The second edition of the Curta Pico Prize has attracted filmmakers from six countries, reinforcing Pico Island’s growing recognition as a source of cinematic inspiration.

Organised by MiratecArts, the Curta Pico Prize is an annual short film competition that aims to strengthen the Azorean audiovisual industry while promoting Pico Island internationally. The initiative encourages filmmakers to create original stories inspired by the island. The winning project will be announced during the 13th Montanha Pico Festival in January 2027, with the winner receiving up to €10,000 in production support.

The competition builds on the success of the inaugural winner, First Date (2025), directed by Luís Filipe Borges. According to the Portuguese American Journal, the film has been selected for more than 70 international film festivals across 20 countries and has won 25 awards.

International response

This year, the Curta Pico Prize received 27 original film proposals from creators in the Azores, mainland Portugal, Argentina, Canada, the United States and Spain. Nearly 70 percent of the submissions came from outside the Azores.

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 recognised internationally as a place capable of inspiring compelling cinematic stories.”

Second stage begins

Following the jury’s anonymous evaluation, 19 of the 27 projects have advanced to the second phase of the competition. Participants now have 70 days to develop a complete production proposal, including a screenplay, budget, casting and production plan.

Costa described the initiative as much more than a film competition.

“This project exists to strengthen audiovisual production in the Azores,” he said. “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.”

Supporting Azorean artists

MiratecArts is a nonprofit arts association founded by Azorean-Canadian cultural producer Terry Costa and based in Mirateca, in the parish of Candelária on Pico Island.

First established in Canada in 2002 and formally based in Mirateca in 2012, MiratecArts has become one of the Azores’ most active independent cultural organisations. The organisation promotes literature, music, theatre, visual arts, film and international artistic exchanges, with a mission to create educational and cultural opportunities while showcasing Azorean talent to global audiences.