AJB DOC Film Festival is an international documentary film festival which will take place in Sarajevo from the 13th to the 17th of September, 2024. The Festival is organized by the TV broadcaster Al Jazeera Balkans, in cooperation with Al Jazeera Documentary Channel and Al Jazeera Media Institute.

The objective of AJB DOC Film Festival is to promote authors and documentaries addressing social phenomena, focusing on universal human values such as courage, truth, justice, tolerance and cosmopolitanism.

The Festival includes both competition and out-of-competition programme of films that will be screened in Cineplexx Sarajevo and in Bosnian Cultural Center.

AJB DOC Film Festival competition programme will present 12 documentaries adapted for TV broadcasting, whilst out-of-competition programme will bring the best film titles from European festivals. In addition, films will be screened within the AJB Accompanying Programme “AJB Screening”, and they will also soon be screened on AJB television.

AJB DOC Film Festival will present three awards. An international jury of five members will choose the best film from the competition programme and present the “AJB DOC Main Award”. All films in the competition programme also compete for the “AJB Program Award”, awarded by the Al Jazeera Balkans Program Department Jury. All films screened at the Festival compete for the “Audience Award”.

Out-of-competition programme of the AJB DOC Film Festival – “Last Minute Cinema” – brings acclaimed documentaries that have been well received at renowned European festivals.

Any film selected for the AJB DOC Film Festival programme may be considered for an acquisition agreement with Al Jazeera Balkans and screening on AJB television channel.

During the AJB DOC Film Festival, and in cooperation with Al Jazeera Media Institute, a several-day training will be organized for young authors, independent productions and students from the region, lead by experienced trainers and film professionals. The goal of the training is to improve trainee skills and networking and enhance cooperation on projects which might be interesting to Al Jazeera Media Network, as well as other TV broadcasters.

In addition to film screenings, the second edition of AJB DOC Film Festival will have post-screening Q&A sessions, meetings with authors, exhibitions and other supporting events that will create an atmosphere in which people can meet and share experience, and that will serve as a platform for ideas and new projects.

All interested film professionals not participating in the official Festival programme will have an opportunity to get accreditation's for all programme-related and supporting events, as well as to meet authors, producers and other film professionals who might help them in developing and implementing their own projects.

Awards & Prizes

• Best film in Festival competition “AJB DOC Main Award”
International jury of five (5) members shall decide on the Main Award.
• Award of Al Jazeera Balkans program jury “AJB Program Award”
Al Jazeera Balkans Program Department shall decide on the Program Award.
• “Audience Award”
All films screened at AJB DOC Festival compete for the Audience Award.

Rules & Terms

ENTRY PROCEDURES

(1) General Information and Objectives of the Festival
AJB DOC Film Festival is an international documentary film festival which will take place in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, during September. The Festival is organized by Al Jazeera Balkans, in cooperation with Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN) and Al Jazeera Media Institute.

The objective of AJB DOC Film Festival is to promote authors and documentaries addressing social phenomena with a focus on universal human values such as courage, truth, justice, tolerance, as well as cosmopolitism.
(a) Competition Program
The AJB DOC Festival official selection will present 12 documentaries adapted for TV broadcast.
(b) Out of Competition Program
Out of competition of AJB DOC Festival - Last Minute Cinema – brings 4 acclaimed documentaries screened at European and regional festivals over the past year.

(2) Online Submission Form & Payment
To submit your film for consideration, you must complete and submit AJB DOC online submission form.
At the end of the form, you will be asked to make a credit card payment.

(3) Send Us Your Screeners or Vimeo Link
Screener Link: Copy and paste your link and password into the online submission form in a required field.
Please note: The password must not be changed before the official Festival selection is announced.

(4) Program Consideration
AJB Program team will decide on the final AJB DOC Film Festival selection applying the following criteria:
• Film Length: from 22’ till 27’ and from 43’ till 52’, TV Documentary Format.
• Country of Production for film Submission: Worldwide.
• Films that are not produced in the English language must be subtitled in English or have to be submitted with subtitles in the .srt format
• All selected films will need to submit transcript in English in order to be translated into local language.
• Films in the competition program may not be older than one year at the time of their submission.
• Films applying for the competition program cannot be previously broadcast on regional televisions or screened at festivals in Bosnia and Herzegovina, nor should they be available on any online platforms for public viewing.

(5) Submission Fees & Deadlines
• Regular: May, 10 – 10,00 EUR
• Extended: May 31 – 20,00 EUR

(6) Program Decisions
• Final selection applicants will be notified of program decision via email by the mid of June 2019.
• AJB DOC Film Festival is under no obligation to provide comments or feedback regarding the submitted film to the applicant or any other representative of the submitted film.
• Applicants shall be responsible for keeping the confidentiality of information exchanged in official correspondence with representatives of AJB DOC Film Festival and are obligated not to disclose them to third parties.
• General scheduling and timetabling of both public screenings and press screenings are entirely at the discretion of the festival organization.
• Once a documentary has been selected, the Festival is entitled to use excerpts from the work with a maximum of three minutes, nationally and internationally, for promotional purposes. In the event that excerpts are not available, and being understood that under no circumstances the entire work may be made public, the Festival is entitled to copy one or more excerpts from the documentary for promotional use prior to and during the festival only.
• Authors whose films are not selected for the competition program of the Festival shall not be entitled to reimbursement of the funds paid in the application process for the competition of the AJB DOC Film Festival.

(7) Jury and Awards
• Best film in Festival competition “AJB DOC Main Award”
International jury of five (5) members shall decide on the Main Award.
• Award of Al Jazeera Balkans program jury “AJB Program Award”
Al Jazeera Balkans Program Department shall decide on the Program Award.
• “Audience Award”
All films screened at AJB DOC Film Festival compete for the Audience Award.

(8) Rights, authorization and obligations
• By submitting a film to the Festival, i.e. filing the submission form, the applicant confirms and warrants that he/she is entitled to submit the film to AJB DOC Film Festival and has authorization and consent from the owners of copyright and related rights, any trademarked content and/or other subject matter of intellectual property on the content included within the submitted film.
• Furthermore, by submitting a film to the Festival, i.e. filing the submission form, the applicant guarantees that all AJB DOC Film Festival screening rights are cleared, declares to be the owner of the rights for the work submitted and that he/she is authorized to grant rights of usage and/or to transfer it to third parties.
• AJB DOC Film Festival, its representatives, authorized persons and/or employees shall not be held responsible for any unauthorized inclusion of any content in the film that might be the basis for third parties` claims.
• The applicant shall defend and fully secure AJB DOC Film Festival, all of its representatives, authorized persons and/or employees against all claims, losses, damages, liabilities, and expenses arising out of or in connection with claims by third parties in relation to the submitted film.
• AJB DOC Film Festival reserves the right to, at any time prior to or during the Festival, disqualify and exclude any film that is subject to third parties claims.
• Once the application for the participation in the Festival, has been submitted and registered, it can no longer be withdrawn, which means that the film will be screened if selected for the official competing of the Festival.
• The applicant guarantees that the information on the submitted film will be accurate and correct, and that all necessary information, materials and other contents will be made available to the Festival.
• Directors, producers and distributors of the awarded films shall commit to mentioning the award and AJB DOC Film Festival in official and promotional materials as well as during the film’s distribution.
• Selected and award-winning films may use AJB DOC logo and the text “official selection” or “Winner AJB DOC 2018” for publicity purposes. The logos will be sent in digital form.
• AJB DOC Film Festival reserves the right to write its own texts for the Festival catalogue, programs, flyers and other promotional materials.
• No screeners or application materials will be returned. Do not send film prints, master tapes or other originals.
• Participation in the AJB DOC Film Festival implies the acceptance of these regulations.
• The festival authority reserves the right to amend the regulations.
• All authors whose films have been selected for the Competition Program of the AJB DOC Film Festival will be additionally contacted by the program and hospitality service of the Festival with the aim of resolving further logistical and technical details about the participation in the Festival.