GENERAL INFORMATION
1. Will there be Sarajevo Film
Festival in 2022?
The 28th edition of Sarajevo Film
Festival is scheduled to be held both physically and online from 12th to 19th
August 2022.
2. How many programme sections are
open for film/drama series submission?
The 28th edition of Sarajevo Film
Festival has 14 programmes open for film/drama series submissions. Please refer
to Article 2 (Programmes) of the film/drama series Rules & Regulations.
3. I am concerned about COVID-19, will
Sarajevo be secure for travelling in August, does your country ask for an
negative test, „corona-pass“ or similar document?
Sarajevo Film Festival will keep
following the most effective and advanced protection/security measures against
COVID-19 and other known dangers, as well. The Festival is operating by latest
instructions from the local government as well as the EU, WHO and other
competent authorities. The Festival will inform its audiences and guests in due
time about the arrival options to Sarajevo via its official web-page and/or
social media.
FILM SUBMISSION
1. I want to submit my film to the Competition Programme for the selection
consideration process, but my country is not on the list of production
countries, what should I do?
Sarajevo Film Festival dedicates its
Competition Programme solely to regional film, showing world, international,
European and regional premieres of films from Albania, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Hungary,
Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Malta, Moldavia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia,
Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine.
Please check the eligibility for other
programmes and submit your film accordingly.
2. I want to speak to someone at your
Festival about the submission of my film, can I talk with the programmers
directly?
The only way to submit a film and to
be considered for Sarajevo Film Festival’s selections is by submitting it
through the official film submission platform (Eventival). Please note that our
staff handles thousands of film submissions each year. After you submit your
film/drama series it will be reviewed at least twice by the professional
programmers. However, for any information not found in the Rules &
Regulations and FAQ please refer to programmes@sff.ba
3. I want to submit my short film of
31 minutes in length or a feature film of 59 minutes in length, will they be
eligible?
Short films with more than 30 minutes
in length and feature films with less than 60 minutes in length, so called
„medium-length“ films are eligible only for a submission into the Competition
Programme – Documentary Film, Competition Programme – Student Film and BH Film
programme, if other criteria for these programmes are met. If such film gets
submitted into other programmes it will be automatically disqualified, even if
you mark it with 30 or 60 minutes in length, the screener length has the
priority.
4. I have uploaded my film into
YouTube but accidentally left it open for public, will it be still eligible
even if there are not many views of it?
Unfortunately, your film has had a
World Premiere on YouTube and as such is deemed as ineligible.
5. My film is neither a fiction or
documentary but docu-fiction film, should I submit it into your fiction or
documentary programme?
In such situation you need to
determine the predominant genre of the film. If the documentary genre is more
dominant you should consider your film as a documentary film for the selection
consideration process, and vice versa.
6. My feature film is from the Region
defined by the Festival, should I submit the film into one of your Competition
programmes or into other programmes?
If your film has met the eligibility
criteria for one of the Competition programmes, then it will have a priority
for submission into these programmes. If not, please check the eligibility
criteria of the other programmes and submit your film accordingly.
7. I am independent filmmaker or an
owner of very small film studio/production company, are there any chances for
the selection if I submit my film into your Open Air programme?
Sarajevo Film Festival is open for
film/drama series submissions from first time and professional filmmakers as
well for students, amateurs, and non-professionals as long as they demonstrate
the talent and effort embedded in their film. The message and production value
of your film is what gets it selected, not the size of your company or film
crew.
8. Should I submit my feature film
into your Kinoscope or Summer Screen programme for the selection consideration
process?
If your film is based on music and popular
culture or it is experimental you should consider submitting it into the Summer
Screen programme. Otherwise, please read all eligibility criteria for the
Kinoscope programme to determine if it is eligible for submission.
9. My feature film is from continent
another than Europe, is it still eligible for your Festival?
There are plenty of programme sections
open for international film submissions, please check the Articles 2 in the
film submission Rules & Regulations.
10. My short film is from United
Kingdom, is it still eligible for submission into your European Shorts
programme for the selection consideration process?
If other eligibility criteria for the
European Shorts programme are met, a short film from United Kingdom is eligible
for submission. The European Shorts programme is showcase of European** short
films, not solely for EU films.
**European in the sense of the
European Film Academy, means geographical Europe, both EU and non-EU, and
includes Israel and Palestine.
11. I cannot determine if my film is
suitable for the Children's or TeenArena programme, where should I submit it?
If your film is based on children and
the focus of the film relates to their stories you should consider submitting
it into the Children's programme for the selection consideration process. If
your film is based on teenagers and the focus of the film relates to their
stories, then you should consider submitting it into the TeenArena programme.
Either way you cannot go wrong much as the programmers will determine the right
programme for your film and move the film submission accordingly.
12. I work for a
production/distribution company or film academy with dozens of short films
ready for submission and it takes too much time to submit them via Eventival.
Is there any chance that I can send you a „.pdf“ catalogue for film review
process?
No matter how long it takes you to
submit a film, the processing and reviewing time is much longer. The
programmers are dealing with several thousand of film submissions through the
official film submission platform and there will be no time or space available
to review any of your films if sent by any other way for the selection
consideration.
14. At this moment, I have completed
only one episode of my drama series, is it still eligible for submission into
your Avant Premiere programme?
For the selection, it is necessary to
submit the first episode (rough cuts can also be considered), but ideally you
should have at least two episodes finished for the Festival screening.
14. Can I provide you with a preview
screener other than YouTube/Vimeo link?
Yes, you can. As long as it is stable,
can be streamed without any technical issues, available and password protected
by the end of August, so you would not lose the premiere status of your film.
Please note that the screener must have English subtitles if there are
non-English dialogues in the film.
15. I have completed my film screener
but haven't managed to encode the English subtitles into it, can I submit such
screener and send you the „.srt“ subtitles by e-mail?
No, as your film submission will be
tagged as non-completed and eventually as not eligible. You can reencode your
screener with the English subtitles with Handbrake or another free software or
upload it into Vimeo with separate English „.srt“ file which will be
automatically viewable.
16. Are there any deadlines for
film/drama series submission into the Sarajevo Film Festival?
Please refer to the Film Submission
Rules & Regulations and the Article 3.2. (Submission deadlines).
17. I do not trust any internet
platforms for sharing the screener of my film, could I send you a DVD screener
by mail?
The only way to review your film and
consider it for the selection is by providing an online screener/preview copy
with English subtitles (if non-English dialogues featured in the film). All DVD
screeners received will be flagged as not eligible. You can secure and password
protect your screener with Vimeo or lock it on YouTube. Furthermore, there are
plenty of premium screener sharing platforms with strong privacy protection and
security.
18. Can I send you a DCP version for
previewing purposes?
Please note that submitting a DCP for
previewing purposes should be authorized by the Festival. Please contact the
Programme department, programmes@sff.ba.
19. What happens if I change my film
submission e-mail address after the film submission, how can I know the status
of my film?
In the event of an e-mail address
change, password change or preview link change after submission, you must
e-mail the Festival at programmes@sff.ba immediately.
Please clarify the change occurred, so your record can be updated. If the
Festival is not notified of the change and the link is found to be inactive or
the password to be incorrect, the submission may be deemed ineligible.
20. I have submitted my film/s and/or
drama series, when can I expect to receive the selection results?
In the case the programming team
decides not to include a submitted film / drama series in selection, filmmakers
will be notified as soon as possible, and no later than July 18, 2022.
21. I want to see the full screening
schedule of your Festival, where can I find it?
The full screening schedule will be
announced in August 2022, the latest one week prior to the Festival. It will be
announced publicly on the Festival's web page as well promoted via social
media.
22. I have accepted the invitation to
participate at your Festival but in the meantime received another invitation
from a festival that takes place earlier than Sarajevo FF, can we
disregard my participation?
Once the film/drama series has been
selected and the invitation to participate at the Festival is accepted,
film/drama series cannot be withdrawn from the Festival programme.
23. I have received an invitation to
participate at your Festival as well as to another Festival, but I cannot make
my final decision, what should I do?
The Sarajevo Film Festival cannot
impose your decision, but the Festival team is committed to the best
presentation and promotion of your film and will encourage the further festival
life of your film.
24. I have submitted a film to your
Festival but have received invitation/s from another festival/s as well, could
you provide me with your selection decision right now?
You can email programmes@sff.ba to
inform the team, but unfortunately, we will not be able to help you decide
about your participation and we cannot guarantee that your film will be
considered earlier due to this information.
25. I have submitted a film/drama
series to the Festival, when will I be notified of the decision?
During the second half of July the
official decision will be sent to the submitter’s e-mail address. Please make
sure to provide an e-mail address that is frequently checked. The decisions
will not be disclosed directly by chat, phone or e-mail, thus we strongly
discourage you to contact us to regarding the final decision. Your patience
will be appreciated a lot.
26. Do you watch every film/drama
series submitted?
Yes, all submissions are reviewed at
least twice and considered fairly and thoroughly by the professional
international programming team. Please note that the programmers might view
your film submission outside the Festival submission platform (through other platforms
and industry events worldwide). Moreover, keep in mind that Vimeo statistics
are not always accurately recorded, especially when an embedded video or
third-party player is used so you can receive a false result at your
statistics. For more information about Vimeo's analytics and third-party
players please visit their FAQ page.
27. I have accepted the invitation to
your Festival, can I share the information?
The information about film selection
to the Festival for each film must remain strictly confidential between the
Festival Management and the Participant until the Festival makes an official
announcement.
28. My film has been selected but the
post-production is not completed yet, what is the latest deadline for sending
you a screening copy?
The latest deadline to send us a
digital DCP and online screening copies is July 23, 2022. The latest deadline
to send us a hard drive with aforementioned screening copies is July 29, 2022.
The Festival strives to be an eco-friendly festival so we strongly recommend
delivering the screening Copies via internet as it will save both of us a lot
of time and energy as well a lot of trees.
29. My film has been selected but the
publicity/catalogue materials are not yet ready, what is the latest deadline
for sending them?
The programming department will ask
you for the publicity/catalogue materials immediately upon your Festival
invitation and participation acceptance. They will send you a list of
publicity/catalogue materials needed as well as the latest deadline to receive
them. The requested materials should be sent/submitted as soon as possible upon
acceptance of the invitation. The Festival accepts no liability if its
publications reproduce inaccuracies in submitted materials.
30. My film has been selected and I want
to send you film posters by mail, do you accept it?
Please send us all publicity/catalogue
materials, including digital posters via internet only. The Festival staff will
ask you for the high-quality digital posters and they will be printed in
Sarajevo.
31. I have completed my film and
accepted your invitation, but I cannot promise that the English subtitles will
be made on time, how should we proceed?
Please refer to the film submission
Rules & Regulations and Article 4.5. (Subtitling)
32. My film has been selected and I
want to produce an DCP. Is DKDM or KDM necessary?
The DKDM or KDM is not necessary and
you can provide us with a non-encrypted DCP.
33. My film has been selected but I am
student or amateur filmmaker and I do not have an DCP production experience or
capabilities, what should I do?
In such (justified) case please
contact the Programming Department at programmes@sff.ba and
they will provide you with all necessary information.
34. My company is working with other
courier than DHL, can we use their services to deliver the screening Copy?
The Festival and DHL are in
partnership and as such DHL can provide both parties the fastest and the best
service for the screening copy delivery. If you insist to use another courier
service, please note that the customs clearance process in Bosnia and
Herzegovina may be delayed for unknown time so it is recommended to send the
shipment long way before the deadline.
35. My film has been selected and I am
delivering you physical screening copies, will Festival cover the shipping in
both directions?
The Festival will cover one way
shipping cost for all selected films and drama series, unless otherwise agreed.
The Festival will be responsible for customs clearance in Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
36. Do you accept re-submissions of
the films/drama series?
If the film or drama series was
previously submitted to the Festival for the consideration, the film/drama
series will not be eligible. However, we will accept a „new cut“ of the
film/drama series that was previously submitted to SFF, provided that the
film/drama series meets the eligibility requirements. A „new cut“ should
feature the substantial changes, including but not limited to: reshoots,
editing or a new runtime. Please submit a brief statement with your submission
with reference to all changes.
37. Can I submit more than one
film/drama series?
Yes, you can submit more than one film
or drama series. You must complete separate submission forms for each
film/drama series, but it can be done under the same Eventival account. Please
note that you will be required to process the submission fee for each
film/drama series submission, if otherwise not concluded.
38. Can I submit my film to more than
one category?
No. We require that each film to be
submitted to one category. If after viewing your submission the programmers
feels that your film is better suited to another programme section, they may
refer your film internally. Please note that if the Programmer evaluates your film
and decides it does not fulfil the programme section requirements, he or she
may be able to add another category or move your film submission into the
adequate programme section without sending any e-mail or notification about it
(without any additional fees). Please carefully read the Rules &
Regulations and submit your film accordingly. If you still have doubts in which
programme section your film fits the best, please contact us for support atprogrammes@sff.ba
39. I have submitted my film into the
Competition Programme, but it has been reviewed in another one, what is the
reason?
Films that have been submitted into
the Competition Programmes may not be necessarily selected to be “in
competition” for awards purposes. The Programmers may move your submission into
other suitable section to be considered for the selection without any
notification sent before the end of the film submission process.
40. Do you accept work-in-progress
films/drama series?
The Festival does accept
work-in-progress copies of films/drama series, and the programmers usually
watch them even if the final elements are not included, such as sound and/or
colour grade. Before submitting a work-in-progress version of your film/drama
series please know that due to the high volume of submissions we receive, we
can only accept and review one version of your screener and will not be able to
accept any updated version later in the submission process. Should your
film/drama series get invited to the Festival, the final version has to be
completed and delivered to SFF by July 1st, 2022.
41. Do you accept extended-reality,
VR, AR or MR submissions?
The Festival does not accept these
submissions.
42. Can I submit documentaries to your
shorts categories?
Yes, if the runtime of your film is
under 30 minutes (including credits) and the film meets the eligibility
requirements of the any of the following programme sections: Competition
Programme Student Film, European Shorts and BH Film programme. Please note that
the Competition Programme Documentary Film programme section will accept a
documentary film of any duration if other eligibility criteria are met.
43. What is your Avant Premiere
programme section?
Avant Premiere is a showcase for the
presentation and promotion of drama series from Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia.
Director, the majority of authors and
production company must be from one of the above-mentioned countries. For the
selection, it is necessary to submit first episode (rough cuts can also be
considered), but to have at least two episodes finished for the Festival
screening.
Please refer to the Film Submission
Rules & Regulations for details and eligibility criteria for this programme
section.
44. Does my film need to be completed
by a certain date in order to be eligible for your Festival?
Please refer to the Article 2
(Programmes) of the film submission Rules & Regulations.
45. How do I know if my film fits in
your BH Film programme section?
If the director of the film, you are
submitting is:
• a
Bosnian citizen or permanent resident of Bosnia & Herzegovina (or if the
Director of the film is of Bosnian origin living abroad and the film has been
made about Bosnia & Herzegovina)
• most
of your film crew is from Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Bosnia
& Herzegovina is listed as one of the countries of production
then your film can be submitted
in the BH Film programme section. If you do not meet the aforementioned
criteria, please submit to the appropriate international category. Please note
that you can submit your film into the BH Film programme section if the main
film theme is strongly related to Bosnia and/or about Bosnia & Herzegovina
even if you do not meet the aforementioned criteria.
46. Could you provide me with your
premiere status definitions?
The Festival will recognize following
premiere status for your film submissions:
World Premiere — The film will not
have a public presentation before its scheduled presentation at the
Festival.
International Premiere — The film will
not have a public presentation anywhere outside its country of origin before
its scheduled presentation at the Festival.
European Premiere — The film will not
have a public presentation anywhere in Europe before its scheduled presentation
at the Festival.
Regional Premiere – The film will not
have a public presentation anywhere in regional countries defined by the
Festival before its scheduled presentation at the Festival.
National Premiere — The film will not
have a public presentation anywhere in Bosnia & Herzegovina before its
scheduled presentation at the Festival.
N/A — The film has had a public
presentation in Sarajevo and/or Bosnia & Herzegovina and therefore will not
have a premiere status.
47. What is a public screening?
A screening where the public attended,
and the event was advertised and/or ticketed will be considered as public
screening. An exception to this would be if the public attended, but there was
a nondisclosure agreement and no advertising, and/or a private
friends-and-family/cast or crew screening. There may also be exclusions for
compulsory school showcases.
48. My film has been selected to your
Festival and it will be presented on your online edition too, where will it be
available for preview?
The films selected for the Competition
programmes will be screened on-line on Festival’s ondemand platform with
geoblocking for territory of ex Yugoslavia (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia
and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo*) for 1500 viewers
maximum.
The online availability and film
screening terms for the titles which are selected as part of other
non-competition programmes will be discussed and arranged between Fesival
Management and film representatives.
49. My film has been selected to your
Festival and it will be presented on your online edition too, does it affect
it's premiere status?
When films have been presented online
with geoblocking, our regular premiere status will apply.
50. My film has been invited to the
non-competition section, do we have to have a film representative in Sarajevo?
Please Refer to the Rules &
Regulations Section 2 (Programmes). For any additional information please be
free to discuss it with the programmer of the non-competition section where you
have been invited.
SUBMISSION FEES
1. Are there any fees to submit a film/drama series to the Sarajevo Film
Festival for the selection consideration process?
You can submit your film into the
Competition and BH Film programmes for free if they meet the criteria of these
programmes. All other programmes are requiring the submission fee of 70 BAM or
35 EUR for feature length film and 30 BAM or 15 EUR for short length film.
Please refer to the Film Submission Rules & Regulations and the Article
3.3. (Submission fees and obligations).
2. I have submitted my film and paid the
submission fee, but I believe it was submitted in the wrong section, can I
receive a refund?
Entry fees in Bosnian BAM and in
European EUR, are per film and are non-refundable. The best thing we can do is
to review your film again and move it into the corresponded programme for the
selection consideration process.
3. I am submitting multiple films at
once, could I submit them for a single submission fee?
You will be required to process the
submission fee for each of your additional film project/submission, currently
there is no option to process the fee for a batch or package of film
submissions.
4. I work for a
production/distribution company or film academy with dozens of short films
ready for submission. Is there any chance that I can receive an „fee waiver“
for them or at least an discounted film submission fee for the whole package?
Currently there is no option for a
discounted fee when submitting multiple films. The Selection Committee and
programmers preserve the right to choose carefully and provide the filmmakers
with very small number of „fee waivers“ available.
5. Will you accept Bitcoin or another
cryptocurrency as a form of the payment?
The Festival currently does not accept
Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency as a form of the payment for the submission
fees.
6. Do you offer refunds for film/drama
series submission payments?
Once an entry payment has been
received a refund cannot be claimed. If a payment is disputed by a submitter
for any reason, the submitter may be subject to any transaction fees or similar
amounts incurred by Festival in connection with the dispute.
7. I have submitted a film/drama
series for your consideration, but it happened that my colleagues did it too
for the same film. Could you disregard one submission and refund my submission
fee?
Please note that Festival does not
offer any refund for the identical film submitted more than one time and the
film submission will be tagged as not eligible in the system. Please liaise
with your producers, sales agents and/or distributors before submitting your
film to our Festival.
8. I have submitted my film to certain
programme/section and paid for it, but it happened it has been reviewed in
another non desired section, can I get my money back?
Sarajevo Film Festival reserves all
the rights to switch the entry category of your film submission or assign a
category to fit programming needs and interests. The films will not be
penalized for the original submission selection and Festival does not offer any
refund.
9. Do you provide invoices for
submissions?
No, the Festival does not provide any
invoices for submissions.
10. I am living in an country which is
under heavy economic and bank international sanctions so I am unable to process
any payment for my film submission, could you provide me with an „fee waiver“?
If your film submission country has
international sanctions with fully restrictions of international
transfers/payments and you are unable to process the film submission fee,
please contact us at programmes@sff.ba.
NOTE: These FAQs are intended to assist you with your film/drama series
submission and to help you understand the 2022 Sarajevo Film Festival
film/drama series Rules & Regulations
for submission through Eventival.com.
We advise you to read through these film/drama series Rules & Regulations
in full. If you find any conflict between these FAQs and the film/drama series
Rules & Regulations, the film/drama series Rules & Regulations will
prevail.
* This
label does not prejudge the status of Kosovo and is in accordance with
Resolution 1244 and the opinion of the ICJ on Kosovo's declaration of
independence
