1. general
1.1 Organiser
The association Aktion - Leben und Lernen in Bosnien e.V. is the founder and organiser of the 4th International Film Festival BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA LOOKS AROUND. The festival is an annual event in Bottrop (Germany). In 2021, as in the previous year, it will be shown online via the vimeo platform due to the ongoing pandemic.
1.2 Goals
BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA LOOKS AROUND is a theme-centred film festival. The past, present and future of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the former Yugoslavian countries form the thematic bracket of all films. Due to this thematic limitation, most of the participating filmmakers are originally from this part of Europe. However, our competitions are generally open to films produced worldwide with reference to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo.
1.3 Dates
The 4th International Film Festival BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA LOOKS AROUND 2021 will take place as an online/hybrid festival from 13 to 21 November 2021 in Bottrop.
1.4. jury
The international jury for the competition programmes is made up of prominent filmmakers, actors, producers, film festival selectors and renowned representatives of the cultural sector.
The jury for the student short film competition is made up of students and members of the Bottrop municipal youth parliament YOU.PA (from 18 years of age).
2. programmes
The festival's team of selectors chooses films to be presented in the online festival programme during the above-mentioned period - or also in special screenings - e.g. as guest films outside the competitions in the supporting programme, where the screening of longer films is also possible.
Submission is open to short films and student short films produced within 24 months prior to the start date of the festival for the following programmes:
- Short Film Competition
- Student Short Film Competition
Submission is open to all films for special screenings / guest films. These films willl not participate in any competition.
2.1 Main Competition International Short Films
The Short Film Competition of the 4th International Film Festival BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA LOOKS AROUND 2021 is a showcase for the presentation and promotion of films from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo, but also for global films that have a direct relation to the theme of our festival.
Unless otherwise stated, only films that meet the following conditions can be considered:
- Feature films, documentaries and animated films
- The films must not exceed a length of 30 minutes including credits
- Films must have been produced within 24 months prior to the festival
- Priority will be given to films that celebrate their world, international, European or German premiere with their first screening in the competition programme of the 4th BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA LOOKS AROUND International Film Festival 2021. The same applies to films that have not previously been presented on television or on the internet/VOD.
The members of the Festival Jury award the following prizes:
- Best Film (Main Prize) (400 €)
- Best Director (300 €)
- Special Mention (100 €)
2.2 International Student Short Film Competition
The Student Short Film Competition of the 4th International BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA LOOKS AROUND 2021 is a showcase for the presentation and promotion of student works from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo, as well as global student films directly related to the theme of our festival.
Unless otherwise stated, only student work that meets the following conditions can be considered:
- Feature films, documentaries and animated films
- The films were produced as part of a course of study at a film school, faculty or art academy
- Films must not exceed a length of 30 minutes including credits
- Films must have been produced within 24 months prior to the festival
- Priority will be given to films that will celebrate their world, international, European or German premiere with their screening in the competition programme of the 4th BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA LOOKS AROUND International Film Festival 2021. The same applies to films that have not previously been presented on television or on the internet/VOD
The members of the jury award the following prizes:
- Best Student Short Film(200 €)
- Special mention (100 €)
2.3. guest films (outside the competition)
The screening of longer films is also possible within the framework of special screenings. Thematically meaningful works are welcome.
3. submission guidelines and materials
3.1 Screening and additional materials
All submissions must include the following:
- a preview copy of the film
- In the FilmFreeway project description, available press releases and promotional information are requested, such as: Synopsis of the film (in English and, if possible, in German), biography and filmography of the director(s) and the complete cast and credits list. If an element is not available at the time of submission, it will be requested immediately after selection.
3.2 Deadlines for submission
All entries for the competition programmes must be received by the Festival for selection between 1 June and 15 September 2021 at the latest. The Festival is not obliged to view entries received after these dates. The Festival is not obliged to provide comments or reasons for non-selection of submitted films.
3.3 Preview copy
All programme contributions must be submitted via https://filmfreeway.com/.
All films must be presented in their original language and if that language is not English, the preview copy must be subtitled in English (unless otherwise stated).
3.4 Announcements
All films presented at the festival will be selected by the festival selectors and invited via the programme department. If the programme team decides not to include a submitted film in the selection, the filmmakers will be notified as soon as possible, but no later than 22 October 2021.
The festival programme will be announced in November 2021, at the latest one week before the festival. Pre-announcements of selected films are at the discretion of the festival.
4. selected films
4.1 Obligations of the participants in the competition
Once the film has been selected and the invitation to participate in the festival has been accepted, the film cannot be removed from the festival programme.
The invitation for each film selected by the Festival must remain strictly confidential between the Festival management and the participant until the Festival decides to make an official announcement to this effect.
Participation in the Festival requires unconditional compliance with the rules set out herein.
4.2 Materials for the design of the festival media
For the creation of digital and/or print media to represent the festival, information and materials - according to the project description required by FilmFreeway for submission - must be provided for each selected film. These should be sent/submitted as soon as possible after acceptance of the invitation. The festival may use all materials mentioned therein for promotional purposes. The editorial and graphic design is the responsibility of the festival.
4.3 Programme
The general planning and scheduling of online screenings is entirely at the discretion of the festival management.
4.4 Subtitling
The selected films and will be shown in the original version. In principle, a file with subtitles in English (e.g. srt. or vtt.) must be provided for each film. If available, please also send German subtitles.
4.5 Formats
Festival screening format is MP4. Other formats are only possible upon explicit request. For the online screenings, files with the following minimum specifications must be provided:
Video resolution: 1920x1080 pixel
Video codec: Apple ProRes 422 or H.264 in ".mp4" container
Subtitles: Separate subtitles in English and, if possible, German (e.g. in srt. or vtt. format).
No watermarks or embedded logos and similar elements
5. final clause
Participation in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Looks Around Film Festival implies acceptance of all the above specifications and pre-selection conditions.
We look forward to your film submission from 1 June!
