The Barbados Visual Media Festival is in its seventh year. The Festival, hosted by the Barbados Film and Video Association, is a celebration of the work of independent filmmakers and content creators from around the world and pays special attention to the work of Barbadian and Caribbean filmmakers.

The Festival provides an all round experience as it includes not only Screenings but also a 48 Hour Film Challenge, a Screenwriting Competition, Industry Workshops and Festival Awards.

***The Barbados Visual Media Festival has launched it's Script-O-Rama competition for 2020, opened to Barbadian writers. Enter your screenplay by September 30th, 2020 and you could win a one-on-one screenwriting mentorship opportunity with a seasoned professional and attendance to a scriptwriting workshop conducted by the National Cultural Foundation and the Barbados Film & Video Association.

Visit www.bit.ly/ScriptORama2020 for all competition details and to enter. ***

The Festival runs from October 21st - 25th 2020

Best Barbadian Feature Film
Best Barbadian Short Film
People's Choice
International People's Choice

1. DATES:

The seventh Edition of the Barbados Visual Media Festival will be held from October 21st - 25th, 2020 in Barbados.

2. SUBMISSION CATEGORIES:

Projects submitted to the Festival for consideration may apply to just one category. Please select the category that best fits your project.The Festival reserves the right to determine eligibility of any project for any Festival program or submission category. For more details (INCLUDING DEADLINES) please review all guidelines for each specific category.

Please note that to be classified as a Barbadian Film, projects must amass 20 or more points of the below Cultural Test.

Film set in Barbados - 4 points
Lead characters Barbadian citizens or residents - 5 points
Film based on Barbadian subject matter or underlying material - 4 points
The film demonstrates Barbadian creativity, heritage and/or diversity - 4 points

At least 50% of the principal photography or SFX takes place in Barbados - 2 points
At least 50% of the VFX takes place in Barbados - 2 points
Project contains Barbadian music recording/audio post production/picture post production - 1 point

Barbadian director - 3 points
Barbadian scriptwriter - 3 points
Barbadian producer - 3 points
Barbadian composer - 3 points
Barbadian lead actors -3 points
Majority of cast are Barbadian -1 point
Key Staff (lead cinematographer, lead production designer, lead costume designer, lead editor, lead sound designer, lead visual effects supervisor, lead hair and makeup supervisor) are Barbadian - 1 point
Majority of crew are Barbadian - 1 point

3. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

YOU MAY SUBMIT MORE THAN ONE PROJECT AND PREVIOUS PROJECTS THAT WERE REJECTED MAY BE RE-SUBMITTED IF THERE HAVE BEEN CHANGES MADE TO THE PROJECT. YOU MAY NOT RE-SUBMIT A PROJECT THAT WAS PART OF THE OFFICIAL SELECTION OF A PREVIOUS EDITION OF THE FESTIVAL.

Films are submitted ONLY via the FilmFreeway.com portal.

Language (SUBTITLE POLICY)
For Submission purposes your film may be in any language. However, if not in English the film must have English subtitles.

4. PROGRAMMING:

Upon completion of the Festival selection process, the Festival will attempt to contact the Applicant using the contact information provided on the submission form to notify the Applicant of the Project's acceptance status. The Festival disavows any responsibility and will not be held responsible for, any failure to contact the Applicant using the contact information provided on the submission form. It is the sole responsibility of the Applicant to ensure that the contact information provided on the submission form is correct throughout the entirety of the Festival selection period.,

The Festival is under no obligation to provide to the Applicant or any other representative of the Project any comments or feedback regarding the submitted Project, any information relating to the manner in which the Project is, will be, or was reviewed; any views that the Festival or any reviewers of the Project may hold concerning the Project; any reasons why the Project, should it not be accepted for exhibition at the Festival, was not accepted; or any other information relating to the Festival’s review, consideration and/or selection process regarding the Project specifically or submissions generally beyond the information set forth in these Rules and Regulations.

Projects accepted by the Festival will be placed, at the sole and absolute discretion of the Barbados Visual Media Festival committee, in one of the program sections. Applicants may NOT submit their Projects directly to any specific section.

The Barbados Visual Media Festival committee will establish the schedule of the films submitted. The Festival also reserves the right to designate appropriate category/section for each project.

***ONCE A PROJECT HAS BEEN SELECTED FOR SCREENING IT CANNOT BE WITHDRAWN***

5. SELECTION COMMITTEE AND JURORS:

The Barbados Visual Media Festival committee will appoint the members of the Official Jury who will assign the Official Awards to the competing sections. Individuals who participated in the production or promotion of any of the competing films will not be eligible as jury members.

The decisions of the Jury will be FINAL.

Furthermore, Filmmakers are responsible to adhering to all guidelines and deadlines needed to ensure the highest quality exhibition of their film.

6. GENERAL CONDITIONS:

All information above shall supersede any other guidelines associated with the Festival. The Festival is entitled to make interpretations in any case not considered in these rules and regulations and may make exceptions whenever justified. The Barbados Visual Media Festival committee will review unforeseen cases.

A submitted project implies full agreement with this document. Failing to comply with any of these articles may result in denying the participation of a project in the Festival.

Barbados Visual Media Festival has the right to add, alter, change, or delete any portion of the guidelines at anytime without notice.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Evgeniy Oreshkin

    We wore glad to be a part of this great festival!

    November 2017
  • Rommel Hall

    Superb festival. The best one yet!

    November 2017
  • David Jaure Rosenbaum

    Absolutely great Film Festival! Thank you for making us part of your Festival!!!

    November 2017