Diversity in Cannes Short Film & Webseries Showcase

WE DO NOT OFFER FEE WAIVERS!!!

Created to encourage content creators from unique backgrounds to share their stories during the Cannes Film Festival, the independent Diversity in Cannes Short Film & Web Series Showcase will promote the work of diverse (thought, race, gender, age, religion, physical ability and sexual orientation) filmmakers and recognize them globally for their achievements in film.

The top 10 to 18 films & web series from ALL eligible entries, as determined by Diversity in Cannes and its partners, will be ANNOUNCED LIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA during the official selection press conference the week of April 14, 2024.

These films will be considered in competition (official selections) and screened during the Diversity in Cannes Short Film & Webseries Showcase in May 2024 at an independent event during the Cannes Film Festival, COVID PERMITTING!!!!

Showcase winners will be determined by jury and announced at an awards reception immediately following the Showcase.

While the events take place in France at the same time as the Cannes Film Festival the Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase is an Independent event sponsored by Academy Award Winner Viola Davis' Juvee Productions.

Prizes for General Showcase Winners are meant to promote filmmakers, expand their network, assist with career advancement and to prepare for future projects.

* 2023 prizes listed below. 2024 prizes subject to change*

• Mentorship meeting (phone/video conference) with Julius Tennon and Kaylon
Hunt of JuVee Productions.

• Professional consultation, including mentor meeting and script coverage with
Whitney Davis and other executives at Anthony Hemingway Productions (AHP).

• Two-hour screenplay assessment with Award-Winning
Producer, Darren Dean (THE FLORIDA PROJECT, KINYARWANDA,
PREMATURE, Tangerine), to be scheduled at the convenience of both
parties.

• Agent meeting (phone/video conference) with Tracy Christian of TCA (Tracy
Christian Talent Agency).

• Mentorship Meeting (Phone or Virtual) with Writer / Producer Kyle Harimoto,
executive producer of NCIS:LA on CBS. Past credits include LAS VEGAS for
NBC and HAWAII FIVE-0 for CBS. He has current development deals with
Amazon Studios and USA / PEACOCK.

• Mentorship meeting (in person/phone/video conference) with Siena Oberman,
Producer at Artemis Pictures and alumni of Diversity in Cannes Short Film
Showcase 2016.

• Manager meeting (phone/video conference) with Claire Best of Claire Best and
Associates.

• Complimentary submission (1) to the 2024 Diversity in Cannes Short Film
Showcase.

• Complimentary submission to film festival of choice during regular submission
period.

• Legal consultation/contract review with Entertainment Attorney Nathan Hale
Williams of Inhale Entertainment.

• Complimentary consultation including character and theme development on your
next film project with PsychMinded Media.

• One hour festival, PR or social media strategy consultation with marketing
communications professional.

• Comprehensive list of global film initiatives to fund your next project.

• Short film score consultation with MannYScorseyze.

• Link to winning film or trailer on the Diversity in Cannes Facebook, YouTube,
Twitter and Instagram pages (as appropriate).

• Guest on Diversity in Cannes’ Cannes Conversations where we’ll share film trailer and
discuss winner's current and future projects.

• Global exposure via press release announcing winners of the Diversity in Cannes
Short Film Showcase distributed electronically.

• Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase certificate.

WE DO NOT OFFER FEE WAIVERS!!!!

Submission Guidelines

ALL PROJECTS MUST BE SUBMITTED IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PRIMARY CATEGORIES:

WEBSERIES
NARRATIVE SHORT
MICRO SHORT
DOCUMENTARY SHORT
MUSIC VIDEO

ALL "BEST" CATEGORIES (BEST ACTRESS, ACTOR, ETC) ARE OPTIONAL AND SECONDARY!!!

PROJECTS SUBMITTED WITHOUT A PRIMARY CATEGORY WILL BE DISQUALIFIED WITH NO REFUND!!!!

There is no limit to the number of entries as long as they meet requirements below.

* must be submitted by April 1, 2024 (deadlines subject to change)
* must be the work of a diverse filmmaker or tell a diverse story
* must be under 20 minutes including credits
* must have English subtitles if shot in another language
* must not contain pornography
* must not contain racist, sexist, offensive or defamatory statements intended to harm
* must not cause harm to anyone
* must not be an invasion of privacy
* must have complete rights to film’s content
* must have a copyright owner who is at least 18 years of age
* must be copyright free
* must be original work and not based, in whole or in part on material, fictional or nonfiction, produced or un-produced, published or unpublished, unless such material was originally created and published/produced by the applicant in another medium and not based

Judging to Determine Finalists

All entries received during the open call for entries will be reviewed by the festival administrator for eligibility and compliance with the entry requirements. Following the festival administrator’s review, eligible entries will be made available for judging by a screening committee of Diversity in Cannes diverse partners representing the North America, Asia, Africa, Europe, South America partners. All films are entitled to at least 3 screeners and will be judged on the elements below. Competition films will be selected from all eligible entries. Decision of the screening committee is final!

* Creativity and Originality

*Direction

* Writing

* Cinematography

* Performances

* Production Value

*Pacing

* Structure

* Sound Music

* Overall Impression

Top 10 to 18 films from ALL eligible entries as determined by Diversity in Cannes and its partners will be considered in competition and screened during the Diversity in Cannes Short Film & WebSeries Showcase in May 2024 at an independent event during Diversity Day at the Cannes Film Festival, COVID PERMITTING!!!!

Winners will be determined by jury and announced at an awards reception immediately following the Showcase.

By agreeing to showcase your work with Diversity in Cannes Short Film & Web Series Showcase, you agree to the following:

* Diversity in Cannes Short Film & Web Series Showcase & Awards is not responsible for any lost, damaged, or stolen items, including films in any medium, while en-route or in our possession, on or off of festival grounds.

* All fees are non-transferable and non-refundable.

* Applicant claims all liability and damages in relation to any screening of applicant's submission to which applicant does not hold complete rights to its content.

* Applicant is responsible for clearing all rights to the content of the film prior to exhibition.

* Applicant grants DIC Short Film & Web Series Showcase the right to use excerpts from accepted films including audio, video, names and images to promote the festival.

* The rights-holder allows the DIC Short Film & Webseries Showcase to screen the submitted work, in full, at the 2024 DIC Short Film & Web Series Showcase without further communication or approval.

* Applicant permits the DIC Short Film & Web Series Showcase to retain one or more copies of applicant's film for use in the Showcase archives.

* Applicant permits the DIC Short Film & Web Series Showcase to create digital copies of applicants film for use by Showcase staff & associates to facilitate the pre-screening process.

** While Showcase attendance is not required, when determining the 2024 official selections, .priority will be given to filmmakers planning to travel to Cannes to promote their projects **

** While we screen all films submitted for consideration, we prefer projects under 20 minutes for optimized programming. We want to showcase as many shorts as possible.

Overall Rating

Quality

Value

Communication

Hospitality

Networking

Nikol Kollars

From the very get go when my project was selected to compete in the showcase, I received a warm welcome and immediately felt like I was part of a community. I was well informed and always had a quick response to any questions I had. I was not able to attend the event due to prior commitments but I was able to meet many of the participants on a video chat that was hosted by Diversity in Cannes which I appreciated very much. I missed out on a great event on the day but I'm happy to have received BEST SONG in the end! This showcase has a strong community and is doing great work in helping artists grow their voices and reach more people with their stories. Thank you Yolonda for this opportunity!

June 2023

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Alicia Afshar

Diversity in Cannes was truly the most supportive and inclusive space I’ve ever been in as a person of color. Yolonda is making space for us and our stories where it would otherwise not exist. My film, ‘Blood of Iran’ was selected and won Best Short Documentary this year (2023). My team and I were honored to attend the showcase in Cannes, France. It was such a beautiful experience. Our screening was held in a room full of other extremely talented filmmakers and after we all got to mingle and discuss what we saw. The showcase also included a dinner party where the award ceremony took place. I made some very meaningful connections and I will never forget this experience. Thank you Yolonda!

June 2023

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Aline Andrade

I attended the screening in Cannes with our team and we were very pleased with the atmosphere of this Showcase. We experienced a truly vibrant community supporting each other and we are happy to have been selected to be a part of it. It was a just good vibes being there. Thank you Yolonda, for providing this platform.

June 2023

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Response from festival:

Thank you! Your presence was appreciated.
Shaunic Stanford

I had a really great experience at the Diversity in Cannes Showcase. It was nice networking with the other filmmakers, and just an all around positive experience. There was a nice reception after the showcase honoring the filmmkaers. I was excited to have my film, The Best Time apart of the showcase and it won the Best first time filmmaker award. I highly encourage other filmmakers to apply.

April 2023

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Response from festival:

Thanks for the kind words. It was a pleasure meeting you. We look forward to keeping in touch and seeing your next project. Continued success!
LaCora Stephens

This is one of the most "filmmaker centered" festivals I've attended. Most festivals are so wrapped up in their sponsors and partnerships that they could care less about the filmmakers. But Diversity in Cannes do their best to make it a moment for the filmmaker.

Immediately after screenings, we were given a certificate and photo opt. Most festivals rarely send you a thank you let alone, a certificate. Filmmakers were encouraged to view other films and partake in the Q&A's for helpful feedback and data. And something I've never experienced before was an all-inclusive celebratory reception! That's right! We didn't spend a dime on this! We wined and dined under the stars in southern France and it was a MOMENT.

Because it was such a moment, it was an easy transition to network. So many people were out and about from the official Cannes film fest, along with local artists and other filmmakers from different festivals. So as we nibbled on authentic french cheese and sipped on authentic french wine (lol) you couldn't help but meet fellow filmmakers from other festivals, including Diversity in Cannes.

What was also cool was the pure diversity of the films. Some were really good, some were okay, but all in all it was curated with diversity in mind.

A concern for improvement has to be putting thought into some instagrammable photo opts that pop! Yes, I know, the backdrop is France...that alone should be enough...but it isn't. I think there should be more options as a celebration with logos, merch, goodie bag or creative corner to make more of a presence.

The communication could have been better in some aspects. But I've noticed that most festivals lack in this department. Some emails are sooo long and you receive so many that you're bound to miss something and vice versa so I won't complain too much about that.

I will complain about the overall cost, though. (which can't be controlled by the festival at all.) But it is very expensive to attend. The good news is, Paris is only a $100 flight away, so be sure to visit them while down there! Or drive to Monaco! Discounts aren't really issued due to the whole city being taken over by festivals. Rates are 2-3 times higher than any other time in Cannes.

Diversity in Cannes is a one of a kind film festival. It's going to cost you a pretty penny, but like most people say, the experience is certainly a memorable one.

August 2022

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