OPPORTUNITIES BULLETIN #218 July 2021

OPPORTUNITIES BULLETIN #218 July 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. Call for Participation:  Voices Amplified Production of Short Narratives

2. Call for submissions: Deadline extended for The 15th Jordanian Short Film Competition

3. Call for applications: Marrakech International Film Festival- Atlas Workshops

4. Call for submissions: International Film Festival Rotterdam 2022

5. Call for submissions: The Global Short Docs Forum

6. Call for submissions: "Beyond Borders" International Documentary Festival – Pitching Lab 2021

7. Call for submissions: Brussels Short Film Festival 2022 Competitions 

8. Call for submissions: Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2022

     1. Call for Participation: Voices Amplified Production of Short Narratives

The Royal Film Commission – Jordan (RFC), in partnership with the Malmo Arab Film Festival (MAFF) and supported by the Swedish Institute, is holding the” Voices Amplified” project, which aims to provide aspiring filmmakers across Jordan with the opportunity to express their lives’ experiences through producing short narrative films themed “Cultural Heritage”.

The project aims to build the filmmaking capabilities of Jordanians and residents in Jordan through the different stages from script development to post-production, all under the supervision of professionals from Sweden and Jordan. This project is important as it empowers filmmakers in Jordan to represent their reality and take control of their own stories.

Four projects will be selected to participate in the training program, where we will provide mentorship for the aspiring participants by reputable Swedish and Jordanian filmmakers, through three labs: script development, production, and post-production. Each of the projects will be granted an amount of maximum 4000 JDs to produce their short narrative films, and publicly screen them in Jordan.

Moreover, the four short films will be screened in the 12th Malmö Arab Film Festival, with the attendance of a representative for each project. The program will cover all travel expenses.

The deadline for submission is 25th July, 2021.

To apply and for more information please visit:
 http://www.film.jo/.../Voices-Amplified-Production-of..., or contact us at: workshops@film.jo

The service of Cooperation and Cultural Activities of the French Embassy in Jordan and the Institut Français in Jordan, in partnership with the Royal Film Commission-Jordan (RFC) and the Greater Amman Municipality, are organizing the 15th Jordanian Short Film Competition part of the 26th Franco-Arab Film Festival. The two winning films selected by the Jury will be screened at the Franco-Arab Film Festival.

The Franco-Arab Film Festival is calling for Jordanian short films (documentary and fiction) to compete.

The deadline has been extended until 24^th of July 2021.

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 2020 or 2021.
• 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).

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 and to assistcult@ifjordan.com
• 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  and to assistcult@ifjordan.com

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

Please submit your film

By hand:

The French Institute of Jordan - Jordan, 4 Al Sharia College Street - Jabal Al Webdeh
Attention: Hassan ZAHEG
Subject: Jordanian Short Film Competition
From Sunday to Thursday (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM).
Tel: 0798623541

By email:
Subject: Jordanian Short Film Competition
Please send the application form, the film poster, and send your film as a downloadable MP4 file
with the codec H.264. Also please make sure to send the file through OneDrive, Google Drive or
Drop Box : marian.nakho@film.jo and to assistcult@ifjordan.com

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 audience will have the possibility to vote through the French Institute’s social media platforms.
• The four winning films will receive a trophy created by the Jordanian sculptor Hazem Al Zubi.
• The two winning directors for the best narrative and best documentary selected by the jury 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 free membership at the Film Library to the four winners.
• The two films awarded by the Jury will be screened at the Franco-Arab Film Festival.

For further information, please contact:

Marian Nakho at the Royal Film Commission - Jordan at:
marian.nakho@film.jo / 0797557116
Or
Hassan Zaheg at The French Institute of Jordan at:
assistcult@ifjordan.com / 0798623541

The Marrakech International Film Festival presents the 4th edition of the Atlas Workshops.
The Atlas Workshops is launching a call for projects in development and films in production or post-production by filmmakers from Morocco, the African continent and the Arab world.

It is an industry and talent-development programme initiated by the Marrakech International Film Festival in 2018 with the support of Netflix. The mission of the workshops is to work side by side with a new generation of Moroccan, Arab and African filmmakers, as well as to create a space for exchange between international professionals and regional talents.

The 4th edition of the workshop will take place end of 2021; the exact dates will be announced later. The event offers participants the opportunity to present their projects in development and films in production or post-production via a co-production market that allows them to meet with international professionals. The participating projects compete for awards with a total cash value of €56.000.

Participants benefit from personalized mentoring prior to the Atlas Workshops events, tailored to the individual needs of each project with regard to scriptwriting, production, distribution, editing and/or scoring.

For more information, please visit:

https://atlasateliers.festivalmarrakech.info/en/call-for-applications

Submissions for the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) 2022 are now open! The festival will take place from 26th January until 6th February 2022.

IFFR is open to features, creative documentaries, experimental films, short films and innovative visual productions for digital media. The following eligibility criteria must be taken into account when submitting a film to the festival.

1. All submissions should be completed after 1 January the calendar year prior to the festival. For IFFR 2022, this means the film should be completed after 1 January 2021.
2. Films previously submitted to the Festival and were not selected, will not be reconsidered for the 2022 Festival.
3. Films that have already screened in The Netherlands are excluded from submission to the festival.
4. Student films, with the exception of post-graduate works, are excluded from submission to the festival.

Submission deadlines IFFR 2022
● Deadline Feature films ○ 6 October 2021
● Deadlines Short and Mid-length films (up to 60 minutes) ○ Films (up to 60 min.) completed before 1 July: 25 August 2021 ○ Films (up to 60 min.) completed after 1 July: 22 September 2021
● Deadline VR/Immersive ○ 22 September 2021

For more information, please visit: https://iffr.com/en/film-entry

The Global Short Docs Forum is open to filmmakers all over the world, and is free to apply for. 12 filmmakers will be selected, and over four weeks of masterclasses, workshops, mentoring and one-on-one pitch meetings, the forum helps them take their short documentary from conception to commission. Benefits include:

• Pitching training and mentoring
• Workshops + masterclasses from industry experts
• One-to-one meetings with digital platforms (including BBC Africa, Al Jazeera, CBC Docs, Arte & The Guardian!)
• The chance to connect with documentary filmmakers from all over the world
   

Apply by 22nd of July 2021: https://bit.ly/2yoMUb3

For more information, please visit: Global Short Docs Forum – One World Media

"Beyond Borders" is an international documentary festival held annually in August on the frontier island of Castellorizo in the Aegean Sea. The festival’s main objective is to give prominence to outstanding documentaries about societal and historical topics. Documentaries from all over the world are welcome, yet there is a special preference for films addressing crucial issues from the region of Southern Europe, Asia Minor and the Middle East.

In line with this, “Beyond Borders” is excited to carry on and expand its pitching lab, called “From an Idea to a Project”. The lab’s main objective is to offer aspiring ‘young’ filmmakers of the region the opportunity to present a basic idea of theirs for a documentary to an experienced panel of producers and broadcasters working in the European documentary scene. In turn, each participant receives professional feedback on how to turn his/her idea into a valid project, which is ready to be presented to the wider documentary community.

In order for the lab to be accessible to as many filmmakers as possible, it is held as a virtual pitching lab using Zoom technology and it does not require from the participants a trailer for their project, or any ground founding. The originality and potential of the idea are the prime criteria for project selection.

What is required for participation is a simple submission form that should be filled out by candidates and submitted to: beyondborders.pitching@gmail.com .

The deadline for submission is 17th July, 2021. The selection committee will select a total of 20 projects (plus 5 reserves). Selected candidates will be informed by 15th August at the latest. Please, note that all participants must be available on Zoom during the festival week (22-29 August 2021).

For more information, please visit: http://beyondborders.gr/en/call-for-submission-for-the-pitching-lab-of-the-beyond-borders-international-documentary-festival/

7. Call for submissions: Brussels Short Film Festival 2022 Competitions

Registration for the 25th Brussels Short Film Festival competitions is open!
National Competition
Submission deadline: March 1st, 2022.
Online submissions on: https://www.shortfilmdepot.com/en

To be admitted, each film must match the following requirements:

· The society of production of the film has to be located in Belgium;
· Films don’t have to exceed 40 minutes in length, all genres are accepted;
· Films have to be produced (or the 1st public exhibition) after January 1st, 2020;
· Work versions can be submitted as long as the film is finished before the festival in case of selection;
· Films have to be available for Festival screening on DCP non-encrypted (named according to the Digital Cinema Naming Convention) and mp4. codec ProRes - 20 to 30 Mbs - 1920 x 1080;
· To be eligible to the national competition, a film cannot be screened in Brussels two months before the festival (except for private projections necessary to the film’s completion).

International Competition

Submission deadline: January 23rd, 2022.

Online submissions on: https://www.shortfilmdepot.com/en

To be admitted, each film must match the following requirements:
· Films have to not exceed 30 minutes in length. All genres are accepted ;
· Films have to be produced (or the 1st public exhibition) after January 1st, 2020 ;
· Films have to be available for Festival screening on DCP non-encrypted (named according to the Digital Cinema Naming Convention) and mp4. codec ProRes - 20 to 30 Mbs - 1920 x 1080 ;
· For the screener, the film imperatively has to be understandable in English (for an English speaking film, the screener can be sent as it is or with French subtitles, for any other languages, English subtitles are mandatory);
·  In case of selection, the screening file imperatively has to be understandable in English (subtitles in English if English is not the language of the film). If necessary, French and/or Dutch subtitles will be screened live during the screening.

The 37th edition of Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) will take place form 2nd until 12th March 2022 and is now accepting film submissions for its different categories: Feature Fiction Feature Documentary, Feature Animation, Short Fiction, Short Documentary and Shot Animation.

Rules and regulations:

SBIFF prioritizes US and World Premieres.

-Films that have been publicly broadcast in the United States and/or films that are publicly streaming online prior to the 2022 film festival are not eligible.

-Finished projects must be completed no earlier than November 2020 to be eligible for the 2022 film festival.

-No music videos or commercials.

-More than one entry may be submitted. Each entry must be accompanied by its own online entry and entry fee.

-The filmmaker will assume shipping costs of materials and print to SBIFF.

-If your feature film is selected, you will be asked to provide: digital stills from the film; and three 27x40 printed poster (no other poster size will be allowed).

-Films produced in languages other than English must have English subtitles.

-Not all invited films officially selected will be eligible for competition.

-The selection committees' and juries' decisions are final.

-Entrants must assume all responsibility for clearing films through U.S. and/or foreign customs officials.

-SBIFF reserves the right to make any necessary changes in regulations or Festival scheduling.

Early bird deadline 20th August 2021.

Official deadline 8th October 2021.

Late deadline 10th December 2021.

Final deadline 7th January 2022.

For more information, please visit: https://sbiff.org/film-festival/submit_a_film/