Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival

2019 Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival Rules & Regulations

The 3rd edition of the Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival (LACFF) adheres to the following rules and regulations. We invite applicants to read this document carefully before submitting their work, and contact the festival committee with any questions. Applicants who complete the registration process agree to the rules and terms outlined within this document. The Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival Committee reserves the right to make final decisions and interpretations for those cases not clearly described below.

1. MISSION STATEMENT

The purpose of the Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival (LACFF) is to identify and promote high-quality, Chinese culture-focused films; promote Chinese linguistic heritage filmmakers (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Chinese American, etc.); and foster cultural diversity. Through film screenings, panels, and social events; the Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival strives to advance the understanding of contemporary Chinese film culture in Los Angeles and North America, as well as the Chinese language community around the world by building a platform for Chinese filmmakers and North American audiences. By creating opportunities for cultural exchange and cooperation with outstanding international colleagues, the committee hopes that the festival will serve as a support structure in Los Angeles for independent Chinese cinema.

2. COMPETITION SECTION AND SCHEDULE

2.1. Competition Section

The competition section of this year's festival will be divided into five categories: narrative features, documentary features, narrative shorts, documentary shorts, and experimental & animation films. Each submission can only be considered for one competition section.

2.2. Registration and Competition Schedule

The call for entries begins on May 6th, 2019.

Early bird submission deadline: June 3rd, 2019
* Shorts: $10
* Features: $25
Regular submission deadline: July 1st, 2019
* Shorts: $25
* Features: $35
Extended submission deadline: July 21st, 2019
* Shorts: $35
* Features: $50

Finalists announced: September 2019

Note: All materials must be RECEIVED by the festival committee by the submission deadline above. All dates are based on the Pacific Time Zone on the West Coast of the United States.

3. RULES AND REGULATIONS

3.1. The Participating FilmsFilm Must Satisfy at least One of the Conditions Below

* The main language of the Participating Film is Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese, or any Chinese dialects);

* The creative team includes people of Chinese ethnicity/heritage (Ex: director, screenwriter, or the lead actor/actress). This includes people with ethnic backgrounds from Chinese-speaking regions such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore;

* The Participating Film’s content focuses on Chinese society, Chinese culture/heritage, or the lives of Chinese people/Chinese speaking people/people of Chinese heritage.

3.2. Participating Films Submitted Films Must Adhere to the Following Requirements

* Submissions must be for a film completed after Jan. 1, 2018;

* Submissions may include but are not limited to narrative, documentary, experimental, and animated films with no restriction on the theme or format. Applicants represent and warrant that his/her submission of the Participating Films does not and will not conflict with any of his/her commitments with third parties, or violate any applicable policies, laws and regulations including these in the United States of America. Applicants shall have the obligation to secure all clearances (including without limitation likeness and privacy and publicity rights clearance), with respect to the Participating Films and any chain of title thereof. In the event that a legal dispute or claim (such as a copyright infringement claim) arises in connection with the applicant’s Participating Film or the submission thereof at any time, prior to, during or after the LACFF, the applicants will assume full responsibility (including without limitation potential disqualification from LACFF and any other legal liabilities) and bear for themselves and for LACFF Parties (as defined below) all costs of the dispute including but not limited to legal fees. Applicants will indemnify and defend LACFF and its affiliates, directors, employees, agents, representatives and volunteers (“LACFF Parties”) against any loss, damage, claim or liability (including but not limited to legal fees) arising out of any exploitation of the Participating Film and any elements thereof;

* Participating Films submitted must be entirely original. Any plagiarism will result in disqualification. Applicants represent and warrant that they exclusively own the copyright and all right, title and interest in the Participating Film (including but not limited to concept, storyline, plot, theme, footage, and music), or have been duly authorized by the exclusive owner of the Participating Film (as evidenced by a letter of authorization in form and substance satisfactory to the LACFF Committee) to participate in LACFF and the festival's promotion, screenings, and other related activities;

* The Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival’s definition of a feature-length film is a film between 40 and 150 minutes, a short is 40 minutes or less, and there are no length restrictions for the experimental & animation category (the film length includes title and credits);

* Submissions are not required to have their world premiere at the Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival; but the submissions cannot be commercially released and distributed in California (including online distribution) and can not be released in full on any other online platforms during the Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival;

* As the final competition will take place in Los Angeles, CA, Participating Films must be subtitled in English. All segments with non-English dialogue must have English subtitles added to the final copy for the screening or the film will be disqualified. The costs of subtitling the film will be borne by the filmmaker (or filmmaking team);

* Every applicant may submit a maximum of three (3) films; however, each applicant must submit a separate application form and registration fee for each film entry;

3.3. Submission Guidelines

The 2019 Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival ONLY accepts submissions from FilmFreeway (For non-English speaking applicants, please refer to the FilmFreeway Submission Guidelines on the Chinese in Entertainment Wechat account: CIELosAngeles for instructions);

3.4 Notes:

* All materials submitted by applicants will not be returned. Please be sure to retain any original copies;

* Once a film has been successfully submitted, the festival committee typically no longer accepts new versions. If there are significant changes in registration information, please contact the festival committee at submit@lacff.org;

* If for technical reasons the applicant cannot submit video links or supporting materials (poster, set photos, etc.), please also contact the festival committee at submit@lacff.org. Please include the film’s title, the director’s name, and the film length in the email;

* Once registration for a film is complete, the registration fee will not be refunded.

4. EXHIBITION REQUIREMENTS

4.1. Additional Materials

Finalists must promptly provide the festival committee with the following additional relevant materials through FilmFreeway:

* One poster (60*90cm, 150dpi+, unless otherwise specified);

* One photo of the director (150dpi+, jpg.);

* Three to five set photos (150dpi+, jpg.);

* Cast and Crew list in a word/excel document (names should be in both Chinese and English if applicable, and must be consistent with the cast and crew in the film credits);
One trailer lasting 3 minutes or less (optional for shorts);

* Once a film is nominated by the festival, applicants need to prepare a digital copy of the film that meets the organizing committee’s standards of quality (a DCP without a lock code, or an Apple QuickTime ProRes 422.mov file) and an extra Blu-Ray copy for screening purposes. For the sake of screening quality, the programming committee will not accept DVDs. The final copy screened at the festival may not have significant differences from the preview submitted to the committee;

* As the final competition will take place in Los Angeles, CA, films must be subtitled in English. All segments with non-English dialogue must have English subtitles added to the final copy for the screening. The costs of subtitling the film will be borne by the filmmaker (or filmmaking team);

* Digital copies of the film must be sent to the programming committee by October 1st, 2019. The transportation fees and insurance costs will be borne by the applicant.

4.2. Authorization

* Once the applicant accepts the festival nomination, they may not withdraw from the competition. Otherwise, the festival reserves the right to pursue legal action.

* Finalists are required to give the programming committee the right to screen the film at least one time in the Los Angeles, CA metro area.

* Finalists are required to authorize the committee to use clips from the film (no more than 2 minutes) and related information (including screenshots, posters, stills, abstracts, trailers, etc.) on the festival's official website, radio, television, print media, social media, and other forms of media used to promote the festival;

4.3. Invitation to Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival

The nominated director and another representative from the team (producer, or another crew member) will be invited to Los Angeles, CA to attend a 3-day festival and other related activities including a post-screening Q&A with the audience and filmmakers’ forum and discussion panel. Finalists are independently responsible for obtaining a visa for travel to the U.S., travel expenses, and any travel insurance. The festival committee will, however, provide an official invitation letter to attend the festival.

4.4. Screening Fee

The Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival typically does not, and is under no obligation to offer any screening fee for nominated films. However, the festival committee will use its good faith efforts to provide travel and accommodation support for directors and producers who personally appear at the festival’s screenings of their selected films.

5. PROGRAMMING AND SELECTION

5.1. Initial Review

The festival committee will conduct a preliminary selection and classification of all entries. After the initial review of the entries by category, a selection committee set up by the organizing committee and comprised of industry insiders will deliberate, score, and nominate finalists.

5.2. Judging and Selection

The selection committee will nominate films to the professional contest judges (established filmmakers and film scholars from China and the U.S.), and the panel of judges will assess the films and exchange opinions. Finally, the organizing committee will gather the judges’ scores and feedback to determine the finalists and contest winners.

5.3. Competition Results

All winners will be announced during the closing ceremony of Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival. The festival committee will screen participating films in a manner of independence, openness, and fairness in accordance with its mission and professional standards.

6. CATEGORIES AND AWARDS

6.1. Award Categories

The Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival will be awarding prizes for the following categories:
* Best narrative feature
* Best documentary feature
* Best narrative short film
* Best documentary short film
* Best experimental/animation film
* Up-and-Coming Award
* Independent Spirit Award

The festival committee will adjust and revise the awards based on participating films in each category, and announce any updates along with the finalists. The festival committee retains the right to make changes to the competition categories, prizes, and awards.

2019 洛杉矶华语电影节
征片及评审规则

2019年洛杉矶华语电影节即日起开放征片，请报名者在提交影片前仔细阅读此规则，如有任何疑问，请及时与组委会联系。报名者完成报名手续即视为同意本规则中列举的各项规定和约定条款。对于未在本规则中说明的情况，洛杉矶华语电影节组委会有最终解释和决定权。

1. 电影节宗旨

挖掘优质华语影片及华语电影人，推广华语文化并促进文化多元性是洛杉矶华语电影节（Los Angeles Chinese Film Festival）的核心宗旨。通过电影展映及其他影展期间活动，洛杉矶华语电影节将努力推进洛杉矶和其他北美地区对当代华语电影文化，以及世界各地华语社会的认知。同时为华语电影人在北美搭建观众平台，创造与国际优秀同行的交流与合作机会，努力在洛杉矶打造一个支持华语独立影像创作的摇篮。

2. 单元设置及报名时间

2.1 竞赛单元设置
本届电影节竞赛部分将分为五个单元：剧情长片类、纪录长片类、剧情短片类、纪录短片类，实验及动画类。作品按单元参赛，每部影片仅可参加一个单元的评奖。

2.2 报名时间及费用
征片开始日期：2019年5月6日
早鸟截止日期：2019年6月3日（短片报名费用10美元，长片报名费用25美元）
常规截止日期：2019年7月1日（短片报名费用25美元，长片报名费用35美元）
延长截止日期：2019年7月21日（短片报名费用35美元，长片报名费用50美元）
入围名单公布：2019年9月

征片截止日期为洛杉矶华语电影节组委会收到所有材料的日期，非寄出日期。征片截止时间为洛杉矶时间当日晚上11：59，北京时间次日下午2：59。

3. 竞赛单元参赛规则

3.1. 参赛资格
满足以下任一条件的影片均有资格参赛：

- 影片主要语言为华语（包括普通话、粤语、以及华语社会少数民族语言等）;

- 影片题材关注华人世界，反映华人社会；

- 主创团队为华人或华裔（主创范围包括：导演、编剧、制片人以及男女主角）。

3.2. 参赛影片要求
- 参赛作品须需在2018年1月1日之后完成摄制；

- 参赛作品题材、内容、表现形式不限，但作品内容不得与美国法律法规和相关文化政策相抵触：参赛者（或团队）及影片相关单位有义务保证影片本身的合法性，在电影节征片及展映活动过程中，如发生有关参赛影片、报名者（团队）本身，或影片制作方的法律纠纷或诉讼（包括但不限于，侵权、使用违法内容等），参赛者（或团队）本身承担全部责任，并承担全部的相关费用（包括但不限于，诉讼费、律师费等）；

- 参赛作品必须保证原创性，报名者（或团队）须拥有参赛影片所使用素材（包括但不限于配乐，视频，照片，音效等）的全部版权或已取得原始版权方的有关允许参加电影节的宣传、展映和其他相关活动的书面授权。纪录素材应取得被拍摄者肖像权的授权许可。如参赛影片存在对第三方版权或其他权利（包括但不限于肖像权、隐私权、名誉权等）的侵权行为，一经发现并查证，组委会有权拒绝该作品参赛或者强制要求参赛作品退赛，一切法律责任由参赛者自行承担
；


- 参赛作品长片时长为40分钟及以上，短片时长为40分钟以下（时长包括完整片头片尾及演职人员字幕，实验及动画片型不限时长）；

- 洛杉矶华语电影节对参赛作品无影展首映限制；但参赛影片不能再在加州地区进行过商业上映和发行（包括商业网络发行），已经在网络平台进行公开展映的影片，或在准备在电影节期间在网络平台进行公开展映的影片不具备参赛资格。洛杉矶华语电影节影展期间，参赛作品不得在任何网络平台上公开发布全片；


- 由于电影节审片委员会及评审团来自不同国家，参赛作品的预览拷贝需配英语字幕，否则报名无效。

- 每位报名者可最多提交3部作品，每部作品均需单独提交报名表和报名费单独提交报名表和报名费；曾经投递过往届洛杉矶华语电影节的影片不具备参赛资格；


3.3. 报名及作品提交方式
2019年洛杉矶华语电影节将使用FilmFreeway作为电影节报名唯一通道 （洛杉矶华语电影节官网及微信公众号将发布FilmFreeway报名攻略帮助报名者顺利报名)；

3.4. 注意事项
- 报名者所提交的一切相关材料均不返还，请务必自留原件；

- 作品一旦成功提交，原则上组委会不再接受新的版本，如报名信息有重大改动，请及时与组委会联系 submit@lacff.org；

- 报名提交作品后，如因技术原因无法完成报名或无法上传剧照或海报等辅助资料，请将资料发送至组委会邮箱 submit@lacff.org。邮件请注明作品名，导演姓名和作品时长；

- 报名费缴纳后，影片未完成报名或退赛，报名费用概不退回。

4. 入围影片资料与授权要求

4.1. 入围影片资料
- 海报1张（如非特殊尺寸设计，普通竖幅海报尺寸要求为60*90cm，150dpi 以上）

- 导演照片 1 张（150dpi 以上，jpg 格式）

- 剧照 3-5 张（150dpi 以上，jpg 格式）

- 演职人员及制片信息名单（中英文双语，word/excel 格式，须与影片片头片尾演职人员名单一致）

- 影片预告片 1 支（3min 内，短片非必选）

- 可接受影片格式—无锁码 DCP、 Apple ProRes MOV. 文件、蓝光Blu-ray影碟。最终放映拷贝在内容上与预览拷贝不得有重大改变

- 入围作品最终放映拷贝非英语对白部分必须加入英文字幕

- 展映数字拷贝需在2019年10月1日之前送达至电影节组委会，拷贝的运输和保险费用由报名者承担

4.2. 入围影片授权
- 报名者一旦签字接受电影节组委会的入围邀请，除非发生3.2项所述的相关违约或侵权行为，被大赛组委会拒绝参赛或者强制要求退赛之外，参赛作品或报名者不可自行退出竟赛；

- 入围者需授权电影节组委会对其作品在美国洛杉矶市郡地区进行至少一次展映；

- 入围者需授权组委会使用其影片片段（长片不超过2分钟，短片不超过1分钟）及相关资料（包括但不限于，截图，海报，剧照，摘要，预告片等）进行以宣传为目的的非商业传播及后续的相关活动（包括但不限于在电影节官网、广播电视、平面媒体、社交媒体以及其他媒体上进行宣传报道）。

4.3. 电影节活动邀请
入围影片的导演（或指定的另一位代表，如制片人或其他主创成员）将受邀到美国洛杉矶地区参加为期三天的影展和其他相关活动，并通过放映后问答环节（Q&A）以及影人论坛与观众进行交流。入围选手需自行办理来美国的一切费用，包括但不限于签证，旅费、相关旅游保险等。组委会将提供官方邀请函。

4.4. 放映/展映费用
洛杉矶华语电影节原则上不对参赛影片提供任何放映费用，但会尽全力为导演及主创团队提供交通及住宿便利。

5. 参赛影片评审规则

5.1. 初审和入围评选
电影节组委会将对全部参赛作品进行初选和分类。之后由组委会成立的选片委员会（业内人士及参与过电影节选片的专业人士构成），对初筛后的影片按类别分组进行讨论打分，并评选出入围/展映作品。

5.2. 专业评奖
选片委员会将入围/展映影片送至大赛终审评委（中美电影人及知名电影学者构成），并组织评委进行审片和讨论，最终决定大赛各奖项归属。

5.3. 评选结果
所有奖项都将于电影节闭幕式揭晓。电影节组委会有依照电影节宗旨和时间安排筛选入围影片的权利，并将用程序保证专业评审的独立、公开和公正。

6. 奖项说明

6.1. 奖项设置
- 最佳剧情长片
- 最佳纪录长片
- 最佳剧情短片
- 最佳纪录短片
- 最佳实验及动画片
- 最具潜力新人导演
- 独立精神奖

电影节组委将保留竞赛单元、奖品及奖项设置最终更改权力。