4. INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
4.1 Films entered in the International Competition MUST fulfil the following conditions:
4.1.1 Films must be fiction, feature length films not less than 70 minutes in duration in original language sound track with English Subtitles.
4.1.2 They must have been completed between 1st September 2023 and 31st August 2024. Eligibility will be determined by the declaration made by the entrant in the film entry form. For International films where no proof is available, the date of the first theatrical screening will be considered as completion date/self declaration by the applicant.
4.1.3 Except for Indian films, the entries in this section should not have been released/ shown on virtual/ OTT platform/ physically in India or presented in any Film Festivals in India before. The Festival will privilege entries which will be Asia Premieres in addition to the mandatory requirement of India Premiere for the competitive sections.
4.1.4 In the case of co-productions, the entrants must have the right to sanction participation of the film in International Competition and also sanction the authority to receive awards, if the film wins any. The major co-producing entity should be of foreign origin. Indian Panorama regulations will apply when evaluating whether an entry qualifies for the international or Indian entry system.
4.1.5 Entrants must agree that if their film/films win any of the Golden and/or Silver Peacock Awards, all screenings thereafter will acknowledge the Award(s) on the film itself.
4.2 All entries will be evaluated for eligibility and suitability for the Festival by its Programming Department headed by Artistic Director. Shortlisted entries will be previewed by the Preview Committee which will further recommend up to 12 foreign films for the competition. Up to three Indian film entries in International Competition will be identified by the Indian Panorama Jury at the time of final selection of Indian Panorama Films for IFFI 2024. The Festival Director holds the right to consider the films that are not accepted for the International Competition as entries for the ‘Cinema of the World” or other curated sections of the Festival. However, consent of the entrant shall be sought before selection and inclusion in the festival programme.
4.3 The Jury for the International Competition will consist of a Chairperson and not less than two and not more than four other members, who would be selected from amongst eminent film professionals across the globe.
4.5 The decisions of the jury will be taken by a simple majority of the members present and voting. The jury can evolve its own rules for assessment of the entries. The Managing Director, NFDC and/or his representative can attend the jury deliberations, but shall neither participate nor vote.
4.6 No person having taken part in the production or with any commercial interest in a competitive entry may be on the jury. All members of the jury will refrain from releasing any articles or reviews to the press concerning the film submitted for their judgment until results of final selection have been formally announced at the closing function.
4.6.1 Once the film has been selected and the right holder confirms her/his agreement, film in the official programme shall not be withdrawn from the festival programme before or during the event. Withdrawal of film is subject to penalization for future editions subject to the discretion of the Festival Management.
4.6.2 The National Film Development Corporation Ltd may organize screenings of the IFFI award winning films in various other festivals held under its responsibility. The right holders of IFFI award winning films will be requested permission for any screening of their film in such a framework.
5. COMPETITION FOR BEST DEBUT FEATURE FILM OF A DIRECTOR
5.1 The Award shall include the Silver Peacock, certificate and cash prize of Rs 10,00,000/- (To be given to a director for his/her best first feature film to recognize and encourage the most promising new directorial talent in world cinema).
5.2 All entries for this Competition will be evaluated for eligibility and suitability for the Festival by its Programming Department headed by Artistic Director, IFFI . Shortlisted entries will be previewed by the Preview Committee which will further recommend up to 5 foreign films for the competition. Up to two Indian film entries in the Competition for Best Debut Feature Film of a Director will be identified by the Indian Panorama Jury at the time of final selection of Indian Panorama Films. The Festival Director holds the right to consider the films that are not accepted for the Best Debut Feature Film Competition as entries for the ‘Cinema of the World” or other curated sections of the Festival. However, consent of the entrant shall be sought before selection and inclusion in the festival programme.
5.3 Films entered for Award for the Best Debut Feature Film of a Director MUST fulfil the following conditions:
5.3.1 Films must be first fiction feature films of the respective Directors. These should not be less than 70 minutes in duration in original language sound track with English Subtitles. Films in English need not be subtitled.
5.3.2 They must have been completed between 1st September 2023 to 31st August, 2024. For Indian Feature Films, dates will be applicable as per Indian Panorama Regulations 2024. Eligibility will be determined by the declaration made by the entrant in the film entry form. For International films where no proof is available, the date of the first theatrical screening will be considered as completion date.
5.3.3 Except for Indian films, the entries in this section should not have been released/ shown in India or presented in any other Indian Film Festivals before.
5.3.4 Entrants must agree that if their film/films win the Award, all screenings thereafter will acknowledge the Award on the film itself.
5.3.5 The winner of the Award will be determined by the International Jury of IFFI 2024.
6. ICFT UNESCO – GANDHI MEDAL AWARD
6.1 IFFI 2024 in collaboration with the International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication (ICFT), Paris, will present a special ICFT prize consisting of the UNESCO Gandhi Medal awarded to a film which reflects the ideals promoted by UNESCO - especially: Tolerance, Intercultural Dialogue & Culture of Peace.
Broad guidelines for the selection of the films for UNESCO Gandhi Medal:
a) Have a strong ethical component
b) High aesthetic value.
c) Exhibit artistic excellence in screenplay, in film technique and music.
d) Attract a wide audience, especially among youth, whose view of media is distorted by violent imagery and showy techniques which are devoid of intelligent and critical discernment.
e) Additionally include an educational component to cope with the flood of inappropriate imagery commonly marketed.
f) Awareness of the role of the filmmaker confronting a declining society; because it is recognized that cinematographic and video images are much more powerful than any other means of communication.
6.2 The International Programming Department will evaluate the entries received for eligibility and suitability for the award. The Preview Committee will recommend up to 7 foreign films for this category. The Indian Panorama Jury will recommend up to 3 Indian films for this award.
6.3 The Award will be determined by the ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Medal Jury which will be instituted by the ICFT Secretariat. Nominees will have to submit appropriate online screeners for the Jury to view and determine the awardee.
6.4 Entrants are to agree that the concerned professional will receive the award in person, if the film/he/she wins any award. National Film Development Corporation Ltd reserves the right to cancel the cash component in case of the awardees not being able to present him/her of the award ceremony on the closing night. For any reason the awardees is not able to personally attend, he or she should immediately in writing, nominate an immediate family member or from the film-it’s Producer or Director.
7. Non - Competition (Cinema of the World & Curated Packages)
7.1 Films must be fiction, feature length films not less than 70 minutes in duration in original language soundtrack with English Subtitles. Films in English need not be subtitled. For its curated packages, the Festival may relax the eligibility criteria of duration, subject to the merit of the film and the curatorial discretion of the segment. Fiction and documentary features along with other forms of feature genres and aesthetics are eligible.
7.2 They must have been completed after 1st September, 2023.
7.3 If selected for the Cinema of the World Section, the entrant(s) must provide a must provide a DCP with EST or originally shot on a digital format for festivals screenings.
7.4 Films that have been presented in earlier editions of International Film Festival of India, or already screened in India, will be excluded, unless previously agreed to by the Managing Director NFDC, in exceptional cases.
7.5 Non-competition and Curated Packages are subject to the artistic vision of the Festival and will be determined by the Artistic Director and the International Programming Department for international films and Indian Panorama Department for Indian films.
8. ENTRY DEADLINES
The deadline for receiving applications and preview material is 31st August 2024.
9. FILM MATERIAL /SCREENERS FOR SELECTION
The Online/ Blu-ray /DVD screeners with English subtitles should reach the National Film Development Corporation Ltd, New Delhi office before the above mentioned date along with a duly completed online Entry Form (available on our website). Inscribe 'No commercial value for Cultural purposes only' on the parcel. The Festival will not bear the cost of transportation of preview material, unless upon entrant’s request and at his/her own expense.
10. ENTERING FILMS IN THE FESTIVAL
10.1 Film producers, distributors, their duly authorized representatives or duly authorized Government organization/agency of the participating countries may enter their films for the after duly reading the Regulations via the online Entry Form.
10.2 Indian Films may submit their applications through the Indian Panorama, which will be opened and advertised in all the national dailies. The same will be available on the official website of the festival (https://www/iffigoa.org or https://nfdcindia.com) as well.
10.3 Enquires for Film Bazaar may be addressed to the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). The contact address:
Artistic Director, Film Bazaar
National Film Development Corporation
24, Pedder Rd, IT Colony, Cumballa Hill, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400026
Ph: +91 22 35248444
Email: director@filmbazaarindia.com
10.4 National Film Development Corporation Ltd may also invite films which it considers of interest.
10.5 The Form, duly filled in, separately for each film proposed to be entered, should reach the National Film Development Corporation Ltd office by August 31st, 2024 or via online entry at www.iffigoa.org. In case of the day being a holiday, the next working day will be considered as the deadline.
11. FINAL SCREENING MATERIALS
11.1 35mm prints/DCPs/final screening material along with a Blu-ray/DVD of the selected films for exhibition in the festival must reach the festival Office in Goa on or before 15th October, 2024. The Festival prefers online transfer of DCPs with KDMs for entire festival period. If sent through physical mode, prints should only be sent through the official freight handlers of the festival, as per the instructions given by the festival print unit. National Film Development Corporation Ltd will not be responsible for any repercussions arising from deviation of the print dispatch instructions issued by the print unit.
11.2 Arrangements have been made for special express clearance of film consignments addressed to the National Film Development Corporation Ltd through the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Government of India. National Film Development Corporation Ltd will not be responsible for any repercussions arising from deviation of the print dispatch instructions issued by the print unit.
11.3 After conclusion of the festival, the final screening materials shall be returned through air-freight or diplomatic channels, as per specific written instructions received from the film right holder. The festival would bear only one-way freight. Wherever previously agreed upon by the festival, the festival will also be undertaking the actual cost of return freight charges (both ways) but will not be liable for payment of customs, duties, freight handler's fees etc., outside India. It will be borne solely by the film recipient.
12. INSURANCE
The Insurance of prints in transit from the country of origin to the National Film Development Corporation Ltd and from the National Film Development Corporation Ltd to the country of origin will be the responsibility of the entrant. The National Film Development Corporation Ltd will insure the prints against damage, partial and total, by fire, theft or any other unnatural causes from the moment it takes delivery of the prints to the moment it hands them back to the concerned airline/agency for dispatch, in conformity with Addendum 1 of the FIAPF Regulations for International Film Festivals. Technical complaints regarding the returned screening copy must be reported to the festival in writing with in 5days after being received.
13. FREIGHT AND OTHER CHARGES
13.1 The prints and DVD's should be sent "freight pre-paid" i.e. at senders cost. After the Festival, the prints will be returned to the senders by air freight at the cost of the National Film Development Corporation Ltd
13.2 The National Film Development Corporation Ltd will not pay any charges other than the air- freight charges. It may also be noted that the National Film Development Corporation Ltd cannot reimburse any freight or other charges in foreign currency, unless previously agreed to in writing.
13.3 The National Film Development Corporation Ltd will not bear freight or any other charges for unsolicited films, Videos, DVDs sent to it, if these are not selected for screening in the Festival.
14. SUBTITLING
Films will only be screened in their original language/version with English Subtitles. Non English films without English subtitles will not be screened at the festival and they will also not be electronically subtitled by the Festival.
15. SCREENING
15.1 All films screened at IFFI would either be certified by the Central Board of Film Certification, India or have obtained exemption under Section 9 of Cinematograph Act, 1952. The Festival will conduct formalities on behalf of all uncertified selected films for exemption from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. Certified films or films in process of certification must complete their certification and submit the certificate to the Festival prior to its commencement.
15.2. The accepted film will not be shown outside the Festival city by the National Film Development Corporation Ltd, without written consent of the right holder.
15.3 The Festival proposes to have a maximum of five screenings per selected films as per FIAPF Regulations for International Film festivals and for the competitive specialized festivals which allow for a maximum of five screenings per film.
16. EXCERPTS FOR TELEVISION/OTT/SOCIAL MEDIA
For promotion of films entered in the Festival on television, producers/authorized entrants are requested to supply four excerpts of the film(s) entered, each of a maximum of three minutes, to the National Film Development Corporation Ltd. High Resolution uncompressed video of the same may be sent in a DVD format.
17. GENERAL
17.1 Classroom and advertising films are not eligible for participation in any section.
17.2 Final screening material must comply with technical standards specified by SMPTE for screening at International Film Festivals. National Film Development Corporation Ltd reserves the right to refuse screening if found otherwise.
17.3 The participants must ensure that they have the right to participate in the International Film Festival of India with regard to parties connected with the production /distribution of the participating film and /or other right holders/licenses. In the case of competition entries, he entrants must ensure that they have the right to sanction participation of the film for the award and also sanction the authority to receive awards, if the film wins any.
17.4 Participation in the Festival implies acceptance of these Regulations.
17.5 The Managing Director, National Film Development Corporation Ltd will decide all matters not expressly provided for in these regulations but in conformity with the provisions of the International Regulations for film festivals and his decisions shall be final and binding on all Parties.
18. Correspondence and Shipping Address
DCP/DVD screeners for the selection & all film prints sent through diplomatic channels can be sent at the following office in New Delhi. All correspondence, publicity materials, DCP, DVD’s and film print of the selected films should also be addressed to this address.
Managing Director
International Film Festival of India
National Film Development Corporation Ltd Siri Fort Auditorium Complex
August Kranti Marg, Khel Gaon New Delhi 110 049, India
Tel: + 91 11 2649352|56
E-Mail: programming@nfdcindia.com
WEBSITES: (online application)
http://www.iffigoa.org
www.nfdcindia.com
https://filmfreeway.com/InternationalFilmFestivalofIndiaIFFI-Goa
POINT OF CONTACT:
PRATEEK RAWAT
FILM PROGRAMMER (INTERNATIONAL CINEMA)
GENERAL QUERIES: PROGRAMMING@NFDCINDIA.COM
SPECIFIC QUERIES & COMMS: PRATEEK.RAWAT@NFDCINDIA.COM
