SITGES - Festival Internacional de Cinema Fantàstic de Catalunya (56)

Festival start: 05 October 2023      Festival end: 15 October 2023

The SITGES - International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia is a specialized, competitive fantastic genre Festival in accordance with the regulations established by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations). The Festival has also been declared a “Qualified Festival” by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences® in the United States. This means that those shorts winning the awards for “Best Short Film” in the Official Fantàstic Selection and “Best Short Film” in the Anima’t category will automatically be taken into consideration by the Hollywood Academy Awards® selection committee.

See festival's Rules and regulations.

TERMS & CONDITIONS FOR SUBMITTING FILMS TO THE 56TH SITGES – INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL OF CATALONIA


a) To submit a film to the Festival and simplify its viewing for the Program Committee, please follow these instructions:

Submit the short or feature length film via the festhome.com platform.
FEATURE LENGTH FILMS can be submitted to: Fiction feature film, documentary featu- re film; animated feature film; Brigadoon (Feature Films); Sitges Family (Feature Films). They can be submitted in one of these five categories only.

SHORT FILMS can be submitted to: Live Action Short Film; Animated Short Films; Briga- doon (Short Films); Sitges Family (Short Films). They can be submitted in one of these four categories only. Please be sure to carefully read the notes to keep in mind for submitting short films to the Festival at the end of this document.

TEASERS/TRAILERS must be submitted to Sitges Coming Soon category. The maximum runtime of the works submitted must be 10’.

The submission of works in progress will be accepted. This production status must be pointed out when submitted to Festhome, checking the appropriate box or indicating it in parenthesis following the title.
DVD / Blu-Ray are not accepted. Likewise, viewing links received outside the festhome.com platform will not be taken into consideration.


b) The Festival will charge a submission fee for viewing. This fee does not include any submission taxes that Festhome might apply.

FEATURE LENGTH FILMS: 75 Euros
SHORT FILMS: 45 Euros
TEASERS/TRAILERS: 40 Euros

Payment will be made at the time the submission is done via the festhome.com platform.


c) The submission deadline for all categories is July 17th, 2023. DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL 31st JULY, 2023.

d) IMPORTANT: pieces are not submitted by sections (except in the case of Brigadoon), but by categories (feature length film, short film, animation, live action). In the event of being selected, the Programming Committee will decide which section the piece will be included in.


e) The Festival will contact the selected films, which will receive an additional entry form to be able to formalize participation in the Festival. This first communication may take place up until the beginning of September (lineup deadline).


f) Festhome will send an automatic notification on September 4th, 2023 for all the pieces that have NOT been selected by the Festival’s Programming Committee but that have formalized their submission via the official platform..

Notes to keep in mind for submitting SHORT FILMS to the Festival:

The Program Committee will only take into consideration short films satisfying the following conditions:

All short films must be fantastic genre with a 2022/2023 production date.

The maximum runtime accepted for short films, in all sections, is of 30 minutes. The short films may be included in the following sections:

Official Fantàstic Section
Shorts previously unreleased in Spain. The winning short in this section will automatically be taken into consideration by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood for the Oscar® Awards.

Noves Visions Petit Format Section
Shorts previously unreleased in Spain. Works with an experimental or avant-garde ori- entation.

Anima’t Section
The winning short in this section will automatically be taken into consideration by the Hollywood Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the Oscar® Awards.

Nova Autoria Section
Short films made by students from Catalan film schools. The SGAE headquarters in Ca- talonia will centralize the reception of the pieces, through a pre-selection made by the schools. This will be the only means of submission (they will not have to be submitted via the festhome.com platform).

Brigadoon Section
A selection of short films independently produced and thematically oriented in horror and fantasy. The selected works will be included among premieres, retrospectives, tri- butes, and/or cult movies. It is not necessary for them to be unreleased in Spain. Howe- ver, works posted on the Internet or on platforms will not be takeninto consideration.

The Sitges Family Label
It identifies those films intended for children and young people, all designed for family viewing, included at the Festival. This cross-sectional label identifies relevant titles for film literacy and includes films that may be screened in other sections, in other words, it has no competitive status in itself.


We ask you to please read the Festival’s complete rules and regulations (see below).

The Festival is certified by FIAPF (The International Federation of Film Producers Associations).


I) THE FESTIVAL


The Sitges - International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia is a competitive festival, specializing in fantastic genre, festival in accordance with the regulations established by the FIAPF.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood has also declared the Festival to be a “Qualified Festival” for the Oscar® Awards. This means that those shorts winning the awards for «Best Short Film» in the Official Fantàstic Selection and «Best Short Film» in the Anima’t section will automatically be taken into consideration by the Selection Committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood for the Oscar® Awards.


II) SECTIONS


The Festival consists of the following sections:

Official Fantàstic In Competition / Out-of-Competition Special Screenings
Noves Visions
Òrbita
Panorama Fantàstic Anima’t
Seven Chances Midnight X-Treme Brigadoon
Sitges Classics (retrospectives and tributes) Sitges Coming Soon
Sitges Documenta


2. 1. Official Fantàstic In-Competition Section


Feature length films of all nationalities, previously unreleased in Spain, produced in 2022/2023 and fantasy-themed, interpreting this concept in a broad sense, while bearing in mind at all times that quality and the creation of tendencies are a priority objective.
An international jury, chosen by the Festival’s Direction team, will present the following awards:

Best Feature Length Film

Best Director

Best Actor

Best Actress

Best Screenplay

Best Special Effects

Best Photography

Best Music

Special Jury Prize

If considered convenient, the jury reserves the possibility of awarding up to a maximum of three special mentions.

The audience will vote to decide on the Grand Audience Award for best fantastic genre feature length film.

The José Luis Guarner Critics’ Award will be presented by the Associació Catalana de Crítics i Escriptors Cinematogràfics (Catalan Association of Film Critics and Writers) to the best feature length film included in the Official Fantàstic In Competition Selection. This association will also present the Citizen Kane Award for the Best New Director for which all filmmakers presenting their debut film in the Festival’s Official Fantàstic Selection are eligible.

In addition, the Carnet Jove Jury, made up of young men and women between the ages of 18 and 30, will present the Carnet Jove Award for best fantastic genre feature length film.

This category contains a section for films programmed in the Official Selection Out of Competition.

This category also includes a section for short films produced in 2022/2023, with a maximum runtime of 30 minutes and previously unreleased in Spain, which are eligible for the Award for Best Official Fantàstic In Competition Short Film. The winning short film will automatically be taken into consideration by the Selection Committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood for the Oscars®. The Critics’ Jury is responsible for selecting the winning film.


2.2. Special Screenings


Films programmed as a tribute, for their suitability or other justified reasons, which don’t necessarily have to be a Spanish premiere.

The Festival reserves the right to program, on an exceptional basis, serialized productions.


2.3. Òrbita Section

Feature length films of all nationalities, previously unreleased in Spain, produced in 2022/2023 and belonging to genres closely related to the fantastic genre, like thrillers, action movies, adventure or black comedy.

An international jury will present the award for best feature film.


2.4. Noves Visions Section

Films of all nationalities, previously unreleased in Spain, produced in 2022/2023 and fantastic themed, which are committed to experimentation, new languages and formats and genre hybridization.

An international jury will present the award for Best feature film, Best Director and up to three special mentions. The award for best short film Noves Visions (Small Format) will also be presented.

On an exceptional basis, the Festival reserves the right to program films previously screened out of official competition at another Spanish Film festival. This category contains a section for short films by Catalan film school students, grouped together under the name Nova Autoria. The selected shorts, in collaboration with the SGAE, compete for the following awards: best screenplay, best director and best music.


2.5. Panorama Fantàstic Section

Films of all nationalities, previously unreleased in Spain, produced in 2022/2023 fantastic and horror themed, with an independent inclination.
On an exceptional basis, the Festival reserves the right to program films previously screened out of official competition at another Spanish Film festival.

By popular vote, the audience will present an award to the best fiction feature film in this section.


2.6. Anima’t Section

Animated feature films produced in 2022/2023, previously unreleased in Catalonia.

On an exceptional basis, the Festival reserves the right to program films previously screened out of official competition at another Spanish Film festival. Anima’t includes a section for short films produced in 2022/2023 with a maximum runtime of 30 minutes. The selected shorts must be previously unreleased in Catalonia.

The Selection Committee reserves the possibility of selecting advertising, promo or music video pieces that it considers to have sufficient artistic and cinematic value as short films, as long as they are thematically related to the Festival’s area of specialization.

The section’s Jury will present the following awards: Award for best animated short film (this short will automatically be taken into consideration by the Selection Committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Hollywood for the Oscars®) and Award for best animated feature length film.


2.7. Seven Chances Section

Section programmed in collaboration with the Associació Catalana de Crítics i Escriptors Cinematogràfics (Catalan Association of Film Critics and Writers). It consists of seven screenings focusing on fantastic film productions in the broadest sense, as well as genres related to the Festival (thrillers, spaghetti westerns, wu xia, etc.).

The section focuses on non-current films (preferably at least fifteen years old) whose singularity sets them apart from the official canon of the history of genre. As a result, the intention is to highlight films of interest that are worth discovering or revisiting, and which will be screened in their original format or a restored copy. The educational spirit of Seven Chances will also mean that part of the screenings will include currently produced documentaries that deal with an outstanding figure or trend in genre cinema. The films selected for Seven Chances must be premieres in Catalonia (and preferably in Spain); at least the version/copy that will be screened.


2.8. Midnight X-treme Section

A selection of the best independent horror movies. By popular vote, the audience will present an award to the best fiction feature film in this section. This competition is limited to films produced in 2022/2023, previously unreleased in Spain.


2.9. Brigadoon Section

Selection of feature films, documentaries and short films, made in 2022/2023, independently produced and horror and fantastic themed. The selected works will include premieres, retrospectives, tributes and / or cult cinema. There is no need for them to be unpublished in Spain. However, works posted on the Internet will not be taken into consideration.

A jury will present the Paul Naschy Brigadoon Award for the best fantastic genre short film.


2.10. Sitges Classics Section

Encompasses the Festival’s retrospective, particular tributes, anniversaries and collaborations.


2.11. Sitges Coming Soon Section

A selection of upcoming Catalan, Spanish and Latin American productions.


2.12. Sitges Documenta

Selection of non-fiction feature length productions, made in 2022/2023, that are thematically related to the Festival’s specialization.


III) CROSS-SECTIONAL AWARDS & LABELS


3.1. Focus Asia Award

All films produced by Asian production companies included in any of the Festival’s sections, as long as their subject matter falls within the context of the popular genres (thriller, action, fantastic), are eligible for this award.

All films must be previously unreleased in Spain. The Festival’s Selection Committee reserves the right to assess these criteria.


3.2 Méliès d’Argent Awards

Awards presented to the best European fantastic genre feature film and short film included in any of the Festival’s sections and according to the Selection Committee’s nomination the winning feature length and short films will be elegible for the Méliès d’Or Award, organized by the EFFFF (European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation).


3.3. Blood Window Award

All films of Latin American production included in any of the Festival’s sections, as long as their subject matter falls within the context of the fantastic genre, are eligible for this award. The Festival’s Selection Committee reserves the right to assess these criteria.


3.4. Sitges Family Label

It identifies those films intended for children and young people, all designed for family viewing, included at the Festival. This cross-sectional label identifies relevant titles for film literacy and includes films that may be screened in other sections, in other words, it has no competitive status in itself.


3.5. Catalan Focus Label

Encompasses all Catalan productions included in the Festival.


IV) PROCEDURE FOR OFFICIAL PARTICIPATION IN THE EVENT OF SELECTION


4.1. The production company or distributor of the selected films will receive the entry form and a proposal from Programming Management for their approval.

The production company or distributor will then commit to fill in and send the entry form back to the Festival before August 10th, 2023.

In the event that the Festival has to share the print with other festivals, it must be specified on the entry form, indicating the print’s availability during the dates of the 56th Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia.


4.2. The company loaning the film must provide the Festival with high quality advertising material: stills, posters, press-books, trailers, etc., so the Festival can promote the film adequately. The Festival reserves the right to not return this material.


4.3. In the event that it is necessary to subtitle the film, the company loaning it must also provide the appropriate material: reference link, DVD or Blu-ray and dialogue and/or subtitle list.

The Festival will not return this material, which will be destroyed once the Festival is over. If the film has distribution in Spain, the distribution company must provide the Festival with an original version screening print with subtitles.


4.4. The screening formats for the selected films will be:

Feature length films included in the Official Fantàstic, Special Screenings, Òrbita, Noves Visions, Panorama Fantàstic, Sitges Documenta, Anima’t, Seven Chances, Midnight X-Treme and Sitges Clàssics sections:
35 mm
DCP on physical support (hard disk) or digital transfer. In the event that they are encrypted, the Festival will not cover the charges derived from generating the DKDMs or KDMs needed to be screened at the film competition.

Short films included in the Official Fantàstic, Noves Visions Petit Format, Anima’t sections: Non-encrypted DCP
HD quality digital file (.mov)

Feature length and short films included in the Brigadoon section: HD quality digital file (.mov) or DVD/Blu-Ray

Pieces included in the Sitges Coming Soon and Nova Autoria section: HD quality digital file (.mov)


4.5. The Festival will cover shipping expenses generated by the shipping of prints to be screened, except in the event that the print needs to be sent to another Festival. In this event, the other Festival will pay for shipping costs from the Sitges Film Festival’s address to the address provided. The Festival will not cover the cost of shipping or returning trailers or teasers. The Festival will not cover any possible digital shipping costs.


4.6. In the event of providing a screening print on a hard disk, the Festival commits to returning the print as soon as possible, not more than 20 days after the end of the film competition. The Festival organization commits to eliminate all screening materials received digitally once the current edition is finished.


4.7. In the event that the print gets damaged as a consequence of its screening at the Festival, the owner must inform the Festival within one month’s time, starting from the date the print is returned.
The Festival’s responsibility will not exceed the cost specified on the entry form by the company loaning the film.


4.8. The Festival organization will decide each film’s screening dates and times. No film included in any of the Festival’s sections will be screened more than 5 times, including press screenings, without the owner’s previous consent.


4.9. In regard to the recording of film clips for use on television programs, the Festival will comply with the rules established in the FIAPF regulations for specialized competitive festivals.


4.10. The Festival accepts all F.I.A.P.F rules & regulations for specialized competitive festivals.


4.11. Participation in the Festival implies acceptance of the Rules & Regulations herein.


4.12. Any matter arising during the Festival that is not covered by these Rules & Regulations, will be decided on by the Festival Organization in accordance with international rules.