OPPORTUNITIES BULLETIN #192 May 2019

OPPORTUNITIES BULLETIN #192 May 2019

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 applications: Med Film Factory - 6th Cycle - Deadline Extended
     
2. Call for submissions: The 13th Jordanian Short Film Competition as part of the 25th Franco-Arab Film Festival
    
3. Call for submissions: El Gouna Film Festival - 3rd Edition
    
4. Call for submissions: Mentor Arabia Awareness Short Film Competition
    
5. Call for submissions: Summer Edition of FILM-ED
    
6. Call for submissions: Tofifest Film Festival - 17th Edition
    
7. Call for submissions: Raindance Film Festival  
    
8. Call for submissions: London Short Film Festival
    

1. Call for applications: Med Film Factory - 6th Cycle - Deadline Extended

The Royal Film Commission (RFC) – Jordan welcomes applications to the sixth round of Med Film Factory (MFF), which will be held in Jordan for ten days in October 2019. Six teams of producers and directors will be selected to participate in this year’s cycle (three teams from Jordan -including Arab nationals residing in Jordan- and three teams from the Arab world).

Med Film Factory is a specialized training program for teams of Arab film producers and directors, working on their first or second feature narrative film, that offers participants the opportunity to advance their creative and professional skills while supporting the realization of their projects.

The ten-day MFF training scheme is comprised of script mentorship, creative and practical producing and hands-on shooting exercise under the guidance of renowned mentors and experts. In addition, all the teams who successfully completed the program will be invited to participate in regional and international film markets to meet with and pitch their projects to professionals and potential partners.

Eligible countries are: Jordan, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Egypt, Libya, Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania, Djibouti, Somalia and Comoros.

The application deadline has been extended to June 2nd, 2019.


To apply and for more information, please visit: http://www.film.jo/Contents/How-To-Apply-To-Med-Factory.aspx or write to MedFilmFactory@film.jo or call the Royal Film Commission- Jordan at: +962 6 461 3835 Ext: 104 / 108.


The 2019 cycle of Med Film Factory is supported by Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, Jordan.
 

2. Call for submissions: The 13th Jordanian Short Film Competition as part of the 25th Franco-Arab Film Festival

The 13th Jordanian Short Film Competition is organized as part of the 25th edition of
the Franco-Arab Film Festival.

The Institut Français de Jordanie, in partnership with the Royal Film Commission - Jordan (RFC), is organizing the 25th edition of the Franco-Arab Film Festival, which, will be held from the 17th until the 24th of June, 2019. The festival is calling for Jordanian short films (documentary and narrative) to compete. Winners will be announced during the closing reception.

Submission criteria:
• The competition is open to filmmakers residing in Jordan or abroad. Either the director or the producer should be Jordanian.
• The film must be at least partly shot in Jordan.
• The film should not exceed 20 minutes.
• The film has to have been produced in 2018 or 2019.
• Each director can submit one film only.
• Only short narratives and documentaries can be submitted. Animated films or experimental films will not be accepted.
• The film must be subtitled in English or French, if it is in Arabic; or subtitled in Arabic, if it is in English or French.
• The director or producer should provide 2 DVD or Blu-ray copies of the film (which will not be returned) . Sending the film electronically by link is not acceptable.

The director or producer should provide the following:
1. An application form in Arabic or in English which can be found on the RFC’s website: www.film.jo 
• The application form should be typed (not in handwriting).
• A printed hard copy of the application form along with the film copies must also be submitted, in addition to sending the application form by email to: marian.nakho@film.jo 
• The application form should cover technical details regarding the film, synopsis (40 – 100 words) and the filmmaker’s information.
2. A soft copy of the film poster or still photo should be sent to marian.nakho@film.jo

Note: A committee will select among the submitted films those entitled to compete.

By hand:
The Royal Film Commission - Jordan, 1st Circle, Jabal Amman 5 Omar Bin Al Khattab Street (off Rainbow Street).
Attention: Marian Nakho
Subject: Jordanian Short Film Competition
From Sunday to Thursday (9:00 AM – 4:30 PM).
Tel: 06 4642 266/ ext: 23

By mail:
Royal Film Commission – Jordan
P.O. Box 811 991 Amman 11181 Jordan
Attention: Marian Nakho
Subject: Jordanian Short Film Competition

PRIZES:
• There will be two prizes based on the selection of the jury and two prizes based on the audience vote for the documentary and fiction categories.
• The four winning films will receive a trophy created by the Jordanian sculptor Hazem Al Zubi.
• The two Jury prizes for the best narrative and best documentary will be invited by the French edition of the Franco-Arab Film Festival in France to present their films (on the condition of providing the necessary authorizations for the trip). The full stay will be covered (accommodation and plane ticket).
• In addition, the RFC will offer a one-year subscription at the Film Library to the four winners.

The deadline for submissions is on Thursday May 23rd, 2019. 

For further information, please contact:
Marian Nakho at the Royal Film Commission - Jordan at the following e-mail: marian.nakho@film.jo
Or call: 06 4642266/ ext. 23
 

3. Call for submissions: El Gouna Film Festival - 3rd Edition

The third edition of El Gouna Film Festival, which will take place from September 19th to 27th, 2019, now invites entries of Feature Narrative, Documentary and Short films from all over the world.

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 completed after November 15, 2018 are eligible for the Feature Narrative Competition, the Feature Documentary Competition, the Short Film Competition and the Official Selection Out-of-Competition.

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, 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, where this language is other than English, the film must be subtitled in English.
Furthermore, all the films in competition which have 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 August 27, 2019. If required, GFF will cooperate with the producer or distributor of the film for the production and presentation of Arabic-language electronic subtitles.

The submission must contain the following:
A duly completed Entry Form. An Entry Form is available on the website www.elgounafilmfestival.com . This form has to be completed and submitted online.

If the film is selected, GFF will require the following materials:
An uploaded copy of the film with English subtitles, if the film's original language is other than English.
Detailed documentation, including: a synopsis of the film, a biography and complete filmography of the director, a selection of stills from the film, a recent photograph of the director, a full list of artistic and technical credits, dialogue or spotting list in English, film clips/trailer, digital and three-print copies of the poster, and the festival and awards history of the film, if applicable.

Additionally, the Festival press office requires photos, biography and filmography of the leading actor/actress and a list of the film’s delegates attending the festival, as well as press kits, stills, posters, and video-extracts of the films.

The deadline for submissions is on 21st of July 2019.

The entry form and complete information regarding eligibility for the 3ʳᵈ edition of El Gouna Film Festival are available at: http://elgounafilmfestival.com/terms-film
 

4. Call for submissions: Mentor Arabia Awareness Short Film Competition 

The third edition of Mentor Arabia Awareness Short Film Competition is calling for films. Mentor Arabia Competition is a regional initiative launched in 2017 to encourage young Arabs around the world to develop short films on the importance of social and developmental work to protect children and young people from dangerous behaviors and raise awareness in society.

The competition also seeks to encourage artistic creativity and innovation among young people as a way to express their views on important social and developmental issues.

Application form is available on: https://goo.gl/forms/EpkpEcohQQbe8iTn2  

The winners will receive financial prizes and shields.

The deadline for submissions is on 30th of October 2019.

For further information, please visit the website: https://mentorarabia.org/sfc/

5. Call for submissions: Summer Edition of FILM-ED

FILM-ED is an International Short Film Festival focused on showcasing the best student films from across the world. The festival aims to contribute to the continued development of filmmakers by providing a platform for them to share their stories to a wide audience on an international stage, and invaluable feedback on their work from leading industry figures from the Middle Eastern Region.

FILM-ED is a quarterly festival, with Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter editions. The festival is based in Dubai, UAE in partnership with SAE Institute Dubai and Cinema Akil.

Eligible films will compete for a number of awards in different categories, and award winners from each of our editions will compete for our annual accolades, with all nominated films screened and awards announced during our annual screening event at Cinema Akil in Dubai, UAE.

Submissions for the Summer Edition are now open. FILM-ED is looking for student short films (maximum 30 minutes) and student screenplays (under 35 pages) to compete for the quarterly and annual awards.

For further information, and to make a submission, please visit: FilmFreeway page at www.filmfreeway.com/FILM-ED

6. Call for submissions: Tofifest Film Festival - 17th Edition

A call for submissions to three competitions at the 17th Tofifest International Film Festival has begun.

Submissions will be accepted until August 31, 2019. The Golden Angels awards will be given in two international competitions and in the competition for the best Polish film. Tofifest 2019 will take place between 19th and 27th October in Toruń, Poland.

Film submissions are accepted for two international competitions:
- The ON AIR Competition, for feature-length debuts and second feature films;
- The SHORTCUT Competition, for short films, including feature films, documentaries and animated films.

Films can also be submitted to the Polish competition, FROM POLAND, dedicated to Polish feature films (narrative film, documentary).

Winners will receive Tofifest Golden Angels as well as cash prizes.

The judging panel is made up of outstanding individuals both in the European cinema and the audience, including two judging committees: Youth Judges and Student Judges.

The deadline for submissions is August 31, 2019.
 

For more information, including the film submission form and the rules and regulations, visit the festival website: www.tofifest.pl 

7. Call for submissions: Raindance Film Festival

Raindance Film Festival invites UK and International producers and filmmakers to submit their films to its 27th edition that will take place from 18 – 29 September 2019 in central London.

The Raindance Film Festival aims to show the very best in new cinema from the UK and around the world and specialises in first-time directors and discovery.

Categories for Submission:

The Festival accepts feature films (over 45 min), short films (under 45 min), music videos (under 6 min), 360/180 films and VR/AR/MR experiences (6Dof interactive or linear, CG or live action, under 120 min) and web series. Projects of all lengths and genres are welcome. Raindance Film Festival is committed to showing the boldest and most innovative work that challenges the boundaries of filmmaking.

Narrative Feature
Documentary Feature
Narrative Short
Documentary Short
Animation Short
Music Video
Queer (Feature)
Virtual and Augmented Reality Experiences (Learn how to submit your short Virtual Film reality here)
Web Series can be submitted here (this year the Raindance Web Fest will be hosted online for the duration of the Raindance Film Festival on the Raindance website).

Submissions are reviewed and selected under the following criteria:
– Quality of narrative and production values.
– Independent nature of the production.

The regular deadline for submissions is on 17 May 2019. The late deadline for submissions is on 31 May 2019.
 

For further information, please visit the website: https://www.raindance.org/
 

8. Call for submissions: London Short Film Festival

The dates are already in the diary for London Short Film Festival to return for its 17th edition taking place from January 10th until 19th 2020.

The festival is open to both UK and international submissions.

The festival is a BAFTA affiliated festival, enabling accepted UK filmmakers to apply for the 2020 BAFTAs.

Submissions are open to short films from every genre - the festival accepts drama, comedy, horror & sci-fi, documentary, experimental, animation, music, viral and low-budget work.

Entries are open to both the UK and international filmmakers based outside the UK, with two separate tiers of submission.

All entries must be in English or contain English subtitles. Non-English entries without subtitles, or supplementary printed translations, will unfortunately be disqualified.

Films must have been completed after 1st January 2018, though LSFF does not require any premiere status. Films must be no longer than 45 minutes.

Only completed entries with paid submission fees will be processed and considered for screening.

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