1. The Festival
The 6th BIF&ST – Bari International Film Festival – will be held from March 21st to March 28th, 2015 at the Petruzzelli Theatre and other Bari cinema halls. The major aim of the Festival – patronized by the President of the Italian Republic, promoted by Apulia Region – Mediterranean, Culture and Tourism Department, produced by Apulia Film Commission, chaired by Ettore Scola and directed by Felice Laudadio – is to promote, spread and highlight the best Italian and International cinema.
2. The programme
The essential outline of BIF&ST 2015 programme will be online at www.bifest.it by November 17th, 2014. This English version of the Regulations applies to the following feature sections:
3. Bif&st 2015 – International Premières – Out of competition section
Non competitive section dedicated to 8 Italian and International feature films produced in 2014-15, preferably world premieres or absolute Italian premières. Selected films – with a gala evening screening at 9 p.m. in the Petruzzelli Theatre from March 21st to March 28th – may have been presented at other major international festivals, excluding the Italian ones.
4. Bif&st 2015 – International Panorama – Competition section
Competitive feature section – with afternoon screenings in the Petruzzelli Theatre – dedicated to 12 films produced all around the world during 2014-15 and absolute Italian premierès. Selected films may have been screened or even awarded at other leading international festivals, excluding the Italian ones. A jury, composed of thirty selected audience members and chaired by producer and distributor Valerio De Paolis, will confer the following award:
- International Bif&st 2015 Award for the Best Film Director
5. Screening dates
The artistic director of the festival retains the right to designate the films to their different sections and, at his final decision, to set their screening dates on behalf of the overall needs of the festival and of those entitled.
6. Films submission
Film submission is free of charge. Deadline for all BIF&ST 2015 submissions is January 26th, 2015, through the dedicated Entry Form – to be filled in online, available at www.bifest.it.
One copy of the work – exclusively on DVD or Blu-Ray – together with a printed copy of the Entry Form, entirely filled in online, must be sent starting from December 2nd, 2014 and not later than January 26th, 2015 (postmark) to: Direzione Bif&st – Viale Giulio Cesare 78, 5° piano – 00192 Rome – Italy.
As an alternative, a secure link for streaming preview can be provided via email at direzione@bifest.it.
DVDs/Blu-Rays sent for pre-selection will be returned only if expressly requested and at the submitter’s charge. For customs matters, shipments from non-EU countries must be marked: “FOR CULTURAL PURPOSES ONLY – WITH NO COMMERCIAL VALUE”. Their declared value for customs should not exceed € 10.
By sending the DVD or Blu-Ray or link, submitters accept the present Regulations in all of their parts and, if selected, they are entailed to irrevocably accept their film to be screened at BIF&ST 2015, to be held in Bari, March 21 to 28.
7. Films selection
Submitters of selected films will receive via email an official letter of invitation that must be fully accepted no later than when indicated by the direction of the festival.
Submitters of non selected films will receive a brief written communication via email.
Submitters of the selected films must provide the festival office with all the materials necessary for their participation in the official festival program, as detailed in the following paragraphs.
8. Film participation
8.1 Subtitles for the International Premières and International Panorama sections
All selected films for the sections in point 3 and 4 of the present Regulations – if shot in languages different from English – must be presented in their original language version and with English subtitles on the screening copy by the submitters. The cost of the electronic subtitling in Italian will be at the expense of the festival. Submitters of selected films must provide the festival office with all necessary materials for the realization of the electronic subtitles, such as:
• dialogue list in the original language
• list of English subtitles, with spotting list (time code in – time code out).
Dialogue/subtitles lists must be sent by email not later than February 6th, 2015 to: subtitles@bifest.it. The subject of the mail must state: “Subtitles + Title of the selected film”.
For the Italian subtitling work, two DVDs with English subtitles, with definitive editing and identical running time of the screening copy, must be sent by courier to the following address no later than February 6th, 2015 to:
• Direzione Bif&st – Viale Giulio Cesare 78, 5° piano – 00192 Rome – Italy.
For customs matters, shipments from non-EU countries must be marked: “FOR CULTURAL PURPOSES ONLY – WITH NO COMMERCIAL VALUE”. Their declared value for customs should not exceed € 10.
As an alternative, a secure link can be provided for the download of the film, with English subtitles, with definitive editing and identical running time of the screening copy, exclusively for Italian subtitling work.
8.2 Festival website and catalogue
For the promotion of all selected films on the official BIF&ST website www.bifest.it and on other media, the following materials are required by email to the addresses catalogue@bifest.it; ufficiostampa@bifest.it by February 20th, 2015:
- link to the film’s official trailer (if available) and/or to the film’s official website
- presskit (max 3Mb)
- film poster or postcard, .tif or .jpg format, light version for the web
- minimum 3 photos of the film, .tif or .jpg format, minimum 300 dpi
As an alternative, an official link can be provided, for the download of the above materials.
9. Shipping and film formats
9.1 Shipping of the film copies
Shipping expenses of the screening copies of selected films from and to their countries of production, if not by different agreement, will be at the expenses of the festival. If screening copies are coming from, or are destined to other festivals, BIF&ST will only take charge of a one way shipping (either inbound or outbound). There will be no exception to the present rule; with regards to this issue, submitters must make specific arrangements with the other festivals involved.
All screening copies of selected films – thoroughly verified by submitters or other senders before their shipping – must arrive to the official BIF&ST international courier in Italy, which will be indicated at the appropriate time, not later than Monday February 23rd, 2014.
For customs matters, shipments from non-EU countries must be marked: “FOR CULTURAL PURPOSES ONLY – WITH NO COMMERCIAL VALUE”, and must enclose proper proforma invoices.
9.2 Screening formats
As to the films selected for the International Premières and International Panorama at the Petruzzelli Theatre (points 3 and 4), the only accepted screening format is Digital Cinema Package – DCP (fully DCI/SMPTE compliant).
If the DCP is encrypted, it is mandatory that that submitters provide KDMs for all the festival servers. KDMs must be sent well in advance considering the test screening (in Bari only) and the official festival screening.
All related details must be specified on a specific technical form that will be provided to the submitters of the selected films.
10. Insurance of the copies
The festival will cover the insurance costs for the screening copies of the selected works against all risks, for the entire period they will be in care of the festival, between their arrival in Bari and their departure from Bari. Should a selected copy undergo any damage on the festival’s responsibility, BIF&ST’s insurance will uniquely cover the material costs of the damaged copy, based on average laboratory costs, and according to standard values. The artistic direction expressely commits not to duplicate selected films, nor to present them out of the official venues of the festival.
11. Anti-piracy
In each of the festival screening halls, BIF&ST, together with a professional, well experienced and trusted service agency – will adopt all standard antipiracy measures.
Should submitters of selected films prefer an anti-piracy service agency of their own choice, the related costs will peremptorily be at charge of the submitters.
12. Press and promotional materials
Submitters of selected films are invited to separately ship to the Press Office of the festival, the following promotional materials for BIF&ST accredited press and distributors:
- 50 press-kits on paper/digital format on CD or DVD
- 10 promo clips with maximum running time of 3’ (either Betacam SP or DVD or Blu-Ray) for feature-length films
- 5 stage photos of the film (high resolution 300dpi) with no embargo date nor distribution deadline
- 2 film posters (not allowed in Petruzzelli Theatre) and/or any other promotional materials
All the promotional materials (posters, brochures, clips, leaflets, etc.) of selected films may be made available to the festival by shipping with the label “Promotional material for BIF&ST 2015” by ordinary mail or courier – starting from March 5th 2015 – to the following operative headquarter offices of the festival:
• Bif&st – Sala Murat – Piazza del Ferrarese – 70121 Bari – Italy
All costs related to shipping of the promotional materials, must be at submitters’ charge.
For customs matters, shipments from non-EU countries must be marked: “FOR CULTURAL PURPOSES ONLY – WITH NO COMMERCIAL VALUE”.
13. Conditions e contacts
The film submission and the shipment of the screening copy to the festival imply full acceptance of the Italian version of the present regulations. May any dispute not covered by these rules arise, the final decision is to the artistic director of the festival. Should any controversy arise regarding the interpretation of these Regulations, the Italian version is binding. The Court of Bari is the Competent Court.
Mail contacts:
- Artistic Direction: direzione@bifest.it
- International Premières and International Panorama: Giuliana La Volpe g.lavolpe@bifest.it
- Press Office: Studio PuntoeVirgola: info@studiopuntoevirgola.com -
