International Animation Festival “Soleil”

1. Organisation
- The International Animation Festival “Soleil” is organised by the privately owned “Soleil” foundation, whose activity is aimed at the promotion of Bulgarian culture, as well as the realisation of numerous cultural projects.

2. Date and Place
- The first edition of The International Animation Festival “Soleil” will take place between 5th and 7th of June 2025 at the town of Sozopol, Bulgaria.

3. Submission
- The festival accepts submissions from all over the world.
- The entries can be works created frame by frame in any available animation techniques, including traditionally drawn, computer-generated, stop-motion, experimental animation etc., as well as a combination of animation and live-action where the animated segments should comprise more than 50% of the total length of the film.
- The submitted films can be of any genre but MUST correspond with the festival theme.
ADDITIONAL NOTE: For the 2025 festival theme “COLLAGED (NON-)REALITIES” is not enough or obligatory for the films to be made in cut-out animation technique. The films must align with the overall concept of the term “collage” and to apply some type of COLLAGE technique, mixing disparate materials and fragments, found or new, disconnected from their habitual environment, retaining their previous identity in the new visual context, but at the same time creating completely new meanings.
- Eligible films must be completed after 1. January 2020.
- Film submissions must be made only via FilmFreeway platform with included viewing links hosted with either Vimeo or YouTube.
- SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 12 April 2025.
- No entry fee is charged for the film submissions.
- The duration of the films should not exceed 20 minutes (including credits).

4. Selection
- The films for the competition program are selected by the festival’s animation artistic director in collaboration with the members of “Soleil” foundation - well known representatives of the Bulgarian art scene.
- Only the submitters of the selected films will be notified by email about their selection.
- The festival is not obligated to supply feedback or a reason as to why a film has not been selected as part of the competition program.
- Once a film has been selected and invited to participate in the festival it cannot be withdrawn from the festival program.
- List of the selected films will be published on the festival's official website.
- The festival does not pay any screening fees.
- The following materials must be provided digitally as soon as possible once the film is selected:
· a screening copy of the film in digital format with English subtitles burned in the file (including for the ones with English dialogue). More details about the technical specifications of the screening copy would be given together with the notification of selection;
· a dialogue list and a .TXT/.SRT English and/or French subtitle file with time code;
· a short synopsis in English;
· an online link to the trailer;
· 3 stills from the film in JPG or PNG format (300dpi);
· a photograph of the Director in JPG or PNG (300dpi).

5. Invitation
- The festival will invite the authors of the selected films in the competition program to be present during the festival and will cover the accommodation of one film representative per film.
- Based on the budget availability the invitation would be done on a first come, first served basis.
- All attending filmmakers, guests of the International Animation Festival “Soleil” would also have access to the venues and activities (exhibition openings, concerts and cocktail parties) organised by the International Francophone Festival “Soleil” which would be held at the same time and at the same place.

6. Awards and Jury
- The Grand Prix, the Special Jury Prize and the Special Mentions would be decided by an international jury composed of renowned animation and industry professionals.
- The decisions of the jury are final and cannot be appealed.
- The Grand Prix consists of a trophy, a diploma and a monetary prize.
- The Special Jury Prize consists of a diploma and a monetary prize.
- The festival audience would vote for their favourite film, which would be awarded with the Audience Award.
- If there is no representative of an awarded film present at the festival, there would be a request for a short videotaped acceptance speech to be played during the award ceremony.

7. Promotion and marketing
- The festival will use all additionally submitted materials of the selected films for promotional purposes such as website, printed program, advertising etc.
- The festival has a right to use up to 30 seconds of any of the selected films or their trailers for promotional purposes, such as the festival TV coverage etc.

8. Copyright
- All of the submissions must be done by the holders of the property rights to the works.
- The submission is valid only with the authorizations by the legal responsible for the film.
- The organiser and co-organisers are not liable for any legal liability resulting from the infringement of personal or property copyrights of third parties by the applicant.
- The legal responsible for the film states that the festival would be exempt from paying any copyrights related to the execution of the film during its public screenings at the festival.

9. Agreement
- The act of submission certifies that the applicant accepts and agrees with all presented rules and regulations of the festival.