Films submitted for the short film competition must meet all the following seven criteria. PLEASE NOTE: All questions of the custom form must be answered. Please refer to the regulation details below for further info.
1. The film has to have its GERMAN PREMIERE at LUCAS: It has not been presented before in a German festival or at other public events in Germany.
2. The film is not available for free or paid public viewing on the Internet, social media included.
3. Only films which have been produced between 2021 and 2023 are eligible.
4. Only entries that can provide a DCP screening copy with English subtitles will be accepted.
5. The submission link must also provide English subtitles.
6. The running time of the film may not exceed 30 minutes.
7. Only entries with answers to the custom form will be taken into consideration.
The entry fee for all short films is 10$. Productions from countries listed as Least Developed Countries by the United Nations Committee for Development Policy are eligible to apply for an entry fee waiver (ref. to the list here: https://unctad.org/topic/least-developed-countries/list). To apply for the entry fee waiver code for productions from LDC, please contact lucas-info@dff.film and provide production details. Entry fees will not be refunded, neither in case of the film being entered on different platforms, the film being selected nor not selected.
REGULATION DETAILS
1. LUCAS – International Festival for Young Film Lovers highlights in its program innovative films both in form and content. We are looking for outstanding productions which appeal to young film lovers of various ages. This includes films made specifically for young audiences as well as films on account of their form and content. LUCAS is organized by DFF – Deutsches Filminstitut & Filmmuseum (Schaumainkai 41, 60596 Frankfurt).
2. The 46th LUCAS – International Festival for Young Film Lovers will take place in Frankfurt and the Rhein-Main region, Germany, from Oct 5 to 12, 2023. The festival is open for a wide range of fiction, documentary, animation, experimental and hybrid films. The films will be shown in competition, out of competition and in special programs.
3. Films submitted for the short film competition must meet the following criteria:
+ The film has not been presented before in a festival or at other public events in Germany and is not available for free or paid public viewing on the internet.
+ Only films which have been produced between 2021 and 2023 are eligible.
+ Only entries that can provide a DCP screening copy with English subtitles will be accepted. The submission link must also provide English subtitles.
4. A selection committee chooses films for the competition. The selection process will not be public and there is no legal right to enter the competition.
5. Filmmakers will be notified per mail and the platform if their film is selected, films that are not selected will be notified via filmfreeway only.
6. The awards are decided upon by various international juries. The juries in the competitions 8+ and 13+ consist of children and teens as well as film professionals. The jury 16+ | Youngsters consists only of adolescents and young adults. The jury’s decision is final, and the jury does not need to justify their decisions.
Awards:
+ Awards for Best Feature Film in the age category 8+ (5.000 €) and 13+ (5.000 €)
+ Awards for the Best Short Film in the age category 8+ (2.000 €) and 13+ (2.000 €)
+ Award for an Outstanding Cinematic Achievement | age category 13+ (2.000 €)
+ LUCAS Youngsters Award | age category 16+ | Youngsters (5.000 €)
Moreover, LUCAS bestows the unendowed Audience Award as well as the award of the European Children’s Film Association (ECFA).
7. Awards and prize money will be donated to the directors of the winning films.
8. After a film’s entry into competition has been publicly announced, a withdrawal of the film is no longer possible.
9. Films will only be screened in their original language with English subtitles. Selected short films in competition may be translated into German for voice-over by the festival.
10. The festival acknowledges that for each film the LUCAS regulations authorize a total of no more than 400 viewers.
11. The deadline for entering short films is May 1, 2023. By then the selection committee must have received the film via FilmFreeway or online link, as well as the completed online form.
12. A DCP/print of the film is to be sent only after an official invitation. The DCP/film print of the selected film must arrive at least 10 days before the festival starts.
13. Unless negotiated otherwise, license providers of selected films will take care of the shipping costs (transport, insurance and customs) of the DCP and/or QT ProRes to LUCAS. LUCAS will take care of the costs for the shipment to the next destination (either another festival or return to the license provider). The festival retains a copy of the film in the festivals archive.
14. The festival covers the insurance of the DCPs/film prints while they are on location in Frankfurt, from their arrival until they are given back to the shipper.
15. Only the rights holder or his representative can enter a film.
16. Entering a film equals the acceptance of the festival’s regulations.
17. The management of the festival is authorized to change the festival’s regulations in special cases.
