Our responsibility reaches beyond our generation.
It is difficult to change the world but we can start step
by step, and inspire others.”

Mission of the festival is to promote issues of sustainable developments in a comprehensible and entertaining way through screening of documentary films and attractive additional events.

We believe that the documentary film is an effective medium to tell strong stories with a potential to broaden our horizons, touch hearts, and inspire to change our behavior in order to preserve our planet for future generations. That is why we encourage production and promotion of documentary films about sustainable development, and praise talent and abilities of their authors.

A festival program consists of film screenings in competition and non-competition film sections, debates with authors, presentations and talks with experts and prominent figures in the areas of sustainable development and social life, interactive workshops, art and technology exhibitions and music concerts.

Ekotopfilm puts emphasis particularly on the following areas:
a) Society Development
b) Responsible consumption & Economics
c) Nature & Environment
d) Science, Innovations, Energy & Technologies

The festival consists of the main competition festival in Prague, a festival tour and a festival for children. In this way it is possible to bring the documentary films to the general public.

Combined with a rich appealing accompanying program, Ekotopfilm is a renowned social event. We get Czech as well as international filmmakers in touch with experts in the field of ecology, biology, sociology, economics, energetics, technology, education together with commercial partners, media, communities and representatives of NGOs.

Our Story
Long festival’s history dates back to 1974 when it took place for the very first time in former Czechoslovakia. It used to be a festival about science and technology development, later on also about the environment. Ekotopfilm had raised a question of sustainability long before it became an official issue on a world’s scale in 1987. In 2016, the first year of Ekotopfilm in Prague, the Czech Republic, the issue is not only still uptodate, but is becoming more and more urgent.

General Rules:
Documentary films on sustainable development are accepted when finished in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
•Festival accepts all documentary films on any topic of sustainability (society, environment, economics, science and technology).
•We accept short, mid- and feature-length documentary films. Film production budget is not relevant.
•Film has to be available for a preview with English subtitles, if produced in a language other than English.
•Submission and screening at other festivals is allowed.
•Films submitted in the past years of Ekotopfilm festival are not accepted.
•One author can submit more than one film. TV station can submit max. 3 films.
•We accept outdoor films.
•We strongly encourage to submit films on e-mobilty, alternative energy, smart solutions, nature conservation & protection and education for future.
•Promotional films are not accepted.

The International Jury is entitled to select 7 main awards in each category.

Grand Prix for great contribution of the documentary film to sustainable development (financial award €1500)

The international jury awards:
a) The Best Short Documentary Film in Moments section (financial award €800)
b) The Best Documentary Film for Children in Through Children’s Eyes section (financial award €800)
c) The Best Documentary Film in Fascinated by Nature section (financial award €800)
d) The Best Documentary Film in Sustainable Society section (finantial award 800 EUR)
e) The Best Documentary Film in Step Forward: Science, Innovation & Technology section (financial award €800)
f) The Best Documentary Film in Well-ballanced: Responsible Consumption & Economics section (financial award €800)
g) The Best Documentary Film in Features: Journey of Discovery section (financial award €800)

Other possible awards:
a) Audience Award
b) Partner Award (financial or non-financial award depending on the festival partner)
c) The best poster

1. Basic Provisions
Festival
Ekotopfilm is a festival focused on screening of documentary films on sustainable development.

Festival puts emphasis particularly on the following areas:
a) Society development
b) Responsible economics and consumption
c) Nature and environment
d) Science, energy and innovative technologies

Mission of the festival is to promote issues of sustainable developments in a comprehensible, visual and entertaining way through screening of documentary films and attractive additional events, and thus support the sustainable way of life on our planet.
Festival program consists of film screenings in competition and non-competition film sections, debates with authors, presentations and talks with experts and prominent figures in the areas of sustainable development, interactive workshops, art and technology exhibitions and music concerts.
Festival consists of a main competition festival in Prague, festival tour and festival for children.
In this way it is possible to bring the films as well as accompanying program to the general public and spread the concept of sustainability in the Czech Republic.

Dates
The main competition festival takes place in Prague from the 6th to the 12th of October 2017.
Festival tour takes place in regional cities from November 2017 to May 2018.
Festival for children takes place in Prague from the 6th to the 12th of October 2017 and in regions from November 2017 to May 2018.

2. Program
Film sections
Festival program consists of several sections open for submission of documentary films on any area of sustainable development.
There are seven competition sections:
1. Moments (up to 25 min)
2. Children perspective (up to 60 min)
3. Fascinated by Nature (25 to 60 min)
4. Sustainable Society (25 to 60 min)
5. Move Forward: Science, Innovation & Technology (25 to 60 min)
6. Well-ballanced: Responsible Consumption & Economics (25 to 60 min)
7. Features: Journey of Discovery (60 min +)

Apart from competition film sections, the program consists of non-competition film sections, thematic film screenings, flashback, honors to authors and prominent figures.

3. Registration to international film competition
Submitter
The person who submits a film by filling a registration form confirms that: he/she was given a permission of the authorized film representatives to register the film to the festival in the Czech Republic; is a holder of all copyright and property rights, including license settlement to submitted film; and does not violate the industrial property right, copyright and the right to protection of the individual.

Deadlines
The submission deadline for films finished in 2015 and 2016 is April 30th, 2017.
The submission deadline for films finished in 2017 is June 15th, 2017.

Submission restrictions
Documentary films on sustainable development are accepted when finished in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Festival accepts all documentary films on any topic of sustainability (society, environment, economics, science and technology).
The core of the festival consists in medium-length and short films. Film production budget is not relevant. Feature films are accepted into a special competition section. Documentary films accepted: nature & wildlife, science, investigative, animation, outdoor films and travel & adventure in nature.
Submission and screening at other festivals is allowed.
Promotional films are not accepted.
Films submitted in the past years of Ekotopfilm festival are not accepted.
One author can submit more than one film. TV station can submit max. 3 films.

Film registration
A film can be registered during a submission period through
a) Proper filling of an entry form on our website: http://www.ekotopfilmfestival.cz/en/filmentry/
It is necessary to provide applicable preview, screening and promotion materials in a required quality and format by uploading it on FTP server of the organizer.
The entry password will be acquired through a registration form or via email on filmentry@ekotopfilmfestival.cz with “FTP Code” in a subject of the email.
b) FilmFreeway

Preview online links for pre-selection
Registered films must be provided in following formats:

Format for pre-selection:
• Format AVI, MPG2 or MKV in HD 1080p
• Codec H264, H265 or X264
• Image compression JPEG 2000
• Sound 5.1 or 7.1
• Aspect ratio 16:9

Subtitles:
• SRT format
• dialogue scripts in rtf or Word with time code

Screening Format
To be included in the film competition and screened, the film must be in DCP format:
• DCP Standard SMPTE 25 fps
• DCP Standard Interop 24 fps
No other formats are accepted.
Material sent by mail will not sent back.

Registration fees
Film registration and participation at the festival is free of charge.

4. Pre-selection to festival competition
Selection committee
Registered films are selected to the film competition by the selection committee composed of film professionals, experts in sustainable development and the director of the festival.
Selection committee has the right to categorize films at their discretion.

Commitment of the participants
Films chosen by the selection committee for the film competition, of which participation was officially confirmed via email by their submitters, must not be withdrawn from the program. When the film is officially registered and confirmed, as described above, the submitter is considered as a participant of the festival.

Information confidentiality
All information regarding the invitation of the film to the festival program is confidential and private information between the festival and the participant, until Ekotopfilm makes this fact public.

Festival logo
We require you to use an up-to-date festival logo in all promotional material of the film accepted in the official festival program. The logo will be sent together with confirmation of the acceptation to the festival. Logo must not be modified.

Required press kit
In case of being accepted to the festival, the submitter will provide film press kit in electronic version uploaded on FTP server of the organizer of sent via e-mail filmentry@ekotopfilmfestival.cz including:
a) Biography/filmography of the author
b) Synopsis of the film
c) Photographs of the author
d) Stills of the film
e) Film poster
f) Trailer
g) Short introduction video
h) and any other promotion
The list of all required material will be requested with the confirmation of the acceptation to the festival.
Material mentioned above will be archived and will be used to promote the film within the festival.

The organizer’s authorization for public screening, festival promotion and film archive
By registering the film, the submitter grants to the organizer a non-exclusive license to use the film or any of its parts within the festival in the Czech Republic, if not agreed otherwise in written form, for:
a) public screening within the main film competition, festival tour, children festival
b) the echoes and retrospectives of the festival
By registering the film the submitter gives to the organizer within the provided license a permission to:
a) make a different language version of the film
b) use parts of the film to promote the film and the festival
c) use the film or its parts for educational and study purposes
d) add festival name and logo to the film
The submitter agrees that the original version of the film and its copies with subtitles or a commentary will be stored in an archive of the organizer.
By registering the film, the submitter agrees explicitelly to use the film free of charge in a way stated in this terms & conditions.

Screening timetable
The organizer sets the timetable and order of all screenings and decides whether the films are selected as part of the program within the festival tour or festival for children.

Subtitles and language version
The official language of the festival is English.
Copy for screening, including a Czech, Slovak or English version, must be provided with English subtitles. To all registered films must be attached a dialogue script in English. Dialogue script is not necessary for films in Czech and Slovak.
In case of selection into the competition films will be screened dubbed or subtitled in Czech.

5. Awards and juries
International jury and other juries
The director of the festival assembles:
a) International jury composed of filmmakers, producers professionals in film theory and critique and experts in sustainability
b) Special juries
Anybody who took part in production or commercial distribution or broadcast of any film in competition, cannot become members of the international jury or special expert juries. All members of the international jury and special expert juries are committed to confidentiality. The director of the festival does not vote but can be present at the Jury meetings. The decision of the international jury and special expert juries is final.
The international jury judges films in the international competition and awards prizes of the international jury.
The international jury has the right to suggest films to be awarded by official partners and sponsors.
The official language of the jury is English.
The special jury, if applicable, judges films in the main festival competition and awards one or more prizes of the special jury as a financial award or in other form, clearly stated in advance.

Awards
To be awarded, the film must have a potential to appeal to general public and raise its awareness of issues of sustainable development and a respectable artistic value.
The director of the festival awards:
a) Grand Prix for great contribution of the documentary film to sustainable development (financial award €1500)
b) Special credit, clearly stated in advance
The international jury awards:
a) The Best Short Documentary Film in Moments section (financial award €800)
b) The Best Documentary Film for Children in Through Children’s Eyes section (financial award €800)
c) The Best Documentary Film in Fascinated by Nature section (financial award €800)
d) The Best Documentary Film in Sustainable Society section (finantial award 800 EUR)
e) The Best Documentary Film in Step Forward: Science, Innovation & Technology section (financial award €800)
f) The Best Documentary Film in Well-ballanced: Responsible Consumption & Economics section (financial award €800)
g) The Best Documentary Film in Features: Journey of Discovery section (financial award €800)
Financial award is for the director of the awarded film.
Prizes are awarded personally at an award ceremony.
Other possible awards:
a) Audience Award
b) Partner Award (financial or non-financial award depending on the festival partner)
c) The best poster
One film can be awarded only twice.

6. Personal participation at the festival
Delegation
The organizer provides and covers transport and accommodation for the guests.
Festival guests are awarded authors and their representatives, guests of the special events, international jury members and one or two-member delegation within competition or non-competition films invited by the organizer.
Film screenings and special events are free of charge for the guests.

7. Conclusion
By registering to the festival competition the submitter agrees with this Terms and Conditions and declares that if the film is used in accordance with this Terms & Conditions, the copyright of the author, executive artists and producers, or third parties participating on the film, will not be claimed in relation to the organizer.
The organizer is not responsible for possible sanctions related to an unauthorized registration of the film violating copyright or property rights. All possible penalties apply to the submitter of the film.
All relations between the submitter and the organizer are in accordance with Czech law.
The Terms & Conditions are published in a Czech and English version. In case of discrepancy between the two versions, the Czech version is decisive. In unclear or in not expected situations, the director of the festival is in charge to decide.
The organizer reserves the right to change this Terms & Conditions with an exception of license provision. The change of license provision is subject to the agreement with the submitter.
In case of any doubts or uncertainties about this Terms & Conditions, do not hesitate to contact us at:
info@ekotopfilmfestival.cz.

Revised January 1, 2017

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Awesome film festival!
    Thank you for everything! It was a pleasure to have been a part of it.

    November 2017
  • Outstanding festival! Great opportunity for young and upcoming filmmakers! Thank you!

    October 2017
  • Radheya Jegatheva

    Amazing.I had a wonderful experience at the film festival! Special thanks to Ms Katerina!

    October 2017
  • Pascal Gélinas

    I really lived a great experience, attending this festival. First, the personel is great, very professionnal and helpful. The hospitality was first class, accomodation being offered by the festival. Each foreign film was dubbed in Czech, wich shows the seriousness of their organisation. Each filmmaker had a discussion with the audience after their screening, with simultaneous translation. They also organize screenings and workshops for the youth, intervening on their consciousness, bringing them to preserve our planet. Since more than 40 years, this festival has been happening in Bratislava, Slovak Republik. Now, it is also happening in Prague. What a great festival ! Long Live Ekotopfilm ! Don't miss it !

    November 2016