The Kobani International Film Festival administration board announces that short film submissions are now open for its fourth edition, from April 1, 2023, to July 1, 2023.
Introduction
The KIFF is an independent, nonprofit festival dedicated to promoting and enriching film culture. The festival is taking a pioneering mission role in cinema by encouraging audience participation and interaction, supporting filmmakers, and developing a strong film industry.
The KIFF seeks to achieve the following goals:
Allowing filmmakers to present their productions and creativity in the audiovisual field.
Increasing interaction and knowledge sharing amongst young professionals and filmmakers worldwide.
Supporting filmmakers by highlighting their productions and pushing towards leading a sustainable cinematic scene.
Creating a competitive environment for the participants.
Creating an environment conducive to viewing and enjoyment for audiences interested in cinema and eager to discover new productions.
Festival Awards
Selected films in the KIFF program are eligible to compete for the following awards:
1. Best Short Feature Film Award.
2. Best Documentary Film Award.
3. Best Animated Film Award.
4. Best Director Award.
5. Best Scenario Award.
6. Best Actor Award
7. Best Photography Award.
8. Festival Management Award.
The awards represent the excellence of the winning films compared to the other entries in the competition, which undergo a thorough evaluation by specialized committees.
Film Selection and Judging:
• Primary selection:
All participating films are subject to a primary selection by a screening committee appointed by the festival administration, which will review all films and make the final decision regarding the selection of films in the official competition of the festival.
• Judging committee
The festival administration has appointed a committee of individuals working in various fields of filmmaking, including artists, directors, actors/actresses, technicians, specialists, critics, and journalists from different countries around the world. This committee will nominate the winning films for the festival awards.
Participation Terms:
The KIFF competition is open to filmmakers, so those who wish to participate must abide by the following requirements and conditions:
Article 1:
The participating films in the competition:
A- All short feature, documentary, and animation films that do not exceed 30 minutes in length are accepted, including generic opening and closing credits.
B- The participant may participate in multiple works if they fulfill the necessary conditions.
C- Only films produced from 2020 to 2023 will be considered.
D- The film must be in its original language; if it is not in English, the English subtitles must be attached.
E- The film must have excellent audio and visual quality, and the organizing committee is not responsible for any technical defect during the screening.
F- The film must not have participated in one of the festival’s previous editions.
G- The display technology requires that the movie is in one of the video formats that accept conversion.
H- Films must be submitted with a high-quality promo, digital poster, and three high-quality images for advertising and promotional activities.
I- The Festival reserves the right to use and distribute the promo via the internet or on TV channels during the period deemed appropriate by the festival organizers without prior approval.
J- The festival administration is NOT responsible for late film submissions. Any applications for participation received after July the 1st, 2023, will not be considered.
K- The film screening license must be completed by hand.
L- If a film fails to meet the necessary participation criteria, it will be rejected without notification or explanation from the festival administration.
M- Once the participant submits the film, they cannot withdraw or modify it.
Article 2:
Rights and Ownership:
A- The participant undertakes that they own all film rights and materials presented and have the right to submit the movie and all materials related to it to participate in the festival’s official program on behalf of the holders.
Article 3:
Acceptance and approval:
A- Submitting an application to participate in the official program of the KIFF is considered acceptance of all the terms and conditions of the festival.
B- The participant agrees that the festival is not liable for any damages, losses, or costs incurred during their participation and will not hold the festival legally responsible or submit any claims against it.
C-The participant acknowledges that the participation application form and these Terms and conditions are the same and that anything that applies to this document also applies to the participation application form.
Article 4:
Festival Policy:
A- The festival reserves the right to announce the films participating in its official program.
B- The festival reserves the right to provide the screening and jury members with a film print to view for the purpose of evaluating the film.
C- The festival reserves the right to screen the film to the public within its film clubs.
D- The festival reserves the right to display specific clips from the film for media use.
E- The festival has a policy of not providing reasons for not selecting the film.
F- The festival will announce its official program in mid-August 2023.
G- At its discretion, the Festival may choose to alter the film screening dates.
Article 5:
Registration
The participation form must be filled out and sent to the festival administration within the period mentioned in the announcement.
Article 6:
Terms:
If the participant violates any of the terms and conditions stated, the KIFF reserves the right, at its absolute discretion, to withdraw and cancel the film’s participation from its official program without bearing any responsibility.
Article 7:
Censorship:
Under any circumstances, the festival administration will not delete, alter, or edit any film in any way without the prior written consent of the rights holders.
