Art. 1 – ORGANIZATION
BABEL FILM FESTIVAL is a film competition promoted and organized by Società Umanitaria – Cineteca Sarda di Cagliari, the cultural association Babel, and the association Areavisuale, which together make up the BabelFF Direction.These regulations concern the tenth edition of the Festival, which will take place by the end of June 2027.
Art. 2 – PURPOSE
BABEL FILM FESTIVAL aims to enhance and promote film productions that express linguistic minorities and the uniqueness of their stories, culture and language; to foster dialogue and cultural exchange among communities that identify with a linguistic minority; and to offer all filmmakers the opportunity to give visibility to their films and voice to their languages. The competition is open to works whose dialogue and text are, wholly or in part, in a minority language, dialect, slang, dead language, or sign language.
Art. 3 – DEFINITIONS
A) "Regional or minority languages" means languages that are: 1) traditionally used within a given territory of a State by nationals of that State who form a group numerically smaller than the rest of the State's population; and 2) different from the official language(s) of that State; it does not include dialects of the official language(s) of the State or the languages of migrants.
B) "Territory in which a regional or minority language is used" means the geographical area in which that language is the mode of expression of a number of people justifying the adoption of the various protective and promotional measures.
C) "Non-territorial languages" means languages used by nationals of the State which differ from the language(s) used by the rest of the State's population but which, although traditionally used within the territory of the State, cannot be identified with a particular area thereof (European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, 1992).
For the purposes of this competition:
a) all minority languages spoken by non-native populations are admitted, provided their languages have no reference state, i.e. they are not official languages of states other than the one in which the film was shot;
b) dialects and sign languages are considered on the same footing as minority languages.
Art. 4 – THEMES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WORKS
Participation is open to all works regardless of year of production, genre, theme, format and technique, whether distributed in cinemas or in the home-video market in Italy or abroad, whether previously released or unreleased. The only conditions for participation concern the language of the text and dialogue, which must be an expression of a linguistic, cultural or social minority. At the time of the entry application, entrants are required (under penalty of exclusion) to declare the percentage of minority language present in the film: the minority language must account for at least 50% of the dialogue and text in order to be eligible for the Official Selection (see Art. 5). If the minority language accounts for less than 50%, the film may still be admitted, at the unappealable discretion of the BabelFF Committee, to the parallel sections listed in Art. 5. The percentage of minority language present in the film must be indicated at the time of entry.
The Official Selection and the parallel sections recognize the following categories:
Short film, under 30 minutes;
Medium-length film, between 30 and 60 minutes;
Feature film, over 60 minutes.
Each section is open, on an equal basis, to fiction, documentary, experimental and hybrid works. Works must preferably be subtitled in Italian or, alternatively, in English. Films not subtitled in Italian must in any case be accompanied, at the time of entry, by an .srt file of the dialogue in English, French or Spanish. Any exception to this requirement must be requested from, and authorized by, the festival's secretariat.
Art. 5 – SECTIONS
The Babel Film Festival is divided into two sections: the "Official Selection" and the "Parallel Sections." The BabelFF Committee (see Art. 8) determines which films are assigned to the final competitive stage of the various prizes in the two sections.
OFFICIAL SELECTION
The Official Selection consists of films selected by the BabelFF Committee and submitted to the official jury – called the Babel Jury – for the awarding of the three main prizes, called the "Maestrale Awards." Only films in which the minority language accounts for at least 50% of the dialogue and text may take part in this section (see Art. 4). The Babel Jury awards the following prizes (see categories defined in Art. 4):
"Maestrale" Award for Best Feature Film;
"Maestrale" Award for Best Medium-Length Film;
"Maestrale" Award for Best Short Film.
PARALLEL SECTIONS
The parallel sections are made up of specific juries which may also assess films in which the minority language accounts for less than 50% of the dialogue and text (see Art. 4). The juries of the parallel sections award the following prizes:
DIRITTO DI PAROLA Award, awarded by high-school students from Cagliari;
ITALYMBAS Award, awarded by popular juries of Italian linguistic minorities to films spoken in minority languages protected by Law 482/1999;
UNICA Città di Cagliari Award, awarded by students of the University of Cagliari;
ONE WOR(L)D Award, awarded by a delegation of migrants living in Sardinia;
MY CULTURE Award, awarded by the MyCulture+ team;
UMANITARIA Award, awarded by members of the branches of Società Umanitaria in Italy;
PREMIO OSTANA – WRITING IN THE MOTHER TONGUE, awarded by a jury of members chosen by the secretariat of the Ostana Prize;
FICC Audience Award, awarded by a jury made up of FICC Film Clubs;
AAMOD Award, awarded by the Audiovisual Archive of the Democratic and Workers' Movement of Rome;
FEDIC Award, awarded by the Fedic Film Club of Cagliari;
DIARI DI CINECLUB Award, awarded by the jury of the online magazine Diari di Cineclub.
Art. 6 – HOW TO PARTICIPATE
The competition is open to everyone, with no age or nationality restrictions. Each author may submit more than one work per section, entering each work on the Film Freeway platform after payment of a symbolic entry fee of €1 (one euro) via https://filmfreeway.com/BabelFilmFestival. Registration on the platform automatically constitutes full acceptance of these regulations. Any exception to the procedure described above may be requested and must be authorized in writing by the BabelFF secretariat.
For a correct and complete entry, the following must be uploaded to the platform at the time of registration:
a) the film downloadable in HD for server-based projection (e.g. platforms such as Vimeo or similar). Films submitted in a format unsuitable for projection will not be considered. Films not subtitled in Italian must be accompanied by an .srt file with subtitles in English, French or Spanish.
b) the film's Press Kit, with more detailed information than that entered online (bio-filmographies, director's notes, synopsis, complete cast & credits, additional photos), stills, photos of the authors, trailer or excerpts of the film.
he submission of informational material on the linguistic minority represented in the film is welcome. All material submitted will become part of the archive of "CINEMA OF LINGUISTIC MINORITIES" BABEL FILM FESTIVAL, held at Società Umanitaria – Cineteca Sarda, exclusively for study purposes and for the promotion of the competition and of the Festival's activities.
Art. 7 – ADMISSION AND ELIGIBILITY OF THE WORKS
Only films duly registered on the Film Freeway platform by the deadline and duly received, and for which the material described in points a) and b) of Art. 6 has been submitted, are admitted to the selection process. The final deadline for submission of materials is 31 December 2026. Admission is decided, at unappealable discretion, by the BabelFF Committee on the basis of the regularity of the documentation submitted.
By registering, entrants authorize the Festival to screen the entered film and accept the release clauses.
Participation in the Festival may be refused for films that are technically unable to guarantee a good public screening, that lack the required documentation, or that lack the necessary releases. The Festival does not pay rental fees to distributors or producers for the screening, during the Festival program, of films admitted to the competition. The BabelFF Committee will inform authors as to whether their works have been admitted or not admitted to the competition, and to which section (official or parallel) they have been assigned. A film may be assessed by one or more juries. Where a non-competitive section is present, the signed Release Form allows the film to be screened outside the competition as well. Participation in the Babel Film Festival competition entails acceptance of all the conditions set out in these regulations and of all decisions of the selection committee.
Art. 8 – SELECTION COMMITTEE
The BabelFF Committee, established by the Direction of the Babel Film Festival, is responsible for building and managing the various stages in the development of the Festival program. The Committee's decisions are unappealable. Its tasks are as follows:
Assessing the eligibility of entry applications to the Festival;
Choosing or overseeing the composition of the juries of the various Festival sections;
Selecting the films to be assigned to the juries of the Official Selection and of the Parallel Sections;
Organizing the program and overseeing all organizational aspects of the Festival.
Art. 9 – JURIES
The Babel Jury of the Official Selection is made up of five members chosen by the BabelFF Committee from among directors, film professionals, critics, intellectuals, authors and experts in the fields of cinema and minority-language studies. Films selected for the Official Selection will be submitted to the jury for evaluation. Films assigned by the BabelFF Committee to the parallel sections will be reviewed by the specific juries for the awarding of each prize. The ONE WOR(L)D, UNICA Città di Cagliari and DIRITTO DI PAROLA prizes will be awarded by their respective juries during the course of the Festival. The ITALYMBAS, MY CULTURE, UMANITARIA, AAMOD, PREMIO OSTANA – WRITING IN THE MOTHER TONGUE, FICC, FEDIC and DIARI DI CINECLUB prizes will be awarded by their respective juries before the Festival takes place, according to organizational arrangements agreed with each partner. Films included in the parallel sections will be screened in the weeks preceding the official running of the Festival, at venues identified by the partners in Sardinia or outside the island. Films selected for the Official Selection will all be screened during the Festival week indicated in Art. 1. Assignment of a film to a parallel-section jury does not guarantee a public screening during the Festival week. Some films may be screened before that week, at different locations (within the region and nationally). Some parallel-section juries may restrict viewing of films to specific limited groups (members, subscribers, specific juries).
Art. 10 – PRIZES
The following prizes will be awarded for each section, and special mentions may also be awarded.
OFFICIAL SELECTION
"Maestrale" Award for Best Feature Film, awarded by the Babel Jury: €5,000.00;
"Maestrale" Award for Best Medium-Length Film, awarded by the Babel Jury: €3,000.00;
"Maestrale" Award for Best Short Film, awarded by the Babel Jury: €2,000.00.
Each cash prize will be accompanied by a plaque certifying the award. Any special mentions will receive only a certificate of recognition.
PARALLEL SECTIONS
UNICA Città di Cagliari Award, awarded by students of the University of Cagliari: €1,000.00;
DIRITTO DI PAROLA Award, awarded by high-school students from Cagliari to the best fiction short film: €1,000.00;
ITALYMBAS Award, awarded by popular juries of Italian linguistic minorities to films spoken in minority languages protected by Law 482/1999: €1,000.00;
ONE WOR(L)D Award, awarded by a delegation of asylum seekers living in Sardinia: €1,000.00;
MY CULTURE Award, awarded by the MyCulture+ team: consists of a distribution contract. If the film is already under distribution, the prize will consist of a cash sum of €1,500.00 instead;
FICC Audience Award, awarded by a jury made up of FICC Film Clubs: €1,000.00;
UMANITARIA Award, awarded by members of the branches of Società Umanitaria in Italy: €1,000.00;
AAMOD Award, awarded by the Audiovisual Archive of the Democratic and Workers' Movement of Rome, consisting of the free use of 3 minutes of archive footage;
FEDIC Audience Award, awarded by the Fedic Film Clubs of Cagliari, consisting of a plaque;
PREMIO OSTANA – WRITING IN THE MOTHER TONGUE, awarded by a jury appointed by the organizers of the aforementioned prize to a film in the Sardinian language, consisting of an invitation to take part in the Ostana Prize days;
DIARI DI CINECLUB Award, awarded by a jury selected by the online magazine Diari di Cineclub, consisting of a certificate.
Each cash prize will be accompanied by a plaque certifying the award. Any special mentions will receive only a certificate of recognition. Prizes listed without a monetary amount will consist solely of a plaque certifying the award. Prizes will be awarded exclusively to the person who entered the film in the competition. The artistic direction reserves the right to make changes to the structure of the prizes should objective circumstances (unforeseen contingent restrictions) prevent the formation of a jury, thereby requiring the cancellation of the planned prize, or requiring other organizational changes. Notification of the awarded prize will take place in the days immediately preceding the Festival, in order to ensure the winner's presence at the Awards Ceremony. The winner is required to keep the news confidential until the moment of the ceremony and to avoid any communication about it, in particular to the media. Publication of the news prior to the awards evening will result in the withdrawal and exclusion of the prize. Cash prizes will be paid within six months of the awards date, upon receipt of the signed original receipt.
Art. 11 – RELEASES AND USE OF THE FILMS
By registering on the Film Freeway platform, the author is required to consent to:
the free screening of the film within the Festival program;
the publication of the submitted texts and photos in the catalogue, on the competition website, and on all the official social media pages of the Competition and of the Festival's partners;
the publication of the film's trailer on the competition website and on all the official social media pages of the Competition and of the Festival's partners;
the right to screen the film as part of the Festival;
television broadcast of the films as part of a format owned by BABEL FILM FESTIVAL, on a regional Sardinian channel owned by the Babel Association;
use of the film for cultural, non-commercial purposes only by the Competition Organization and by Cineteca Sarda di Cagliari, including screening of the films in the "Babel in tour" events that promote the Festival;
publication of the film on VOD platforms (with restricted, subscription-based access) owned by BABEL FILM FESTIVAL;
distribution via the international platform Myculture.plus (under a separate distribution contract to be entered into).
The screening schedule and times will be published on the competition website. Films will be presented in their original version with subtitles in Italian or English. Should the selected films be on film reel, the Competition Organization will arrange with the production company or the author for the delivery of the copy. In screenings following the BABEL FILM FESTIVAL, winning films must display the details of the prize received, e.g.:
BABEL FILM FESTIVAL 2027
prèmiu "Maestrale", longumetràgiu / mediumetràgiu / curtzumetràgiu mègius… "Maestrale" Award, best feature film / medium-length film / short film…
premio "Maestrale", miglior lungometraggio / mediometraggio / cortometraggio…
Art. 12 – LIABILITY
By signing the Release Form, which must be mandatorily attached on the platform, the author declares: – that the submitted work does not violate applicable laws and regulations or the rights of third parties; – that they hold all rights of use of the work and of the music (providing appropriate documentation where necessary); – that they release the organization from any losses, damages, liability, costs and charges of any nature that may be incurred due to the content of their work and its public screening; – that they irrevocably waive any claim and any action, request or recourse against the organizers of the Competition, Società Umanitaria – Cineteca Sarda, the members of the Jury, and all persons involved in any capacity in the competition, and release them from all liability in this regard from this moment forward; – that they are the legitimate recipient of any prize awarded and that they release the Festival organization from any dispute relating to its assignment.
Art. 13 – ARBITRATION CLAUSE
Any dispute arising in connection with the relationships governed by these regulations shall be referred to an arbitration panel made up of three members: a) one, acting as chairman of the panel, appointed by the Competition Organization; b) one appointed by the entrant; c) one appointed by mutual agreement between the parties referred to in points a) and b) above or, failing agreement, by the President of the Court of Cagliari.
Art. 14 – FINAL CLAUSE
For any matter not covered by these regulations, the Competition Organization reserves the right to make final decisions. These regulations are drafted in Sardinian, Italian and English. In the event of interpretative issues, the Italian version shall prevail.
