Rules and Terms & Conditions
GENERAL RULES OF SUBMISSION
The OFFICIAL COMPETITION section is open to filmmakers from India or from the Indian diaspora worldwide as well as films with Indian content.
Films must have been completed in 2022 or later.
Feature films must be 60 minutes minimum. Medium-length films are between 30 and 60 minutes. Short films must be 30 minutes maximum. Please note that feature length and medium-length films will be grouped together, whereas the short films will be grouped apart.
Applicants may submit more than one entry. A separate submission form must accompany each submission.
To be eligible, all films must comply with the following:
• Films must have been completed after May 1, 2022.
• Films must not have been released in Canada (NO ticketed public theatrical exhibition, DVD, television broadcast, Internet release or streaming).*
• Non-English language works must have English subtitles.
• For expediency purposes, films screeners are to be made available for the selection process through an upload link from CineSend requesting your Digital Cinema Package (DCP) (please see detailed instructions attached). NO DVD or Blu-ray will be accepted by the selection committee. See below “Submission Material” for other requirements.
• If your film is selected, you will be required to provide a DCP. Instructions will be sent with confirmation of selection.
• Also, PROGRAM AND PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL must be provided: a press kit with press reviews (if available), full synopsis, full credits, film stills, trailer or film clips**, posters, as well the director’s bio and the director’s headshot.
• *OIFFA reserves the right to invite recently released films.
• **Trailer or film clips: if your film is selected, you will be required to send a file (.mov or MP4) and/or a downloadable link of the trailer (or film clips) to be used on the OIFFA website and OIFFA YouTube channel, for promotional purposes (see below) and for jury needs.
All applications must be received by February 28, 2023 (EST).
All applicants will be notified of the result via email by April 1, 2023, at the latest. Program and promotional material must be sent upon notification of official selection, NO LATER THAN April 15.
SUBMISSION MATERIAL
Submission form must be accompanied by the following:
• Film stills (JPEG)
• Trailer or film clips, full HD (1920 × 1080): file (.mov or MP4) and/or downloadable link
• Film posters (JPEG)
• Director’s statement (max. 100 words)
• Director’s bio (max. 300 words) and headshot
FILMMAKER’S AGREEMENT
If your work is selected, you, as the participant, certify that:
- you are authorized to submit this film for consideration to OIFFA 2023;
- your film is eligible for this Festival and that it is in full compliance with the Rules and criteria set forth in this document.
Furthermore, you agree to:
- NOT withdraw the film from the Festival once it has been accepted;
- NOT have another screening of the film in Canada before OIFFA 2023†;
- GRANT OIFFA permission to use the trailer, film stills and all other press materials submitted for promotional purposes;
- PROVIDE, if accepted, a high quality DCP file for the jury’s consideration, by April 15, 2023, at the very latest.
- BE AVAILABLE online for any other Festival requirements, such as interviews or presentations, or film-related events as arranged by OIFFA.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
1. OIFFA may accept late submissions in its sole and absolute discretion. The Festival may also invite certain films and filmmakers, at its sole and absolute discretion.
2. † OIFFA’s selection committee reserves the right to invite films that have been screened in Canada prior to OIFFA 2023, but NOT in Ottawa, at its sole and absolute discretion.
3. All selection decisions are at the sole and absolute discretion of OIFFA, and are final and unreviewable. OIFFA is not required to provide any feedback, comments or reasons, or any other information, regarding the selection or non‐selection of any submitted film or the process by which films are or have been selected. OIFFA is not responsible or liable for its selection decisions; for the contents of any internal comments or feedback regarding the film that are or may be obtained from the applicant or anyone else; for any communications by any representative of OIFFA relating to the film or the Festival selection process; for the manner in which the film shall be, is or was considered and reviewed; or for any failure on the part of the Festival to provide the applicant or anyone else with information concerning OIFFA’s consideration and/or review of the film.
4. OIFFA will appoint a jury of professionals who have the appropriate qualifications to judge the works, in their sole discretion. Films will be considered in accordance with the official selection criteria, as follows:
• Creativity
• Originality
• Relevance
• Excellence of execution
5. The jury is not limited in the number of prizes it can award, and there is no guarantee that the jury will award a prize if its members do not feel that the work is of the quality required. They may also decide to add criteria in their appreciation.
6. If OIFFA is made aware of any concerns that a film does not constitute the original work of the applicant, then OIFFA has the right to contact the applicant and ask for evidence of the contrary. After careful consideration of said evidence, OIFFA’s decision to allow the film to remain in the official selection or not is in its sole discretion and is final.
7. OIFFA reserves the right to rule, in its sole discretion, on cases and situations not foreseen by these Terms.
8. By submitting a film, the applicant represents that he or she has obtained consent from any and all owners, creators, writers, producers and/or other authorized representatives of the film whose consent is required to submit the film to OIFFA and screen the film at the Festival, and has read, understood and agreed to the Terms.
9. OIFFA’s programming organization is subject to change from year to year and its programming of the selected films is in its sole and absolute discretion.
10. All participants acknowledge that the Festival may be sponsored by one or more commercial partners (“sponsors”), as designated by OIFFA. By entering the Festival, the applicant agrees for OIFFA and any sponsor to have rights to use their film, in particular in the event that it is a winning film, for commercial and/or promotional purposes relating to OIFFA 2023 or a future OIFFA event.
11. All participants agree that they shall not feature any sponsor branding whatsoever without prior written consent of the sponsor.
12. All participants release OIFFA, sponsors and their affiliates, partners and employees from any and all liability, claims, demands, and causes of action for third-party claims (including intellectual property claims), personal injury and/or damage, theft, or loss suffered in connection with this Festival or the use or acceptance of the prize or any portion thereof.
13. OIFFA reserves the right to suspend, cancel or amend the promotion and/or review and revise these Terms at any time without giving prior notice and by continuing to take part in the official selection subsequent to any revision of these Terms, applicants shall be deemed to have agreed to any such new or amended terms. Additionally, Festival management reserves the right to decide all questions not specifically provided for in the regulations.
14. If any provision of these rules is held invalid by any court of law or similar, such invalidity shall not affect the enforceability of any other provisions not held to be invalid.
15. The Rules and Terms & Conditions are subject to Canadian law and any dispute that is not resolved by consultation between the parties shall be referred to the courts of Ontario, Canada.
16. PARTICIPATION IN THE 2023 OIFFA EDITION IMPLIES UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS & CONDITIONS.
For any enquiries, please contact OIFFA at films@oiffa.com.
