Festival Internacional de Cine con Medios Alternativos (7)

Festival start: 18 November 2023      Festival end: 26 November 2023

The International Film Festival with Alternative Media (FICMA) seeks to promote and disseminate the creation of quality films and audiovisual projects made with new digital narratives and new technologies such as smartphones, tablets, drones, GoPro cameras, dsrl cameras, among others, as well as creative and innovative techniques.

The festival has as its theme this year “artificial intelligence”, its influence on cinema and analyzing its social, cultural and ethical impact in today's world with a view to the future of audiovisual media.


The 7th Edition of FICMA will be held from November 18 to 26, 2023 in Mexico City.

The official FICMA prize consists of a printed or digital certificate, as well as in-kind prizes in some categories from our sponsors, which will be disclosed on the social networks and official website.

The festival reserves the right to award honorable mentions to the works it deems worthy of them.

The submission and participation of a film or project implies full acceptance of the terms, conditions and rules of the festival.

RULES AND TERMS

• Entries will be open from April 3 to July 31, 2023, without the possibility of extension, and the notification date of results will be from October 24th.

• In-person and online functions will be carried out.

• All films and projects that are in another language than Spanish, will require to be subtitled in Spanish or english, except for some categories that do not require it.

• The films and projects that are chosen to be in “Official Selection” and/or “Competition Selection” must have subtitles in Spanish, –with the exception of the categories that do not require it, they will be given a reasonable time to subtitle them, they will also be given a link with companies associated with the subtitling service, whose cost will depend on the project in question, this will be reviewed with the participant via email and / or via private mobile (WhatsApp).

• All participants must register their film with a particular cell phone number and mail of constant use.

• National and foreign filmmakers will be able to participate with films and projects produced between 2021, 2022 and 2023.

• Films and projects entered in all categories must be made with devices such as smartphones, tablets, Action Cameras, drones, DSLR cameras, Blackmagic pocket, Osmo, 360° cameras or other alternative techniques (such as Zoom, Parkview cameras, surveillance cameras, digital animations, etc.).

• Films made with Red One, Scarlet X, Epic, Arri Alexa, Sony f6, 35mm, 16mm or any professional or conventional cinema camera will not be accepted.

• The films and projects registered must clearly specify which devices or creative media they used for their realization, checking through photos, stills or videos (Behind the scenes).

• Films and projects must be registered on the platform:

FESTHOME: https://festhome.com/festival/ficma-6


CATEGORIES
WORLD QUADRANTS
• Fiction Feature Film: Productions with a minimum duration of 60 minutes and a maximum of 120 minutes including credits, in case of being in another language other than Spanish, it must be delivered subtitled, either sent the file .srt or inserted in the film. Free theme.

• Documentary Feature Film: Productions with a minimum duration of 60 minutes and a maximum of 120 minutes including credits, in case of being in another language other than Spanish, it must be delivered subtitled, either sent the file .srt or inserted in the film. Free theme.

• Fiction Short Film: Productions with a minimum duration of 1 minute and a maximum of 30 minutes including credits, in case of being in another language other than Spanish, it must be delivered subtitled, either sent the file .srt or inserted in the film. Free theme.

• Documentary Short Film: Productions with a minimum duration of 1 minute and a maximum of 30 minutes including credits, in case of being in another language other than Spanish, it must be delivered subtitled, either sent the file .srt or inserted in the film. Free theme.

• Digital Animated Short Film: Productions made with digital animation methods, with a minimum of 1 minute and a maximum of 30 minutes including credits, in case of being in another language other than Spanish, must be delivered subtitled, either sent the file .srt or inserted in the film. Free theme.


NEW MEDIA
• Experimental Short Film: Projects carried out with unconventional and/or abstract narrative methods seeking expression through the use of new symbolisms and alternative resources to express concepts and experiences that meet the festival's requirements not to use professional cameras, (Video dance, performance and filmed theater will not be accepted) of a minimum duration of 1 minute and a maximum of 30 minutes including credits, in case of being in another language other than Spanish, it must be delivered subtitled, either sent the file .srt or inserted in the film. Free theme.

• Transmedia: Narrative transmedia projects that have at least 3 communication platforms and one of them is an audiovisual medium such as feature film, short film, video game, web series, etc., that comply with the rules of transmedia, the description of the project will be delivered in a PDF document that contains what is necessary to describe the work, attaching viewing or links of the audiovisual part and files on the FESTHOME platform. In case of being in another language other than Spanish, it must be delivered subtitled in Spanish or english, either sent the file .srt or inserted in the film. Free theme.

• Web series: Series for the internet exclusively, only one episode or pilot is accepted where it is considered that it describes and best represents the web series, in case of being in another language other than Spanish, it must be delivered subtitled in Spanish or english, either sent the file .srt or inserted in the film. Free theme.

• VR projects and / or 360° videos: Projects made with virtual reality technologies and 360° videos, with a minimum duration of 1 minute and a maximum of 20 minutes including credits, free theme, either fiction, documentary or entertainment in general. Projects must be uploaded to the festhome platform with YouTube or Vimeo link, with the specifications recommended by the same platforms. The viewing of the short VR, AR and 360° must be able to be reproduced on any device with gyroscope and / or viewfinders.

• Artificial Intelligence films (Documentary or Fiction): Projects carried out with Artificial Intelligence or that touch on the subject of it, maximum of 60 minutes including credits.

MEXICAN STORYTELLERS
• Mexican Short Fiction Film: Mexican films with a minimum of 1 minute and a maximum of 30 minutes including credits. Free theme.

• Mexican Documentary Short Film: Mexican films of 1 minute and a maximum of 30 minutes including credits. Free theme.

• Mexican College Short Film (Documentary or Fiction): Mexican productions made by students of Cinema, Communication Sciences or related careers as long as they can verify it with a document that endorses that they are part of the university enrollment and / or are supported by the same university, with a minimum of 1 minute and a maximum of 30 minutes including credits. Free theme.

REGISTRATION CONDITIONS AND FEES
• The registrations of normal period will be from April 4 and will close on July 31 without the possibility of extension.

• In April and May, registrations will be free for International and Mexican selections. And from June 1 a registration fee of $15 USD will be charged for feature films and $9 USD for other categories for late registration.

• Once the call closes, in the months of August and September a pre-selection will be made. FICMA team will communicate with the pre-selected filmmakers via email and/or WhatsApp (an email address that is frequently checked and WhatsApp number is required) to request the material and information missing from the requirements of this call.

• If there is no response from the pre-selected filmmakers within 2 weeks, the project will be automatically disqualified.

• The filmmakers will be able to register and pay the fees of their projects through the FESTHOME platform in which it is mandatory that they have the download option for viewing with link and password.

• The format for viewing and downloading is MP4 1920 x 1080 full HD WITHOUT WATERMARK and with the best quality that your device or camera allows, no physical copies will be accepted.

• Participants will be able to submit one or more films in all categories, there is no limit on the number of projects to register.

• Advertising spots or corporate or government videos will not be accepted.

• Once a film has been registered at the festival and subsequently chosen for the official selection, the project will become part of the Seventh Edition FICMA 2022, it cannot be withdrawn or canceled from the final program.

• It is mandatory that participants deliver Press Kit containing technical sheet, stills of the film (300 dpi, in jpg or png format), photo of the director (300 dpi, in Jpg or png format) poster of the film, production photos (300 Dpi, in jpg or png format) trailer (optional).

• This Press Kit must be previously organized in a Google DRIVE or Dropbox folder with access permissions to share, on the FESTHOME platform where the material can be downloaded.

• Any questions or clarification for the inscriptions of the films, write to the emails: info@ficmafest.org / festivalficma@gmail.com

SELECTION AND EXHIBITION:

• The organizing committee will evaluate the registered films and choose the best of the works in the different categories of the festival and will choose those that will make up the official and competition selection of the Seventh Edition of FICMA 2022 and reserves the right to schedule the order, date and form of exhibition (online or in person) of the selected films.

• The festival will not pay for exhibition fees for films participating in the official selection or in competition.

• To make the selection, the committee will evaluate the works taking into account the production values of the film (script, direction, photography, editing, image quality), devices used to record, use of alternative technologies, creativity and originality.

• The filmmakers who register the film are accredited as the authors of the work and holders of the moral and economic rights of the same, the filmmakers undertake to demarcate the FICMA from any responsibility for the possible claim of copyright that could be generated by third parties.

• The films that are chosen for the official selection will be part of the digital collection of the FICMA, which will be used only for cultural and artistic purposes.

• The results of the official selection will be published from November 1st on the festival's digital platforms and social networks. And those selected will be notified by e-mail that same day.

• The festival may use fragments of the films to promote and disseminate it.

• The films of the official selection will be part of itinerant exhibitions and film cycles in exhibition agreements with other festivals, institutions and digital platforms with adequate protection.

JURY AND awards
• The jury will be composed of professionals from the film, culture and technology industry and its resolution will be final.

• The winners of the different categories in competition and the honorable mentions will be announced on the last day of the festival at the closing ceremony and through e-mail, website and social networks of the festival.

• The members of the jury will not be able to participate in the different categories in competition of the festival.

• No member of FICMA’s crew may be part of the jury or compete in the festival.

• The official FICMA award consists of a printed and/or digital certificate, as well as in-kind prizes in some categories by our sponsors, which will be revealed on social networks and the official website.

• The festival reserves the right to award honorable mentions to the works it deems worthy of these.


THE REGISTRATION AND PARTICIPATION OF A FILM OR PROJECT IMPLIES FULL ACCEPTANCE OF THE CONDITIONS AND RULES OF THE FESTIVAL.

The organizing committee of the FICMA will resolve any matter not foreseen in the call and for more information write to the emails: info@ficmafest.org / festivalficma@gmail.com