OPPORTUNITIES BULLETIN #172 September 2017

OPPORTUNITIES BULLETIN #172 September 2017

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. Call for submissions: BBC Arabic Festival 2018
2. Call for submissions: The 40th edition of Cinéma du réel - International Documentary Film Festival
3. Call for submissions: Global Migration Film Festival 2017
4. Call for submissions: Filmmakers of the Year Film Festival 2017
5. Call for submissions: Watersprite Film Festival 2018
6. Call for submissions: FEST New Directors | New Films Festival

1. Call for submissions: BBC Arabic Festival 2018

The BBC Arabic Festival is currently calling for films for its 2018 edition, which is open to filmmakers, journalists and the general public whose work explores key issues in today's Arab world. Through this open call, the festival seeks a bold and diverse range of filmmaking from across the region, by Arab and non-Arab, professional and first-time filmmakers.

The BBC Arabic Festival is an annual week-long event that screens short films and documentaries about current social and political changes taking place in the Arab world. The festival takes place at the iconic art-deco Radio Theatre at BBC's Broadcasting House in central London. The screenings take place alongside a series of talks, presentations and performances that highlight current events and freedom of expression in the Arab world. The official selection of films also have the potential to air on BBC Arabic television as part of our special TV programming produced exclusively around the festival.

The BBC Arabic Festival runs as a competition judged by a panel of journalism and film experts and practitioners, who will present an award to a winner in each category at the televised Awards ceremony. BBC Arabic also offers the Young Journalist Award to a non-fiction filmmaker aged 18 to 30. The Award comprises of a programme of bespoke training, mentoring and equipment. There is also the potential for their next project to be aired on BBC Arabic TV and presented by them at the next Festival.

Terms and Conditions

For a work to be eligible it must meet the following criteria:

• It must have been made after January 1, 2016.
• The subject matter must concentrate on an exploration of the political and social situation in, or directly affected by, the Arab world.
• The work must be either a short film, documentary, reportage, or a piece of digital journalism and satisfy the criteria for each category.
• Anyone being considered by the judges for the BBC Arabic Young Journalist Award must be between 18 and 30 on 15 June 2016.
• The judges' decision as to the eligibility of individual entrants or their work will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

The deadline for submissions is on 20 October 2017.

To submit your film and for for further infomration on the rules and regulations, please visit the website: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-40273169
 

2. Call for submissions: The 40th edition of Cinéma du réel - International Documentary Film Festival

Submissions are now open to the 40th edition of Cinéma du réel - International Documentary Film Festival, which will be held from 23 March until 1 April 2018 in Paris.

The festival features four competitive sections of non-fiction films of all lengths:

• International Competition
• French Competition
• International First Films Competition - first and second films
• International Short Films Competition

The festival's deadlines:

• Films completed between 1 April 1st and 31 August 2017: submission and viewing material: 13 October 13th
• Films completed after 1 September 2017: submission and viewing material: 24 November
• Films still under completion on 24 November 2017: online submission 24 November; viewing material: 22 December.

Submission fee is 7€

Please note that only films produced after 1 April 2017 will be considered for the competitions.

For further information on rules and regulations, please visit the website: http://www.cinemadureel.org/en/the-festival/regulations

Feel free to contact the festival’s office if you have any question: cinereel@bpi.fr
 

3. Call for submissions: Global Migration Film Festival 2017

The Global Migration Film Festival invites professional and emerging filmmakers to submit films for the 2017 edition. The festival is still receiving film submissions until the 17th of September.

This year’s festival will take place from 5 – 18 December 2017 in countries and venues to be announced later this year. All screenings will be free of charge.

The Global Migration Film Festival showcases perception-changing films that capture the challenges and promise of migration for those who leave their homes in search of a better life and the unique contributions migrants make to their new communities. The festival was launched by the UN Migration Agency (IOM) in this spirit.

Selected films will integrate the Global Migration Film Festival menu, which will be made available to over 100 countries organizing the Festival locally. Each country will select from that list which film(s) they will screen in their region. Filmmakers will receive a list with the countries and venues of where their film will be screened by November.

Rules & Terms

*Deadline for entry*

Films of all genres (feature, documentary, animation) and lengths will be accepted from 3 July to 17 September.

*Festival theme*

Films should portray the challenges and promise of migration and contributions migrants make to their new communities. Films that challenge negative perceptions of migrants, defy stereotypes and feature positive and welcoming actions by and toward migrants are encouraged.

*Language*

• Films in English are preferred. Subtitles are encouraged, even if the characters speak English, to ensure maximum comprehension for global audiences.
• Films in other languages are encouraged, but must have subtitles in English.

*Length*

• Films should be at least 25 minutes in length for consideration. ('i am a migrant' category accepts films from 1 to 3 min)

*Production year*

• Films completed in or after 2013, or over the past five years, will be considered.

*Rights*

• Films may only be submitted by individuals with the legal right to negotiate the use of the work.

*Film selections*

• The festival will inform applicants if their film has been selected by mid October.
• For each selected film, the submitter or the filmmaker should be prepared to provide stills from the film, a trailer and a bio and photo of the film’s director.

*There is no fee to submit films*

*Films produced with any financial support from IOM are eligible for the competition, but not eligible for grants.

Awards & Prizes

Professional filmmakers worldwide – to be part of the official selection of the Global Migration Film Festival

Emerging filmmakers from 92 select countries - three awards of $1,500.

I am a migrant short films - awards of 100$ to 20 selected films.

For further information, please visit the website: https://filmfreeway.com/festival/GlobalMigrationFilmFestival
 

4. Call for submissions: Filmmakers of the Year Film Festival 2017

The Filmmakers of The Year Film Festival (FYFF) was established to celebrate filmmaking in general. The festival's main mission is to honor and promote films that have won awards and at excellent quality carrying unique methods of storytelling, produced with exceptional technique and crafted with passion and love for the betterment of filmmaking. The festival will be held between 22-30 November 2017.

If your film has previously won awards or you feel your film is good enough to compete with the winning filmmakers from around the world, then this Film Festival is for you.
FYFF receives submissions from all over the world. The festival accepts feature and short film, and documentary (any length), and welcomes ambitious newcomers to star their excellent films. The festival appreciates all the hard work every department contributes to making a film. With an all-in-one package, juries of the festival will value various performances such as directing, cinematography, editing, performance, story, acting, sound, production design, costume design, music, etc. The festival would give separate awards if they got selected.

Awards & Prizes

• Filmmakers of the Year Film Festival (FYFF) will give awards for the overall winner as The Filmmaker of the Year, and give Platinum Award, Gold Award, and Silver Award.
• All accepted filmmakers are honored at the Awards Ceremony.
• The overall winner will receive a statue during the Awards Ceremony in Jakarta. The festival will grant awards for attendant winners in Jakarta.

The festival's deadlines:
23 September 2017: Third Late Entry Deadline
12 October 2017: Special Deadline
28 October 2017: Final Deadline
1 November 2017: Notification Date
22 - 30 November 2017: Event Date

For further information on rules and regulations, please visit the website: https://filmfreeway.com/festival/FilmmakersoftheYearFilmFestival?utm_campaign=Submission+Button&utm_medium=External&utm_source=Submission+Button
 

5. Call for submissions: Watersprite Film Festival 2018

The Watersprite Film Festival is once again welcoming submissions from student filmmakers from across the globe for its international film competition.

The Watersprite philosophy is that talented, budding filmmakers should be rewarded for their hard work no matter where in the world they are. For that reason, if an entrant’s film is nominated for an award, they will be flown over to Cambridge, UK – for free – to attend the Awards’ Ceremony held at the Watersprite Film Festival in February 2018.

Awards are up for grabs in a wide range of categories: with everything from exceptional animation, original film scores, and production design being rewarded, not to mention the potentially life changing Filmmaker of the Future prize – awarded for a film that tries to makes a difference in the world or presents a story we have not heard before. The winner of this award gets the opportunity to participate in a producers’ workshop at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

Criteria:

• All films must have a total running time of 20 minutes or less.
• All films must either be in English, or submitted with English subtitles. Any non-English language films with dialogue which have been submitted without English subtitles will not be considered.
• All films must have completed production no earlier than April 2016. Resubmissions are not permitted. You may, however, enter an additional film for consideration. The festival will not accept more than two films from one entrant per year.
• In order for a film to be eligible for a Watersprite technical award, the person responsible for that particular technical aspect of the film must have been a student at the time of the film’s production, with the exception of ‘Best Acting Performance’. ‘Student’ is taken to mean those in, or having spent no more than a year as a graduate from, education. Proof of enrolment will be required at the submissions stage. Please see the Awards section for further details on categories.
• Please note that if your film is nominated it is expected that a member of your team attend the Awards Ceremony on 24 February 2018. Travel bursaries will be offered to all nominees from around the world. The festival will also assist with visas and find free or affordable accommodation for all nominees.

For further information on rules and regulations, please visit the website: https://www.watersprite.org.uk/submissions/submissions-guidelines-2018/

The deadline for submissions is on 15 October 2017, or at the point when 500 films have been submitted, so the sooner entrants submit their films the better!

6. Call for submissions: FEST New Directors | New Films Festival

The submissions period for the 2018 FEST New Directors | New Films Festival is now officially open.

The event will take place between the 18th and 25th of June 2018 in Espinho, a beachside city and one of the summer hotspots of Portugal

The festival is divided into several categories, competitive and non-competitive, with 2 main award categories: Short films by filmmakers up to the age of 30 (Silver Lynx competition); and Features from directors who are on their first or second production, regardless of their age (Golden Lynx competition). NEXXT is a competitive section dedicated to student films, co-programmed in partnerships with universities from around the world.

The festival also hosts several non-competitive sections, such Flavours of the World (focusing each year on specific countries), Be Kind Rewind (a retrospective section) and FESTinha (proposing screenings and activities for the younger viewers).

The festival is accepting films under the following formats:

1. Fiction and Non-Fiction feature films (minimum length is 55 minutes) from directors who are on their first or second feature length project, regardless of age.
2. Fiction, Documentary, Animation and Experimental Short films (up to 54 minutes of duration) from directors up to the age of 30 (including) at the end of the production.

Submission Process

The Film Submission process consists of 3 stages:

1. Read the Film Submission Rules and Regulations for FEST 2018: http://site.fest.pt/media/26229/rules-2018.pdf
2. Fill in the Film Submission Form. (as complete as possible): http://site.fest.pt/en/new-directors-new-films/film-submission-form-2018/
3. Proceed to the respective payment of the Submission Fees: http://fest.us14.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=3677d2574ffbf931148e94fc0&id=f231508fcf&e=c06f6e5808

The final deadline for submissions is on 4th of March 2018, at midnight.
 

The Royal Film Commission was established in 2003 to promote the audio-visual industry in Jordan. Tel: +962-6-4642266 e-mail: info@film.jo www.film.jo