Competition Regulations

Article 1

General Information

Fiction Competition, Documentary Competition and Shorts Competition (further on the Competitions) constitute shortlists of nominated films out of the Bratislava International Film Festival (further on the Festival) program.

 

Only films which meet the following requirements are eligible to enter the Competition:

 

1) First or second feature-length films (more than 60 minutes) in director’s filmography

2) Short films (not more than 30 minutes)

3) Available on DCP, 35mm, Blu-Ray (English subtitled prints are required)

4) Produced after January 1, 2016

5) Festival accepts films that were not commercially released in Slovakia before the Festival, films submitted for the Festival may be presented at other international events outside of Slovakia prior to the Festival.

 

Nominated films are judged by international juries which have the right to award the following prizes:

 

 

Prize for the Best Fiction Film

Prize for the Best Director

Prize for the Best Actress

Prize for the Best Actor

Prize for the Best Documentary Film

Prize for the Best Short Film

 

 

The winner will be awarded on a closing ceremony on November 14, 2017.

 

Other program sections include annual as well as special programs and retrospectives. There are no genre and length restrictions for the films presented out of competition, films of all genres and lengths are considered for the selection.

 

All films submitted for the Festival can be considered not only for the competitions, but for all the other sections as well. Program director will make the final decision about the film selection for the competitions as well as for the all the other sections after consulting with the programming team.

 

Selected films will be screened in the original language with additional Slovak subtitles. English subtitled screening formats are required.

 

Article 2

Entry deadline and pre-selection

Films can be submitted via an online form by filmmakers, producers, sales agents, copyright holders (further on Submitters) no later than on the date of the entry deadline – August 15, 2017.

 

If you choose DVD as a screener format, DVD copy is required to be sent to:

Bratislava International Film Festival

Lovinského 18

811 04 Bratislava

Slovakia

 

Submitters must clearly advise all requirements connected to the festival screening of their film before the entry deadline, otherwise Festival cannot take them into concern.

 

The Festival will make an announcement of the films selected for the Competition and other program sections and categories no later than on October 21, 2017. Information about films which were not selected will be announced by email only, no later than two weeks before the festival. Once a film has been selected, Submitter and the Festival agreed on the Festival screenings, Submitter cannot refuse to provide the festival with the film.

 

Article 3

Selected films and necessary materials

Submitters of selected films are obliged to provide the festival with catalogue materials. Electronic materials are preferred: Synopsis and press kit, filmography and director’s bio, film stills (printable resolution is required – at least 300dpi), photo of the director (printable resolution is required – at least 300dpi), dialogue list (original and English), posters, trailer, excerpts of the film on BluRay or HD video file (up to 3 min.). The deadline is October 21, 2017.

 

These materials will not be returned to the submitter and festival will not cover any expenses connected with their return unless agreed otherwise beforehand (October 21, 2017). Preview DVDs will be kept at the festival archive.

 

Article 4

Prints / screening formats delivery

Each Submitter is required to deliver a screening format of the film selected for the Festival to the official address of the Festival no later than on November 1, 2017. The Festival only covers one way shipping expenses of all screening formats selected for all programme sections (if the Festival obtains the screening format prepaid, will cover the outbound expenses; if festival covers the incoming expenses should not be expected to bear outgoing expenses unless agreed otherwise beforehand).

 

The Festival covers insurance expenses for each film on the Slovak territory from the time the film is received by the Festival until the time it is sent to the return address specified beforehand.

 

Should a print be lost or damaged, the Festival’s responsibility may only be engaged to the extent of the insurance value indicated by the Submitter in the Entry Form. The Festival will not bear customs expenses related to the export and import of prints in the countries of origin or any other country but Slovakia.

 

In case any of the a.m. conditions is not met, the Festival reserves the right to disqualify the film from the Competition / withdraw it from the selection.

 

Article 5

Promoting festival films

The Festival reserves the right to use trailers / excerpts of any of the festival films of a maximum of three-minute length for festival promo purposes. Festival reserves the right to use film stills in the Festival’s promotional materials festival catalogue, promotional flyers, posters, billboards, website, multimedia presentations.

 

Article 6

Submitting a film to the Festival or accepting film invitation for the Festival implies acceptance of the aforementioned Regulations.

 

Once a film has been selected, Submitter and the Festival agreed on the Festival screenings, Submitter cannot refuse to provide the festival with the film.

 

By submitting the film to the Festival and accepting the Festival’s requirement to present it within the framework of the Festival program the applicant gives approval for:

1) public showing of the film at the Festival

2) public showing of max. 3 minute trailer / excerpt from the film in the media, on the Festival website, at Festival premises or in multimedia presentations

3) use of film stills in the Festival’s promotional materials (catalogue, promotional flyers, website, or multimedia presentations)