Cineeco 2023 – 29º Festival Internacional de Cinema Ambiental da Serra da Estrela (29)

Festival start: 06 October 2023      Festival end: 14 October 2023

CineEco - International Environmental Film Festival of Serra da Estrela is the only film festival in Portugal dedicated to the environmental theme, which takes place in Seia, annually, in October and uninterruptedly since 1995, on the initiative of the Municipality of Seia.

It is a festival that takes place in Seia's Municipal House of Culture and has already gained great international prestige, with more than 600 documentaries usually competing, coming from more than 30 countries.

The format of the event is based on a set of activities developed over 8 days and includes several parallel activities such as conferences, concerts, workshops, exhibitions, in addition to the competitive section and several film cycles.

CineEco offers the general public quality cinema and little-known and alternative cinematographies in relation to the traditional market.

The Festival seeks to captivate new audiences, making them aware of cinema, its history and its aesthetics. Besides the general public, thousands of children and young people from the municipality and surrounding region have been attracted to the cinemas, as well as tourists who visit the Serra da Estrela.

1.1. The following Awards will be awarded:

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM COMPETITION

I – Grand Prix Environment, which will win € 2000 (two thousand euros), that will be given to the work considered to be the best in the category of International Feature Film Competition.

II – Environmental Anthropology Award, which will win € 500 (five hundred euros), that will be given to the work considered to be the best in the category of International Feature Film Competition, which better shows the environmental anthropology theme.

INTERNATIONAL SHORT AND MEDIUM-LENGTH FILM COMPETITION

III – International Short and Medium-length Film Award, which will win € 500 (five hundred euros), that will be given to the work considered to be the best in the category of International Short and Medium-length Film Competition.

IV – Environmental Education Award, which will win € 500 (five hundred euros), that will be given to the work that better helps to promote the environmental education theme in the category of International Short and Medium-length Film Competition.

V – Animated Short Award, which will win €500 (five hundred euros), that will be given awarded to the work that is considered the best animated short in the category of International Short and Medium-length Film Competition.

PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE FEATURE FILM COMPETITION

VI – Camacho Costa Award which will win € 1000 (one thousand euros), that will be given to the Feature Film in Portuguese Language considered to be the best in the category of Portuguese Language Feature Film Competition.

PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE SHORT FILM COMPETITION

VII - Short-Film in Portuguese Language Award, which will win € 500 (five hundred euros), that will be given to the work considered to be the best short–film in the category of Portuguese Language Short Film Competition.

REGIONAL PANORAMA COMPETITION

VIII – Regional Panorama Award, which will win € 500 (five hundred euros), that will be given to the work developed in the region of Serra da Estrela and which best promotes the local environmental issues.

ALL THE CATEGORIES

IX – Water Award - which will win € 500 (five hundred euros) that will be given to the work that best shows the Water theme, among all the competitive categories.

X – Youth Award which will be given to the best work of each one of the categories in competition that best reflects the youth environmental interests and concerns.

1.2. If the Jury wishes so, they can assign Honorable Mentions.

1.3. The given Awards will be accompanied by a trophy and a diploma.

1.4. In case of Honorable Mentions, these ones will be accompanied by a diploma.

1. PURPOSE

1.1. CineEco – The International Environmental Film Festival of Serra da Estrela as the purpose of promote, show and award audiovisual works of fiction, animation, experimental and documentaries, with focus on environmental issues, produced in any part of the world. It simultaneously organizes actions and activities related to this theme.

1.2. This way, the Festival intends not only to value the natural and cultural resources, but also to promote the environmental heritage and the tourism in Serra da Estrela.

2. ADMISSION

2.1. The competitive sections and the parallel exhibitions of CineEco’2023- 29th International Environmental Film Festival of Serra da Estrela will take place in Seia, from 6th to 14th October 2023, and are opened to films, documentaries, series, and national and foreign television reports. The competitions include the following categories:

_ International Feature Film Competition (from 60 minutes);

_ International Short and Medium-length Film Competition (up to 60 minutes);

_ Portuguese language Feature Film Competition;

_ Portuguese language Short Film Competition;

_ Regional Panorama Competition.

2.2. The films of the competitions in the Portuguese language can simultaneously compete in the international competitions.

2.3. All the works registered must be performed after 1st January 2022.

2.4. The organization of the Festival reserves the right to include in international competitions, whenever justified by the quality of the works, Portuguese films that have only entered the national categories.

3. REGISTRATION AND SELECTION

3.1. The registration of the works to the competition must be till 31th May 2023 in:

_ Festhome: www.festhome.com

_ Website of the festival: www.cineeco.pt

3.2. In any of these places of registration, there must be, obligatorily, the following items:

_ Two photos (still’s) of the film with good quality of resolution (300px)
_ Declaration of Consent of Display in the festival and its extensions
There can also be:
_ Filmography
_ Curriculum and photo of the film director
_ Trailer and any other available material to promotion (posters, press kit, etc.)

3.3. CineEco does not pay any fee of film exhibition.

3.4. The official selection will be announced to all the candidates till 31th of July 2023, and after this will be released in the website and in the other channels of communication of the festival

3.5. CineEco will only notify the films which were selected.

3.6. After the announcement of the selected films, it is an obligation to send both the requested materials and the respective copy of the file extensions till 15th August 2023.


3.7. When the previous point in 3.6 is not fulfilled, the film from the official selection will be excluded.

4. SUBTITLING

4.1. The registered films which are not in the english language, must have a screener with subtitles in english.

4.2. The selected films which are not in the english language must be accompanied with a copy of the exhibition with subtitles in english.

5. Awards

5.1. The following awards will be awarded:

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM COMPETITION
I – Grand Prix Environment, which will win € 2000 (two thousand euros), that will be given to the work considered to be the best in the category of International Feature Film Competition.
II – Environmental Anthropology Award, which will win € 500 (five hundred euros), that will be given to the work considered to be the best in the category of International Feature Film Competition, which better shows the environmental anthropology theme.

INTERNATIONAL SHORT AND MEDIUM-length FILM COMPETITION
III – International Short and Medium-length Film Award, which will win € 500 (five hundred euros), that will be given to the work considered to be the best in the category of International Short and Medium-length Film Competition.
IV – Environmental Education Award, which will win € 500 (five hundred euros), that will be given to the work that better helps to promote the environmental education theme in the category of International Short and Medium-length Film Competition.
V – Animated Short Award, which will win €500 (five hundred euros), that will be given awarded to the work that is considered the best animated short in the category of International Short and Medium-length Film Competition.

PORTUGUESE language FEATURE FILM COMPETITION
VI – Camacho Costa Award which will win € 1000 (one thousand euros), that will be given to the Feature Film in Portuguese language considered to be the best in the category of Portuguese language Feature Film Competition.

PORTUGUESE language SHORT FILM COMPETITION
VII - Short-Film in Portuguese language Award, which will win € 500 (five hundred euros), that will be given to the work considered to be the best short–film in the category of Portuguese language Short Film Competition.

REGIONAL PANORAMA COMPETITION
VIII – Regional Panorama Award, which will win € 500 (five hundred euros), that will be given to the work developed in the region of Serra da Estrela and which best promotes the local environmental issues.

ALL THE CATEGORIES
IX – Water Award - which will win € 500 (five hundred euros) that will be given to the work that best shows the Water theme, among all the competitive categories.
X – Youth Award which will be given to the best work of each one of the categories in competition that best reflects the youth environmental interests and concerns.

5.2. If the Jury wishes so, they can assign Honorable Mentions.

5.3. The given awards will be accompanied by a trophy and a diploma.

5.4. In case of Honorable Mentions, these ones will be accompanied by a diploma.

6. THE JURY

6.1. The Jury of the International Feature Film Competition will be composed by three recognized people who belong to the cinematography and environmental world, who will give the
following awards: Grand Prix Environment and Environmental Anthropology Award.

6.2. The Jury of the International Short and Medium-length Film Competition will be composed by three recognized people who belong to the cinematography and environmental world, who will give the following awards: International Short and Medium-length Film Award, Environmental Education Award and Animated Short Award.

6.3. The Jury of the Portuguese language Feature Film Competition, Portuguese language Short Film Competition and Regional Panorama Competition, will be composed by three recognized people who belong to the cinematography and environmental world, who will give the following awards: Camacho Costa Award, Short-Film in Portuguese language Award and Regional Panorama Award.

6.4. The Jury of Youth will be composed by young people who belong to the territorial area of the Intermunicipal Community of Beiras and Serra da Estrela, which will be distributed by the points 6.1; 6.2 and 6.3

6.5. The Jury may decide to give, or not to give, the foreseen awards in this regulation.

6.6. Among the Jury, there cannot be people who have direct interests in the production and /or exploration of the films presented in the contest.

7. FINAL ARRANGEMENTS

7.1. CineEco retains the right to select some of the registered films to integrate some of the parallel noncompetitive sessions and the theme exhibitions out of the competition, which are included in the general program.

7.2. To all due effects, each contestant assumes all the responsibility of the works which have registered in the contest, which means that CineEco has no responsibility in what respects third party.

7.3. Cineeco has the right to pass on television, cinema or other means of communication small parts of the awarded works, or any others that are asked by social means of communication.

7.4. CineEco reserves the right to display the works in competition in its shows and extensions, within one year after the festival, in other places of Portugal, with no-profit and with the aim of pedagogical effects. Where appropriate, CineEco will suggest prize-winning works, or others, to be displayed in other equal international festivals.

7.5. The contestants must respect the Standard of Participation, and accept all the clauses in it, as it stays demonstrated by the signature of the authorization of display which must be attached to the registration form.

7.6. With regard to the decisions of the organization, in what concerns the interpretation and the compliance of these Standard of Participation, there will be no appeal.

7.7. The results of the contest will be known in the closing ceremony of the 29th International Environmental Film Festival of Serra da Estrela and through the website of the festival, as well as in other supports of social communication.

7.8. All the issues which were not foreseen in the Standard of Participation will be resolved according to the rules of the international Cinema Festivals.