PLANET LENS
Nature and sustainability International photo and film festival
Film Competition Call for Entries
(hereinafter referred to as "Call for entries")
I Objectives of the Festival
1.1 PLANET LENS Nature and Sustainability International Photo and Film Festival (hereinafter "PLANET LENS") is an international photo and film festival whose main objective is to present film and photographic works on the theme of nature, environment, climate, and sustainability.
1.2 PLANET LENS is a filmmaking competition (hereinafter "the Festival") that offers filmmakers from all over the world a platform and an opportunity to showcase their latest work. For the tenth year running, the Festival has been a showcase for filmmaking that explores climate change and the negative and positive impacts of human activities on nature. Of course, we welcome all such films in 2025, in addition to this year's featured (and specially awarded) category on biodiversity.
1.3 The purpose of this Call for Entries is to summarise the main conditions and rules for entering the Festival and the details of the application procedure. To participate, please read the following instructions carefully and meet the set deadlines.
II Description of the Festival
2.1 Venue: Veszprém 8200, Hungary.
2.2 Date: 15th – 18th May 2025
2.3 Organiser: Veszprém-Balaton 2023 Zrt. (hereinafter referred to as the "Organiser").
2.4 Key Supporters: Blue Planet Climate Protection Foundation; National Film Institute.
2.5 The film screenings are accompanied by other thematic programmes, including scientific discussions, networking events, and art exhibitions. Special emphasis is placed on photographs that showcase climate change and the relationship between humans and nature, illustrating their effects on each other.
2.6 The total value of the prizes to be awarded at the 2025 Festival is €12,000.The awards gala will take place at ActiCity Dance and Movement Arts Centre in Veszprém ( 1, Hóvirág u., Veszprém H-8200, Hungary) on 17th May 2025.
The Festival Jury (hereinafter: "Festival Jury") will always award prizes to the natural persons who created the work, without disregarding the importance of the institutional actors in the creation of a work. To this end, the prize to be awarded at the Festival will in all cases go to the director of the winning film.
III Entry Conditions
3.1 Who can apply: entries can be submitted by the film’s producer, director, or distributor, who is officially authorised to submit the work for entry (hereinafter: ″entrant” or ″eligible entrant”).
3.2 Each entrant can submit up to five (5) films, and each distributor can submit a maximum of ten (10) films. If multiple films are submitted by the same person or distributor, each entry must be registered separately.
3.3 Only films completed after 1st January 2023 are eligible for entry. All films must include English subtitles. At the Festival, all non-Hungarian language films will be screened with English and Hungarian subtitles, and Hungarian films will be screened with English subtitles.
3.4 Submissions are made via the Festival's Eventival system, and all entrants must register in the system.
https://vp.eventival.com/nfih/planet-lens-2025
3.5 A film work may be entered only once in the Festival, regardless of whether the entry is submitted by the distributor or any other rightholder. In the case of multiple entries, the film will be considered as one entry.
3.6 Extended submission deadline: 23.59 (CET, UTC+1), Friday, 7th March 2025
3.7 Submissions to the Festival are free of charge.
3.8 The Organiser reserves the right to review all submitted entries and to reject any submission or participation at its discretion.
3.9 Any film containing content that incites or promotes hatred or intolerance based on race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and/or disability; depicts racial images and/or racist stereotypes; includes graphic depictions of suicide; or portrays the sexualisation or nudity of minors (collectively, "Controversial Content") will be excluded from the competition.
3.10 Entrants are eligible to submit a film to the Festival only if they can demonstrate that they hold the necessary rights and licences for its use and submission to the Festival.
3.11 Entrants are held solely responsible for any claims, royalties, damages, or other demands made by third parties in connection with their submitted film. If a third party asserts copyright, personal, or other civil claims against the Organiser, the entrant is obligated to take full responsibility and indemnify the Organiser entirely from any such claims, including covering any damages or costs incurred by the Organiser.
3.12 If any third party asserts claims related to the possession, use, or other exploitation of the submitted films against the Organiser, the entrant is fully responsible for indemnifying the Organiser against all obligations or liabilities arising from such claims.
3.13 By submitting an entry, the Entrant agrees and expressly consents to the Organiser screening the film at the Festival (15th-18th May 2025) without any payment, and in this respect the Entrant expressly waives any right to any payment.
3.14 The Organiser reserves the right not to screen the film at the Festival.
3.15 The Organiser will contact the representatives of the films awarded at the Festival and will negotiate the possibility of their screening on MTVA's (Media Services and Support Trust Fund) television platforms. The screenings may only take place in Hungary within 60 days of the screening of the winning film at the Festival.
IV Eligible Films and Categories
4.1 Feature-Length Nature and Environmental Films
Feature-length films that were distributed in cinemas, broadcast on television, or released by a streaming service between 1st January 2023, and 15th January 2025, or that will premiere at the Festival between 15th and 18th May 2025. The maximum length of a film is 120 (one hundred and twenty) minutes.
4.2 Short Nature and Environmental Films
Short films that were distributed in cinemas, broadcast on television, or released by a streaming service between 1st January 2023 and 15th January 2025, or that will premiere at the Festival between 15th and 18th May 2025. The maximum length of a film is 30 (thirty) minutes.
4.3 Animated Nature and Environmental Films
Animated films that were distributed in cinemas, broadcast on television, or released by a streaming service between 1st January 2023 and 15th January 2025, or that will premiere at the Festival between 15th and 18th May 2025. The maximum length of a film is 120 (one hundred and twenty) minutes.
4.4 Films About the Natural Treasures of the Carpathian Basin
This category is exclusively for films that focus on the natural and cultural treasures of the Carpathian Basin. The maximum length of a film is 120 (one hundred and twenty) minutes. English is not compulsory for a film in the category Natural Treasures of the Carpathian Basin if the film is in Hungarian. In the case of non-Hungarian-language film works, film producers must provide English audio or subtitles.
V Festival Awards
1 Best Feature-Length International Nature and Environmental Film: Prize: €2,500
2 Best International Nature and Environmental Short Film: Prize: €1,500
3 Best International Animated Nature and Environmental Film: Prize: €1,500
4 Best Feature-Length Nature Film Showcasing the Natural Treasures of the Carpathian Basin: Prize: €2,500
5 Best Director Under 30 for a Film Showcasing the Natural Treasures of the Carpathian Basin: Prize: €1,500
6 Blue Planet Award – Best Film Reflecting the Festival’s 2025 Highlighted Theme (Biodiversity): Prize: €2,500
The Organiser informs the Entrants that any taxes and duties payable in connection with the Festival prizes are the responsibility of the prize winners, in accordance with the laws of the country of residence of the prize winner.
VI Selection and Evaluation
6.1 The submitted films will first be evaluated by a pre-selection committee, and the selected films will then be assessed by the Festival Jury.
6.2 The Festival Organiser reserves the right to reassign submitted films to categories or sections different from those originally submitted. Films previously submitted to the Festival in past years cannot be resubmitted, even if they have been significantly altered since their last submission.
6.3 One film may be entered in one category only
6.4 The Festival Organiser reserves the right to classify the entries in a category or section other than the category or section entered. Film works entered in previous years may not be re-entered, even if the film work has changed significantly since its last submission.
6.5 Required information during submission process:
· Submitter: name, email address, phone number
· Film details: original title, English title, completion date, country of production, runtime, language, synopsis in English (maximum 500 characters)
· Director(s): name, year of birth, nationality, email address, phone number, professional biography (maximum 500 characters)
· Contributors: names, email addresses, phone numbers of key contributors (directors, animation directors, cinematographers, editors, music editors, producers, distributors)
· Optional materials: trailer or film excerpt (up to 2 minutes, in the highest available resolution and file size)
· Stills: at least 3 scene images from the film (minimum 1920 x 1080 px, HD, 300 dpi)
· Subtitles: English subtitles in .srt format A viewing link (YouTube or Vimeo or other) and, if applicable, access (password). Please make certain to comply with character limits.
6.6 The pre-selection committee, composed of experts, will evaluate the submitted films and finalise the selection for the Festival programme by 13th February 2025. Entrants will be informed of the results electronically, primarily through Eventival.
6.7 Filmmakers of the films included in the programme will be provided with FTP contact details from 10th March to 15th April 2025, where they will be required to upload screening copies of their films.
6.8 Screening copies of the selected films must be submitted by 15th April 2025.
6.9 Screening copies should be submitted in the highest possible quality and size, meeting at least the following technical specifications:
· Format: Standard 24fps or 25fps DCP, ProRes 422, DNxHD, or at minimum H.264 mp4 at 20 Mbit/s
· Resolution: Minimum 1920x1080 (Full HD)
· SUBTITLES: .srt format If Hungarian subtitles are not available, the Festival will create Hungarian subtitles based on the English subtitles file provided by the film owner.
VII Other Provisions
7.1 By submitting a film work to the Festival, the film producer or the Entrant, with the consent of the film producer, expressly agrees that the Organiser may screen the submitted film work at various PLANET LENS venues during PLANET LENS without any charge and that the film parts (max. 2 minutes) may be used by the Organiser at various events and presentations (educational and exhibition screenings) and in various media (with reference to the film producer) for the non-commercial promotion of PLANET LENS. The Entrant expressly waives any right to remuneration under this Article.
7.2 The Festival does not pay screening fees or any other fees to the producer, rights holder, or submitter.
7.3 Any use of the film not mentioned in this call for entries must be agreed upon with the entrant.
7.4 All Festival programmes are free to attend, though the Festival may require prior registration.
7.5 The Organiser also reserves the right to make a password-protected copy of the film available to the pre-selection committee/jury members, selected members of the press, or selected professional visitors.
7.6 By submitting a film work, the Entrant confirms that he/she has all the necessary rights to screen the film work in public at the Festival.
VIII Accommodation and Travel
8.1 The Organiser will provide one night of accommodation in Veszprém for one representative per selected film and free accreditation for participation in the Festival's professional activities (e.g., conferences and meetings), subject to prior registration.
8.2 The Organiser will arrange return transfer for invited creators to and from Vienna or Budapest airport(s)/station(s) upon prior agreement.
IX Privacy Policy The processing of personal data throughout the process complies with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27th April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation), and Hungary's Act CXII of 2011 on the Right to Informational Self-Determination and Freedom of Information. Particular attention is given to the rights of individuals submitting entries. Please find a detailed privacy notice in Annex 1 on the following page. Please note that in the event that personal data are included in the Film Entries or in connection with which the Entrant provides the Organiser with personal data of additional persons (in particular, but not limited to, co-creators), the Entrant shall be responsible for the lawfulness of the processing of such data prior to their transmission to the Organiser and for the lawfulness of their transmission to the Organiser, and the Organiser shall not be liable for any damage resulting from any breach of this provision.
The Organiser will not be able to consider any film not in conformity with the Call for Entries.
X Contact
For questions and enquiries, do not hesitate to contact the organisers in English or Hungarian:
film.info@planetlens.hu.
