Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival

Jihlava, Czech Republic, Europe

27 Oct, 2020 - 01 Nov, 2020

Academy Award ® Qualifying

Keywords

experimental, short, Documentary, feature, environmental issues

Category

Feature, Short

Genre

Documentary

Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival logo
Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival

Jihlava, Czech Republic, Europe

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General Information

founded

1973

edition

24th

organizers

Marek Hovorka

festival director

Petr Kubica

program director

Jarmila Outratová

head of Industry Office

Contact details

Jihlava IDFF

Jana Masaryka 16,

JihlavaCzech Republic 586 01

info@ji-hlava.cz

Web & social

About the festival

Jihlava IDFF is the largest festival for creative documentary films with a special focus on Central and Eastern Europe. It draws attention to socially relevant projects that possess innovative style and imagery, as well as a certain depth of reflection and confrontation. In addition, the festival offers screenings dedicated to experimental cinema and hosts various industry events for film professionals. East Silver Market is the most important project of the current festival. 

Mission

We cater to our visitors and our festival guests with utmost respect and honour, or – in the words of one of the most prominent Czech programmer and documentarian who stood at the cradle of the concept of the festival, Jan Gogola jr.:

„It is not about going to the cinema but becoming a cinema on the go. This is also the case of the Ji.hlava IDFF where you can visit home and street screenings that transform apartments and the entire town into a cinema, where, as a different example, close-up and long shot merge in the form of a single-member and audience jury, where workshops showcase works still in development, where films are screened on the pages of publications, sold as the Eastern Silver, spread through a decentralised rhizomatic structure of the web environment, telling stories in halls and bars where actors engaged in discussions transform into translucent beings ethereally embodying the ungraspable nature of the ‘meaning’. The red cinema carpet tailor made to fit Ji.hlava. The synergy of complementary programmes gives rise to the festival as if it was a film of its own kind, providing a context to be browsed through by the visitors, who can edit their own films based on their perception thus ceasing to be mere visitors. And when they continue their festival transformations also during their wanderings away from the white lines marked on Jihlava’s pavements connecting festival venues, they will no longer be mere visitors in their own lives.”

About

Jihlava IDFF is the largest festival for creative documentary films with a special focus on Central and Eastern Europe. It draws attention to socially relevant projects that possess innovative style and imagery, as well as a certain depth of reflection and confrontation. In addition, the festival offers screenings dedicated to experimental cinema and hosts various industry events for film professionals. East Silver Market is the most important project of the current festival. 

Mission

We cater to our visitors and our festival guests with utmost respect and honour, or – in the words of one of the most prominent Czech programmer and documentarian who stood at the cradle of the concept of the festival, Jan Gogola jr.:

„It is not about going to the cinema but becoming a cinema on the go. This is also the case of the Ji.hlava IDFF where you can visit home and street screenings that transform apartments and the entire town into a cinema, where, as a different example, close-up and long shot merge in the form of a single-member and audience jury, where workshops showcase works still in development, where films are screened on the pages of publications, sold as the Eastern Silver, spread through a decentralised rhizomatic structure of the web environment, telling stories in halls and bars where actors engaged in discussions transform into translucent beings ethereally embodying the ungraspable nature of the ‘meaning’. The red cinema carpet tailor made to fit Ji.hlava. The synergy of complementary programmes gives rise to the festival as if it was a film of its own kind, providing a context to be browsed through by the visitors, who can edit their own films based on their perception thus ceasing to be mere visitors. And when they continue their festival transformations also during their wanderings away from the white lines marked on Jihlava’s pavements connecting festival venues, they will no longer be mere visitors in their own lives.”

Gallery

Awards & Winners

2020

Best World Documentary Film 2020 (Winner)

Special Mention (Winner)

Best Central and East European Documentary Film 2020 (Winner)

Special Mention (Winner)

Best Czech Documentary Film 2020 (Winner)

Special Mention (Winner)

Student Jury Award (Winner)

Traces of a Landscape (2020) Director(s): Petr Záruba

2019

Fascinations (Nominated)

Between the Seas (Winner)

Between the Seas (Nominated)

Best Testimony on Politics (Winner)

The Cave (2019)  Director(s): Feras Fayyad

Best Testimony on Politics (Nominated)

Best Testimony on Politics (Nominated)

Best Testimony on Politics (Nominated)

Best Testimony on Nature (Winner)

Best Testimony on Nature (Nominated)

Best Testimony on Nature (Nominated)

Terms and rules

2. Film submissions

We accept submissions of:

• Documentary films

• Experimental films

• Animation films or hybrid projects

• Different TV and film formats based on reality

• Virtual reality projects

• Documentary and educational computer games

• Interactive web documentary projects

 

Each submitted film has to comply with the following conditions:

• Properly completed form and timely updates in case of any changes.

• Payment of 20 € as a submission fee.

• Providing online or DVD previews. In the case of failure to provide a film preview, the submission will be considered invalid.

• Films produced in Eastern and Central Europe are also automatically submitted to the East Silver Market.

Film submission deadline:

• March 31, 2020 (films completed in 2019)

• May 31, 2020 (films completed in 2020 and released by May 31, 2020)

• July 31, 2020 (rough cuts and films that have not yet had a festival world premiere) Despite our deadlines, we would kindly ask you to submit your films throughout the whole period starting on February 17, 2020.

2.1. Entry fees Film submissions are subject to a submission fee of 20 €. Each film has to be submitted separately and the submission is not considered valid until the payment of the submission fee is made. 

2.2 Acceptable submission formats

ONLINE PREVIEW

• If the preview of your entire film is available online, please provide the internet address and the password to access your film in the submission form.

• We do not accept film transfers from storage or hosting services (downloadable links). • Previews of films that are not in English, or in Czech or Slovak should be fitted with English subtitles.

• The online preview has to be available without limitation until September 30, 2020. If you change the link or the password, you need to inform us without delay at juraj@ji-hlava.cz.

DVD PREVIEW

If you cannot provide an online preview, please send your film on a DVD and include its title, running time, author(s) and contact information to: Juraj Machálek Ji.hlava IDFF Vodičkova 36 110 00 Prague (Due to a large number of submissions, we are not able to return the preview DVDs.) Ji.hlava IDFF shall not be held liable in case the preview is not delivered. If you have any questions regarding film submissions, please contact Juraj Machálek atjuraj@ji-hlava.cz or by phone on +420 775 864 828. 

programme selection process

3.1. Films selected for the programme

• Films are selected for the programme by the programme board in collaboration with curators of individual thematic sections and external programmers.

• Festival and the Programme Board reserve the right to chose the section in which the film is to be included.

• If the film has been selected for the festival programme, the Submitter will be notified latest by September 30, 2020.

• If the film has not been selected for the festival programme, the Submitter will be notified latest by September 30, 2020.

• The programme board shall not be obliged to justify their decision or to provide feedback on the submitted films.

3.2. Programme sections – competition

Opus Bonum – international competition section for medium and feature-length documentary films from all around the world

First Lights – international competition section for feature documentary debut films

Between the Seas – competition for the best Central and Eastern European feature-length films

Between the Seas – student films – art school students’ competition of documentary films from Central and Eastern Europe

Czech Joy – competition of documentary films from Czech production or co-production

Fascinations – international competition for the best experimental film under 30 minutes

Fascinations – Exprmntl.cz – competition of experimental films from Czech production or co-production 

Short Joy – international competition for short documentary films

Testimonies – on politics, nature and knowledge

– international competition for the best documentary: films with political and historical implications, ecology and environmental issues and pushing the boundaries of scientific documentary

3.3 Categorisation based on running time

Submitted films are categorised as follows:

• Short – films under 30 minutes of running time

• Medium-length – films with 30 to 60 minutes of running time

• Feature-length – films over 60 minutes of running time

 

3.4. Festival premiere status

World, international or European premiere is a condition for screenings in the following sections:

• Opus Bonum

• First Lights

• Between the Seas

• Fascinations

• Short Joy

 

National premiere is a condition for screenings in the following sections:

• Czech Joy

• Fascinations – Exprmntl.cz

• Testimonies

• Constellations

• Special Event

The Submitter shall be obliged to provide up-to-date and accurate information about the premiere status of the submitted film. Please inform us if the premiere status of your film changes following its submission to Ji.hlava IDFF. In exceptional cases, the Programme Board reserves the right to present the film without a premiere in the festival’s non-competition sections.

3.5. Confirming festival participation

Having been officially notified that the film was selected for the programme, the Submitter undertakes to make the film available for the festival screening. Following this agreement, the film cannot be withdrawn from the festival programme.

3.6. Festival screening times

The Programme Board reserves the right to decide on the screening times and number of screenings of each film title.

4. Additional materials

4.1. Screening copy Ji.hlava IDFF enables screenings of the following formats: DCP, 35 mm, 16 mm, video file, Blu-ray, Beta SP or digibeta.

4.1.1. Hardcoded subtitles All films, the primary language of which is not English, has to have hardcoded English subtitles. 

4.1.2. Shipping requirements

• The screening copy of the film must be delivered to the address of our office no later than by October 10, 2020, unless agreed otherwise. If the copy is not supplied in time, the Ji.hlava IDFF shall not be responsible for the technical quality of the screening and its smooth completion.

• The Ji.hlava IDFF covers the costs of a one-way shipment of the film copy only, unless agreed otherwise.

• Festival assumes the responsibility to arrange the insurance of the copy from its arrival in the office to its subsequent dispatch after the end of the festival.

• Promotional leaflets, posters, etc. are welcomed. If you plan to visit the festival, please bring the promotional materials with you. We will inform you on the spot where to place the materials. If you do not visit the festival, the materials will be distributed to the extent possible.

• All copies will be returned to the owner (or another party as agreed) no later than by December 1, 2020.

• In case of any damage to your copy, inform the festival no later than by December 31, 2020.

• When shipping the film copies from countries outside the EU, please provide a pro-forma invoice and do not estimate the value to be over 10 USD. Please attach the following specification to the parcel: “No commercial value, for cultural purposes only”.

4.3. Accompanying materials Films selected for the programme have to be accompanied with materials as specified by the festival to be available for use during and after the festival.

Film clip

For the purposes of promoting the film in media and during the festival, please provide a one-minute clip from the film in HD quality. In case the film clip is not available, we reserve the right to select a sequence of our choice.

Trailer

Directly for the purposes of the festival and other presentation, for instance on social media, an official trailer is required. Trailer has to contain information about the film inclusion at the festival and the official logo of the Ji.hlava IDFF selection. The logo is available here.

Film screener

It is agreed that films selected for the competition programme will be included in the video library of the festival and the Center for Documentary Film. For the above-mentioned purposes, the video file sent has to have the following specifications:

• File type .mp .mp4, codec h.264

• Resolution at least 720p (1280x720px)

• Data speed of 1.5Mb to 3 Mb/s

• Audio parameters – AAC, 48KHz, stereo, 160kbps

Dialogue sheet

Each film selected for the festival programme has to be accompanied with a dialogue sheet necessary for the purposes of translation and adding subtitles, or simultaneous translation during the screening.

Photos and official poster

At least three photos of 10 MB and an official poster in a digital format have to be provided together with Ji.hlava IDFF 2020 the film. In case photos are not provided, we reserve the right to use screenshots from the film preview.

5. Festival video library, video library of the Center for Documentary Film

5. 1. Festival industry video library

The Ji.hlava IDFF reserves the right to use the films that are included in the festival programme as part of the festival industry video library reserved to film professionals visiting the festival. This library will continue to be available for three months.

5.2. Video library of the Center for Documentary Film

All film submissions agree to the possible offline use in the video library of the Center for Documentary Film. The Center for Documentary Film (CDF) operates a small video library for the public in Jihlava and students interested in documentary cinema. It is an entitled non-commercial project aimed at the local audience. Films free of charge only in their offline version in the CDF library.

Ratings & Reviews

Categories and fees

Best Experimental Documentary

Fascinations
Early Bird (31st March, 2020) €20
Regular (31st May, 2020) €20
Late (31st July, 2020) €20
Age restriction No age restriction
Country Any country
Director's age No restriction
Director's gender Any gender
Student films No
First films No

Fascinations is a large factory for experimental filmmaking that takes films based on reality and strips them of all that weighs them down, thus significantly expanding the possibilities of filmic expression.

Best Central and Eastern European Documentary

Between the Seas: Student Film Competition
Early Bird (31st March, 2020) €20
Regular (31st May, 2020) €20
Late (31st July, 2020) €20
Age restriction No age restriction
Country Any country
Director's age No restriction
Director's gender Any gender
Student films No
First films No
Prize Yes

The most significant student films from the Eastern and Central Europe.

International Documentary

Testimonies
Early Bird (31st March, 2020) €20
Regular (31st May, 2020) €20
Late (31st July, 2020) €20
Age restriction No age restriction
Country Any country
Director's age No restriction
Director's gender Any gender
Student films No
First films No

Testimonies is a selection of films that capture the current state of the world from various angles: as much as it may seem that there is no common thread running through them, within the context of Czech and international documentary filmmaking these are works that, for many different reasons, cannot be overlooked.

Czech Joy

Czech Joy
Early Bird (31st March, 2020) €20
Regular (31st May, 2020) €20
Late (31st July, 2020) €20
Age restriction No age restriction
Country Any country
Director's age No restriction
Director's gender Any gender
Student films No
First films No
Prize Yes

Czech Joy is not only a prestigious competition for the best Czech documentary, but also a celebration of the diverse range of new topics and the adventurous spirit of cinematic epxression.

Between the Seas

Between the Seas
Early Bird (31st March, 2020) €20
Regular (31st May, 2020) €20
Late (31st July, 2020) €20
Age restriction No age restriction
Country Any country
Director's age No restriction
Director's gender Any gender
Student films No
First films No

Between the Seas is a competition section for the countries and nations of Central and Eastern Europe, including their historical, political, and cultural interrelationships.

Opus Bonum

Opus Bonum
Early Bird (31st March, 2020) €20
Regular (31st May, 2020) €20
Late (31st July, 2020) €20
Age restriction No age restriction
Country Any country
Director's age No restriction
Director's gender Any gender
Student films No
First films No

Opus Bonum is a competition section for the documentary films from all around the world, with the price for the Best World Documentary Film.

First Lights

First Lights
Early Bird (31st March, 2020) €20
Regular (31st May, 2020) €20
Late (31st July, 2020) €20
Age restriction No age restriction
Country Any country
Director's age No restriction
Director's gender Any gender
Student films No
First films No

First Lights is a competition section for the debut feature length documentary film from all around the world, with the price for the Best Documentary Debut Film.

Fascinations: Exprmntl.cz
Early Bird (31st March, 2020) €20
Regular (31st May, 2020) €20
Late (31st July, 2020) €20
Age restriction No age restriction
Country Any country
Director's age No restriction
Director's gender Any gender
Student films No
First films No

Exprmntl.cz is a competition survey of the latest Czech experimental films that touch upon reality and never cease in their search for new ways of expressing reality through classical and digital film.

Short Joy
Early Bird (31st March, 2020) €20
Regular (31st May, 2020) €20
Late (31st July, 2020) €20
Age restriction No age restriction
Country Any country
Director's age No restriction
Director's gender Any gender
Student films No
First films No

Short Joy is a selection of documentary shorts, with the price for the Best Short Documentary Film.

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