1.0 Introduction
1.1 Official Selection - Competition
1.2 First Feature Competition
1.3 Baltic Film Competition
1.4 Rebels with a Cause Competition
1.5 Additional awards presented
1.6 Non-competitive programme
1.7 Programming
1.8 Juries
1.9 Film delegations
1.10 Film submission entry procedures
1.11 Confirmation of films and reimbursement
1.12 Technical requirements and guidelines for film formats
1.13 Delivery of materials
Just Film
2.0 Introduction of Just Film
2.1 Juries
2.2 Film submission entry procedures
2.3 Confirmation of films and reimbursement
2.4 Technical requirements and guidelines for film formats
2.5 Delivery of materials
2.6 Film Delegations
PÖFF Shorts
3.0 Introduction of PÖFF Shorts
3.1 Submission
3.2 Confirmation of films and reimbursements
3.3 Technical requirements
3.4 Delivery of materials
3.5 Film Delegations
3.6 Awards and Juries
22nd Black Nights Film Festival Regulations
16.11 – 02.12 2018
Tallinn, Estonia
1.0 Introduction
Black Nights Film Festival (in Estonian as PÕFF – Pimedate Ööde Filmifestival) aims to present a comprehensive selection of world cinema to Estonian, Baltic and North European audiences.
The 22nd edition of Black Nights Film Festival will take place from 16th of November to 2nd of December 2018 in Estonian cities of Tallinn and Tartu.
The Festival is recognised by FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations) and since 2014 accredited to organise an international non-specialised feature film competition along with 15 other film festivals around the world (including Berlin, Cannes, Karlovy Vary, Moscow, Venice, San Sebastian, Warsaw, Tokyo and others).
Black Nights Film Festival also holds specialised competitive sections, non-competitive sections, as well as sub-festivals for youth and childrens’s films, short films and animations.
The Festival is organised by the non-profit organisation MTÜ Pimedate Ööde Filmifestival (in English NGO Black Nights Film Festival).
MTÜ Pimedate Ööde Filmifestival (in English NGO Black Nights Film Festival)
Telliskivi 60a, 10412
Tallinn, Estonia
Phone: +372 56 208 308
E-mail: info@poff.ee
www.poff.ee
Black Nights Film Festival Programme Overview
The Black Nights Film Festival programme includes four competitive sections and various non-competitive sections for feature films.
1.1 Official Selection – Competition
The Official Selection – Competition is an international non-specialised competition presenting feature length (60 minutes and over) films from around the world completed after 15th of September 2017.
Priority will be given to films with a World or International Premiere. The minimum premiere requirement is an European Regional Premiere. European films and co-produced films presented in their country of origin remain eligible.
The Festival will not accept films in the Official Selection – Competition that have been in competition at another festival accredited by FIAPF as a Competitive Feature Film Festival. The Festival reserves the right to evaluate eligible films for the competition on a case by case basis.
Awards presented:
- Grand Prix for the Best Film (Grant of 10,000 Euros, shared by the Director and Producer)
- Best Director (Grant of 5000 Euros)
- Best Cinematography (Grant of 1000 Euros)
- Best Script
- Best Actor
- Best Actress
- Best Music
A film in this competition is eligible for a maximum of two awards (including Grand Prix) within the competition. The Grand Prix and Best Director award and grant cannot be given to the same film.
1.2 First Feature Competition
The First Feature Competition is an international competition for debut films. The competition presents feature length debut (60 minutes and over, first time feature film directing status) films from around the world completed after 15th of September 2017.
The World or International Premiere is required. Films, including co-produced films, presented in their country of origin remain eligible.
The Festival will not accept films in the First Feature Competition that have been in competition at another festival accredited by FIAPF as a Competitive Feature Film Festival. The festival reserves the right to evaluate eligible films for competition on a case by case basis.
Awards presented:
- The Award for the Best First Feature Film (Grant of 5000 Euros, shared by the Director and Producer)
- Two Special Jury Prizes
A film in this competition is eligible for one award within the competition.
1.3 Baltic Film Competition
The Baltic Film Competition presents feature length (60 minutes and over) films from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania or with significant participation from one of these countries completed after 15th of September 2017.
Priority will be given to films with a World or International premiere, but films which have previously premiered in Estonia are also eligible. The participation of the film in any other competition of the Festival does not exclude the eligibility for Baltic Film Competition. The festival reserves the right to evaluate eligible films for the competition on a case by case basis.
Award presented:
- The Award for Best Baltic Feature Film (Grant of 3200 Euros, shared by the Director and Producer)
1.4 Rebels with a Cause Competition
Rebels with a Cause Competition showcases films that push the boundaries, through original use of the sound and image, or through pioneering by using unorthodox methods to reach new limits in the art of storytelling. The competition presents feature length (60 minutes and over) films from around the world completed after 15th of September 2017.
The minimum premiere requirement is a Baltic Premiere. Priority will be given to films with a World, International or European Premieres. The festival reserves the right to evaluate eligible films for the competition on a case by case basis.
Award presented:
- Rebel with a Cause Award
1.5 Additional awards presented
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- Audience Award (Grant of 2 000 Euros, shared by the Director and Producer)
- Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) Award
- International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Award
- Cross Religion award presented by the spiritual leaders of the largest congregations in Estonia
1.6 Non-competitive programme
Films submitted for the non-competitive programme, or not selected for competitions, can be invited to other sections with a minimum requirement being their Estonian Premiere. There is no geographic restriction for films in non-competitive sections.
1.7 Programming
The Programming Committee, headed by the Festival Director, selects films for the competitions and non-competitive programmes. The committee also determines the programme schedule and sets the screening order for all films.
Each competition film may be screened a minimum of two (2) times and a maximum of five (5) during the Festival, including press screenings. Consent from the applicant will be asked for any extra screening. The Programming Committee reserves the right to not comment on its decisions as well as the final line-up of the Festival.
1.8 Juries
The Festival Director appoints at least five (5) members of the International Jury to the International Competition and at least three (3) members to other competitive programmes. No jury member can be involved in the production or promotion of any of the films in the competitive programmes.
1.9 Film delegations
For competitive programmes the Festival will invite a delegation of up to three representatives per film. The festival will cover the round trip airfare for one delegate, with a preference given to the Director and / or a Main Cast member, as well as accommodation for up to 3 persons in the Delegation at the Official Partner Hotel.
For non-competitive films, the festival reserves the right to invite guests upon the decision of the Programming committee. Detailed terms and conditions for film delegates are provided on a non-disclosed one to one and guest agreement basis.
1.10 Film submission entry procedures
Applicants for Competitive and Non-Competitive Programmes are requested to submit through FilmFreeway or any other submitting platform indicated by the festival team.
www.filmfreeway.com/blacknightsfilmfestival
Entry applications submitted by post, e-mail or any other form except the online submission form are not considered eligible for selection, unless with prior agreement with the Festival Programming Committee. Submission applications are accepted from March 2018.
The regular submission deadline for competitive and non-competitive feature film programmes is 1st of July 2018. The festival asks a submission fee of €45 Euros or $55 USD per film during regular deadline.
The extended submission deadline for competitive and non-competitive feature film programmes is 17th of August 2018. The festival asks a submission fee of €60 Euros or $75 USD per film during extended deadline.
The Festival Director and the Programming Committee reserve the right to waive submission fees for selected applicants, to not comment on their decisions regarding waivers. The Festival reserves the right to select films received at any time and through any means, or process and to refuse late submissions.
If you have questions regarding the regulations or submissions process, please e-mail submissions@poff.ee
By submitting a film to the festival the applicant agrees by the submissions deadline to:
- Fill and submit the entry form via the festival’s online submission form.
- Provide a screening link and password via the online submission form or e-mail (the link needs to be visible for at least four programmers or more, if needed).
- Acknowledge that “selected” status on the online submission or an any kind of automated letter from the submission platform form does not guarantee confirmation of the submitted film to the festival.
1.11 Confirmation of films and reimbursement
Upon selection of a film, the Festival will contact the applicant via email and will request to fill a binding entry form.
The applicant agrees that confirmed titles may not be withdrawn from the festival programme after its participation has been officially confirmed and the producer or producer's authorised representative has verified the confirmation of the film to the programme.
If, for exceptional reasons, the film has to be withdrawn three weeks or less before the opening of the festival, the applicant agrees to reimburse all costs to the festival related to the confirmation and programming of the film including screening fee (when applicable), print delivery and handling costs as well as associated travel costs for the film delegation.
The invoices for the film rights or print loans should be issued and delivered for payments no later than two months after the end of the festival. The festival does not accept or reimburse invoices issued after that date.
Upon confirmation of the film to the Festival's competitive or non-competitive sections the applicant agrees to:
- Deliver additional promotional materials (biography, filmography and headshot of the Director, high-resolution stills of the film, synopsis, logline/tagline and genre of film, list of technical and artistic credits, list of all production countries in order of contribution and large format print quality poster art-work). Full electronic press kits are preferred.
- Provide a HD resolution trailer of the film, or a HD teaser clip minimum a month before the festival with license to upload on Festival’s channels online.
- Provide a set of at least four different HD resolution excerpts of three-minute maximum length each to enable the promotion of films by television stations and in creative promotional video montages minimum a month before the festival.
- Deliver materials for localisation (subtitle files with time-codes and/or dialogue lists in the original film language and in English, spotting list and a screener of the finalised version of the).
- Grant permission to include the screener in the festivals video library, reserved for jury and accredited industry members only (restricted access). The film representative will be requested to upload the screener into the secure video library environment.
- The Festival reserves the right to use all provided promotional materials for publicity purposes and printed materials, including the festival catalogue, press releases, website, social media channels and promotion in media.
Materials have to be delivered digitally with a non-expiring download link to materials@poff.ee stating the local and English title of the film in the e-mail subject line. The festival does not accept deliveries on hard disk drives, memory sticks or any other physical format.
The materials required by the Festival for its press releases, catalogue, website and other information/promotion channels (synopsis, technical and artistic credits, bio-filmographies, pictures of the director/s and film stills) and localisation materials need to be provided to the festival by the 15th of September 2017, or within 7 days of confirmation of the film.
1.12 Technical requirements and guidelines for film formats
The accepted screening format for all films in competition and non-competition sections is DCP. Provided DCPs must be DCI compliant (www.dcimovies.com) and adhere to all applicable conditions below.
DCPs must be provided and shipped on industry standard and protected hard drives or delivered digitally with previous confirmation from the festival technical department. Consumer grade hard drives and memory sticks are not permitted.
Video formats and 35mm prints are accepted only with prior acknowledgement from the festival. All video files will be converted into DCPs by the festival appointed lab to ensure the best possible image and sound quality during playback.
Tapes or Blu-rays are not accepted as screening formats, unless there are no alternatives and with prior acknowledgment from the festival.
All films selected for the festival must be provided with English subtitles, unless they are already in English. All the films from the Official Selection Competition and First Feature Competition, as well as a selection of films other sections are translated into Estonian.
The festival prefers to transfer local subtitles onto DCPs for ensuring the best possible screening experience. For that purpose DCPs must meet the following requirements: provided screening DCPs must be unencrypted, or with DKDM for festival lab, as original language versions (OV) with separate accompanying subtitles as version-file packages (VF). DCPs with burned in subtitles are not accepted in this case.
If the transfer of translated subtitles onto the DCP is not agreed with the representative of the film, the translations will be shown electronically.
All screening copies for all sections, if provided with any subtitles, must have the subtitles on the active picture area and not in letterbox area. Dubbed language copies are also refused.
The festival reserves the right to demand new DCP packages free of charge in case of non-compatible DCPs, files are on broken hard drives or other quality standards are not met. These include wrongly placed or missing subtitles, or wrong soundtracks.
Unencrypted DCPs are strongly preferred. In case of encrypted DCPs, the festival requires one test KDM per film free of charge for quality assurance and technical testing for our test-screen or DKDM for laboratory testing. The quality assurance purpose KDM or DKDM is requested to be valid from the date the DCP arrives at the festival till 2 days after the festival.
The producer or film representative is requested to provide appropriate screening KDMs valid from 3 days before the start of the festival and 2 days after the festival, but in minimum at least 72 hours prior to screenings, and 48 hours after the screening. The cost of generating all KDMs will also be the responsibility of the producers or representatives of the film.
If the festival is provided with broken or wrongly assigned KDMs, appropriate new KDMs must be provided free of charge by the film submitter or representative. Quality assurance purpose DKDM does not exempt from providing screening KDMs if not agreed upon otherwise.
The festival supports 2K and 4K content. However, not all screens have a 4K projecting capability. The festival therefore cannot guarantee that all 4K films will be screened in a 4K resolution.
We can accept high-frame-rate DCPs (HFR), however we are only able to screen them in selected cinema halls. Please notify the festival office if you are planning on presenting a high-frame-rate DCP.
The festival reserves the right to refuse and withdraw the screening of the film from the competition or any other section if all requirements are not followed.
Detailed technical guidelines will be available linked for download along with the festival regulations on the festival website from 1st of June 2018 and also provided along with confirmation entry form.
Our festival’s technical team, dcinema@poff.ee, will happily help with any queries for all confirmed films.
1.13 Delivery of materials
All costs related to the shipping of publicity materials (posters, brochures etc.) or any screeners are paid by the submitter or film representative. Submitted preview copies may be returned to the submitter or forwarded only at the submitter's expense.
All packages must be clearly marked with the title of the film, the sender’s / submitters name, return address and telephone number as well as the festival address:
Black Nights Film Festival
Attn: Programming
Telliskivi 60a, 3rd floor
10412
Tallinn, Estonia
Phone: +372 56 208 308
Costs related to the shipping of the screening copies to the festival are paid by the festival, unless otherwise agreed upon. Return shipping costs are the responsibility of the submitter or film representative, or party appointed by them.
The festival will return or forward the screening copies within 14 days from the end of the festival unless instructed otherwise by the submitter or film representative. Returns before the Festival closing date must be agreed at least three weeks before the festival, and cannot be guaranteed after that.
The festival covers all expenses connected to the storage and insurance of the screening copies during the duration of the festival.
In the event of damage to a copy during the event, the Festival limits its responsibility to the cost of having a new standard copy made at current laboratory rates.
BLACK NIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL SUBFESTIVAL
Just Film
Youth and Children’s Film Festival
16.11 – 02.12 2018
2.0 Introduction of Just Film
Just Film presents films in the following programmes:
International Competition programme of feature films for young people
International Competition programme of feature films for children
Non-competitive and / or informative programmes, retrospectives and special presentations
Films eligible for the programmes are feature length (60 minutes and over) either fiction or documentary and produced after the 1st of January 2017 with a minimum requirement being their Estonian premiere. The festival reserves the right to evaluate eligible films for competition on a case by case basis.
The applicable screening copies are in DCP format in English or include English subtitles. Films in the competitions may be presented in the PÖFF main programme non-competitive section and touring screenings after Just Film.
Awards presented:
- Just Film Grand Prix for the Best Youth Film
- ECFA Award for the Best Children’s Film
- Best Youth Film
- Best Children’s Film
- Up to two Special Mentions per Competitive Programme
2.1 Juries
The Festival Director will appoint the Domestic Children’s Jury and Youth Jury, both consisting of five members. Also an international jury consisting of three film specialists and ECFA (European Children’s Film Association) jury consisting of three ECFA members will be invited. No jury member can be involved in the production or promotion of any of the films in the competitive programs.
2.2 Film submission entry procedures
Applicants for Competitive and Non-Competitive Programmes are requested to submit as a subcategory of Black Nights Film Festival through FilmFreeway or any other submitting platform indicated by the festival team.
www.filmfreeway.com/blacknightsfilmfestival
Entry applications submitted by post, e-mail or any other form except the online submission form are not considered eligible for selection.
The regular submission deadline for Just Film competitive and non-competitive feature film programmes is 1st of July 2018. The festival asks a submission fee of €45 Euros or $55 USD per film during regular deadline.
The extended submission deadline for Just Film competitive and non-competitive feature film programmes is 17th of August 2018. The festival asks a submission fee of €60 Euros or $75 USD per film during extended deadline.
The Festival reserves the right to select films received at any time and through any means, or process and to refuse late submissions.
By submitting a film to the festival the applicant agrees by the submissions deadline to:
- Fill and submit the entry form via the festival’s online submission form.
- Provide a screening link and password via the online submission form or e-mail
- Acknowledge that “selected” status on the online submission or an any kind of automated letter from the submission platform form does not guarantee confirmation of the submitted film to the festival as the festival needs to consider multiple criteria, such as the screening fee, print/copy fees, availability issues in Estonian territory and other factors.
- Deliver additional materials (biography and filmography of Director, stills of the film, synopsis of the film, trailer and poster art-work (if already available) by the means specified by the festival.
2.3 Confirmation of films and reimbursement
Upon selection of the film, the Festival will inform the applicant no later than 26th of October 2018.
The applicant agrees that confirmed titles may not be withdrawn from the festival programme after its participation has been officially confirmed and the producer or producer's authorised representative has verified the confirmation of the film to the programme.
If, for exceptional reasons, the film has to be withdrawn three weeks or less before the opening of the festival, the applicant agrees to reimburse all costs to the festival related to the confirmation and programming of the film including screening fee (when applicable), print delivery and handling costs as well as associated travel costs for the film delegation.
The invoices for the film rights or print loans should be issued and delivered for payments no later than two months after the end of the festival. The festival does not accept or reimburse invoices issued after that date.
Upon confirmation of the film to the Just Film festival's competitive or non-competitive sections the applicant agrees to:
- Provide a trailer of the film either on DVD or online via a non-expiring link.
- Deliver materials for localisation (subtitle files with time-codes and/or dialogue lists in the original film language and in English, spotting list and a screener of the finalised version of the).
Materials have to be delivered digitally to maarit.mannama@poff.ee. The festival does not accept deliveries on hard disk drives, memory sticks or any other physical format, as well as via file sharing programs or services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Box etc.
2.4 Technical requirements and guidelines for film formats
The accepted screening format for all films in competition and non-competition sections is DCP. Provided DCPs must be DCI compliant (www.dcimovies.com) and adhere to all applicable conditions below.
DCPs must be provided and shipped on industry standard and protected hard drives or delivered digitally with previous confirmation from the festival technical department. Consumer grade hard drives and memory sticks are not permitted.
All films selected for the festival must be provided with English subtitles, unless they are already in English. A selection will be translated into Estonian. If the transfer of translated subtitles onto the DCP is not agreed with the representative of the film, the translations will be shown electronically.
All screening copies for all sections, if provided with any subtitles, must have the subtitles on the active picture area and not in letterbox area. Dubbed language copies are also refused.
The festival reserves the right to demand new DCP packages free of charge in case of non-compatible DCPs, files are on broken hard drives or other quality standards are not met. These include wrongly placed or missing subtitles, or wrong soundtracks.
Unencrypted DCPs are strongly preferred. In case of encrypted DCPs, the festival requires one test KDM per film free of charge for quality assurance and technical testing for our test-screen or DKDM for laboratory testing. The quality assurance purpose KDM or DKDM is requested to be valid from the date the DCP arrives at the festival till 2 days after the festival.
The producer or film representative is requested to provide appropriate screening KDMs valid from 3 days before the start of the festival and 2 days after the festival, but in minimum at least 72 hours prior to screenings, and 48 hours after the screening. The cost of generating all KDMs will also be the responsibility of the producers or representatives of the film.
If the festival is provided with broken or wrongly assigned KDMs, appropriate new KDMs must be provided free of charge by the film submitter or representative. Quality assurance purpose DKDM does not exempt from providing screening KDMs if not agreed upon otherwise.
The festival supports 2K and 4K content. However, not all screens have a 4K projecting capability. The festival therefore cannot guarantee that all 4K films will be screened in a 4K resolution.
The festival reserves the right to refuse and withdraw the screening of the film from the competition or any other section if all requirements are not followed.
Detailed technical guidelines will be available linked for download along with the festival regulations on the festival website from 1st of June 2018 and also provided along with confirmation entry form.
Our festival’s technical team, dcinema@poff.ee, will happily help with any queries for all confirmed films.
2.5 Delivery of materials
All costs related to the shipping of the screener copy (DVD) and publicity materials are paid by the submitter or film representative. Submitted preview copies may be returned to the submitter or forwarded only at the submitters expense.
All packages must be clearly marked with the title of the film, the sender’s / submitters name, return address and telephone number as well as the festival address:
Black Nights Film Festival
Attn: Just Film
Telliskivi 60a, 3rd floor
10412
Tallinn, Estonia
Phone: +372 56 208 308
Costs related to the shipping of the screening copies to the festival are paid by the festival, unless otherwise agreed upon. Return shipping costs are the responsibility of the submitter or film representative, or party appointed by them.
The festival will return or forward the screening copies within 14 days from the end of the festival unless instructed otherwise by the submitter or film representative. Returns before the Festival closing date must be agreed at least three weeks before the festival, and cannot be guaranteed after that.
The festival covers all expenses connected to the storage and insurance of the screening copies during the duration of the festival.
In the event of damage to a copy during the event, the Festival limits its responsibility to the cost of having a new standard copy made at current laboratory rates.
2.6 Film Delegations
The festival may invite members of the cast and/or crew of any film, in any section. Providing the travel and/or accommodation and Festival accreditation.
www.justfilm.ee
BLACK NIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL SUBFESTIVAL
PÖFF SHORTS
Short Film and Animation Festival
20.11 – 25.11 2018
3.0 Introduction of PÖFF Shorts
PÖFF Shorts presents films in the following programmes:
- International Competition programmes of short films and animation
- International Competition programmes of short films and animation for students
- National Competition programme for short films and animation
- Non-competitive programmes, retrospectives and special presentations
Applicants for Competitive and Non-Competitive Programmes are requested to submit through FilmFreeway or any other submitting platform indicated by the festival team.
www.filmfreeway.com/PÖFFShorts
Entry applications submitted by post, e-mail or any other form except the online submission form are not considered eligible for selection.
The submission deadline for competitive and non-competitive programmes of PÖFF Shorts is 25th of August 2018.
3.1 Submission
FILMS MEETING THE FESTIVAL REQUIREMENTS MUST:
- Be short or half-length films (up to 45 minutes): fiction, documentary, experimental or VR; live-action or animation
- Premiered after the 1st of January 2017 (regarding competitive programmes).
- Be presented in a HD video screening format (minimum 1920x1080px, Prores, DNxHD), DCP.
- Have English subtitles if they are not in English.
- Films submitted to the student film competitions must be directed by a film, animation or media student.
Films produced in Estonia or are Estonian-co-productions, which have premiered previously in Estonia are also eligible.
The festival reserves the right to evaluate eligible films for the competition and assign the programme section for the film on a case-by-case basis.
Applicants for competitive and non-competitive programmes are requested to submit the film and required supplementary materials only via the indicated online submissions page.
Entries submitted by post, e-mail or any other form except the online submission form are not considered eligible for selection.
The festival reserves the right to refuse late submissions.
SUBMISSION FEES:
Submission fees are to be paid by secure online payment with a credit or debit card. Submission fees are non-refundable.
SUBMISSION MATERIALS:
For a successful submission via the submission platform the applicant is required to:
1) Fill in and submit the entry form.
2) Provide a non-expiring screening link - with English subtitles and a password if necessary.
3) Upload high quality stills from the film (jpg).
4) Provide the film trailer as a non-expiring link or HD-resolution file.
5) Upload a photo of the Director (jpg).
6) Upload a poster of the film (jpg) (if it exists).
3.2 Confirmation of films and reimbursements
Upon confirmation of the film, the Festival will inform the applicant no later than the
15th of October 2018.
Upon confirmation of the film to the Festival's Competitive or Non Competitive Sections the applicant agrees to:
- Confirm participation of the film in the Festival.
- Provide all necessary information and materials (see 1. Film submission).
- Provide all missing information and materials from the original submission in the way indicated by the festival team.
- Provide the required screening copy (see 3. Technical requirements for screening copies) in the way indicated by the Festival team.
- Grant permission to include the screener in the festival’s video library, reserved for jury and accredited industry members only (restricted access).
- Authorize to screen the film and/or promotional materials (stills, trailer) at the Festival and at any presentation of the Festival programmes, side and promotional events in any location if organised by/or participated in and authorized by the Festival organisation.
Confirmed titles may not be withdrawn from the festival programme after its participation has been officially confirmed and the producer or producer's authorised representative has verified confirmation of the film to the programme.
If, for exceptional reasons, the film has to be withdrawn three weeks or less before the opening of the festival, the applicant agrees to reimburse all costs to the festival related to confirmation and programming of the film including screening fee (when applicable), print delivery and handling costs as well as associated travel costs for the film delegation.
The invoices for the film rights or print loans should be issued and delivered for payment no later than two months from the end of the festival. The festival does not accept or reimburse invoices issued after that date.
3.3 Technical requirements
To ensure the highest quality and presentation of confirmed films, all screening copies must be in high quality High Definition video (minimum 1920x1080px) in a low compressed format (Prores, DNxHD etc.), DCP and with English subtitles.
Damaged or dubbed copies, non-compatible DCP’s and files on broken hard drives are refused.
Requirements for video files:
- File formats: Prores, DNxHD, h264
- File container: mov
- Resolution: FullHD 1920x1080px
- Framerate: 24 or 25fps;
- Field order: None/Progressive;
- Pixel Aspect Ratio: Square
- Sound: Stereo
- Sample rate: 48kHz
- Bitrate: 16 or 24bit
- Subtitles: Hardcoded (if needed). If hardcoded subtitles are present, they must be on the active picture area! That means on the picture area, not on the letter box area (if present).
Requirements for DCPs:
DCP’s have to be provided either as Interop or SMPTE with subtitle tracks of a clearly stated DCP format, aspect ratio, subtitle and soundtrack information marked on the casing and drive (or accompanying tech sheet). If physical copies are being sent, DCP’s have to be provided and shipped on industry standard and protected hard drives.
Files on broken, consumer grade hard drives, memory sticks, or download formats are not permitted and the festival has the right to demand new copies (as well as KDMs) free of charge for damaged and non-working DCP packages
Please note that:
- The Festival supports 2K and 4K content in all screens. However, not all screens have a 4K projector. The Festival cannot guarantee that a 4K film will be screened in a 4K resolution.
- All screens support both Flat and Scope content.
- The Festival requires all DCP’s to be in XYZ color space encoded in JPEG2000.
- Countdown / start leaders must not be included.
- Surround content should be submitted in 6 discrete channels in the DCP.
- Hard drives must be formatted in EXT2, EXT3.
The filmmaker or film representative has to provide appropriate KDM’s for the original language soundtrack and English subtitle tracks at least 72 hours prior to screenings. If the festival is provided with broken or wrongly assigned KDM’s, appropriate new KDM’s must be provided free of charge by the film submitter or representative to meet the minimum Festival requirements.
The festival reserves the right to demand screening copies of competition films free of charge including alternative keys to DCP copies or new DCP packages if quality standards are not being met. These include missing subtitles or wrong soundtracks. Thus, the festival has the right to refuse and withdraw the screening of a film in the competitions if the above-mentioned guidelines are not being followed.
All other formats must be confirmed by the festival technical team.
3.4 Delivery of materials
Costs related to the shipping of the physical screening copies to the festival are paid by the festival, unless otherwise agreed upon. Return shipping costs are the responsibility of the submitter, film representative or party appointed by them.
The copies should be sent to:
Black Nights Film Festival
Attn: PÖFF Shorts
Telliskivi 60a, 3rd floor
10412
Tallinn, Estonia
Phone: +372 56 208 308
All packages must be clearly marked with the title of the film, the sender’s / submitter‘s name, return address and telephone number.
The festival will return or forward the screening copies within 14 days from the end of the festival unless instructed otherwise by the submitter or film representative.
The festival covers all expenses connected to the storage and insurance of the screening copies during the duration of the festival.
3.5 Film delegations
The Festival may invite members of the crew of any film in any section providing either travel, accommodation and/or festival accreditation.
3.6 Awards and Juries
The awards and juries will be announced by the Festival Director no later than during the opening press conference of the Festival. No jury member can be involved in the production or promotion of any film in the competition.
shorts.poff.ee
