REGULATIONS
X Russian-British Sochi International Film Festival & Awards IRIDA (SIFFA)
The Russian-British Sochi International Film Festival and Awards IRIDA (hereinafter - Festival) is held as per the Main Events Plan in the Russian Federation and in the UK and recognized as international competitive feature film festival.
Festival Goals and Objectives:
• Promote outstanding Russian films in Russia, United Kingdom and on the internationally
• Promote outstanding British films in Russia
• Support in establishing partnerships between Russian and British filmmakers, as well as Western European film creatives
• Involve Russian and non-Russian filmmakers in depicting Russian society and everyday life objectively
• Assist Russian filmmakers in bringing original ideas and projects to fruition
• Provide opportunities for emerging Russian and British filmmakers to participate in international film festivals
• As part of young professionals’ exchange, create conditions conducive to artistic cooperation between Russian and British filmmakers, as well as Western European film creatives
• Promote the city of Sochi as world-class film festival and centre of culture in Europe and worldwide
• Support for young talented filmmakers as well as veterans of the Russian filmmaking industry
SIFFA Management shall be the highest body responsible for preparing and holding the Festival (hereinafter - SIFFA Management). SIFFA Management, with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Krasnodar Krai and the Administration of the Resort City of Sochi, provides organizational, financial, logistical, informational and all other support for all Festival needs.
Festival Program:
Main Competition; Documentary Competition; Short Film Competition;
Out of Competition Section; Retrospectives; Russian and British and Other International Film Section. Master Classes. Creative evenings. Exhibitions. Concerts.
Competition Rules:
Those interested in submitting an entry to the Russian-British Sochi International Film Festival and Awards must notify SIFFA officially. Decisions on SIFFA submissions are made by the Selection Committee.
The Committee's official selection decisions for films submitted via PayPal will be posted on the site no later than the Festival's official press-conference date.
Only films that have not been publicly screened in the Russian Federation prior to the Festival are eligible for the Festival’s competition program. However, SIFFA Management may select films previously screened in the country due to the pandemic situation for the filmmaking.
Festival screening schedule is determined by SIFFA Management. Each film will be screened during the Festival a maximum of two times, including press screenings.
Competition programs include only feature, short films and documentaries that finished production after November 2020.
Preference is given to world and international premieres.
A minimum of 12 films will be included in the Sochi International Film Festival Awards’ Main Competition Program: 6 Russian (1 or 2 from the CIS countries, Baltic states and Georgia) and 6 British (1 or 2 films from other countries that satisfy the strict criteria of the regulations). The number of participants from Russia and the United Kingdom has to prevail, but without being detrimental to the quality of the film festival.
A minimum of 7 films will be included in the Sochi International Film Festival & Awards’ Documentary Competition Program: a minimum of 3 Russian (1 or 2 from the CIS countries, Baltic states and Georgia) and a minimum of 3 British (1 or 2 films from other countries that satisfy the strict criteria of the regulations).
A minimum of 7 films will be included in the Sochi International Film Festival & Awards’ Short Film Competition Program: a minimum of 3 Russian (1 or 2 from the CIS countries, Baltic states and Georgia) and a minimum of 3 British (1 or 2 films from other countries that satisfy the strict criteria of the regulations). Maximum length of films in this program is 30 minutes.
Submissions to the Festival's competition programs are accepted in quality digital format (file, HDD, USB drive).
Films can be submitted online or on a DVD.
Demonstration copies of the Festival competition films must be in the language of the original and have English-language subtitles if the original language is not English.
Copies of Festival competition films shall be provided to SIFFA Management no later than October 7, 2022.
Films that are part of the out-of-competition contemporary film program may not have been publicly screened within the Russian Federation before the Festival.
The rest of the films shall be in their original format - on 35-mm film or in quality digital format (file, HDD, USB drive). For films in the original language and with English-language subtitles quality digital format is preferred (file, HDD, USB drive) if the original language is not English.
The films shall be submitted to SIFFA Management no later than October 7, 2022.
All conditions and deadlines shall be strictly adhered to, otherwise the SIFFA Management reserves the right to exclude the film from the Festival program.
How to submit your film to the Festival:
If you are interested in participating in the Festival’s competition program please fill out the form and submit it for SIFFA Management's consideration online as stipulated on the site:
The entry form for every film confirming attendance at SIFFA must be received by SIFFA Management no later than July 10, 2022.
The following documents shall also be submitted to SIFFA Management:
• Full text of the film in the original language as well as in one of the following languages: Russian, English;
• Subtitle cue sheet in English;
• Synopsis, marketing materials, press kit;
• Trailer and shots from the film;
• Materials to be included in the catalogue (information about film creators, pictures, including the picture of the director, film slides).
Film Festival Participant Lodging and Travel
Festival guests’ attendance is stipulated in their personal invitations.
Accreditation applications shall be submitted to SIFFA Management no later than July 10, 2022.
Questions relating to guest invitations, duration and conditions of their festival stay and accreditation are at SIFFA Management's discretion.
SIFFA Management will prepare a description of Festival participants’ lodging, food and transportation per accepted categories: *****, ****, ***.
Festival Jury:
An 11-person International Competition Program Jury (Big Jury) will be convened, consisting of prominent film industry members from Russia, Great Britain and other well-known figures of global cinema and art world.
Main Competition Program will be judged by a five-person jury;
Documentary Competition Program will be judged by a three-person jury;
Short Film Competition Program will be judged by a three-person jury.
SIFFA Management will fund the Big Jury's accommodation in Sochi as well as its lodging expenses.
Final Rules
Participation in the Festival requires adherence to all the provisions of these Regulations. In case of any dispute relating to the Regulations the SIFFA Management has the right to resolve all the issues not covered by these Rules in accordance with the FIAPF's International Film Festival Rules and Regulations.
No changes in the competition program are allowed after application submission. Forms and applications not filled out correctly (errors in the title, last or first name of the director, screenwriter, actor, etc.) will result in mistakes in the certificates.
After submitting the entry and the supporting documents by email, the applicants must contact SIFFA Management to confirm receipt.
ATTENTION
By submitting your film, you agree that the film becomes publicly accessible. SIFFA Management is not responsible for your intellectual property.
Tenth Sochi International Film Festival Head Office address:
Moscow, Obruchev Street, Building 1, 83
