The Royal Film Commission Jordan | OPPORTUNITIES BULLETIN #216 May 2021

OPPORTUNITIES BULLETIN #216 May 2021

N.B. The information below is provided directly by the organizers of events, festivals, audio-visual organizations or independent film projects. The Royal Film Commission - Jordan (RFC) cannot be held accountable for it.

In this bulletin:

1. Amman International Film Festival: Submit your Film
2. Amman International Film Festival: Submit your Project
3. Call for application: Mosalsalat Screenwriters Lab
4. Call for submissions: El Gouna Film Festival
5. Call for application: The Series Lab
6. Call for submissions: The Golden Tree International Documentary Film Festival
7. Call for entries: The 15th Arabic and Mediterranean Film Festival of Catalonia
8. Call for submissions: Beirut International Women Film Festival (BWFF)
9. Two new films at the RFC's Film Library

Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film (AIFF) is aimed at debut achievements in film from all over the world, while also promoting Jordan’s up-and-coming pool of professionals in the audiovisual sector. With a main focus on emerging filmmakers, AIFF seeks works that manifest artistic boldness, strength of form and originality in the use of the medium of film. Based on the success of its inaugural edition, the Festival’s second edition will be held August 23-31, 2021.

 Submissions will open May 18, 2021.

Rules and Regulations

• Amman International Film Festival – Awal Film (AIFF) requires all submitted films to be Jordanian premiere. Films previously screened in Jordan are not eligible.
• Films that are available in Jordan on any VOD, online platforms, TV, or any other similar media as well as films that are available for purchase also not eligible.
• Only film rights owners and/or their official distribution organisations are eligible to submit films to the festival.
• Film owners are defined as the principal producer, authorised distributor, or any person who owns the rights to the film.
• For the second edition of the AIFF, only films that were released in 2020 or 2021 are accepted for submission.
• The AIFF considers any narrative film over 60 minutes as feature-length.
• The AIFF considers any documentary film over 52 minutes as feature-length.
• The maximum duration for a short film is 25 minutes.
• The final selection of all films and their placement in the program are the responsibility of the Festival.
• The AIFF reserves the right to decide eligibility.
• All films must be in their original language. If not in English, the film must be subtitled in English.
• Submitted films must meet the conditions mentioned above, in addition to the specific selection criteria as described per section.

Sections:

Arab Feature Narrative Film Competition

• Only films that are 60 minutes or longer are accepted for this section.

• This section is open to any feature-length narrative film released in 2020 or 2021, as long as the director is Arab or of Arab origin, and as long as it is the first feature-length narrative film by the:

  • Director and/or

  • Screenwriter and/or

  • Lead actor and/or

  • Lead actress and/or

  • Director of photography and/or

  • Editor.

Arab Feature Documentary Film Competition

• Only films that are 52 minutes or longer are accepted for this section.

• This section is open to any feature-length documentary film released in 2020 or 2021, as long as the director is Arab or of Arab origin, and as long as it is the first feature-length documentary film by the director.

Arab Short Film Competition

• Only short films (no longer than 25 minutes) are eligible for this section.

• This section is open to any short narrative, experimental, or animation film released in 2020 or 2021, as long as the director is Arab or of Arab origin, and as long as it is the first narrative short film by the director.

• Short documentaries are not eligible for this section

The deadline for submissions is June 28, 2021

For more about AIFF: www.aiff.jo

For more information about the rules and regulations: http://aiff.jo/rules-regulations/

To submit your film to the Arab competition: http://aiff.jo/arab-competition/

To submit your non-Arab debut film: http://aiff.jo/international-section/

 Amman Film Industry Days (AFID) – as part of Amman International Film Festival (AIFF) - is organizing two Pitching Platforms for feature-length projects in development by Jordanian and resident Arab filmmakers in Jordan and for projects in post-production by all Arab filmmakers.

Up to 15 projects will be selected to pitch their film projects in a public presentation to industry professionals attending Amman Industry Days, where the best projects will receive awards to help them advance in the materialization of their films.

Rules & regulations for submitting your project

a)      Projects in Development:

• The project must be a feature-length narrative or documentary in its development stage; shorts are not eligible.
• Only projects by Jordanian directors or Arab directors resident in Jordan are accepted for this platform. 

b)     Projects in Post-Production:

• The project must be a feature-length narrative or documentary in its post-production stage; shorts are not eligible.
• Only projects by Arab directors are accepted for this platform.
• You must have a producer attached to your project to be eligible for this platform.

The deadline is June 28, 2021

For more information, please visit: http://aiff.jo/pitching-platforms/ 

This is your chance to apply for the 2nd round of Mosalsalat Screenwriters Lab!

In 2019 the Royal Film Commission - Jordan (RFC) launched, in collaboration with the Writers Guild Foundation - USA, Mosalsalat Screenwriters Lab (series); a series early development screenwriting program aimed at professional Arab screenwriters.

The Lab provides an opportunity for local and regional filmmakers to develop their scripts for series under the guidance of international accomplished creative screenwriters during an intensive three-day program.

Mosalsalat Screenwriters Lab is an annual three-day series script development workshop aimed at independent Arab screenwriters working on their narrative series projects.

Submission deadline: Thursday, July 1st, 2021 by midnight (Jordan Time).

For submissions and more details about the Lab, please visit: http://www.film.jo/Contents/Mosalsalat-Screenwriters-Lab.aspx 
Or email at: msl@film.jo   

The 5th edition of El Gouna Film Festival will be held October 14 to 22, 2021, in El Gouna, located in the Red Sea Governorate, Egypt.

Submissions of both feature-length and short films for selection in the program of the 5th edition of GFF must be made in accordance with the provisions set out in El Gouna Film Festival’s rules and regulations as outlined below:

- A preview committee appointed by the festival will view and shortlist films from eligible entries. The GFF programming team will make the final selection from the shortlisted entries.
- If a film is selected, as per international guidelines, a maximum of 3 screenings per film will be held during the festival, unless specified or agreed otherwise.

Rules and Regulations:

• El Gouna Film Festival accepts entries from all countries of the world to be screened in the following sections of the festival:
  - Feature Narrative Competition
  - Feature Documentary Competition
  - Short Film Competition
  - Official Selection out of Competition
   
• Only films that premiered after November 15, 2020 are eligible for the festival sections. Preference will be given to world and international premieres.
• The minimum duration of a feature narrative film must be 65 minutes.
• The minimum duration of a feature documentary must be 52 minutes.
• The maximum duration of a short film must be 30 minutes.
• Submissions will be accepted only from films that have not had a public screening in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region in a theatre, on television or on any Internet-based VOD platform.
• Once a film has been selected and the invitation to participate at the festival has been accepted, it cannot be withdrawn from the festival program.
• All films must be in their original language and if this language is other than English, the film must be subtitled in English.
• All the films in competition with dialogues in a language other than Arabic will be electronically subtitled in Arabic, provided that the festival receives the film’s spotting list and copy no later than September 27, 2021. If required, GFF will cooperate with the producer or distributor of the film for the production and presentation of Arabic-language electronic subtitles.

The deadline is August 15, 2021

For more information, please visit: El Gouna Film Festival

The Series Lab is dedicated to screenwriters developing scripted series projects created for distribution on all platforms (including television, digital or web) and to provide participants with the scriptwriting tools and industry access to move their projects and careers forward. The programme is an opportunity for emerging screenwriters and writer-directors from the region to:

• complete the treatment/script of the pilot or the first season

• produce the general concept presentation of the project

• exercise writing and pitching skills

• understand the global series landscape and the entire process of creation of a series.

Participants will be working with accomplished mentors and story editors in generating ideas and structuring their material.

The programme will include:

• customized one on one advising session with mentors

• group work session with mentors and other participants

• simulation of a “writer’s room”

• group tutorials with selected industry experts (producers, showrunners, labs and markets, funding and distribution platforms…)

• pitch training

• final projects presentation and feedbacks.

Participants work in small groups with the support of experienced mentors. The lab consists of three online sessions of five-day workshops, which take place intermittently over a period of six months. During each five-day session, participants are expected to work on all agreed assignments and reach key milestones as they build toward their screenplays. Strict deadlines must be followed, and participants will be asked to read and engage in the other lab attendees’ work.

Eligibility:

• The workshop is designed for writers & directors, or anyone interested in writing for scripted serialized projects created on TV and web series, or app-based platforms.

• Candidates should have produced at least one short or feature-length narrative or documentary film or series in the past.

• Participants must be from Qatar or the MENA region

 The deadline is June 14, 2021.

 For more information please visit: https://www.dohafilminstitute.com/education/series-lab/series-lab-3

6. Call for submissions: The Golden Tree International Documentary Film Festival

The Golden Tree International Documentary Film Festival (GTIDFF), founded in 2016, takes place every fall in Frankfurt, Germany. The Festival’s aim is to focus the world’s attention on documentaries, encourage the exhibition of quality films worldwide, deeply explore different cultures and countries, and promote mutual exchanges and learning through the art of cinematography.

The theme of the 6th GTIDFF is “Roots of Culture: Nature Tells Us”, focusing on habitat and other areas of human existence, including animals, plants, human history, natural environment and other content. The festival is planned for early-mid October 2021. The onsite Festival includes the Opening Ceremony, Film Competitions and Screenings, Theme Forum, Joint Meeting Hall, Closing and Award Ceremony, and Beijing Special Events Series.

Rules and Terms:

• Registration fee: Free

• Film completion: After January 1st, 2019

• The registered film must be a completely finished documentary film. All films shall not contain any elements that are hostile to other countries, cause religious or ethnic conflicts etc., and shall not cover pornography, violence and racial discrimination.

• Subtitles: All registered films must come with English subtitles.

• Written materials: the film introduction and director introduction should be provided in English.

• Photo information:1 HD poster, 3-5 Stage Photos (within 10MB).

• Video data: High-definition full film and trailers (English subtitles) format is MP4, compressed within 10G, the picture can be watermarked, but can not block the picture.

• Applicants shall ensure the authenticity, completeness, and accuracy of the registration information, and bear the legal liability arising from false information. Application materials will not be returned and will be retained by the organizing committee for archival purposes.

The deadline is June 30, 2021.

 For more information please visit: https://filmfreeway.com/GoldenTreeInternationalDocumentaryFestival

The Festival aims to fill a void in the Catalan cultural scene by giving voice to Arab and Mediterranean cinema. This year, 2021, the theme is:
Reflections on the passage of time in our relationship with those physical or material spaces that we inhabit or that condition our lives and / or that human action has transformed. Be they natural or creative spaces, rural or urban.

Participation Requirements
1. Section “In Perspective”

 60 minutes or more movies or documentary movies filmed by directors from Arab countries in the last 30 years.

2. Section “Today looks”:

 60 minutes or more movies or documentary movies filmed by directors from Arab countries in the last 3 years.

3. Please send a download link or DVD copy before June 20, 2021. The film must be subtitled in French, English or Spanish.

4. The Film Festival will only contact the persons in charge of the selected films. The copies received will not be returned.

Selected Films

 5. In case a movie is selected,  please send the following items before the July 15, 2021:
- Synopsis
- Biography and filmography of the director
- Photography of the director and of the film in JPG 300dpi format
- Film Poster in JPG 300dpi format
- Trailer
- List of the dialogues in timecode (in English, French or Spanish)

Movies’ Subtitles:

For more information please visit: Call for entries - Mostra Cinema Arab (mostracinearab.com)

Beirut International Women Film Festival (BWFF) is an annual event organized in Beirut by Beirut Film Society, under the theme “Women for Change”; gathering filmmakers and cinema lovers from all over the world, BWFF tackles issues such as gender equality, domestic violence, through the power of the lens and cinema.

BWFF, which comprises films about women and/or executed by women, aims to highlight the power of women in different life situations, the festival organizers believe in promoting a positive image of women struggling with dignity to make a change in their environment.

Rules and Regulations:

Filmmakers are invited to submit their original work to Beirut International Women Film Festival (BWFF) for the suitable category and as per the assigned duration of each category.

1- Films produced after January 1, 2020 are eligible for submission.
2- For international feature films submissions, Lebanese premiere is a must – feature films that were screened previously in Lebanon won’t be taken into consideration.
3- BWFF supports travel cost for directors of selected international films to Lebanon during the festival days. (Conditions apply).
4- Submission fees are non-refundable and non-reimbursable under any circumstances.
5- BWFF retains the right to accept or decline any film, for whatever reason, without any explanation.
6- Applicant admits that he/she is authorized to submit the film, being the rights-holder or authorized representative of the film.
7- BWFF receives exhibition copy in QuickTime 1080p HD 8 bit uncompressed or Apple ProRes file or equivalent via a downloadable link.
8- All non-English speaking films must have adequate English subtitles.
9- Screening fees must be declared prior to or upon submission. If a screening fee is only indicated after the official selection has been announced, the Festival retains the right to revoke the film's acceptance.
10- Beirut International Women Film Festival (BWFF) holds the right to:

• Use the selected films for trailers and publicity usage
• Screen the winning films in other related events inside Lebanon, and recommend the winning films to other international film festivals that collaborate with BWFF after the approval of the filmmakers.

The deadline is May 17, 2021

For more information please visit: https://filmfreeway.com/BeirutInternationalWomenFilmFestival

New films are available to watch or borrow from the Film Library of The Royal Film Commission - Jordan.

1. It Must Be Heaven by Elia Suleiman

Here is the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6blvldmt6c

2. Mustang by Deniz Gamze Ergüven

Here is the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABNB3zw5BAo

The Film Library opens  from 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM during weekdays, and on Saturdays from 12:00 PM – 8:00PM.

For further information, please call: 064613835 ext. 111 or send an email: filmlibrary@film.jo 

Location