Chennai World Cinema Festival (1)



Deadlines

01 Jan 2023
Call for entries

31 Mar 2023
Standard deadline

30 Jun 2023
Late deadline

31 Jul 2023
Extended deadline

1
mth

15 Aug 2023
Notification date

01 Sep 2023
07 Sep 2023

Address

Ponniamman Koil Street,  600093, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India


Festival description
Short film festival >1' 50'<
Feature film festival >50' 240'<


Festival requirements
 Film festival
 Fiction
 Documentary
 Animation
 Fantastic
 Terror
 Experimental
 Music Video
 Other
 Any Genre
 Any Theme
 Has submission fees
 International Festival
 Physical Location
 Production date: Any
 Production countries: Any
 Shooting countries: Any
 Director nationalities: Any
 Debut Films 
 School projects 
 Short Films  >1' 50'<
 Feature Films  >50' 240'<
 Any language
 Subtitles 
English
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Photo of Chennai World Cinema Festival
Photo of Chennai World Cinema Festival

Photo of Chennai World Cinema Festival
Photo of Chennai World Cinema Festival

English


Festival start: 01 September 2023      Festival end: 07 September 2023

Chennai World Cinema Festival
01-09-2023 – 07-09-2023
INR 2,500,000 Cash Award Festival.
2023 New Year Offer!
You can apply free of charge for all categories till January 31, 2023.

More Than Just A Festival!

Art, in all forms, inspires us. From the first drawings of prehistoric man to Artificial Intelligence driven illustrations, the journey of art has been one of curiosity, progress, and redemption. The form of cinema is the most impactful of them all. It is only this art form that has the power to blend time with space. The real and the images correspond to one another in films. It is only in cinema that we can reflect, introspect and often modify our realities as well as our history. It is a medium to look into our past and our future.

The transnationality of films often translates one civilization to another. Cinema is a calling card for the universal values of humanity.

We are here to celebrate this power of films: the power to unite, the power to transform and transcend. We are at the Chennai World Cinema Festival!

Tamil cinema has a history of 100 years.

Rangaswamy Nataraja Mudaliar (1885 – 3 May 1971) is known as the father of the Tamil Nadu film industry and was a pioneer in producing silent films. He had, directed, and released South India’s first silent film ‘Keesaka Vatham’ in 1918. The first Tamil talking feature film, Kalidas, a multilingual directed by H M Reddy was released on 31 October 1931. More than 100 Tamil movies are produced every year. Chennai is the Capital of the Tamil Cinema Industry.
Chennai World Cinema Festival is a unique film competition organized by working professionals from the film industry.
Our programming team focuses on Feature Films & Short Films, as our main mission is to promote talent and their vision. This festival encourages filmmakers from all countries to enter the Film Competition where we will be screening Indian and International feature-length films and short films. The festival will consider any film in any genre. From entertaining to educational, inspirational to thought-provoking, comedic to ironic, CWCF is the place to showcase your films to the widest possible live audience.

So, if you’re a Feature Film filmmaker or a filmmaker who creates innovative short films – whether they’re Drama, Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Historical, Horror, LGBTQ, Children, Animation, or Experimental – you’re welcome to enter.

Date and Place:
The Chennai World Cinema Festival will be held from September 01– 07, 2023 in Chennai, India
Festival Program:
The festival program is divided into the following categories:

INTERNATIONAL WORLD CINEMA [Competition Section] :
Films produced internationally. Filmmakers working in all International languages, and those working on Drama, Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Historical, Biography, Horror, LGBTQ, Children, Animation, or Experimental are encouraged to apply.

INDIAN WORLD CINEMA [Competition Section]:
The producer and the Director should be Indian nationals. Filmmakers working in all Indian regional languages, and those working on Drama, Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Historical, Biography, Horror, LGBTQ, Children, Animation, or Experimental are encouraged to apply.

WORLD CINEMA NON-COMPETITION SECTION:
Winner of any category in FIPRESCI (International federations of film critics) Accredited festivals of the period 2021-23 are eligible under this category.


FIPRESCI ( International Federation of Film Critics ) Winners World Cinema Non-Competition Section:
Panorama of European Cinema Film Festival,
Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival,
Cairo International Film Festival,
European Cinema Lecce Film Festival,
EnergaCAMERIMAGE International Film Festival,
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival,
Gijón International Film Festival,
Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival,
Ljubljana International Film Festival,
Stockholm International Film Festival,
Cottbus East European Cinema Festival,
Sevilla Film Festival,
Mar del Plata Film Festival,
Thessaloniki Film Festival,
Carthage Film Festival,
Valladolid International Film Festival,
Viennale Film Festival,
Warsaw International Film Festival,
Schlingel Chemnitz Film Festival,
Busan International Film Festival,
Montréal, Nouveau Cinéma Festival,
San Sebastian International Film Festival,
CineFest – Miskolc International Film Festival,
Toronto International Film Festival,
Drama Short Film Festival,
Venice International Film Festival,
Schwerin Film Festival,
Hong Kong International Film Festival,
Locarno International Film Festival,
International Motovun Film Festival,
European Film Festival Palic,
Golden Apricot Film Festival,
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival,
Filmfest München,
Brussels International Film Festival,
Transilvania International Film Festival,
Guadalajara International Film Festival,
Krakow Film Festival (Docs and Shorts),
Flying Broom Film Festival,
Cannes Film Festival,
Oberhausen Shorts Film Festival,
Off Camera Krakow Film Festival,
Dubuque Film Festival,
Wiesbaden goEast Film Festival,
International Istanbul Film Festival,
Nyon Visions du Réel Festival,
ZagrebDox Film Festival,
Rencontres de Toulouse – CinéLatino Film Festival,
Vilnius Film Festival – Kino Pavasaris,
Saguenay Short Film Festival,
International Film Festival of Kerala,
Ismailia (Docs, Shorts) Film Festival,
Sofia International Film Festival,
Luxor African Film Festival,
Bengaluru International Film Festival,
Berlin International Film Festival,
Göteborg International Film Festival,
Athens Panorama Festival,
International Film Festival Rotterdam,
Tromso International Film Festival,
Dhaka International Film Festival,
Palm Springs International Film Festival.

[All Submitted films get screening & Digital certificate.]

INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF FILM PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION-FIAPF ACCREDITED FESTIVALS:
Winner of any category in INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF FILM PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION-FIAPF ACCREDITED FESTIVALS of the period 2021-23 are eligible under this category.

FIAPF Winners World Cinema Non-Competition Section:
Cannes Film Festival,
Venice Film Festival,
Berlin International Film Festival,
Shanghai International Film Festival,
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival,
Locarno International Film Festival,
Fajr International Film Festival,
San Sebastián International Film Festival,
Warsaw International Film Festival,
Tokyo International Film Festival,
Mar del Plata Film Festival,
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival,
Cairo International Film Festival,
International Film Festival of India,
International Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival,
Busan International Film Festival,
Cartagena Film Festival,
Festival de Cine Global de Santo Domingo,
Gijón International Film Festival,
Istanbul International Film Festival,
International Film Festival of Kerala,
Kitzbühel Film Festival,
Kolkata International Film Festival,
Kyiv International Film Festival,
Lisbon International Horror Film Festival,
Milan Noir in Festival,
Mumbai Film Festival,
Sitges Film Festival,
Cinedays Film Festival,
Sofia International Film Festival,
Sydney Film Festival,
Torino Film Festival,
Transilvania International Film Festival.
[All Submitted films get screening & Digital certificate.]

INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM [Competition Section]:
Short Films produced internationally. Filmmakers working in all International languages, and those working on Drama, Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Historical, Biography, Horror, LGBTQ, Children, Animation, or Experimental are encouraged to apply.

INDIAN SHORT FILM [Competition Section]:
Short Films Producer and the Director should be Indian nationals.. Filmmakers working in all Indian regional languages, and those working on Drama, Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Historical, Biography, Horror, LGBTQ, Children, Animation, or Experimental are encouraged to apply.

Programming is the soul of CWCF. The festival is programmed with care by the festival selection committee, keeping in mind cinematic aspects, as well as the topicality, social relevance, and geographical representation of the films. We welcome films that seek out new cinematic languages to engage honestly with issues of great concern.

CWCF aims to be shown on the most giant cinema screens.

1. Prasad Preview Theatre 4K Barco Projection, Dolby Atmos Sound, 200 Seat ], Arunachalam Road, Saligramam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

2. NFDC Tagore Theatre [4K Digital Projection, Dolby Atmos Sound, 100 Seat] Music College Road, State Bank Of India Colony, Raja Annamalai Puram, Chennai - 600028.

Welcome on board!

Awards & Prizes
INR 2,500,000 Cash Award Festival.

LAURELS, CERTIFICATES, CASH PRIZES & TROPHIES FOR WINNERS
OFFICIAL SELECTIONS & NOMINEES GET ONLY LAURELS & DIGITAL CERTIFICATES.

INTERNATIONAL WORLD CINEMA SECTION (AWARDS & PRICES):
LAURELS, CERTIFICATES, CASH PRIZES & TROPHIES FOR WINNERS

BEST FEATURE FILM (CASH PRIZE INR 200,000/-)
[‘Best Feature Film Award’ A Cash prize of INR 200,000/- to be shared equally between the Director and Producer]
BEST DIRECTOR (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)
BEST SCRIPT WRITER (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)
BEST SOUND DESIGN (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)
BEST EDITOR (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)
BEST MUSIC DIRECTOR (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)
BEST ART DIRECTOR (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)
BEST ACTRESS (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)
BEST ACTOR (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)

INDIAN WORLD CINEMA SECTION (AWARDS & PRICES):
LAURELS, CERTIFICATES, CASH PRIZES & TROPHIES FOR WINNERS

BEST FEATURE FILM (CASH PRIZE INR 200,000/-)
[‘Best Feature Film Award’ A Cash prize of INR 200,000/- to be shared equally between the Director and Producer]
BEST DIRECTOR (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)
BEST SCRIPT WRITER (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)
BEST SOUND DESIGN (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)
BEST EDITOR (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)
BEST MUSIC DIRECTOR (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)
BEST ART DIRECTOR (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)
BEST ACTRESS (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)
BEST ACTOR (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)

INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM SECTION (AWARDS & PRICES):
LAURELS, CERTIFICATES, CASH PRIZES & TROPHIES FOR WINNERS
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)
[‘Best Short Film Award’ A Cash prize of INR 100,000/- to be shared equally between the Director and Producer.]
BEST DIRECTOR (CASH PRIZE INR 50,000/-)

INDIAN SHORT FILM SECTION (AWARDS & PRICES):
LAURELS, CERTIFICATES, CASH PRIZES & TROPHIES FOR WINNERS
BEST INDIAN SHORT FILM (CASH PRIZE INR 100,000/-)
[‘Best Short Film Award’ A Cash prize of INR 100,000/- to be shared equally between the Director and Producer.]
BEST DIRECTOR (CASH PRIZE INR 50,000/-)

WORLD CINEMA NON-COMPETITION SECTION:
All Submitted films get LAURELS & DIGITAL CERTIFICATES.

Rules & Terms

RULES FOR FEATURE FILMS & SHORT FILMS:

1. Censor certificate is not mandatory for the festival.

2. All Films must have been released/produced between 1st January 2020 and July 31st, 2023.

3. duration:
a)Short films: maximum 50 minutes.
b) Feature films: 50 minutes and more.

4. Anybody can submit one or more than one entry. There is no limit to submission. One film can be entered into multiple categories. It is necessary to pay the entry fee for each category and each film, in case of multiple submissions.

5. All films must be subtitled in english.

6. All films should be without any watermarks and advertisements.

7. The winners get the Trophy, Cash Prize, Laurels & Digital certificates.

8. If the winner is not able to attend the festival in person, the festival organizers should be informed 15 days in advance. The Trophy and the Certificate will be shipped to the winner. However, the winner needs to pay the shipping charges.

9. All the winners, Nominees, & Official Selection will receive our official Digital certificates duly signed.

10. Entry fees are non-refundable.

11. We prefer a movie with a trailer so that we can share it along with the poster on our website & Social Media pages.

12. The applicant agrees to:

a) Have read and accepted the rules & regulations for participation in the festival.

b) Confirms that he/she has the requisite authority or has obtained the requisite authority from the producer/right holder to enter this film in the festival. Furthermore, the applicant declares to possess all rights to screen your movie.

c) Under NO circumstance, the authorities of Chennai World Cinema Festival entertain or be answerable to anyone else apart from the applicant.

13. Submitting the film, the applicant accepts we can share the trailer, pictures, and posters of the movie with our social page, website, and other media.

14. Most importantly, we do not grant waivers.

15. We will notify the applicants only if the movie is selected and share the official selection as well as the winner’s list on our website. We also send a notification only to the winners via email as well as through our web and social media pages.

16. We can withdraw at any time the selection or the award if these rules are not respected.

17. We don’t entertain any queries or are answerable about the selection. Our judges are free to decide if a movie is worthy to be selected or not.

18. THE FESTIVAL WILL NOT ORGANISE AND OR REIMBURSE ANY TRAVEL / ACCOMMODATION FOR FILMMAKERS AND OR THEIR ARTISTS TO ATTEND THE FESTIVAL.

19. We accept films released on YouTube, OTT, Theatre, TV, and any media.

20. In the case of co-productions, at least one of the producers/production companies must have the right to sanction the participation of the film in competition in the festival and authority to receive the award, if any, is won.

21. The decisions of the jury will be taken by a simple majority of the members present and voting. The jury can evolve its own rules for the assessment of the entries. The decision of jury members will be final and accepted by all no inquiries or arguments will be entertained.

22. No person in any way connected with the production or commercial exploitation of a competitive entry will be a member of the jury.

23. Films should be in Any Digital format.

24. Classroom and advertising films are not eligible for participation in any section.

25. Films not presenting sufficient technical qualities for good public screening can be refused after checking the DCP/online Screener.

26. Award of Cash and Certificate.

(a) ‘Best Feature Film Award’ A Cash prize of INR 200,000/- to be shared equally between the Director and Producer.
(b) Director and Producer are to be given the Trophies and Certificates in addition to the cash component.
(c) ‘Best Short Film Award’ A Cash prize of INR100,000/- to be shared equally between the Director and Producer.
(d) Director and Producer are to be given the Trophies and Certificates in addition to the cash component.

27. The deadline for receiving applications and preview material is 31st July 2023

28. All selected films must be available for screening on,
a) DCP [preferred]
b) Pro Res [preferred]
c) Minimum 1920×1080 digital file Quicktime, MP4, AVI, H264

29. CWCF has no premiere or exclusivity rule, we also consider work that is already online.

30. Film-makers must include a brief synopsis of the film, the Director’s Filmography in no more than 150 words

31. Provide at least one high-resolution image (1920 x 1080 or higher) for the use of Chennai World Cinema Festival promotional brochures or publicity. You may send more than one image.

32. All entries must obtain the appropriate copyright clearances (i.e., music, archive footage, images, etc.). Failure to do so will result in the entry being disqualified from the competition.

33. All the Nominated films will be screened during the festival program.

34. A complete screening schedule of selected films shall be put up on the festival website and social media Pages.

36. All festival submissions are handled through Festhome.

37. Films once selected and submitted for the final screening will not be allowed to be withdrawn under any circumstances, until the festival is over.

38. We accept YouTube links, Vimeo links, wetransfer, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. for screener/pre-selection/preview.

39. CWCF does NOT CONSIDER films that require SCREENING/RENTAL FEES.

40. The Festival proposes to have a maximum of 5 screenings per film as per FIAPF Regulations for non-competitive festivals and competitive specialized festivals which allow for a maximum of 5 screenings per film.

41. The Festival Authorities will have the right to screen (maximum 5 screenings) in different cities of India on a non-commercial basis.

42. International World Cinema & International Short film awards: Any film worldwide can participate in this category.

43. Indian World Cinema & Indian Short film awards: Only Indian Filmmakers can participate in this category. The film’s director (s) or Producer(s) must be an Indian citizen.

44. Films may be entered by any organization, agency, Individual producer, or director.

45. You have to read the rules carefully and agree with them.














  

 
  

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