LE CHOUETTE FESTIVAL (5)

Festival start: 02 October 2025      Festival end: 05 October 2025

Dear filmmakers,

Welcome to our page! We know how many festivals there are and how difficult it is to choose which ones to submit to. The following will hopefully help you learn more about our festival and decide if our festival is right for you.

As filmmakers, we organize a film festival that we would like to attend: simple and professional, humble with a zest of sparkle, in short a glamourous festival set in the country-side.

We are proud to say that EACH film is seen by three different people on our selection committee.

ALL films are treated the same. One quote is for ALL prices. You don't pay extra for extra attention.

Our editorial line has evolved: we no longer have a particular theme because this has caused us to miss some very good films. Some remaining eliminatory criteria rest: inaudible or bad sound, gratuitous violence or pornographic scenes...

We love ALL GENRES of storytelling: science fiction, fantasy films, romantic comedies, thrillers, horror, dramas, dark short films, crazy short films... Our Friday evening AFTER DARK block (films for ages 15+ ) is one of the public's favourites!

For the filmmakers present (2 per film), we offer a festival pass, breakfast + meal tickets, a 5-taster pass for the Saturday wine tasting, the famous Sunday brunch and a closing dinner with our volunteers after the festival.

We cannot cover accommodation costs (our site gives you addresses to help) or travel costs.

We are setting up one shuttle per day to and from Narbonne or Carcassonne stations. From Carcassonne, you can take a bus there are many going direct to Rieux Minervois.

For filmmakers coming from abroad, we have other arrangements (contact us at lechouettefestival@gmail.com)

Le chouette festival is located in Rieux Minervois, a small village in Aude, situated between Carcassonne and Narbonne, the festival takes place every year on the first weekend of October.

This year it runs from the 29th of September to the 5th of October 2025.

Screening Fee Shorts: 10€

AWARDS

Grand Jury (the awarding of prizes remains at the discretion of the jury)

- Jury award – Best French speaking Film
- Jury award – Best Non French speaking Film
- Best Director
- Best Actress
- Best Actor
- Best Ensemble
- Best Script
- Best Original Music
- Best Image
- Best Animation Film
- Best Comedy
- Best 'short' short (jury)

- Young Jury Award
- Sponsors award (cash award)

- Audience award - Best 'mid-length' short
- Audience Award
- Audience Award 'Le Petit Chouette Festival' ( 4 - 10 yr olds)
- Each local school will give an 'audience award' (Collège de Rieux, Lycée de Lézignan, Primaires de Rieux, La Calandreta, IME de Capendu)

You won an award ? Congratulations ! You will have a wonderful trophy to take home with you .

If you are not there to receive it you will need to cover the postal costs. But you can also order other trophies for your cast and crew. The cost of these are to be seen directly with the person who makes them. And we will need an acceptance video from you to show the audience !

https://www.lechouettefestival.com/notre-trophée

TERMS

As the festival is international, certain screenings will be subtitled in French and English. The following is therefore requested:

1a. Pre-selection: films in a non-French language must be subtitled in French or English.

1b. Selection: films selected in official competition must have:

- for French films: a version with English subtitles

- for English films: a version subtitled in French.

- for films in another language: a version subtitled in French and English.

All subtitles must be embedded in the image and are at the expense of the film production.

2. If your film is selected, you agree to send us the material before the end of August.

3. If your film is selected, it will be screened one or two times during the festival. You agree to waive the payment of any broadcast rights and to fill out the contract stipulating this when handing over the material.

· Films finished after the 1st of January 2022

· Length between 2 and 25 minutes (no more no less) ; Between 25'01" et 45' for the mid-length films

· All genres & themes accepted

· Fiction or animation (no documentaries, no art videos)

· No explicit sex or pornographic type films

· No fetishism, no ‘free violence’ or abuse of women films

· Fantasy and SyFy films welcome

· Horror films please select ‘after dark’ category

· Sound quality is essential. If the sound of your film or the dialogue of your actors is bad your film will be disqualified.

· Animation films can't participate in our Best actor or Best actress award.