25 Annual November 21, 2012 to November 25, 2012

MISSION & OBJECTIVE
The Foyle Film Festival‘s main aim is to provide access to cultural cinema, film industry workshops and moving image education to a regional and visiting audience, and to showcase the films of emerging local and international filmmakers.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Foyle Film Festival is the flagship project of the Nerve Centre. From its earliest days, it has pursued an integrated development strategy, linking together the different art forms – film, music, animation, new media – across the interlocking sectors of production, training, education and exhibition. The key elements of Foyle Film Festival are its thematic content, diverse programme strands and special industry events which have been developed to meet the evolving interests of its audience.

The ethos is to offer a range of contemporary, classic, cultural and new cinema to a local and visiting audience and to provide access to cultural cinema to the general cinema going public in this region.

In addition, the Festival targets schools and colleges with a series of curriculum based screenings, workshops and presentations which runs for five days of the event. A new theme is adopted each year which shapes the Festival forum as well as the main education programme.

The Festival is also committed to showcasing indigenous work and providing opportunities for the local industry to meet and hear leading experts from the film industry in a masterclass and workshop situation. These have included workshops with special effects experts, composers, writers, cinematographers, actors and animators plus film historians and film journalists.

Please see our website http://www.foylefilmfestival.org for the awards list which we qualify for including the Oscar, BAFTA and BIFA.
ORGANIZERS
Bernie McLaughlin (Festival Director & Programmer) ; Bernie McLaughlin (Festival Director & Programmer) ; Bernie McLaughlin (Festival Director & Programmer) ; Eavan King (Competition Manager)

GENERAL RULES
Regulations for Participation 2012

Please read ALL of the below rules and regulations for the Foyle Film Festival before entry.

Keys: FFF – Foyle Film Festival, CM – Competition Manager, LIM – Light In Motion, DVD can also mean Blu Ray as we accept both.

Anything in CAPITALS means that you should pay particular attention to the rule/regulation stated.

Date and Venue
The 2012 Foyle Film Festival will take place in Derry, Northern Ireland from Wednesday 21-Sunday 25 November 2012.

Organisers
The 2012 Foyle Film Festival is a project of The Nerve Centre and will be organised and managed by the Festival Director Bernie McLaughlin. The competition will be managed by Eavan King.

Rule 1: By entering FFF your agreeing to all of the Competition rules and regulations stated below by FFF, Withoutabox and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (for International Short, Irish Short and Animation). Please see http://www.oscars.org/awards/ academyawards/rules/rule01.html for full Oscar rules and regulations.

COMPLETION DATE
All films must be completed after 1 January 2011.

Rule 2: All entries are to be made through Withoutabox. No exceptions. You must enter online and then send your DVD to the festival office.

Competition
The Competition section of the Festival is divided into the following categories:

A. Best Short Film
B. Best Animated Short Film
C. Best Documentary Film

Rule 3: You can only enter your film into one category.
If you are entering more than one film please make sure that they are eligible for each category you wish to enter that and you pay a separate fee for each film. If you wish to enter a number of films (Film Collective) you must put each film on a separate DVD and pay a fee for each entry.

Rule 4: The Festival reserves the right to place films into alternative categories if it feels it is to the benefit of the filmmaker. This will be discussed with those relevant before any decision is made.

Rule 5: Your film must not be available online or have shown on another medium e.g. TV. If your film is on YouTube, etc. then it will be automatically withdrawn from the competition. The only exception to this rule is the documentary category which can have been shown on another medium, but again not online.

Rule 6: Subtitles
The significant dialogue or narration of all films must be in English, or the entry must have English-language subtitles. Exceptions can be made for films that contain little or no dialogue.

Rule 7: Film Format (Submission and Exhibition)
Films selected for screening during the Festival are to be on DVD format. Both submission and exhibition will be on DVD. In most cases, we will use the DVD screener sent for submission, for exhibition, unless otherwise stated by the filmmaker at time of acceptance with due cause.

We accept all regions and aspects (NTSC, PAL and SECAM). We would prefer regions 0, 1 (USA) or 2 (UK), but all are acceptable. Please see the category technical requirements for a complete list of acceptable regions. Please make sure that your DVD plays in a DVD/Blu-Ray player before sending it to us.

PLEASE NOTE: ALTHOUGH YOU CAN SCREEN YOUR FILM ON DVD FORMAT DURING THE FESTIVAL, IF YOUR FILM WINS AT FOYLE FILM FESTIVAL, IT MUST BE AVAILABLE ON 35mm FILM PRINT ONLY IF YOU WISH TO ENTER IT FOR OSCAR CONSIDERATION. THE ACADEMY WILL MAKE NO EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE.

The Documentary category is not eligible for Oscar consideration.

ONLY SEND THE FINISHED VERSION OF YOUR FILM. WE DO NOT ACCEPT RE-EDITS OR WORKS IN PROGRESS..

Rule 8: Duration
All Short films should not be more than 40 mins. long.
A Documentary must be a minimum of 40 mins. long.

What you must send
For each entry the following must be sent:
* A DVD copy of the film being entered with your tracking number on the disc and the box or envelope for postage.

On your disc please put:
Name of film
Tracking number
Category you wish to enter
Aspect ratio
Contact details for submission contact

Due to the high number of entries we receive, DVDs will be separated from their boxes for storage.

We do not require a full press kit at time of entry. If successful, we will ask for a press kit if/when your film is accepted. PLEASE use the Withoutabox on-line press kit service. It’s free for all the basic press kit requirements.

In the interests of saving the environment please do not send lots of paper.

Rule 9: Publicity
The Festival reserves the right to use extracts from submissions for TV coverage or any other publicity that is used in the promotion of the Festival.

Submission

SUBMISSION REFERS TO SUBMISSION OF THE DVD (NOT THE ONLINE APPLICATION FORM). The 25th Foyle Film Festival 2012 submission dates are Friday 11 May-Friday 21 September. There are no Early Bird Entry Dates this year and no staggered payments. Entry fee the whole way through the submission process is fixed at £40 standard entry and £35 for WAB members. PLEASE NOTE: The discounted WAB Fee is only available to submitters that have upgraded their project.

All fees must be paid. FFF and Withoutabox take failure to pay the relevant and correct fee very seriously. An email from the CM will be sent to the entrant in this event. After a warning, failure to pay will result in disqualification. YOUR FILM WILL NOT BE VIEWED IF THE RELEVANT PAYMENT HAS NOT BEEN MADE.

Waivers (free entry) are granted only to select filmmakers who have been invited to submit by the Festival Director. Please do not email us and ask us for waiver. We receive thousands of requests and all are turned down.

Rule 10: All entries for FFF must arrive before the final deadline of 21 September 2012. (Applications after this date will not be accepted).
Please ensure you keep a copy of the accompanying rules and regulations.

The Festival reserves the right to change the criteria under certain circumstances. If changes do happen – submitters will be notified in writing of any changes to submission terms or criteria.

Shipping Instructions
Both submission and exhibition will be on DVD. In most cases, we will use the DVD screener sent for submission, for exhibition, unless otherwise stated by the filmmaker at time of acceptance with due cause. When accepted, if you do wish to send an exhibition DVD, it must reach the FFF office at the time stated by CM once accepted. This date must be respected. Beyond this deadline the film’s participation in the Festival cannot be guaranteed. Notification of despatch of the DVD to the Festival should be sent in advance.

The shipping cost of the DVD (Submission/Exhibition) to the Festival plus the customs and fees is the responsibility of the sender and the sender alone (this includes customs fees incurred at either end). MARK ON YOUR SHIPMENT “FOR CULTURAL PURPOSES ONLY TEMPORARY IMPORT” and of low/no value. If you want to pay for insurance, this is done solely at your own discretion.

PLEASE NOTE: THE FOYLE FILM FESTIVAL WILL NOT PAY ANY COSTS RELATING TO ANY COURIER/POSTAGE – INCLUDING FEDEX – THAT FILMMAKERS CHOOSE TO SEND THEIR ENTRIES WITH. THE FILMMAKER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF GETTING BOTH THE ENTRY COPY AND IF THEY WISH THE FINAL EXHIBITION COPY OF THE FILM ON DVD TO THE FESTIVAL. ALL COSTS AND DUTIES, ETC., ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FILMMAKERS. FURTHER, IF ANY FILMMAKER USES A COURIER AND TRANSFERS THE COST TO FOYLE FILM FESTIVAL, THEN THIS ENTRY WILL BE DISQUALIFIED WITHOUT ENTERING INTO ANY DISCUSSION.

Use of packaging
If at all possible please avoid using padded envelopes. We cannot recycle them. If your DVD arrives broken through postage we will allow you to send another copy without paying an extra fee. Again, another reason to enter early. If this happens at a much later stage we may be unable to allow for time to post and screen. The CM has discretion in all matters.

We regret that we cannot return any submission/exhibition DVDs.

Selection
A special committee nominated by the Festival management selects the films for the Festival programme. The Festival management may invite films for the competition and programme.

Unsuccessful applicants will be informed via email and your submission status on your entry page will reflect this on or before the 12 October 2012. Emails can be mislaid … so please assume if you have not heard from us by the specified deadline (12 October 2012) that you have been unsuccessful at this time.

All successful applicants will be informed by email/telephone before or on the 12 October 2012. The selection committee’s decision is final. A final list of those films screening in Competition at the 2012 FFF will also be posted on the festival website (www.foylefilmfestival.org). If your film does not appear on this list then your film is not screening in competition in the 2012 FFF.

The category winners will be announced at the closing evening LIM Awards Ceremony, Sunday 25 November 2012. Absent winning filmmakers will be contacted by telephone or email. Winners in all categories will receive a Light In Motion (LIM Award). If you cannot be present at the ceremony, your LIM Award will be posted out to you.

Please send your entries to the address below:

Eavan King
Competition Manager
Foyle Film Festival
Nerve Centre
L/Derry
BT48 6HJ
N. Ireland
UK

Any enquiries or if you would like clarification on any of the above please get in touch.

E: e.king@nerve-centre.org.uk
T: +44 (0)28 7126 0562 (Ask for Foyle Film Festival Office)

Good Luck.
Eavan King, Competition Manager FFF 2012