Venice Architecture Film Festival

RULES
ArchiTuned as organizer of the Venice Architecture Film Festival in collaboration with an external jury of experts and professionals of the architecture and cinema field, will create a selection of short films on architecture.
The fourth edition of the Venice Architecture Film Festival 2023, titled Building Happiness, will screen the selected short films in Venice from 31st August -2nd September 2023.

1. Theme
Architecture as well as urban planning exist with the aim to create the physical environments in which people live, eventually however they seem to have an influence on the communities that inhabit it. Architecture therewith helps develop different cultures and ways of how multiple communities feel represented.
Cities and built environments can affect our mood and wellbeing, what if we ask communities - enlivened by different wishes, needs, expressions - to share with us a place where they feel comfortable, happy and relaxed, where in other words they wish to inhabit?
Within the different geographical needs and connected changes, cultures, social contexts and inequities, what are (if any) the requirements to make it possible that humans feel content in their built environment?
Do architects consider happiness in their creations as a fundamental or as a collateral? Can Architecture be the medium to build happiness?

As Alain de Botton, a Swiss born British author and philosopher, says in his book “The Architecture of Happiness” (Pantheon Books - 2006):
“Belief in the significance of architecture is premised on the notion that we are, for better or for worse, different people in different places – and on the conviction that it is architecture’s task to render vivid to us who we might ideally be.” [...]

“It follows that the balance we approve of in architecture, and which we anoint with the word ‘beautiful’, alludes to a state that, on a psychological level, we can describe as mental health or happiness. Like buildings, we, too, contain opposites which can be more or less successfully handled. We, too, can descend towards extremes – of chaos or rigidity, decadence or austerity, machismo or effeminacy – even as we instinctively recognise that our well-being depends on our being able both to accommodate and to cancel out our polarities.”

2. Who
Participation is open to filmmakers, directors and producers above the age of 18 from all backgrounds and nationalities.
The following are excluded from participation: members of the jury (permanent or temporary), members of the board and those who were involved in the drafting of this open call.

3.1. What
All films should reflect the 2023 "Building Happiness” edition and theme of the Venice Architecture Film Festival and address contemporary architecture in its broadest sense, as described in paragraph 1. THEME and have preferably a maximum length of 15 minutes.
All films will be considered but preferably those produced after 2019.
All films must be submitted by 30th June 2023, strictly in digital format and specifically in MP4 format with H.264 encoding. This will be the only accepted format.
All uploads must be accompanied by:
● director’s name
● production company
● three high resolution frames from the submitted entry in .jpg format at the maximum resolution available (minimum resolution 1920x1080 px)
● film abstract
To submit shortfilm is not requested any fee.

3.2. What
All films should reflect the 2023 "Building Happiness” edition and theme of the Venice Architecture Film Festival and address contemporary architecture in its broadest sense, as described in paragraph 1. THEME and have preferably a minimum length of 45 minutes.
All films will be considered but preferably those produced after 2019.
All films must be submitted by 30th June 2023, strictly in digital format and specifically in MP4 format with H.264 encoding. This will be the only accepted format.
All uploads must be accompanied by:
● director’s name
● production company
● three high resolution frames from the submitted entry in .jpg format at the maximum resolution available (minimum resolution 1920x1080 px)
● film abstract
There is a fee of 50 euros to pay for each film submitted. The fee payment will be possible via Paypal on FilmFreeway platform. Please follow the instructions on filmfreeway.com

4. Language
Films will be accepted with audio in any language. Nevertheless, if the language is neither Italian nor English, they must have English subtitles (.srt format).

5. How
To participate you must submit your video on platform www.filmfreeway.com
Registration will be open from 8th April 2023 (0h00 CET) to 30th June 2023 (23h59 CET).
The shortlisted films will be revealed within 20th August 2023. It will be published on the website www.venicearchitecturefilmfestival.com and communicated by email to the selected participants. The decision of the shortlisted films is indisputable.

6. Copyrights
Participants declare that the film submitted is their own and that its public screening rights have not been transferred to third parties. Participants assume all liability for any claim or demand by third parties, administrative, judicial or of other nature, concerning intellectual property or screening rights of the submitted film. Film submission implies that participants hold all necessary rights to publicly screen the entered film and are authorized to enter the competition and as such to present their film at Venice Architecture Film Festival 4th edition and hereby grant said rights to ArchiTuned, for both competition submission and the film screening at the Festival.
Regarding screening of the films submitted during Venice Architecture Film Festival, while ownership of the intellectual property of the work is guaranteed, there will be no screening fee.
Participants grant, free of charge, the screening and usage of their work for promotional purposes even in future editions of the Festival. They also grant access and usage of their films, free of charge, on all media platforms and in any form (print and online) including the websites www.venicearchitecturefilmfestival.com and www.archituned.com. This does not imply, in any form whatsoever, loss of copyright of the submitted film on behalf of the participant.
Screening of the entire film on the website www.venicearchitecturefilmfestival.com and on the website www.archituned.com is possible by prior arrangement between ArchiTuned and the Participant. Venice Architecture Film Festival and ArchiTuned therefore acquire exhibition and screening rights free of charge on any media and platform, while ownership of intellectual property of the work is guaranteed.

7. Jury Selection
A qualified jury of film and architecture film experts will select the winning film among the entries. The jury's decision cannot be disputed and is not admitted ex-aequo.
The award will be given to the registered author of the film.
Participation in the award ceremony is not compulsory.

8. Award
The winner of the “Venice Architecture Film Festival 2023 - Building Happiness” will receive a special laurel as winner of the Festival 4th edition.
In addition the winner of the category shortfilm will receive 200 euros, all taxes included.
The winner of the category film will receive 500 euros, all taxes included.
At the end of the competition, the authors of the selected films will receive a laurel of participation to the competition.
The first five films will be featured and presented in the programme of the Venice Architecture Film Festival.

9. Competition Calendar
Please register and submit the works from the first days to avoid unexpected delays.
Call for submissions 1st April –30th June (24H00 CET) 2023
Selected finalist’s announcement within 20th August 2023
Competition winner announcement 2nd September 2023
The winner will be contacted by email and will be announced on the website www.venicearchitecturefilmfestival.com.

10. Where
The first five films will be featured and presented in the programme of the Venice Architecture Film Festival at San Servolo Island - Centro Congressi ed Eventi at the same time as the Venice International Film Festival.
The films will be shown in an outdoor cinema, and for this reason Archituned and VAFF reserve the right to skip screenings in case of bad weather or rain, as well as unexpected events.

11. When
From the 31st August till 2nd September 2023, following the programme here below:
31st August - 5th and 4th finalists
1st September - 3rd and 2nd finalists
2nd September - Winner

12. Questions
For any questions please email: info@archituned.com

13. Privacy
For the purpose of promoting the Contest, personal data will be processed in accordance with Law 31/12/1996 No. 675 and EU Regulation No. 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 27, 2016 (in force in all European Union countries as of May 25, 2018) and according to subsequent amendments and additions. Data may be transferred outside the European Union, including to countries where the level of protection of personal data may be lower than that guaranteed by European legislation. However, such transfer will be in accordance with the standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission in Decision No. 2010/87 / EC http://194.242.234.211/documents / 10160/10704/1767001.

14. Advice
Venice Architecture Film Festival and ArchiTuned will not be responsible for unexpected events that could impede or postpone the Festival and its activities, such as the screening of the films or the jury’s work.
By submitting your film to the Competition, you declare and attest that you have read, understood, and accepted these rules and guidelines.