RAMSGATE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, THE FESTIVAL WHERE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ARE A MATTER OF FACT!

BIFA accredited. Set in England's Royal Harbour, and the stunning location to multiple award winning and acclaimed TV and Film productions, the 8th Ramsgate International Film Festival will show new works and help promote film makers and cultural awareness. It has become the largest of its kind in the South East and one of the fastest growing festivals in the UK.

Our screenings are complemented by an international programme of unique events and seminars, with high profile industry professionals.

We are honoured and proud that our Patron, BAFTA, Globe and Cannes Best Actress Winner and Oscar-nominated Brenda Blethyn, will select the best feature film by a first time Director, and will be joined by Award winning guests. Past Jury members have included Nick Broomfield, Jimmy Akingbola, Andy Mayson (Altitude Films), Dee Anderson, James Payton (Harry Potter saga), Tatyana Yakovleva,...

2024 will celebrate 8 years of screening high quality films and taking care of their film-makers. A beautiful bronze Anchor is awarded to the Best Film of the festival, as well as other prizes including the Brenda Blethyn special award for Best First Feature. Screenings will take place in and around Ramsgate. With the backdrop of the stunning Royal Harbour, unique in the UK, Ramsgate also offers festival goers the opportunity to explore the area rich in culture, maritime heritage and historic architecture, as well as enjoying its waterside and cafés. The Vikings, Romans and early Christians, all first came to the UK via Ramsgate’s coast. Now, travelling by high speed train, London can be reached in 66 minutes and Paris and Brussels are only 2 hours 45 minutes away.

The Ramsgate International Film Festival also features Discussion Panels with prominent industry representatives and special curated programmes promoting international cinema.

Disability and accessibility are at the forefront of the festival's pre-occupations and talks / events will be presented to support the community. If you are disabled and have problems submitting your film, you can reach out to us on www.ramsgateiftvfest.org.

ANCHOR AWARDS

Best of Fest (Bronze Statuette) - Dominic Grant Award
Best First Time Feature Director - Brenda Blethyn Award
Best Narrative Feature
Best Documentary Feature
Best Animation Feature
Best Experimental Feature
Best Director
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Local Film (Kent)
Best Narrative Short
Best Documentary Short
Best Animation Short
Best Experimental Short
Best Web Series Pilot

Audience Award: Best Feature
Audience Award: Best Short

The Dominic Grant Trophy is a solid bronze Anchor statuette crafted by the local and internationally renowned artist.

RIFFEST is also aiming to collaborate with local emerging and established artists, to present each winning filmmaker with an original especially commissioned work of art + more prizes.

RAMSGATE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The 8th Ramsgate Film Festival will take place in Ramsgate from June 25th to 30th, 2024.

Films must be submitted via online screener ONLY.
We do not normally accept subsequent cuts or more complete versions of submitted films, therefore changing or updating the originally submitted link is likely to invalidate your submission. However, please communicate with us and we will try to accommodate you if possible.

Submission Eligibility
- All submissions must have been completed after 1 January 2022,
- Ramsgate International Film Festival requires England South East Premiere and preferably UK Premiere, however not mandatory.
Running time:
Feature film: min. 40 min
Short film: max. 39 min
Web series: max. 30 min worth of episodes
TV pilot: max. 50 min

The submitter agrees on behalf of the Film’s Owners that, by submitting the Film to RIFFEST, to grant the irrevocable right to view and/or download all digital assets associated with the Film, including, but not limited to, any representation of the Film in the form of video files, still images, assets streamed via the Internet, and/or all other assets and information provided by the Applicant on the application. In the case of online screenings, all digital assets referenced above shall remain active and accessible by the Festival until the conclusion of the Festival on June 30th, 2024. Any dissemination of these materials, incidental or otherwise, shall not be the responsibility of the Festival or any related parties.

Screenings are scheduled at the discretion of RIFFEST. Whilst every effort will be made to adhere to the published schedule, RIFFEST reserves the right to make changes at any time for any reason. RIFFEST will not be liable for any costs claimed as a result of a change in scheduling.
No film may be withdrawn from the festival programme after its selection.

Each filmmaker with a film selected to be screened at the Ramsgate International Film Festival 2024, will receive two festival passes. More passes can be given but it is discretionary. A festival pass gives free access to all screenings and talks throughout the festival (but not special meals)

Screening Package:
Your screening package must arrive by 30 April 2024, NO LATER.

Some venues require a DCP, others a file. Please provide your film to us for screening in format requested:

1. DCP at 24fps or 25fps with the original source material being at least 1080p resolution
2. .mov or .mp4 file at 24fps or 25fps in at least 1080p resolution
3. a link to download a .mov or .mp4 at 24fps or 25fps in at least 1080p resolution

Cost of shipping DCPs and other materials to and from the Festival are the filmmakers' responsibility. Attending filmmakers may collect their DCP or material at the event after the screening.

Once programming has been established, if DCP is required (depending on venue) and the filmmaker does not have a DCP, the Festival can arrange for a DCP to be created from a .mov or .mp4 at 24fps or 25fps in at least 1080p resolution, at the cost of UKP 50 for a short film or UKP120 for a feature film including shipping back after the event, if the filmmaker did not collect it then.

Please note that the same deadline, 30 April 2024 applies to digital downloads as to shipped media and that all transfers must be completed in time. An email address to send your digital file will be supplied on acceptance of your film.

If you are providing a DCP, subtitles must be burnt in to the image, not supplied as a separate data stream.

Please do not encrypt your DCP. If you send us one, we will ask for an unencrypted version. If you are unable to supply this, we will be unable to screen your film.

Surround sound audio is much preferred, but not obligatory.

DVDs will not be accepted.

If not already included with your FilmFreeway submission package, please send us high-resolution stills from your film, poster, synopsis, and biographies from key cast and crew, together with a link to a trailer if you have one.

SHIPPING OF FILMS

The address to which you will be asked to ship your film will be provided upon selection.

In case of a DCP hard drive, the full cost of transport, including customs fees and insurance, as well as the return freight, must be borne by the producer or their authorised representatives.

All shipments must be sent prepaid. Shipments sent through international courier services must clearly indicate on their waybill that all costs for duties and taxes are to be billed to the sender.
All shipments from outside the European Single Market must obtain customs clearance before being imported into the United Kingdom. For this purpose, all said shipments must have three copies of proper customs documentation (i.e. commercial invoice) included with the courier waybill, providing all the required information. If you are shipping via international post, please affix a customs declaration label to the outside of the package.

When filling out shipment or customs forms, please assign the package a value that does not exceed 10 euros or 10 dollars and state on the envelope: “No commercial value, for cultural purposes only”.

The sender should inform the festival beforehand by e-mail at info@ramsgateiftvfest.org of the title of the film, the date and means of shipment and the shipment number or airway bill number.

By submitting your film, you grant Ramsgate International Film Festival (RIFFEST) the nonexclusive right to use footage, stills and/or titles and information from the film, as well as your name, photograph, and likeness in connection with any and all publicity and promotional activities regarding RIFFEST prior to, during, and/or after the festival.
RIFFEST may use images, sounds and excerpts from the films for promotional purposes in all media including the website and may present accepted films at any 2024 RIFFEST event.
• Please DO NOT send film prints, master tapes, primary hard drives, DVD Masters or other irreplaceable original media.
• RIFFEST is not responsible for any materials that are lost or damaged.
• The entrant shall release, discharge, indemnify and hold harmless RIFFEST, and its agents, respective officers, directors, employees, representatives, contractors, partners, sponsors, and volunteers from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, costs and expenses (including, without limitations, legal fees).
• The entrant warrants that he/she is the sole and exclusive owner(s) of all legal right and title thereto have absolute authority to submit the enclosed material to RIFFEST.
• By entering, the applicant agrees that all information is true and correct and agrees to all festival rules and guidelines.

Filmmakers accepted and attending the Festival are responsible for travel and all other expenses. Details of local accommodation are available on www.visitramsgate.co.uk. You will also find a link on our website www.ramsgateiftvfest.org.

Finally, thank you for submitting your film to Ramsgate International Film Festival 2024 and good luck!

With best wishes,

Sylvie Bolioli (Festival Director)

BY SUBMITTING THEIR FILMS, FILMMAKERS AGREE TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS ABOVE

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Rob Sharp

    Although we couldn’t attend, I loved everything about RIFF ❤️
    Can’t thank Sylvie enough for what she did for us and to screen Good Grief at a festival with such beautiful values was amazing. Lovely festival which I hope to submit to again. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    October 2023
  • Aliaksandra Markava

    ❤️This is one of the friendliest, most interesting and fun film festivals I've been to! A very beautiful and atmospheric place! The Royal Port is magnificent! Great movies, famous actors and directors, and most importantly - a lot of new friends and happy memories😍😍😍
    Thanks to the organizers for showing my film to the audience, and thanks to the jury for the award🙏 Thank you very much to the entire festival team! ❤️❤️❤️

    August 2023
  • Song-yeon Ha

    Thank you for all the staff at RIFF. It was a fantastic experience

    July 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you for a fabulous film! 😊

  • A great film festival! I was delighted that my short animated film 'Clowning Around' was selected for screening here!

    July 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Robert! 😊

  • We had a wonderful screening at this little festival. The events put on for filmmakers made it feel like a very special and welcoming place. Huge thanks to Sylvie and the team for all their efforts.

    July 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you very much Dave! 😁