Why define femininity if you can just show women? Fat, skinny, sad, cheerful, made-up or not, whether in high heels or in sneakers, whether wearing a hijab or a bikini. Just like the ones you meet every day and like the ones you are yet to meet.

Since 2016 we have been organizing “Demakijaż” – an annual women’s film festival. Year after year, you can see feature films and documentaries from every corner of the world, each of them showcasing talent, strength and determination of women behind and in front of the camera. “Demakijaż” goes beyond the artificial images of women mediated in the press, advertising, TV series, and cinema. Such representation is one-dimensional, incomplete, and far removed from reality. The moment you go to a party, hang out with friends or eat dinner at grandma’s, you immediately see a richer and more diverse picture of femininity. But this is nowhere near all of it! What about women living in different parts of the globe, having dissimilar experiences, worldviews or beliefs? We cannot wait to see such diversity on screen.

QUEERZ GET LOUD is an interdisciplinary festival devoted to the culture and life of the LGBTQIA + communities in Poland. The program includes film screenings, debates, concerts, live acts, workshops, meetings with authors and artists and others. The third edition of the festival will be held on the 15.09-17.09 2023 in the Galeria Labirynt in Lublin. As part of the festival program, a slot of queer short films from around the world will be screened. The screening of films selected for the official selection will take place in Galeria Labirynt during the festival.

Awards & Prizes

*Please, read the terms and conditions of the LSTR competition carefully before the submission*

“Let’s Start the Revolution” is a competition awarding the best short film directed by a woman and people with an experience of femininity that tackles issues related to femininity. The competition also provides a space for the networking of women film makers, viewers, and film producers.

In 2023, over 350 films were submitted for the competition. Out of these, 37 were chosen by the selection committee to be screened during the festival, and evaluated by the audience.

In 2023, the competition also include international films. Our aim is simple – to start a revolution together with film makers, film viewers, and everyone who cares about women’s films – films that are inclusive.

Rules & Terms

LET’S START THE REVOLUTION

Terms and Conditions of the best short film competition within Women’s Film Festival – Demakijaż 2023:

1. The competition is open to short-length films, not exceeding a 30-minute running time, directed in 2021-2023 by women and queer filmmakers.

2. All the films submitted to the “Let’s Start the Revolution” competition will be also considered when programming the screenings (and /or streamings) integral to “Queerz Get Loud” (QGL), a festival of queer culture held in Lublin, Poland. Entrants (film directors) will be notified whether their film has been selected for QGL.

3. In accordance with the founding principles of the Festival, we are especially interested in showcasing films that focus on the representation of a diversity of practices of femininity and queerness.

4. All films should be submitted via https://filmfreeway.com/WomensFilmFestival-Demakijaz

5. There is a $1 fee prior to entering the contest. Film schools and students are exempt from the fee.

6. Each submission should include English subtitles, a succinct English biography of the director, and a portrait photo of the director.

7. The Festival Office accepts competition entries from 7th August till 7th September 2023.

8. Once the Selection Committee concludes its work, the Organising Committee makes the decision to accept the entries. All entrants whose films have been short-listed will be notified by email by 15 September 2023.

9. The directors of the short-listed films are obliged to provide the Festival Organisers with a link to the official digital file of the film (DCP, mov, mp4) by 30 October 2023.

10. The short-listed films are judged by the Festival Jury appointed by the Festival organisers. The official announcement of their decision and the award ceremony will take place at the end of Festival. The director of the best film selected by the Festival audience will receive the main prize in the amount of 1500 PLN (gross).

11. Entering the competition is tantamount to agreeing that the entrant’s content (film) will be screened as part of the Festival as well as part of additional guest screenings (streamings) organised by the Camera Femina Foundation and /or replicas of the Festival within three years (36 months) from the closing of the Festival.

12. Appearing in person at the Festival – be it online or offline – will be discussed individually with the directors of the short-listed films.

13. All the potential costs related to the transport / transfer of film copies are borne by each entrant.

14. The Festival organisers reserve the right to cancel the competition as well as to conduct it online in all its entirety.

Let's Start The Revolution!

Women’s Film Festival – Demakijaż

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