International Kolkata Short Film Festival (3)

Festival start: 10 January 2023      Festival end: 15 January 2023

Festival start: 10 January 2023 – Festival End: 15 January 2023

Welcome to IKSFF 2023. The International Kolkata Short Film Festival 2022 was a grand success. More than 190 short films and short documentaries from over 26 countries got submitted. It also received the support and association of many eminent personalities, celebrities, and popular brands. The gala award ceremony was a huge success in the presence of renowned celebrities. Now in its third year, IKSFF 2023 is again ready to attain greater heights.

A few key points:

>> It will be a hybrid event.
>> Selected short films will be screened both online and offline.
>> This year music videos are also welcome.
>> All films selected for screening will get laurel from us.
>> There will be 20 Award Categories

Like previous years, the International Kolkata Short Film Festival, IKSFF 2023 brings the opportunity for Independent filmmakers to showcase their films to the world, using Eventizer, an online platform for cine lovers, critics, actor-actress, and others.

Kolkata, a culturally rich city in India is the hub of many budding filmmakers, actor-actress, eminent personalities related to the film industry, and obviously huge cine-lovers since the past century. The objective of IKSFF is to empower short films across the globe and to nurture the development of newborn filmmakers.

The festival provides a platform for professionals as well as budding filmmakers to showcase their talent to the world. It also gives them interaction and advertising opportunities for their short film at the international level. Cine lovers can purchase tickets through Eventizer and can watch these remarkable works of art from different countries.

Along with Short Films and Short Documentaries, this year, Music Videos will also be eligible to submit their creations.

We thank all who have been associated with IKSFF for making it a success. We envision seeing IKSFF at a new height. Please be with us and help IKSFF achieve new milestones. Your support is highly anticipated.

We will screen all selected films virtually and also send ‘selection laurel’ to the filmmakers by mail. Then from the selected films, five will be nominated for each award category.

These nominated films will again get the ‘laurel of nomination’ and will also honor them on our website and social media pages/IDs.

From these nominated films, the award winners will be declared. There will be 20 Awards Categories. They are as follows:

1. Best Short Film
2. Best Indian (Short Film)
3. Best Bengali (Short Film)
4. Best Concept (Short Film)

5. Best Director (Short Film)
6. Best Debut Film - Director (Short Film)
7. Best Cinematography (Short Film)
8. Best Editor (Short Film)
9. Best Background Score Music (Short Film)
10. Best Actor (Short Film)
11. Best Supporting Actor (Short Film)
12. Best Child Actor (Short Film)

13. Best Documentary Film
14. Best Director (Documentary Film)

15. Best Short Film- Festival Committee Choice
16. Best Public Service Announcement (PSA) *
17. Best Animation (Short Film)*
18. Best Music Video *
19. Best Advertisement/Commercials*
20. Best Environmental Short Film*

*Subject to a minimum of 10 Submissions

The winning films will get ‘winner laurel’, a certificate, and a medal from us. We will also conduct a special offline screening in our city for the award-winning films.

All these award-winning films will get Laurel, Certificate, Medal (or Memento), and social media promotion. The films will be screened either online or offline or on both platforms.

The trophy/Medal/Certificate (Hard Copy) for the winners will be sent through courier/post. Any postage charges, duties, and fees will be covered by the recipient. The festival organizers will not be liable for such expenses. However, the digital copy of the award and laurels will be emailed to the winners.

⦿ Call for Entry Opens: 1 April 2022

⦿ Early Bird Deadline: May 31, 2022
⦿ Regular Deadline: July 15, 2022
⦿ Extended Regular: August 31, 2022
⦿ Late Deadline: October 15, 2022
⦿ Final Deadline: November 15, 2022
⦿ Extended Final Deadline: December 15, 2022

⦿ Entry fees Non- Refundable
⦿ The film/video can be of any language or of any genre. All non-English films must have English subtitles
⦿ The decision of the festival committee and jury members will be considered final.
⦿ All information will be given on the Festival's Facebook page, or an attempt will be made to contact by mail.

1.1 Festival Mission & Objective

International Kolkata Short Film Festival which will take place for the third time from 10 January 2023 to 15 January 2023, is now open for entries. The IKSFF will strive to screen short movies. We would like to invite both professional (established broadcasters, film or television production companies/distributors, and independent filmmakers) and non-professional filmmakers from anywhere in the world to participate in the festival. The festival and judgment of the competition will take place in Kolkata, India.

1.2 About EVENTIZER: Eventizer is an online ticketing platform that helps promote, showcase, and ticket various events online and is also intended to nourish online events and digital festivals of different colors. Short Film Makers can also showcase their films with ticketing through Eventizer.

1.3 Festival Dates
⦿ Online & Offline Festival: 10 January 2023 to 15 January 2023
⦿ Award Ceremony: Sunday, 15 January 2023 (Kolkata)

1.4 Eligibility
>> Submission to the Festival is open to Short films, Short documentaries, Short animations, Music videos, Advertisements/Commercials, and Public Service Announcements.

>> All the films Submitted by Film Makers to the Festival under Short Film, Short Documentary, Short Animation, Music Video, Advertisement/Commercials, Public Service Announcement Categories, and Created after 1 January 2017 will be included under the Competition Section of the festival program. If any filmmaker wants the screening of his/her film which is completed before 2017, it will be accepted but will be excluded from the competition.

1.4 Entry Fee
IKSFF charges a nominal entry fee to the contest. For details kindly see the Categories & Fees section. Entry fees Non- Refundable.

1.5 Number of Submissions
Filmmakers may submit any number of films under the Festival’s Film Categories like Short Film, Short Documentary, Short Animation, Music Video, Advertisement/Commercials, Public Service Announcement

1.6 Festival Submission Categories

a) Short Film (Less than 30 Minutes)
b) Short Documentaries ( Less than 30 Minutes )
c) Short Animation (Less than 30 Minutes)
d) Music Video (Less than 10 Minutes)
e) Advertisement/Commercials (Less than 6 Minutes)
f) Public Service Announcements (Less than 6 Minutes)

1.7 Participation

Participation in the IKSFF -2023 implies acceptance of the Rules and Regulations by filmmakers, producers, and their agents.

2. SUBMISSION GUIDELINES AND MATERIALS

2.1 Submission Deadlines

The final deadline for submitting the films is 15 December 2022. The films which will be submitted after the mentioned date will not be accepted by the Festival Authority.

2.2 Press Kit / Publicity Materials
Please include HIGH-RESOLUTION photographs (JPEG, TIFF, or EPS formats). The following formats will be required for the press kit and Festival Directory
i) Production stills (4)
ii) Director’s photographs (2)
iii) Poster
iv) Movie Stills (2)
v) Press clippings, brochures, pamphlets
vi) A 20 seconds Trailer to be submitted with each film.

2.3 Submission Materials
None of the above-listed submission materials will be returned.

2.4 Selection
Festival programmers select and invite all films presented at the festival. Films selected for the IKSFF-2023 will be announced before the festival date on our website. Filmmakers selected to participate will be notified prior to this date. The nominated film list will be published on the website and on our official Facebook page.

3. SELECTED FILMS
3.1 Participant’s obligation
Participation in the festival requires unconditional adherence to its regulations as set out here.

3.2 Satellite Channel Exhibition
All the films selected under the Competition Section of the Festival are requested to give absolute clearance for the one-time exhibition of their film in a Partnering Satellite Channel.

3.3 Catalogue materials
All contact persons of selected films will receive a request for catalogue materials upon confirming participation in the festival.

3.3.1 Required catalog materials
In order to compile the Festival Catalogue for each selected film, the Festival must receive a duly completed entry form and press kit. The requested materials should be sent/submitted as soon as possible upon acceptance of the invitation. The Festival accepts no liability in the event that its publications reproduce inaccuracies in submitted materials.

3.3.2 Credits
In principle, the catalogue will include the following technical and artistic credits: original title, international title, country of production, year of production, premiere status, format, running time, director, production company, producer, sales company, print source, screenplay, cinematography, editing, production design, sound, music, principal cast.

3.3.3 Catalogue Writings
Catalogue writings are entirely at the discretion of the Festival.

3.4 Publicity Materials
The contact persons of the films participating in the Festival will receive a request from the Press office to send publicity materials. These materials will be used in Festival publications and for distribution to the press and festival guests. Each film should be submitted with a trailer of 20 seconds.

3.4.1 Excerpts
After the official selection of a film, the Festival is qualified to use excerpts from the film, with a maximum of 3 minutes or a total duration of the excerpts not exceeding more than 10% of the running time of the film, for promotional purposes both nationally and internationally. In the event that excerpts are not available, and it’s being understood that under no circumstances the entire print may be lent out, the Festival is qualified to copy, under its strict supervision, one or more excerpts from the film for promotional use prior to, during and after the Festival.

3.4.2 Promotion
For the promotion of the entire selection and of each selected film, the Festival website is allowed to use any photo or digital film clip (less than 3 minutes duration or the total duration of the excerpts not exceeding more than 10% of the film running time). The 20-second trailer of the film may be used for promotion.

3.5 Programming
General scheduling and the timetabling of public screenings are entirely at the discretion of the Festival Management.

3.6 Subtitling
Selected films will be screened in their original version. In principle, if not with English dialogues, films must be subtitled in ENGLISH. An electronic subtitling system should not be used for any film.

4.0 Use of the Submission Materials:

4.1 Promotion: IKSFF/Eventizer will promote the festival and its awards by featuring extracts from submission on radio, television, and digital media throughout the world. IKSFF reserves the right to use the extracts of all submissions in these promotional activities.

4.2 Screening: IKSFF/Eventizer is entitled to screen the submitted productions both Online and Offline to the public during and after the festival for an unlimited period of time for both Commercial and Non-commercial purposes.

4.3 Images: Entrants warrant that IKSFF is entitled to use all the submitted images for promotional activity of the Festival throughout the world in different digital media for an unlimited period of time without making any payment for such usage.

4.5 Film Library: All submissions will be retained at IKSFF World Film Library for educational and archival purposes. For such purposes, IKSFF does not pay any fees to entrants.

4.6 Editing: IKSFF reserves the right to edit the information supplied by the Entrants for publication in the Festival Souvenir (For both Online & Printed versions)

5.0 Judging Process:

There will be three rounds of Judging

Round A: In this round, A IKSFF Jury panel will decide whether the film covers all the entry guidelines properly. Then the panel will shortlist the best movies and prepare a list of films for Round B.

Round B: In this round, the Screening Committee will decide the Nomination. A list of nominated films will be decided in this round.

Final Round: In this round, the full bench of Judges with the Festival Director, Festival Chairman, Festival Executive Director, Chief Advisor, Chairman of the Screening Committee will decide the Films for Awards in a different category.