Rules and regulations:
• This Festival provides an unique opportunity to present and reward the very best of television and online programmes made in Europe that express, explore and examine values in relation to religion, faith, belief and ethics.
• The Festival also aims to encourage networking and co-production, particularly between European TV producers, content providers and broadcasters and promote innovative and popular religious broadcasting and online content.
• The festival welcomes religious programmes in any genre, from drama and comedy to docu- mentaries, devotional and innovative digital formats.
1. Programme Entries
• Programme entries are invited from all national and regional broadcasting organizations, independent production companies, that produce programmes made in Europe for television and online platforms.
1.1. Programme entries will be accepted provided that:
• The programme has been transmitted between June 2017 and June 2023
• Each individual programme entered is accompanied by the correct fee of € 100 (including VAT)
• There is no limit to the number of programmes that can be entered
• Programmes should recognize the culturally diverse character of European societies and contribute towards understanding, equality and tolerance between people of different religions, cultures and origins
• Programmes that are intolerant or dismissive of another’s faith will not be accepted.
• Final date for Entries and programme files to be received and payment of entry fees is 31st of May 2023. The payment is made through FilmFreeway when entering the film. The payment is not refundable.
• IMPORTANT: if we have not received all of your information by the deadline, your entry will not be accepted
1.2. Rules for pre-selection:
• Submissions can be entered via FilmFreeway.com only (You will find the submission button on the 'Submission' -page)
• Register on the site (if not done earlier)
• Fill in the entry submission form that includes a short (not longer than 1500 characters inclu- ding spaces) resume in English, describing the programme contents.
• Upload at least one still photo of the programme (300 dpi)
• Make sure the preview file is working correctly
• If the programmes submitted for pre-selection are in or subtitled in a language other than English, they must be accompanied by a dialogue list or script in English.
• Programmes should be a maximum of 60 minutes in length. If the programme is longer than 30 minutes the producer may be asked to provide a shorter version for public screening. The Festival reserves the right to screen a section of the entry.
• Make the payment
• Final selection is announced on 15. June 2023 on the Festival website
• Only those who submitted programmes selected for screening will be notified personally
1.3. Programmes selected for the competition:
• Programmes, other than in English, chosen for screening in the Festival competition must have subtitles or dubbing in English
• By submitting the programme, you commit to screening if the entry is selected
• Productions entered for the competition may not include any commercial advertising
• Screening copy must be delivered/uploaded at the latest by Thursday 31. August 2023
• Submitting the entry form indicates that you acknowledge that you have read, understood and accepted the regulations without reservation
2. Selection Procedure
• The Continuation Committee, consisting of representatives of the organizers, SIGNIS and WACC, appoints a Pre-Selection Committee and an International Jury. Both of these shall abide by the Rules and Regulations of the competition.
• The Pre-Selection Committee will shortlist the best programmes for screening in competition during the Festival.
3. Pre-Selection Committee and Criteria:
3.1. Pre-Selection Committee and Criteria:
• The Pre-Selection Committee is appointed by, and responsible to, the Continuation Commit- tee. The members shall be media professionals and in shortlisting programmes shall aim to reflect the diversity of Europe. One member of the Continuation Committee will act as Secre- tary of the Pre-Selection Committee.
The Pre-Selection Committee shall be responsible for:
• ensuring that entries accord with these Rules and Regulations.
• viewing all entries in order to reach a shortlist for screening and judging within the Television Festival.
• determining the running order for screenings at the Festival.
• providing the Continuation Committee with a written report on its work, including reasons for rejecting entries.
Entrants will be notified of the decision of the Pre-Selection Committee. The Committee’s decisi- ons are final.
3.2. Pre-Selection Criteria:
The Pre-Selection Committee will make a selection of programmes, taking into account criteria from the following list:
• Initial impact on the audience
• Message and content
• Originality and innovation
• Structure
• Technical quality
• Creative use of resources
4. International Jury
• The Jury shall consist of five people, of which one shall represent SIGNIS and one WACC. The jury members shall come from different language areas and cultures. The members shall be media professionals.
• Should a jury member have a professional link with any entry in the competition they must declare it and take no part in any discussion about or voting on that programme.
• The Jury will elect its own Chairperson. All Jury decisions are final and shall be taken by simple majority vote.
• A Secretary (without voting rights) shall be appointed to assist the Jury.
5. Prizes
The International Jury will select the best programmes for Prizes from those in competition.
Jury Prize
• Awarded by the International Jury, this prize will honour the film which has been judged best overall in competition.
Special Prizes and Commendations
• The Jury may, at their discretion, award a limited number of special prizes or commendations to other programmes of their choice.
Audience Prize
• At the conclusion of the screenings, each member of the audience will be invited to vote for the best film. The vote will be by secret ballot.
6. Privacy
• The information given in the entry form will be used only for Festival purposes
• The Festival is committed to protecting your privacy. Any information we collect about you will only be used to keep you informed about the Festival
• We will not share or sell your personal information for marketing or any other purposes outside the Festival, unless where required by law.
• We may use your personal data for contacting you via e-mail, the phone or post with general correspondence relating the Festival or to notify you of new Festivals.
• All the personal information you provide will be kept confidential and will only be passed on to external parties with your express permission.
