Ten finalists will be selected by a jury and will be publicly screened at the Tomorrow Unlocked Film Festival (TUFF) in Barcelona on Sunday, 5 April. A selection of films will also be showcased at the Security Analyst Summit.

According to TUFF, technology now connects us across different platforms, improving our lives and enabling people to develop opportunities in the future. 

TUFF is the first international film festival with the aim to tell stories about how technology influences lives now — and in the future — and engage with a broad audience of innovators, artists, technologists, thinkers, scientists, hackers and entrepreneurs.

The event, which is organised by online magazine Tomorrow Unlocked, is looking for filmmakers to create compelling short films exploring how technology shapes the world.

According to the magazine, it is important that creative pieces should be both impactful and human by transforming complex technical information into easy to understand stories. The festival's organisers highlight that topics will include privacy, the future and communities.

The TUFF's jury will select ten best short films that will all be publicly screened in Barcelona, where the prize winner will be announced and awarded with US$10 000. In addition, three runners-up will win US$3 000 each and six finalists will receive US$1 000 each.

"We are excited to kick off our first film festival, which is the next big step after launching our online magazine Tomorrow Unlocked," says Povel Torudd, global head of branded content at Kaspersky.

"Our modern world is all about technology and it shapes our future, but not everyone understands it clearly. That's why we invite creative minds to tell stories about technological topics that touch, inspire and educate people," adds Povel.

"There are many new filmmakers, who are great storytellers, hitting the cinematic scene with high-quality short films, and we are glad to provide those talents with an opportunity to reach a broad international audience and network of people who work in tech," says Povel.

Finalists will also be showcased at the Security Analyst Summit. Participants of the international event include prominent anti-malware researchers, global law enforcement agencies and senior executives from financial services, technology, healthcare, academia and government agencies.

Registration for submissions is free and closes on Thursday, 20 February. Individuals can participate in 'The Five-Second-Challenge' by creating a tech story in a video lasting five seconds or less, and post it on YouTube with the hashtag '#tuff5sec'. Selected winners will win up to US$500.

Information about the requirements and submission process can be found on the festival's website.

For more information, visit www.tomorrowunlocked.com. You can also follow TUFF on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.