish: selection by more than 70 international film festivals across 20 countries, while earning 25 awards along the way.
Its international journey has become compelling proof that stories born on a small Atlantic island can resonate across cultures and continents.
The Curta Pico Prize is quickly establishing itself as more than a regional competition. It has become an invitation to filmmakers everywhere to discover the cinematic possibilities of Pico—a landscape where volcanic stone, Atlantic light, centuries of memory, and boundless imagination meet. Each new proposal affirms that while Pico’s geography may be insular, its stories possess a universal power capable of traveling the world.
Based on a Press Release. Picture from MiratecArts.