HARD:LINE International Film Festival (14)

영화제 시작: 15 4월 2027      영화제 끝: 21 4월 2027

HARD:LINE International Film Festival aims to showcase the many faces of extreme cinema.

What we mean by "extreme" becomes clear when you look at the films we select. While the term is often associated with explicit splatter aesthetics, it can just as easily refer to unusual storytelling, striking visual language, or bold artistic choices. We are looking for films that stand out and push the genre forward. Whether it's a hidden independent gem, a hard-hitting horror film, or pure genre entertainment, HARD:LINE loves special films.

HARD:LINE is not a festival that aims to screen as many films as possible. Instead, we focus on presenting a carefully curated selection of outstanding examples of everything extreme cinema can be.

HARD:LINE is a festival for films made by people. AI-generated scenes, shots, characters, voices, or sounds are not eligible for submission. Our Rules & Terms explain in detail what this means and which production tools remain fully acceptable.

As a member of the Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF), HARD:LINE presents the Méliès d'Argent Award for Best European Fantastic Short Film.

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THANK YOU FOR BEING A FILMMAKER!

Your work is the reason this festival exists.

We are primarily an audience-driven festival. Our focus is on entertaining the people in the room, which is why we have dispensed with an elaborate jury process for our feature films and instead leave it to the festival audience to decide what they find interesting and exciting. Every film has the chance to become an audience favourite, except for the opening and closing films. These screenings are part of special events featuring parties, concerts, speeches and plenty of celebration.

The audience favourite receives the Golden Razor Blade for Best Feature Film. The best short film, as voted by the audience, receives the Silver Razor Blade. Neither award carries a cash prize.

We also understand how important professional recognition can be for filmmakers. That is why an international jury evaluates the short film programme and awards the Méliès d'Argent on behalf of the Méliès International Festivals Federation (MIFF).

European short films compete for the Méliès d'Argent. Shorts from outside Europe are explicitly welcome and screen out of competition as part of our International Short Highlights selection. All selected short films, whether European or international, remain eligible for the Silver Razor Blade Audience Award.

The winner of the Méliès d'Argent is nominated for the annual Méliès d'Or competition, which honours the best European fantastic short film. A film that has already won a Méliès d'Argent Award at another MIFF member festival is not eligible for the Méliès competition at HARD:LINE.

Awards:
- Golden Razor Blade (Audience Award, Best Feature Film)
- Silver Razor Blade (Audience Award, Best Short Film)
- Méliès d'Argent (Best European Fantastic Short Film)

Special Selections:
- Director's Spotlight (a retrospective featuring three films by one director)
- Opening Night (out of competition)
- Closing Night (out of competition)
- International Short Highlights (out of competition)

HARD:LINE International Film Festival is an annual event held in Regensburg, Germany. The festival is dedicated to exploring and celebrating extreme cinema. For us, that means a focus on horror, thriller and science fiction. Rather than screening as many films as possible, we concentrate on presenting a carefully curated selection of outstanding genre cinema.

I. GENERAL RULES AND CONDITIONS
a) Your film must be a genre film (horror, thriller, or science fiction).
b) We only screen fictional films. Documentaries are not eligible.
c) Films in any language other than English must include English subtitles.
d) Submitted films must have been completed within the last two years.
e) Submitted films must not have been publicly screened in Germany prior to the festival.
f) The submitting party must have the legal authority to submit the film.
g) All rights, including music, underlying material and third-party content, must be fully cleared.
h) Selected films must be available for screening as a DCP, HD video file, or Blu-ray.
i) Submitted films must be made by people. AI-generated scenes, shots, characters, voices, or sounds are not permitted. This includes AI-generated material used to replace, extend, alter, or fill in filmed footage. Films containing such material are not eligible for selection. Standard post-production processes such as editing, colour correction, retouching, hand-crafted visual effects, and the automated functions commonly found in professional editing software remain fully acceptable.
j) Feature films must have a running time of 70 to 150 minutes. Short films must not exceed 20 minutes.

Submissions that do not comply with these rules will be rejected automatically.

II. SHORT FILMS (COMPETITION)
a) All General Rules listed under Section I apply, including the maximum running time of 20 minutes.
b) To be eligible for the Méliès d'Argent competition, the submitted short film must qualify as a European production, whether through its creative team, production base, or financing structure.
c) Non-European short films are not eligible for the Méliès competition but may still be selected for the festival programme.
d) Selected non-European shorts screen out of competition as part of our International Short Highlights section.
e) All selected short films, regardless of origin, remain eligible for the Silver Razor Blade Audience Award.

III. SELECTION PROCESS
a) All submissions are viewed after the final submission deadline.
b) The programming team determines which films will be invited to screen at the festival.
c) Selected filmmakers will be contacted to discuss screening arrangements and participation details.
d) By 1 March, all submitters will be notified whether their film has been accepted or not.

In any case, you will hear back from us.

We look forward to receiving your submission.