The Baghdad International Film Festival (BIFF) tends to support a new cinema in Iraq - a cinema for multiculturalism with a focus on the values of freedom, democracy, human rights and justice
The cinema for multiculturalism offers more than a simple presentation of the works. BIFF works as a platform with an intercultural forum bringing together young practitioners and professionals from different countries, cultures and ethnics. Films of all genre, lengths and formats will be shown in the 6 competitions: Long Fiction | Short Drama | Documentaries | Arab Woman Filmmakers | Human rights Images and New Horizons. The section New Horizons is dedicated to Iraqi filmmakers. All other sections are open for all participants. In addition to the competition selected films from the guest of honor country's cinema will be screened in the Panorama section, accompanied by seminars and panels which are given information about this country's cinema, history, culture and filmmakers. Furthermore, the competition-program is supplemented by workshops, exhibitions and discussions .
The festival’s 1st edition was in December 2005 and it organized by ( Iraqi association for culture & cinema development ) , an independent NGO registered officially in Iraq and works under the Iraqi law.
An international jury will select the winning films in each of the six competitions. There will be 2 prizes in each category :
1- Long fiction Competition : 1st and 2nd prizes
2- Short drama Competition . 1st and 2nd prizes
3- Documentary film Competititon:1st and 2nd prizes
4- Human Images Competition: 1st and 2nd prizes
5- Arab Women Film-makers Competition: 1st and 2nd prizes
6- New Horizons Competition: 1st and 2nd prizes
The jury have the right to give a special prize, to divide a prize and not to give one of the prizes, depending on their evaluations .
8 BIFF 2016 - Rules & Regulations
The 8 th edition of the Baghdad International Film Festival (BIFF), scheduled to take place on December 1st-5th 2016 in Baghdad, has launched its call for entries. As indicated in the Festival's press release, the Festival is looking for short-form, documentary, and feature film submissions in all genres. Entry forms, rules and regulations are available on this website.
The submission deadline is June 1st 2016.
For the previous BIFF editions in 2005 , 2007 , 2011 ,2012 , 2013 , 2014 and 2015 a total of more than 5000 submissions were received from all over the world. In the 7th edition, 120 films were screened in the main competition categories of narratives, shorts and documentary films.
THE FESTIVAL PROGRAM
Official Competitions: There are three: for long fiction, short fiction, and documentaries.
Panorama: This non-competitive section screens a selection of films produced in the country selected to be the “guest of honor”. Seminars are also organized to provide information about this country`s cinema, history, culture and film-makers.
New Horizons: This section is reserved for Iraqi film-makers, encouraging in particular
students who have graduated from the Faculty and Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad and other Iraqi provinces.
Human Images: This section awards a prize for the best films on human rights in Iraq and the world. It aims to encourage Iraqi and non-Iraqi film-makers to deal with this issue and use cinema to highlight the reality of people, in Iraq and elsewhere, who suffer from the violation of human rights. A particular focus on the rights of women and children is encouraged.
Arab Women Film- makers: This section is reserved for Iraqi and Arab women film-makers in order to encourage them to be part of the cinema business and demonstrate how they have been able to overcome difficulties and obstacles, competing equally with their male colleagues.
Photography Exhibition: This non-competitive event provides space for photographers to exhibit their work under the title “Baghdad stands up again.” Photography may focus on a number of themes, including social life, cultural life, people, children, women, nature, and landscape.
JURIES AND AWARDS
An international jury will select the winning films in each of the six competitions. There will be 2 prizes in each category :
1- Long fiction Competition : 1st and 2nd prizes
2- Short drama Competition . 1st and 2nd prizes
3- Documentary film Competititon:1st and 2nd prizes
4- Human Images Competition: 1st and 2nd prizes
5- Arab Women Film-makers Competition: 1st and 2nd prizes
6- New Horizons Competition: 1st and 2nd prizes
The jury have the right to give a special prize, to divide a prize and not to give one of the prizes, depending on their evaluations .
The decisions of the festival management and juries are final. Entry and participation for the categories of fiction, documentary and short films implies unconditional acceptance of the regulations. If no category is indicated in the submission, the festival’s management will make a final decision.
The sponsors’ logo(s) will appear on the festival’s posters and other publications . For more details about the levels of sponsorship, please contact the festival’s management.
ELIGIBILITY FOR ENTRY
All sections, with the exception of the Iraqi Film Competition (New Horizons) , are open to filmmakers from all nations. Eligibility and prizes for the sections are listed in these Rules & Regulations. All submitted films must have been produced after January 1st 2014 with the exception of films from the country selected to be the “guest of honor” and a few selections for the Panorama section.
1. HOW TO ENTER
1.1 No entry fee is required to submit your film to the Festival and no charges on the festival for the projections.
1.2 All entries must be submitted before 1st June 2016 by completing the entry form and mailing a DVD or a digital file of the film. All materials must be received by the Festival offices on or before the deadline
1.3
Submissions must include the following materials:
Two multi-zone or region-free DVD copies or digital file of the film with English or Arabic subtitles. Each DVD or a digital file must be clearly marked with the film’s title, director’s name, year, country of production, and running time.
Press materials, including production credit list, synopsis in English and/or Arabic, director’s biography, director’s filmography, high-resolution photograph of the director, one printed full-color still, poster and any other relevant background information on the film
All pictures should be send in jpg format only .
All the supporting materials should be sent by email to the address indicated, immediately after completing the online entry form
successfully.
The festival administration will not consider submissions without supporting materials
1.4 Electronic address for submissions , online entry form.
Please note that incomplete entry forms will not be considered. The information entered on the entry form is essential for your film’s consideration.
* Submissions is free through our festival officale website.
1.5 The cost of shipping an entry must be paid by the entrant . Submission materials will not be returned unless previously agreed upon between the sender and the Festival.
1.6. Submission of a film implies unconditional acceptance of the Rules & Regulations.
1.7. Submissions should be sent to the address below in envelopes clearly marked with “For cultural use only” and “No commercial value” postmarked until the final deadline of June 1st 2016.
Postal Address
Baghdad International Film Festival
P.o Box 55503 -Baghdad post office
Baghdad -IRAQ
2. IF YOUR FILM IS SELECTED FOR PARTICIPATION
2.1 The Festival reserves the right to assign each film to the section it believes most appropriate.
2.2 Notification of acceptance for invited films will be sent out by the Festival no. Later than 1st November 2016 Correspondence will be conducted via email.
2.3. Any changes to the information in the entry form must be communicated to the Festival without delay. Email any changes CONTACT
2.4 The Festival will announce its program ten days before the festival date.
2.5 If your film is not selected, the Festival will do its best to inform you before the announcement of the program. Festival programmers may communicate with film-makers regarding their films, but the Festival reserves the right not to comment on the reasons for not selecting a film.
2.6 After selecting a fiction, documentary or a short film, the festival reserves the right to use up to three minutes from the films for broadcasting purposes, on BIFF-related websites or in theatres. The festival also reserves the right to use the film’s publicity materials (press books, posters, stills, etc.) to promote the festival.
2.7 The Festival will not pay any fees for the projections for the selected films as there are no entry fees for the festival audiences.
2.8 The Festival reserves the right to screen each film up to 5 times within and after the festival in non commercial screening .
3.REQUIREMENTS FOR SELECTED FILMS
3.1 All copies for projection should be sent to the festival’s postal address immediately after the festival announces the selections.
3.2 All shipping fees are to be covered by the participants.
3.3 The projection copy must be in one of the following formats: (a) Digital file (b) bluray (c)- Betacam PAL tape (d)Betacam SP PAL (f) DVCAM
3.4 A projection copy with English or Arabic subtitles must be provided for all films not in Arabic or English
.
3.5 Films that are selected must also provide a completed film information form and list of materials.
3.6 DVD screeners will not be returned
4. SHIPPING AND INSURANCE
4.1 The Festival will cover the cost of shipping the projection copy after the festival’s closing.
4.2 The Festival covers insurance costs for the projection copies of all invited films while they are in the Festival’s possession. All insurance costs for shipping the exhibition copy to and from the Festival must be covered by the shipping agent or sender. In the case of loss or damage, the Festival will only be responsible for the replacement value of the print if it was originally received by the Festival in good condition and if notification of the damage is received no later than November 30, 2016.
4.3 3 All projection copies must reach the Festival offices no later than August 1st 2016. If the projection copy is not in perfect condition, the Festival may refuse to screen it.
4.4 From our experience , please note that all parcels send to Iraq by normal post (not by the Express post ) took between 2 to 3 weeks to arrive to the festival .please put that in consideration when you send the DVDs or any other materials.
4.5 The Festival reserves the right to change the above rules and regulations without notice.
