Oppotunities Bulletin #137 October

OPPORTUNITIES BULLETIN # 137–October 2014

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:

• Call for entries: 6th Berlin Arab Film Festival Calls for Films – ALFILM
   
• Call for submissions: Beirut Cinema Days 2015 Seeks Fiction and Documentary Films
   
• Call for submissions: Screen Institute Beirut Workshop on Documentary Development
   
• Call for submissions: Submit your Documentary Project to the Screen Institute Beirut
   
• Call for applications: IDFA Bertha Fund to Support Production and Distribution of Docs Coproduced with Europe
   
• Call for submissions: DC Independent Film Festival 2015 Calling for Films
   
• Call for submissions: The 65th Berlin International Film Festival - Berlinale sections and programs
   
• Call for submissions: The 12th Berlinale Co-production Market 2015
   
• Call for submissions: The Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF) 2015
   
• Call for submissions: The Project Short Food Movie - Feed your Mind, Film your Planet for Expo 2015

1. Call for entries: 6^th Berlin Arab Film Festival Calls for Films – ALFILM

The 6th edition of ALFILM is to take place next year in Berlin, from April 8 to 15.

The official selection will be presenting a panorama of contemporary Arab film production including feature and documentary films, as well as short films, experimental films and video art.

ALFILM is currently looking for feature films, documentaries, animation, experimental films, video art and short films completed after January 1, 2013.

The festival accepts entries that are either produced or co-produced in an Arab country, or by an Arab director, or closely related to the Arab world.

Submitted films may not be older than three years.

To check the requirements please visit: http://submission.alfilm.de/requirements_eng.html

To check the rules and regulations please visit: http://submission.alfilm.de/guidelines_and_regulations_eng.html

The deadline for entries is November 30^th 2014.

To apply and for further information please visit: http://www.alfilm.de/en/2014/call-for-entries-6th-alfilm/

2. Call for submissions: Beirut Cinema Days 2015 Seeks Fiction and Documentary Films

Beirut DC is looking for films for the eighth edition of the Cinema Days of Beirut, to be held from March 12 to 19, 2015.

The call is open to all feature and short fiction and documentary films, made in and about the Arab world, produced after April 2013.

Rules and regulations:

• Priority is given to films that have not yet been screened in Lebanon.
• Accepted categories are feature and short fictions, and documentary films.
• Original format could be in cinema (35mm) or in video (Digital Beta, DCP or HD).
• Screening copies must be in 35 mm for cinema format or Digital Beta or DCP or HD for video format.
• Copies should have English Subtitles.

The selected and unselected filmmakers will be informed of the results by email by January 2015.

Directors whose films have been selected are kindly requested to send the screening copy of their film, with technical information and promotional materials (posters, press kit, trailers…) by the 4^th of February at the latest.

For more details on rules and regulations please visit: http://beirutdc.org/beirutdc/tools/pictures/regulations%20ayam%202015%20-Eng.pdf

The deadline for submissions is November 15, 2014.

To apply and for further information please visit: http://beirutdc.org/beirutdc/news/default.aspx?ni_id=117

3. Call for submissions: Screen Institute Beirut Workshop on Documentary Development

The Screen Institute Beirut (SIB) is organizing a workshop on documentary development from November 21 to December 1, 2014.

The workshop will take place in Beirut.

Applications are open to Arab Directors living in the Arab world. Participation is free of charge and SIB will take charge of expense for participants from abroad. 

Requirements:

To apply for the workshop please send the following in Arabic or English to the following email: apply@screeninstitutebeirut.org

• Director’s biography
• Synopsis of the project
• Director’s note of intention
• Visual treatment
• Any visual material that the Director wishes to send his/her application (even if it’s from previous films- please send a video link).

The deadline for applications is October 30, 2014.

4. Call for submissions: Submit your Documentary Project to the Screen Institute Beirut

The Screen Institute Beirut (SIB) Film Fund offers documentary production and development grants to emerging and proven talents in the region. Applicants are encouraged to produce films based on stories that relate to their own realities.

Priority will be given to creative teams (directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, sound recordists & designers etc.) working together on realizing their artistic visions and thereby contribute to strengthen independent filmmaking in the region.

The documentary grants enable low-budget films to be produced, finalized and distributed by offering crucial financial support, access to professional equipment, mentoring and professional advice.

Financial support will be granted on the basis of a budget that reflects realistic, low-budget costs in the country of production. Projects will have to secure additional finance from other sources.

For each successful project, the Film Fund set up specific demands and milestones that the applicants have to meet. The grants will be released in predetermined installments and contingent on the project having met the agreed goals. The final installment will only be released when the film is completely finished and account have been submitted and approved.

The deadline for submissions is October 15, 2014.

To apply and for further information please visit: http://www.screeninstitutebeirut.org/apply.html

5. Call for applications: IDFA Bertha Fund to Support Production and Distribution of Docs Coproduced with Europe

The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) Bertha Fund is launching a new programme: IDFA Bertha Fund – Europe. It will support the production and distribution of documentaries made through co-productions between European producers and producers from developing countries.

IDFA Bertha Fund – Europe will offer support through two different categories to feature-length creative documentaries by filmmakers from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and parts of Eastern Europe, that use a strong visual treatment to tell compelling stories and have the potential to reach a global audience.

In 2015, support for international co-productions will be offered to producers from EU countries that are coproducing with producers from countries on the DAC list, including Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia.

By bringing together the network and experience of IDFA Bertha Fund, IDFA and its markets, the programme aims to create synergy between producers from different continents and backgrounds with mutual benefits.

In the second year of the programme, 2016, support will be available for the distribution of documentaries from developing countries with international potential and that are made through European coproduction.

By creating a space for innovative plans that will be carried out in addition to traditional distribution, the programme wants to stimulate experiment, the implementation of new means of distribution and the exchange of best practices.

This new programme has been made possible with the support of the Creative Europe – MEDIA programme of the European Union. The programme will run for two years.

To check rules and regulations please visit: http://www.idfa.nl/industry/idfa-bertha-fund/ibf-europe/regulations-international-co-production.aspx

The deadline for applications is February 1, 2015/ 2016.

To apply and for further information please visit: http://www.idfa.nl/industry/idfa-bertha-fund/ibf-europe.aspx

6. Call for submissions: DC Independent Film Festival 2015 Calling for Films

The DC Independent Film Festival (DCIFF) will be held from February 25 until March 1st 2015 in Washington, DC.

The festival is currently calling for film submissions in the following categories:

• Narrative feature-length
• Short films
• Documentaries (long and short)
• Animation
• Experimental; any length up to 2 hours in all categories
• High School Student Film Showcase and Competition (films up to 30 mins.) – Free Submission to November 25th, 2014 deadline.
• Student Films (Please Note: Student films under 20 mins. are free up until the September 30th, 2014 submission deadline with a valid student I.D., but there is a fee for submissions from November 01-December 10, 2014.)

DCIFF is open to films of any genre except adult films and in any language (with subtitles). There is always a horror film section, in honor of a genre that has been an important launching point for independent filmmakers. DCIFF also welcomes open source films, art films and interactive films and the wide spectrum of documentary formats and issues including advocacy films.

The deadline for submissions is December 10, 2014.

For further information please visit the website: http://dciff-indie.org/

To submit your film please visit: http://dciff-indie.org/submissionscall/

7. Call for submissions: The 65th Berlin International Film Festival - Berlinale sections and programs

The 65th Berlin International Film Festival is to take place from February 5 to 15, 2015 in Berlin.

Submissions are open to the different sections and programmes of the festival:

The international Competition features around 25 films in the Official Programme (in and out of competition). The Awards are decided upon by an International Jury. Contact: programme@berlinale.de

The Berlinale Special and Berlinale Special Gala are programmes curated by the festival director upon invitation only and do not receive submissions. The programmes present both extraordinary new productions (feature, documentary and selected television productions) and films by or about outstanding personalities of film whom the festival is especially attached to. Contact: programme@berlinale.de

The Panorama within the Official Programme presents new works by well-known directors, as it showcases debut films and exciting new discoveries. The selection of films gives an overview of trends in art-house world cinema. Contact: panorama@berlinale.de

New trends in world cinema, fresh narrative forms and new voices receive special attention in the Forum. Narrative features that go beyond the mainstream are presented alongside of documentary and hybrid forms. The Forum highlights directorial debuts and innovative works by younger filmmakers. Forum Expanded is dedicated to the boundaries between cinema and visual arts. It is a programme curated by the Forum upon invitation only and does not receive submissions. 
Contact: forum@arsenal-berlin.de

Generation opens up the Berlinale to children and young people. The Kplus and 14plus competitions not only present outstanding productions made specifically for children and youth but also films which appeal to young people of various ages, on account of their form and content. The marketing potential of such films is thereby greatly enhanced. Contact: generation@berlinale.de

The Berlinale Shorts features short films by film makers and artists, that are innovative both in their aesthetic form and in their content. The Awards are decided upon by an International Jury. 
Contact: shorts@berlinale.de

The Perspektive Deutsches Kino is dedicated to young and upcoming German filmmakers. 
Contact: perspektive@berlinale.de

German Cinema – LOLA@Berlinale showcases preselected films for the German Film Award (Deutscher Filmpreis) and is cooperation between Berlinale, Deutsche Filmakademie e. V. and German Films. Upon invitation only. Contact: lola@berlinale.de

The Culinary Cinema presents a selection of films from all categories on culinary and ecological topics. It is a special programme upon invitation only. Contact: kulinarisches.kino@berlinale.de

"NATIVe – A Journey into Indigenous Cinema" presents a limited selection of Indigenous films from all categories. It is a special programme upon invitation only. Contact: native@berlinale.de

Requirements valid for all film submissions:

Submission: 
Entry form available online from early September, please visit: https://www.berlinale.de/en/branche/_filmanmeldung/filmanmeldung_allgem/index.html

Registration fee: 
€ 150 feature-length films / € 60 short films

Date of completion: 
within the 12 months prior to festival

Premiere Status: 
World or International premieres are given priority, however, the sections have different requirements. German films need to be world premieres, except those submitted to Perspektive Deutsches Kino.

Accepted formats for selection: 
DVD / Blu-ray (region free / all regions), DCP, file upload (only for short films)

Documentation for submission: 
Duly completed online entry, full contact details of production companies, synopsis, director’s filmo- / biography, cast and crew list.

Deadline for submission: 

• October 31, 2014, for feature-length films  
• November 17, 2014 for short films

8. Call for submissions: The 12^th Berlinale Co-production Market 2015

The twelfth Berlinale Co-Production Market will take place from Sunday to Tuesday, from February 8 to 10 during the 65th Berlin International Film Festival.

Experienced producers from all over the world and looking for international co-production partners can now submit their new feature projects. With budgets between one and twenty million euros, the projects should be suitable for international co-production and have 30% of their financing already in place.

Special this year is that “Berlinale directors” (directors who have previously shown a film in one of the Festival’s sections) may enter their new projects even if they do not meet all the Berlinale Co-Production Market’s financing criteria. Like last time, budget requirements have also been waived for Greece, Spain and Portugal in order to support producers there to participate in the international market even though the financial situation in their countries remains difficult.

By December, roughly 25 projects will have been selected from the entries for the Berlinale Co-Production Market. Another ten projects will be presented at the “Talent Project Market” in cooperation with Berlinale Talents. During the 12th Berlinale Co-Production Market (February 8-10, 2015), the team will again organize over 1000 customized one-on-one meetings for the selected projects with potential co-producers, financiers, world sales agents, distributors, as well as representatives of TV channels and funding bodies.

The Berlinale Co-Production Market is part of the European Film Market. Since 2004 its main partner has been the MDM – Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung.

Requirements:

• Feature-length fiction project with international market potential (for theatrical release)
• Suitable for international co-production and open for co-producers
• Full script available
• Budget between 1 and 20 million Euros
• A minimum of 30% of the financing, or at least the local production support, must already be secured
• The company must have completed at least one international co-production

Project Submission (by e-mail):

• Fully completed Submission Form (as a Word-document)
• Treatment / Exposé in English (5 to 8 pages)
• 5-page Script Excerpt
• Financing Plan (in Euros; stating precisely which elements are confirmed)
• Director's Previous Work Sample (as a Link)

The deadline for submissions is October 22, 2014.

To apply and for further information please visit: https://www.berlinale.de/en/presse/pressemitteilungen/alle/Alle-Detail_24212.html

9. Call for submissions: The Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF) 2015

The call for submissions is now open for feature, documentary and short films at the Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF).

Selected films will be chosen by the end of March and announced in April. The 10th annual festival will be held from May 28 to 31, 2015 at the Triplex Cinema, the historical Mahaiwe Theatre, the Beacon Cinema and other venues throughout Great Barrington and Pittsfield.

The 2015 festival will mark the 10th annual event and plans to showcase nearly 75 of the best films that are currently being produced in independent filmmaking. The 10th Anniversary will once again feature an audience award and a juried prize for documentary and narrative feature films sponsored by GWFF. The Juried Prize will carry a $5000 cash prize.

BIFF is for filmmakers and film lovers alike to be entertained, educated and inspired. It seeks to celebrate independent film and to recognize and pay tribute to accomplished artists on both sides of the camera in the international, national and regional film community.

Each year, the Berkshire International Film Festival highlights the best in independent films and is a place where filmmakers can showcase their work in a beautiful and culturally engaged festival. BIFF brings the best in political, cultural, environmental and topical films to the engaged community in the Berkshires and from NYC and Boston. 

To submit your film and for further information please visit: http://www.biffma.org/submissions/

10. Call for submissions: The Project Short Food Movie - Feed your Mind, Film your Planet for Expo 2015

Fondazione Cinema per Roma and the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia will participate in Expo Milano 2015, running from May 1 until October 31, with a project entitled Short Food Movie – Feed your Mind, Film your Planet. 

Short Food Movie is open to everyone; from video-makers to amateurs. This initiative will collect video contributions from around the world on the theme of the next Universal Exposition: “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”. The videos shall explore the key theme and any related topics:

• Improving the quality and safety of food.
• Ensuring a healthy, quality nutrition for all human beings.
• Preventing the key societal diseases of our time, related to nutrition.
• Innovating the whole food supply chain by means of corporate and technology research.
• Educating to a proper nutrition.
• Enhancing food traditions as cultural and ethnic values.

Requirements:

Eligible videos shall:

• Have a length between 30 seconds and 60 seconds.
• Any recording device may be used to make the film- professional or nonprofessional device (smartphone, tablet, photo camera, video camera).
• Explore the food/life axiom from any perspective and any genre (documentary, video art, narrative or cinematographic video).
• Be made so as to be appreciated also without any dialogue, sound track and, more generally, without any audio whatsoever.

For more details on rules and regulations please visit: http://shortfoodmovie.expo2015.org/en/page/regulation-older-en

The deadline for submit videos is before end of March 2015.

To submit your film and for further information please visit the website: http://shortfoodmovie.expo2015.org/

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