The submissions process has re-opened for the 33d Istanbul Film Festival. Regarding this process, we tried to answer frequently asked questions. For any further inquiries, please send us an e-mail!

When does the 33d Istanbul Film Festival take place?

The 33d edition will take place 5-20 April 2014.

What is the submission deadline?

31 December 2013. For submissions sent through courier, this is the date by which your film MUST be received in our office!

Is a fee required to enter my work?

No submission fee is required to enter any films.

Are short films eligible?

No, except for documentaries. Films under 60 minutes of duration are considered short.

Where to send the previews?

The preview copies have to be sent to the below address with completed entry forms and relevant documentation on the submitted film:

Istanbul Film Festival

IKSV

Sadi Konuralp C. 5 Sishane
34433 Istanbul TURKEY
Tel: +90 212 334 07 20

The packages must be sent pre-paid, and any submissions sent on-collect will not be considered. The DVDs will not be returned. Please clearly indicate an e-mail for notification.

In what format do the preview copies have to be?

We accept DVDs and online links.

For DVDs, although we prefer to have them in PAL format, we accept NTSC also: Please indicate clearly on your disc the format used.

For online preview links, please be sure that they don't have time or IP restrictions as the selection process might until late February and there are more than one programmers.

All preview screeners should be full-length and subtitled in English if the spoken language is any other than English. Excerpts will not be considered.

What screening formats do you accept?

Works selected for screening at the festival must be available on 35mm, DCP, Beta SP PAL, or DigiBeta PAL. We do not accept Beta NTSC tapes.

How many films can I submit?

As many as you like; though each submitted film must have its own completed entry form and supplementary materials.

Can I submit my film if previously screened at other festivals?

Yes, except if they have already been publicly released in Turkey. We prioritize Turkish premieres, i.e. if they have been previously screened at another festival in Turkey, we prefer NOT to screen the said film.

When will I hear if my work is accepted?

We notify entrants by e-mail if their submission is accepted to the festival programme. We aim to finalise the programme by the end of February, but it may take until late-March for the correspondence to reach you because of our volume of work. The discs sent for submission are not returned.

How many films do you accept in the festival?

We estimate that the next festival line-up will include about 200 films.

What are the Festival sections?

- International Competition, reserved for feature-length fiction or documentary films or animations. Only films with themes on "arts" or "the artist", and literary adaptations are eligible for inclusion in this section. The films in this section compete for the grand prize of the Festival, the "Golden Tulip".

- Human Rights in Cinema (competitive) section that comprises both documentaries and features investigating the politics behind social and individual life changes. The films in this section compete for FACE - the Film Award of the Council of Europe, which comprises a sculpture and EUR 10,000 cash prize.

- Turkish Cinema, the National Competition for recent films from Turkey.

- The Mined Zone (non-competitive), reserved for feature-length fiction films, which are innovative in style or content, or are works that are "intricate" and outside the mainstream, unconventional.

- New Visions (non-competitive), featuring first or second feature-length works by new directors who received critical acclaim.

- From the World of Festivals, including films shown in other leading festivals, many of which are award-winning.

- Documentary Time

- Midnight Madness (non-competitive), featuring films in the horror, thriller, gore, or erotic genres.

- Retrospective or tribute sections.

The sections of the festival are of course subject to change and new sections can be added to the program as our festival keeps evolving every year.

Which section is my film going to be screened in?

If your film is selected to be included in the Festival program, we will determine which section best suits your work.

What are the international competition regulations?

Feature or animated films (on art and artists, or literary adaptations) with a minimum length of 1,600 m (duration of 60 minutes) produced in 2013 can be selected for the competition.

Films will not be considered if they are already released or shown at a public screening in Turkey, excluding the Turkish entries. (Any screening -film, video, or on-line- which is open to the public is considered a public screening).

What are the awards given?

At the international competition:

"Golden Tulip Award", as the Grand Prize of the Festival (and EUR 10,000)

"Special Jury Prize" (EUR 5,000)

"FIPRESCI Award"

"People's Choice Award" determined by audience votes

Also the Council of Europe Film Award (FACE) is given to a film that raises awareness or interest in human rights issues. (EURO 10,000)

The results are announced at the closing ceremony of the festival. Only films included in the international and national competition sections are eligible for the audience vote.

For further inquiries please contact us at film.fest@iksv.org, fax: +90-212-334-0702.