CineKasimanwa: Western Visayas Film Festival, ran by filmmakers for filmmakers, is currently the largest regional film festival in the Philippines in terms of programmed films, audience attendance, number of venues, number of workshops, number of live film screenings, number of outreach and satellite screenings. CineKasimanwa is also the home of the first ever short film grants program in the Philippines (Western Visayas Film Grants Program) given by a film fest in partnership with the Department of Tourism - Region VI as major stakeholder. The festival aims to be a venue for Western Visayan films, its filmmakers and their stories to be presented to local audiences and the world. The festival also accepts films from around the world. CineKasimanwa want filmmakers and peoples of the world to visit Western Visayas (Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan, Antique, Guimaras and Negros Occidental provinces) and shoot films in our islands.

CineKasimanwa screenings, programs and sections are all curated and we screen our film programs in seven major cinema venues spread across six provinces in the whole of the Western Visayan region of the Philippines: SM City Mall Cinema (Iloilo); FDCP Iloilo Cinematheque; UPV Cinematheque (Iloilo); Festival Mall Cinema (Iloilo); Robinsons Movieworld (Capiz); Robinsons Movieworld (Antique); Negros Museum (Bacolod). During our 5th edition, we screened a total number of 137 films - eight of which are Centerpiece Selections produced by DOT-Region VI, CineKasimanwa and Western Visayan filmmakers (Ilonggo Cinema) making their World Premieres. The festival has more than 10 satellite screenings around the country after its main festival scheduled annually during first week of December.

Awards & Prizes

[1] Western Visayas Film Competition - exclusive for films done by Filipino filmmakers residing within Western Visayas region (*should NOT submit here)

[2] Philippine Film Competition - for films done by Filipino filmmakers residing outside Western Visayas (*may submit here or via CineKasimanwa provided link)

[3] International Feature Length Films - Non-Competitive

[4] International Short Films - Non-Competitive

Rules & Terms

RULES & REGULATIONS (INTERNATIONAL NON-COMPETITIVE SECTIONS)

* IMPORTANT NOTE: The only competitive sections of the festival are exclusive for Filipinos. The competitive section has the same set of rules & regulations as that of the non-competitive. *

I. GENERAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Your film:
1. may be of any length or genre (but shorts below 15 minutes are given more weight for short film submissions) For Filipino competitive section, we only accept 15 minutes or less.
2. cannot be withdrawn from the festival after getting selected.
3. should be subtitled in English.
4. must not be posted in any online platform prior to screening in our festival.
5. will not get financial compensations if programmed in the festival.
6. will only be accepted via FilmFreeway where you shall pay for an entry fee.

On Filmmakers
1. Films by directors living outside of the Philippines shall be under the International section. WE DO NOT FUND TRAVEL OR ACCOMMODATIONS TO FILMMAKERS OR ANYONE IN THEIR PRODUCTION TEAM WHOSE FILMS HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED BY OUR FESTIVAL. We reserve the right to remove from the program filmmakers who will not adhere to this regulation.
2. Films by directors who are resident of the Philippines but does not come from Western Visayas are categorized as local filmmakers and will compete in the Filipino section. They cannot compete at the Western Visayas Film Grants Program which is exclusive for residents of Western Visayas only.

II. FILM FORMAT & STILLS TO SUBMIT
1. MP4 file of your film (H.264 recommended)
2. HI-RES STILLS OF FILM AND HI-RES PHOTO OF FILMMAKER IN JPEG (at least 16X9, 300 dpi)
* Please note: we will remove you from the program if you deny us download access after your film has been selected.

III. WHEN & WHERE TO SUBMIT
1. The only deadline is Nov 10, 2023..
2. We only accept foriegn submissions via FilmFreeway and in another online platform.

IV. OUR GENERAL CRITERIA
1. Our simple rule is that if we like it, we will program it.
2. Half of our International Section screens during December 2023 and some films will screen in January 2023 during the Dinagyang Festival week.

V. DECISIONS OF THE PROGRAMMERS
1. All selections shall be selected by appointed Programmers.
2. The organizers will not entertain protests of any kind nor will they be required to justify the selected films.

VI. FILM RIGHTS & ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF RULES & REGULATIONS
1. If your film is entered in our festival, you are giving the festival and its organizers the right to screen your works at all our festival venues and partner festivals for free; and, to print all film-related photos for festival promotions or promotion of your film. Please note that our festival DOES NOT fund foreign filmmakers for travel or accommodation.
2. By submitting via FilmFreeway, filmmakers certify that they possess all rights pertaining to their film/s and exempt the festival organizers from third party claims.
3. For group works, a single representative must be appointed for purposes of correspondences.
4. Film rights of the submitted film for competition belong to the filmmaker. The festival however requires that winning films be screened in official satellite screenings of CineKasimanwa around the country. By submitting it to us, you are giving us rights to screen them in our outreach programs and satellite screenings.
5. The submitted copy of the film belongs to the festival and shall not be released to any party, individual or institution.
6. By submitting via FilmFreeway, the filmmaker acknowledge to abide by these rules and regulations.

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