1. Feature films may not be longer than 130 minutes and must not have premiered in Melbourne before December 2015.
2. Short films may not be longer than 30 minutes. However, the Balkan Nights Film Festival reserves the right to include short films exceeding 30 minutes in duration. Music videos may be available online and must not be longer than 5 minutes.
3. To be eligible to enter the 2018 Balkan Nights Film Festival, submissions via FilmFreeway must be made by October 30th, 2018. Films must only originate from the following Balkan nations: Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia.
4. Submitted works will be considered for the following festival categories: Feature Films, Short Films and Music Videos.
5. The risks and costs of sending screening copies to the Balkan Nights Film Festival are the responsibility of the sender. Accordingly, film copies sent to the Balkan Nights Film Festival from other festivals are to be coordinated by the sender.
6. The screening formats are DCP and Quicktime 1080p only. If the original version is in a language other than English, the film must be subtitled in English. We also require English subtitles for English language films.
7. Only required in the event of festival acceptance: 2 film stills (JPEG or PNG, min. 300dpi) as well as 1 photo and filmography of the director for publication in festival media (print and online) is mandatory.
8. Film copies are insured for their print value for the duration of the festival. Compensation claims must be made within 10 days after the film has been returned. Court jurisdiction is in Melbourne, Australia.
9. All parcels must be clearly marked with a customs declaration stating the following: “For cultural purposes only. No commercial value”.
10. By submitting a film to the Balkan Nights Film Festival the sender consents to the film being screened at the festival. It is no longer possible to retract the film from festival inclusion once the application form has been sent. It is the responsibility of the sender to ensure that permission has been obtained from all appropriate parties before submitting a film.
11. The screening copy must arrive no later than 5 days before the festival begins (December 5th, 2018).
12. Notice of festival acceptance and rejection will be given in November 2018 via email.
13. An award will be given to the best film and music video as voted for by the audience. The award shall be announced once the festival concludes.