SIFCA - 20th to 28th September 2024

Set along the beautiful Greek Riviera, south of Athens, the Saronikos International Festival of Creative Arts (SIFCA) is a platform celebrating the diversity of craft and technical departments that come together within the film and TV industry to create the magic we see on screen. Throughout the last week of September, fantastic professionals from many artistic disciplines and from all over the world will join us and let you into all their secrets in masterclasses and workshops in various fields. Attending the Festival will not only give the participants the possibility to network and share their experience with like-minded people, but it will also give them the possibility to visit one of the most beautiful places in the world, full of history, beautiful beaches, amazing towns - first of all Athens -, and appreciate fantastic food.

SIFCA is dedicated to nurturing talent and fueling creativity in the performing arts and creative industries. Each year, we strive to introduce new and unusual competitions that offer individuals a platform to showcase their talents and challenge themselves. We are also very proud to have started competitions dedicated to the film crafts. While there are many awards for the various departments, best production design, best score and so on, we have never seen a competition engaging the artist to create a project from scratch starting from a brief. We think this is a way to show the audience the kind of expertise needed for each craft. They will not see the final product, but the steps of the process.

For the third edition of SIFCA in 2024, there will be more of everything: more performances and screenings, more masterclasses and workshops and more networking.
Updates are published on our social media and website.

In the 2023 edition we had the LET BE S.M.A.R.T. Short Film & Documentary Competition which has been won by ‘The Elephant in the Room’ by Indian filmmaker Nila Madhab Panda with a very original story with an important message of respect for nature, mixing in a smooth way live action and animation. The short script competition has been won by Dutch writer Helga Smit with ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’, a thought-provoking story about bullying told in a very visual and powerful way. We had many fantastic submissions and decided to give two Honorable Mentions to ‘The Human Experience’ by Judah Ray and ‘Minus One Plus’ by George Henry Sirois. The Production Design Competition and the winner is British Art Director Eve Martin who submitted ​​ the strongest & most cogent response to the brief. An Honourable Mention was given to Lucy Gullon.

SIFCA is organised by the 529 CLUB and Webra Group with the collaboration of the Women's International Group South (WIGS), Young Volunteers in Action and the support of the local Municipality. The 529 Club started in 2009 in Pinewood Studios in the UK as a monthly informal networking club for creative people in the UK Film and Media industry; it currently has 10.5k members globally. A big happy, creative family!

Follow us online:

WEBSITE: www.SIFCA.gr
IG: @sifca.gr
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/SIFCA.GR

529 CLUB https://www.529club.co.uk/ - IG @529.club
CLUBHOUSE: https://www.clubhouse.com/club/529-club-creatives
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/groups/529club
Clubhouse @529ClubCreatives

WEBRAGROUP: http://webragroup.com

Awards & Prizes

PLEASE READ THE GUIDELINES FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION.

Here are this year's competitions
Let's Be S.M.A.R.T. Short Film and Documentaries Award (Winner €1,000)
SIFCA Short Screenplay Award (Winner €500)
SIFCA Short Animated Film Award (Winner €500)
SIFCA Playwright Award (The winning script will be performed at the Fokaia open-air Amphitheatre by professional actors during the SIFCA closing ceremony on Saturday the 28th of September)
SIFCA Animatic Award (Winner €100)
SIFCA VFX Award (Winner €100)
SIFCA Pitch Deck Award (Winner €100)
SIFCA Set Photographer Award (Winner €100)

Rules & Terms

GENERAL RULES AND TERMS
Applicants understand that submission of their work allows the Festival and affiliated organisations to use their selected work for screening, education and publicity purposes related to the Festival. The submission fee is not refundable. If the film is selected for the Festival, the submitting party must bear all shipping and postage costs for all materials sent to and returned from SIFCA. Digital files are preferred. All submissions must be in English. Any film that is not in English must have English subtitles. SIFCA will create Greek subtitles for the selected films and applicant must provide srt files.
At least Full HD resolution is requested for the screenings. The festival dates are subject to change. SIFCA Awards are in digital form, as a signed PDF, to respect the environment. The physical trophy is optional and available upon request and a fee.

THE JURY
Our Judging Team comprises international professionals from diverse fields of the creative industry, tasked with selecting the best films, projects, and artists across all categories. Updates will follow.

DATA PROTECTION
We will use any personal data that you submit to us as part of the details of your submission to evaluate your submission. We will store your data to contact you about future festivals and events that you may be interested in from either ourselves or third parties. We will also use your data as part of our internal surveys to assess the submissions. You are in control of your data and should you wish to delete your data, you may request for us to do this at any time. Asking us to delete your data before the end of the festival will withdraw your submission from the festival and no refunds will be given. To withdraw consent to use your data and delete it from our systems, please email us with your request.

INDEMNIFICATION
By submitting your project to SIFCA, you confirm that you have the rights or have secured all necessary rights and clearances for its submission. You further assert that the submitted material is free from any current or potential litigation. Additionally, you agree to hold SIFCA harmless from any damage or loss of materials during transit to, from, or at the festival, assuming all legal responsibilities. In agreeing to these terms, you grant SIFCA the right to use excerpts, stills, and trailers from your submission for publicity and marketing purposes at the 2024 festival, as well as for other non-commercial promotional activities related to the event. Furthermore, you agree to indemnify SIFCA in the event that such rights have not been correctly transferred.
1 Review
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  • Helga Smit

    SIFCA will always have a special place in my heart now, as this was the very first screenwriting competition that I entered and my Somewhere over the Rainbow won their competition. They contacted me right away and all communication went well and they were really polite and nice. They have broadcasted my short thank you video on their festival and will organise a table read. Jeeeej! I recommand everyone to enter SIFCA.

    October 2023
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