Siciliambiente Film Festival (17)

Festival start: 14 July 2025      Festival end: 19 July 2025

17th SiciliAmbiente Film Festival - July 14-19, 2025
The aim of SiciliAmbiente Film Festival is to promote independent and documentary cinema, encouraging creative exchange and networking among filmmakers.
The Festival is organized and sponsored by Demetra Produzioni SAS and the CANTIERE 7 Cultural Association, made possible by public and private partners and sponsors who share the ethical principles of the Festival.
ELIGIBLE THEMES
Films addressing the following themes may participate in the Festival:
Environment / Anthropology / Human Rights / Biodiversity / War / Integration / Civil Rights / Sustainable Development / The Relationship between Humans and the Environment
FESTIVAL SECTIONS
The Festival is divided into the following sections:
• Documentary Film Contest (minimum runtime: 31 minutes)
• Fiction Feature Film Contest (minimum runtime: 70 minutes)
• Short Film Contest for Fiction and Documentary Shorts (maximum runtime: 31 minutes)
• Animated Short Film Contest (maximum runtime: 31 minutes)
• Overview of documentaries, fiction films, short films, tributes, retrospectives, seminars, and panel discussions
The Selection Committee will evaluate films based on the quality of writing, imagery, and the use of a creative language that characterizes artistic documentary cinema.

Awards & Juries
Two juries composed of influential figures in cinema and culture will award the following prizes:
Fiction Feature Film Section
• Audience Award
Documentary Section
• "Il Faro" ('The Lighthouse') Award for Best Documentary (€1,000)
• AAMOD Award, including a plaque and 3 minutes of free audiovisual material use from the Labor Movement Archives (valued at €3,000)
• Human Rights Award, presented by Amnesty International Italy and SiciliAmbiente
• Environment Award, presented by Greenpeace Italy
Short Film Section
• "Il Faro" ('The Lighthouse') Award for Best Short Film
• Special TTPIXEL Award, including 2 color correction sessions + the production of a DCP master (total value €2,000)
Animated Film Section
• "Il Faro" ('The Lighthouse') Award for Best Animated Film
Monetary prizes will be transferred to a representative (director or other) designated by the rights holders within 10 months of the award ceremony. In case of disputes, the Festival Management reserves the right to request documentation proving the identity of the film’s rights holders.
Filmmakers and/or producers of selected films will be notified by June 10, 2025. No notifications will be sent for non-selected films.

COMPETITION REGULATIONS

Submission requirements
• Documentaries (31 minutes or more), feature films (70 minutes or more), short films, and animated films (30 minutes or less) of any nationality may be submitted, provided they were completed after January 1, 2024.
• If selected, accepted screening formats are:
o Unencrypted DCP
o Blu-ray DVD
o Apple ProRes File
o H264 File
o Other formats must be approved by the Festival Management.
• No screening fees will be granted for competition screenings.
• Films in languages other than Italian must have English or Italian subtitles. If selected for the final phase, they must be submitted with the required presentation materials and an English dialogue list.
• Films exceeding 31 minutes will not be admitted to the short film and animation sections.
• The Festival Management reserves the right to invite films to compete and to include some films not selected for the contests in a non-competitive section.

HOW TO APPLY

Applications can be submitted online via the official website:
www.festivalsiciliambiente.it
or through platforms like Festhome
Entry Fees
• By March 5, 2025
o €25 for fiction feature films
o €20 for documentaries
o €15 for short films and animated films
• From March 6 to April 30, 2025
o €30 for fiction feature films
o €25 for documentaries
o €20 for short films and animated films
Payment must be made online or via bank transfer. Failure to pay the entry fee will result in exclusion.
Films may be submitted via a link with a password or by mailing a DVD/pen drive/hard disk.
Mailed submissions must be postmarked by April 30, 2025.
The parcel must be labeled:
“Senza valore commerciale, per soli scopi culturali” / "NO commercial value, for cultural purposes only".

Mailing address:
Demetra Produzioni
Via Rosa Raimondi Garibaldi n. 44
00145 Rome, Italy

INVITATIONS & SHIPPING

Each selected film must include:
• A completed online entry form
• All required documentation as specified upon selection
Screening copies must arrive by June 20, 2025 at the address above or via online file transfer (to be arranged with Festival Management at copies@festivalsiciliambiente.it).
Shipping and customs fees are the responsibility of the sender. SiciliAmbiente will cover return shipping costs.
Donation to the Archive
A donation of one copy of the film (Blu-ray DVD or Apple ProRes format) for archival purposes is highly appreciated. The copy will be used for research, preservation, and promotion of documentary cinema, excluding any commercial use.
If a film is withdrawn after being selected, the producer must pay a penalty of €1,000.
The Festival provides full insurance coverage (from pick-up to delivery) for screening copies. In case of loss or damage, SiciliAmbiente’s liability is limited to the reprinting costs, calculated based on standard Italian pricing.
Participation in the Festival implies acceptance of these regulations. In case of disputes, the Italian version of the regulations shall prevail.