Medezfest - Children & Youth Film Festival

RULES AND TERMS

1. Submissions for MEDEZFEST, Youth & Children Film Festival are open to short films made for, by and about children.
2. If films are presented in their original language, they need to be accompanied with English subtitles.
3. Films must have been completed after 1st January 2022. Premiere status is not required.
4. Short film entries must NOT exceed a running time of 20 minutes.
5. Student films and videos must present proper documentations from their academic institution, example: academic ID of the director/producer or a letter of recommendation from an academic adviser or institution. Any films submitted as student film without proper identification will be disqualified in the category.
6. Student films must be submitted no later than two years after graduation.
7. Any changes to the rules will be at MEDEZFEST's discretion.
8. All entries must be submitted online via FilmFreeway.
9. All submissions are screened and evaluated by the MEDEZFEST Selection Committee.
10. Criteria for judging is based on creativity of visual images, production quality (without irrespective of the cost of production), originality of storytelling and entertainment value.
11. Submissions will be checked for their eligibility and judged only in their appropriate categories.
12. All Official Selections for each category will be announced on the MEDEFEST Section of the Official MEDEZFEST website.
13. Screenings of the Official Selections will be held at St. Catherine's Highschool
14. Awards Awarding Ceremony will be held at Green Room, Pjazza Teatru Rjal, Valletta and the winning films will be screened
15. Film submissions must not include graphic violence, excessive profanity, racial hatred, anti-LGBTQ+ content, nudity, political propaganda, or conspiracy-theory–based documentaries.
16. We warmly encourage filmmakers to submit work that demonstrates discernment and curiosity—stories that ask thoughtful questions, documentaries grounded in scientifically proven facts, and narratives that celebrate diversity, promote unity, and foster respectful dialogue across communities.

SCREENING
1. All official selections are included in the festival programme for exhibition.
2. MEDEZFEST reserves the right to choose other shortlisted films to be screened in the film festival.
3. The filmmakers and/or production companies must provide MEDEZFEST a copy of their films for screening at least 15 working days prior to festival. This is to make sure the festival has enough time to check for any technical concerns that may occur and resolve them prior to the screening.
4. If sending DCPs, the sender is requested to inform MEDEZFEST on the means of dispatch and the date of shipment. Postage or shipment costs are the responsibility of the sender. No collect costs are accepted unless authorised by the MEDEZFEST.
5. All screening formats can be received by participants during the festival screening.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR EXHIBITION
1. All films must be of standard cinema aspect ratio and resolution (Square Pixels 1.0).
Flat:1.85:1 2K (1998x1080) or 4K (3996x2160) Scope: 2.39:1 2K (2048×858) or 4K
(4096x1716)
2. HD format is possible, but the filmmakers/producer must give MEDEZFEST the rights to re-format it for screening purposes. HD quality digital copy of the film in Quicktime (Pro Res 422) if applicable.
3. H264 (MP4) files can be accepted provided the images are of great quality.

OTHER AGREEMENTS
1. MEDEZFEST is hereby granted the rights to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted for promotional purposes of the festival.
2. The filmmakers and/or the production company allow MEDEZFEST to use their film’s Press Kit for promotional purposes.
3. The submission of any films to the festival means that the filmmakers and/or the production company agree without any reservation to all the rules and regulations of MEDEZFEST.