The International Avant-garde Film Festival Lava is a presentation of the achievements of the most outstanding creators of experimental cinema and artists creating contemporary avant-garde, working with the use of not only a medium. The event combines the promotion of ambitious cinema with the interdisciplinary activities of creators both equally recognized and beginners.

Its inaugural edition was dedicated to the pioneer of the American film avant-garde - Maya Deren. All festival events of the first edition took place on 13-14 May 2017 in an abandoned perfume factory in the industrial district of Krakow. The next edition was devoted to Kenneth Anger - the cult figure of the queer avant-garde cinema. The second edition of Lava took place at the Krakow Art House at Szwedzka 8 and at the basements of Museum of the Polish People's Republic in Krakow. In 2019 we will celebrate the third edition of the festival.

In addition to major festival events, we also organize smaller events throughout the year to promote film and experimental art. In 2017, Lava Interludium was held in cooperation with the Krakow musical series Szum, and in 2018 we organized the Greek edition of the Lava Festival in Rethimno in Crete.

The festival program always includes two film blocks. The experimental short films are displayed in the contest section. From among the submitted applications, the jury selects the winner of Czarna Magma (Black Magma) award. An audience award is also granted.
Second section is the screening of each year’s festival’s hero film heritage - short, experimental films. The screenings are accompanied by live music score. Invited contemporary musicians perform pieces composed especially for the occasion of the festival.

The Lava Festival gathers artists from all over Poland and abroad in Krakow. It attracts artists who experiment with the use of various media - visual artists, composers, dancers, performers, fashion designers and more. The aim of Lava is to activate creative circles in Poland, disseminate knowledge about niche cinematography and promote independent artists. Maja Chiara Faber is the artistic director and originator of the Lava Festival.

Awards & Prizes

AWARDS
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The Best Avant-garde Short Film - Black Magma Award

Jury Distinction Award

Audience Award

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Entries to any films and accompanying events within the Festival, will be provided by the Organizer to the Finalists of the Contest. All awarded Artists will receive statues. For the Winner of the Contest the film rental voucher will be provided.

Rules & Terms

We highly recommend reading our rules & terms on our website: http://lavafestival.pl

RULES AND REGULATIONS
The 3rd International Lava Avant-garde Film Festival
Warsaw, 18-20th October 2019

I. Contest
The 3rd International Lava Avant-garde Film Festival (hereinafter reffered to as ‘Festival’) will be held on October 18-20th, 2019 at the Klub Karuzela, street Konarskiego 85 in Warsaw. At the Festival, there will be a Film Contest for the best avant-garde, experimental film. The contest shall not be subject to approval in the manner specified in Act of 19 November 2009 on gambling games (Journal of Laws of 2009, No. 201, item 1540 with later amendments).
II. Organizer
The organizer of the Festival is Fundation for Experimental Film Lava (later called ‘Organizer’). The copyrights and intellectual property rights pertaining to the Festival's wholeness, are exclusively reserved to Lava Fundation for Experimental Film.
III. Conditions of participation
1. Only films which were made after 2010 are eligible for the competition and can be submitted.
2. Entrants under 15 years old can join the Festival only with the consent of the legal guardian (consent required with the application).
3. The film's lenght cannot exceed 15 minutes.
4. The film should always be within commonly agreed avant-garde and experimental filmmaking convention.
5. The Commision chosen by the Organizer, will make a pre-selection from the submitted applications.
6. The Commision shall have the right to choose and assess the submitted films, at its sole discretion. The qualification and appraisal may not contest to claim and must never be called into question by the Participant.
7. The Films should be submitted by midnight 16th September 2019 in the formula of Festival.
8. The Commsion will only take into account:
- the films, that are reported via an offical Lava Avant-Garde Film Festival FilmFreeway profile until midnight 16th September 2019. All the uploads done after 00:00 hours will not be accepted.
9. Decisions of the Commision in this respect are final and no appeals can be granted.
10. Films should be submitted for selection in the following way:
Application should include:
a) Link to video you uploaded with the appropriate password.
b) In the title should be: FILM TITLE – ARTIST FULL NAME.
c) Two stills at a resolution of 300 dpi.
d) Portrait of the director at a resolution of 300 dpi.
e) Director’s filmography, achievements in a field of film.
f) Short (3-5 sentences) description of the submitted film.
The foreign language (not Polish) videos that were submitted must have English subtitles.
More information is available at: www.lavafestival.pl
Only those videos that have been transmitted in MP4 (or possibly AVI or MOV) will be accepted.
11. Each Participant may enter a maximum of one film. Entries without the annexes shall not be approved.
12. Entries to any films and companying events within the Festival, will be provided by the Organizer for chosen Finalists.
IV. Selection and assesment of films
13. The films that have been allowed to the Film Contest by the Commission, will be subsequently assessed by Contest Jury established by the Organizer.
14. It is for the Contest Jury to decide the Film Contest results in the festival formula. It ought to be comply with the provisions of this Contest Regulations and the Contest Jury is required to pay great attention to its diligence in performing the duties assigned to it.
15. The Film Contest will be settled by the end of 30th September 2019, and the final decision will be made by vote of members of the Jury.
16. The results of the Competition will be announced by the Commision in 4th October 2019.
17. Organizer provides for selecting the winner of the main prize for the best film.
18. Details of the awards will be announced on the www.lavafestival.pl.
19. Contest Jury decisions are final and binding and are not subject to appeal or complaint.
20. If the awards granted by the Organizer won't be collected at an award ceremony, then the prize winner will be able collect the prize before 31st October 2019 at the address stipulated in advance.
V. Copyright laws
21. The film producers, or the authors declares that they either own copyrights or represent the owner of the copyrights to submitted film, and warrant and confirm that they will fully indemnify the Contest Organizer (mentioned in the second subparagraph of this Regulation) against any liability and litigations arising from any breach of this rules.
22. The author declares that they have the copyrights to the soundtrack, which submitted film illustrates, also in the field of public viewing.
23. The Applicants agree to display their film production during Festival review, and apart from it at postcompetition screenings organised by Organizer.
24. The Applicants accept that the parts of their works indicated by Organizer will be used for any outlines the activities this year's edition of the Festival.
25. The Entrants agree that they will not claim any remuneration for showing their films during the Festival and after the festival at postcompetition screenings promoting the Festival.
VI. Technical notes
26. Submitted works shall remain in the possession of the Organiser.
VII. Organiser and Participants' liability
27. Organizer does not take charge for any violation for infringement of rights of any owner of presented material.
28. Organizer is not liable for third party claims copyright to the submitted films.
29. The Competition Participants are fully responsible for occurrences reffered to above.
VIII. Participants' statements, protection of personal data
30. The Participants have the obligation to apply the same rules contained in this Regulations.
31. Submitting a film and participating in the Contest is tantamount to acceptance of the regulations included herein, also agrees to store his personal data in the Organizers' database and the processing of those data, pursuant to the Act of 29 August 1997 on data protection only for the purposes and to the extent related to the organization of the Festival promotion to the extent necessary for its proper carrying out.
32. The Organiser declares that, after the closing of the Competition the mentioned above personal data shall not be used by Organizator and will be detroyed.
33. Accepting these Regulations the Participant also declares that:
1) voluntarily proceeds to the participation in Contest,
2) the identification data given to the Organizer is correct,
3) has given the consent to the publication and using the submitted video considering the needs and purpose being related to the Contest (taking account for the terms and conditions specified herein, and the screeings promoting the Festival).
IX. The final provisions
34. These Regulations enters into force as soon as it is published on: www.lavafestival.pl
35. The Rules of the Competition are available throughout the entire duration from the date of their publication on our website: www.lavafestival.pl, except in situations such as: a technical failure of www.lavafestival.pl website, or servers which are used by Organiser
36. Any relevant information included in any advertising and/or in promotional materials are merely ancillary, contrary to the Participants and Organizers' rights and obligations, which are governed by the law and provisions of this Regulation.
37. The Regulations can change. All Applicants will be previously informed about it. The Organiser reserves the right to suspend, discontinue, revoke, or extend the time of the Contest for any reason.
38. Changes to these Regulations are in force from the date of their publication.
39. All questions or disputes associated with this Competition shall be resolved by a competent court of law having jurisdiction over the Organiser's regisstered office.
40. In matters not covered by these Regulations shall be governed by Polish law.
41. Both the Participants and Organizer shall seek to ambicaly resolve any disputes arising concerning these Regulations or in the connection with them, through negotiations and using conciliatory procedures.
42. The Entrant shall be obligated to immediately notify the Organiser about a change of address and/or other data provided to the Festival needs.
43. Submitting a video and participating in the Contest is tantamount to reading the content, understanding and full acceptance of the regulations included herein.
44. In case of any further questions or doubt, do not to hesitate to contact the Organiser.