The year 2015 by can be easily termed as the ‘year of intolerance ‘in Indian socio-political and cultural milieu. This was coming all the way from the time the right wing party was voted to rule the country. It began with re-writing Indian history and text books for schools, colleges and academic institutions, running down Gandhiji, the architect of free India as also the free thinkers, eliminating rationalist, outspoken intellectuals and scholars, isolating artists and film makers, taking control of Central Board of Film Certification by forcing the eminent men and women constituted that body to resign en-mass. The right wing people have taken charge of all public art and cultural organizations.
People from the minority communities have been lynched and killed for suspecting to have eaten beef. Cow slaughter has been banned in states like Maharashtra taking away food from the tables of minority communities as well as daliths and increasing the burden on the farmers already bending backward with debt and are committing suicide. Those who protested the beef ban have been beaten up in Kashmir, in Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi. When the public very clearly understood that the general response of the government to these problems were dismissive as something that is done by antisocial elements people began to take action. The prominent scholars, writers, poets, actors, film makers and theatre personalities started returning the awards they received from the government. There were protests across the country, from politicians and eminent citizens.
Another aspect of this intolerance is manifested in witch hunting NGOs like Green Peace for very prominently taking up environmental issues and challenging the implementation of economic projects without proper environmental impact assessment. Those NGOs on the hit list of the government is harassed in every possible ways including cancelling their FCRA numbers and freezing their accounts. Fortunately so far the justice system was very fair in their judgments which has given much relief to the NGOs under the government scanner. Generally NGOs these days are seen by the politicians as people ‘against development’.
These very arrogant postures of the government was downsized by the people of India through democratic resurgence. First they lost a very high pitched assembly election in Delhi to Aam Admi Party and later in another high pitched assembly election in Bihar the right wing lost to an alliance of democratic forces represented by Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar the local leaders. In all these instances the media was very pro-establishment. Were they too scared to investigate issues and inform the public?! While we hope that the people will elect democratic and secular parties in the Assembly elections happening now in April/May 2016,we need to nurture grass root level democratic practices which is one of the major objective of the festival. Whatever work we are engaged in now is from a very diminished public sphere. We do not know what the future holds for us but for now we belong to the breed of marginal citizens of this country.
As for our experience in this specific field is concerned, Bangalore Film Society was the South India coordinator of Tri-continental Film Festival "Human Rights in Frames from 2007 to 2009 organised by an NGO called Breakthrough. An average 5000 to 6000 people used to attend this festival in Bangalore in three days and the event had become very popular. Apart from this, we used to take these films to academic institutions as well as film societies in all South Indian States. However, the tricontinental film festival closed after 2009 and at present to the best of my knowledge we don't have a human rights film festival of that magnitude.
In the present Indian context, Bangalore Film Society wish to start an International Human Rights Traveling film festival from December 7th to 10th or from 9th to the 12th 2016 (depending on the availability of the auditorium) and organise a conference on freedom of speech and the right to dissent. The films selected will address major international human rights concerns such as refugees, lgbt sexuality, boarders, women, socio-political conflict, communal conflicts, child labour/abuse and so on The emphasis on the impact it should create. Once the festival is over these films will be circulated for screenings in educational, media institutions and film societies across India.
Festival Overview
Ruff Cuts Film Festival (RCFF) shows films that celebrate the amazing attributes of dogs and serves as a fund raising mechanism for Service Dogs of Virginia (SDV), a non-profit organization that places dogs to help people with disabilities. SDV has programs in three primary areas: physical assistance, autism and diabetic alert. For more information on SDV, please visit our website: www.servicedogsva.org.
The premier film festival was held in Charlottesville, Virginia on June 28, 2014 at The Dickinson Fine and Performing Arts Center at Piedmont Virginia Community College. The second annual festival will be on October 17, 2015, again at The Dickinson Fine and Performing Arts Center at Piedmont Virginia Community College. The festival will be leased to other non-profit organizations with animal-related missions, and tour various U.S. cities.
Awards and Selection Process
All entries will be viewed prior to the festival by a pre-selection committee and subsequently judged and selected for screening at the festival by the “Working Like a Dog Group”.
Award winners will be announced at the Festival.
Cash Prizes (USD) will be awarded for overall categories/themes.
1st – Best In Show - $500 + automatic inclusion in the turn-key festival
2nd – Best of Class - $250
3rd – Best of Breed - $100
Palm D’og certificate
Additional prizes may be added at the discretion of the SDV/RCFF staff.
Film themes are suggested but not limited to:
Canine Sport
Canine Search and Rescue
The Human-Animal Bond
Veterinary Medicine
Shelter Dogs
Guide and Service Dogs
Military and Law Enforcement
Acceptable categories are Documentary, Drama, Comedy, and Animation.
Entry Details
a. Submitting a film and signing the entry form implies the person entering the submission has read and agrees to abide by the terms and conditions listed herein.
b. Films must be between 2 minutes to 20 minutes in length.
c. Foreign Language films must have American English subtitles.
d. Music rights and model releases must be obtained prior to submission. Submission to the Festival implies that these have been properly cleared for use.
e. Entries may have been shown before.
f. Films may be student or professional but may be shown separately at the Festival’s discretion.
g. No films portraying animal cruelty or bestiality will be accepted.
h. Filmmakers agree to provide stills and clips for promotional purposes.
i. Filmmakers understand that aside from the prizes, there is no financial remuneration to the filmmaker. Filmmakers are invited to attend the RCFF in Charlottesville, VA, at their own expense.
j. No screening fees will be collected for screening purposes.
k. Submissions will not be returned.
l. RCFF has (non-exclusive) use of the film for two years from the date of the first screening and may use the films in future showings in other locations for two years.
m. Entrants grant the Festival and its successors and licensees the right to copy and version the entry to facilitate operations of the Festival through any media format.
n. RCFF reserves the right to cancel or reschedule the Festival.
o. An admission charge will be made to the public when the films are shown publically.
p. Entrants agree to allow the Festival all rights to promote the Festival on the internet and other media outlets.
q. The Entrant agrees that all matters will be decided by the Festival organizers or the Festival jury at their discretion.
Technical Requirements and Promotional Materials
• All entries should include a completed entry form (per film) and 2 discs containing film submission.
• Both should be in NTSC format.
• One DVD must play in a DVD player.
• The other DVD must contain a digital file of the film. Must be in .mov HD format.
• Please include a short "trailer" for the film in .mov HD format.
• Label both discs clearly with the title, running time, format and your contact information
Notes:
Festival reserves the right to refuse films without English voiceover or subtitles.
Festival has the option to conform the content to broadcast quality standardization.
The FOOD FILM FEST, sponsored by Montagna Italia Association and the Chamber of Commerce of Bergamo, with the artistic direction of Festival Internationale del Cinema Association, is an international competition dedicated to food and film. The event aims to promote a culture of food through conscious films, shorts, documentaries and animations that develop around the taste, culinary art, the issues related to a proper nutrition and food production, to biodiversity and gastronomic memory as a collective heritage to be preserved.
There are 4 contest sections:
FOOD MOVIE section is open to films in any format, short and long movies. The works should present food as an expression of culture and knowledge, as passion or obsession, as a representative of a social condition.
DOCUMENTARY section is open to documentary works in any format, that have to subject agribusiness issues, issues related to nutrition, the memory of ancient recipes, the culinary traditions of a given territory, the production of particular products, food as passion or resource, nutritional education.
ANIMATION section is open to works in which pictures, graphic line, sculptures or materials come to life through a variety of techniques, becoming long and short animated films, dedicated to food.
ERG EAST LOMBARDY
Open to works in any format, films that deal with farming, cultivation, companies, enogastronomy landscapes linked to the eastern Lombardy territory (specifically Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona, Mantua). The competition is part of the European Region of Gastronomy project, born as an instrument to improve local valorization, integration and international trade.
Films must be submitted not later than 20.06.2016.
Read the regulation for any further information.
The works must be sent to:
Festival Internazionale del Cinema Association
press@festivalcinemadarte.it www.festivalcinemadarte.it
The international short film festival, Salento Finibus Terrae, is at its XIII edition. 13 years of success and great growth.
Six locations are concerned all in the Brindisi’s province, in Alto Salento, an attractive area in the Apulian region.
This itinerant festival has the characteristic to show the films in unusual places such as squares, castles, manor farms, involving the largest number of viewers. Its aim is to promote young talents of Italian and international cinema.
Many guests have contributed, from an edition to the other, to witness the success of the young directors awarded for the different sections.
Short films are divided into the following sections: Human Rights,Children world,
Short World (comedy and drama ) ,Thriller / Noir / Horror, Short- Italy, Documentaries, Reelove, Environment.
Preferably movies will have relationship with life in urban and rural media and/or their relationship or difference.
Golden Orchid International Animation and Film Festival is one of the most famous and important animation & film festival in the world, since 2012.
We’re asking Canadian high school, CEGEP and college students (age 19 and under) to submit a 3- to 10-minute documentary film or news report they have created to the contest. The film should focus on an issue affecting their community.
- Winners will be named on the day of the colloquium, March 21.
- Entries will be accepted in French or English.
- The five best entries will be posted on the Morrin Centre website where the public will have a chance to vote.
- The winning entry will be announced at the event.
- The students involved in the creation of the five best entries will be invited to take part in one of the round-tables where they will discuss the making of their reports.
- During the round-table, Anglophone and Francophone students will discuss their perceptions of language and media and how it shaped their reports.
- The session will be moderated by a prominent bilingual media personality, which will also help to encourage student participation. This will also allow students to express themselves in the official language of their choice.
Athens Digital Arts Festival (ADAF) is an International Festival which celebrates digital culture through an annual gathering bringing together a global community of artists and audiences. Athens Digital Arts Festival aims to encourage, stimulate and promote all aspects of digital creativity by hosting local as well as international artists and communities.
Through its multidisciplinary program Athens Digital Arts Festival offers a wide range of Exhibitions, Screenings, Live Performances, Workshops and International Tributes showcasing artworks that display distinctive characteristics of the digital medium and reflects on its language and aesthetics.
Athens Video Art Festival was founded in 2005 with the intention to offer a platform to video art, installations and live performances. Within the following 10 years, the Festival gradually evolved and included more art forms, such as web art, interactive installations, animation, digital image, performances, applications and workshops, exploring creative aspects of technology and digital culture. In 2012, the Festival introduced the subtitle “International Festival of Digital Arts & New Media” in order to communicate the wide spectrum of its activities and events. As of January 2015, the Festival changed its name into Athens Digital Arts Festival.
RIP Horror Film Festival, was established by the local LA indie entertainment industry leaders; Producers, directors, agents, writers, IT, and businessmen. Working to represent & award, indie legendary giants, the working filmmaker and our future student filmmakers. Supporting, mentoring and representing the Indie community in all genres of filmography. Providing marketing and networking events to promote the indie community. Send all materials to: LJR Global Cinema Productions c/o RIP Hollywood, 8549 Wilshire Blvd. suite #1081, Beverly Hills, California 90211
El Festival de Cine latinoamericano de La Plata, FESAALP, con una trayectoria de ocho ediciones se ha transformado en una vidriera para el encuentro, la difusión y la promoción del cine del continente.
Buscamos difundir, exhibir y problematizar el cine de América Latina como lenguaje creativo, artístico e industrial. Además de contribuir al desarrollo de nuevas posibilidades y perspectivas para los cineastas, artistas que se dedican a contar historias y relatos a través del cine.
Afianzar el encuentro entre el público y su cine es el desafío mayor que desde el 2006 nos propusimos, y hoy nos encontramos con un festival con más secciones, películas, invitados, actividades formativas y espectadores.
Creemos que un festival no sólo debe ser un espacio para la exhibición, sino también el lugar que promueva el encuentro e intercambio de experiencias entre los realizadores y ayude a que las obras encuentren nuevos espacios donde poder ser vistas.
Es importante destacar y agradecer que desde el inicio contamos con el apoyo del Instituto Nacional de Cine y Artes Audiovisuales (INCAA), el Instituto Cultural de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, la Facultad de Periodismo y Comunicación Social de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata, la Municipalidad de La Plata, y de otras instituciones y empresas privadas que se siguen sumando y depositando su confianza en el Festival.
El FESAALP crece y se afianza gracias al enorme talento de los realizadores latinos y a la siempre conmovedora pasión de los espectadores por el cine del continente.
The first and the most important Freak Festival in Spain. We also accept horror and fantastic film. With an audience of 1.800 people every day from monday to friday and we would love to screen your shortfilms.
THE FESTIVAL: MOVEMENT OF CULTURE
The Festival was born with a very specific mission: it aims to stimulate public attention towards an open and wide representative space, such as the rural environment, makes its outdoor projections, open to all, the best exponent. Youth and adults, generations separated by years and experiences, gather around a screen, which is the focus of the light of a past and a future: culture is timeless, culture unites, and film language will be the link common to temper emotions and feelings, to treasure memories, to provoke lively gatherings.
In this way, all attendees of the event can enjoy a heterogeneous and dynamic speech. Through this cultural impulse, the different currents of creativity allow viewers to move and explore new and old codes in a public space, creating community.
Cellar Door Film Festival (CDFF) is Ottawa’s first showcase of speculative cinema, which celebrates the creativity of the Ottawa film scene and spotlights the city as a setting for the sinister and supernatural. CDFF encourages film culture, education, and production in Ottawa by promoting the creation, screening, and distribution of local, national and international films in the Nation’s capital.
The "Gulf of Naples Independent Film Festival" is an event intended to serve as an international showcase for films of various types and gender, in order to promote and spread the art, auteur and experimental films that are not released in cinemas playhouses, to foster dialogue between different experiences and to create a meeting point for the support of cinema culture.
The MONTEMARIO SHORT FILM FESTIVAL organised and sponsored by the The non-profit cultural association "CS-COMSPE" and "Arte & Musica d'Italia" is one of the foremost film festivals in Italy encouraging the participation of young and brilliant independent filmmakers of any nationality and affording them the opportunity to screen their films to a diverse audience of filmmakers and film lovers from all over the world.
The festival's mission has always been to enhance, promote and disseminate cinematographic, audiovisual and expressive forms of film reproduction, through Short Films and Video Clips as a form of visual and phonic expression, as an effective art, as a form of social and cultural communication, develop the potential of visual artistic language, respond to the needs of cultural growth of young people in a future environment strongly communicated with the visual arts, be amazed by creative skills, to give creatives, directors and filmmakers the right space for their talent in the greatest possible visibility.
The Fine Shortfilm Festival is a non-competitive shortfilm event, hosted in São Paulo, addressed to the works of the new generations of Brazilian filmmakers.
This year Edition of Dar il-Wahx will incorporate an International Film fest and submissions are open to all film makers from all over the world!
We accept short horror films of all horror genres such as Gore, Paranormal Terror, Psychological Terror, Horror Animation, Docu-horror, experimental horror, and shocking fiction.
This year we will accept Short Films and feature Films, and we are looking forward to include different films from different countries from different filmmakers. There will be three categories:
1. LONG SHORTS (15 minutes to 20 minutes duration)
2. MEDIUM SHORTS (10 minutes to 14 minutes duration)
3. MICRO SHORTS (1 minute to 9 minutes duration)
The Joshua Tree International Film Festival’s mission is to provide a platform for independent and noteworthy films and filmmakers to connect with industry professionals and the diverse audience that recognizes Joshua Tree as an oasis of creativity, art and culture throughout the international arts community. With special focus and support for projects that encompass the diverse vision of the urban and LBGTQ communities and bring to light the perspectives of indigenous cultures from around the world, we hope to cast the widest possible net to grow future generations of filmmakers and movie goers in Joshua Tree and beyond.
