1- GENERAL TERMS
1.1- Organizer and dates
The 22nd Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival (BAFICI), organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires, will be held from March 17th to March 28th 2021.
1.2- Eligibility
Submissions are open to Argentine and foreign feature films and short films. Films accepted can be fiction, documentary and experimental.
The Festival gives priority to local, international and world premieres of foreign films and world premieres of Argentine films. Priority will also be given to regional premieres (American, Latin American, South American).
Argentine films that have already been premiered or previewed in Argentina will not be given any consideration. Possible exceptions to this rule are subject to the discretion of programmers.
1.3- Sections
The program of the Festival will include competition and non-competition sections. The selection committee will decide the section in which films will participate.
1.4- Entry
Entry of films to the Festival is free. Registration opens on Dec 18th, 2020 and closes on January 15th, 2021 for foreign films and on January 18th, 2021 for Argentine films.
The producer who holds the rights of a film shall communicate to the Festival, before the corresponding deadline, their wish to participate by sending the duly completed entry form. Once signed, the entry form will be legally considered as a sworn statement and as a testimony of the producer's knowledge and acceptance of the present Rules.
1.5- Participation
Participation in the Festival entails the acceptance of the present Rules.
Once submitted and selected, a film cannot be removed from the Festival lineup or be exhibited at any other event in Argentina before its official screening at BAFICI.
All people related to the selected films agree not to make public their participation until the lineup is announced by the Festival at a press conference. If this condition is not met, the Organizers may consider removing the film from the Festival.
2- COMPETITIONS
2.1- Official Competitions
The Festival's selection committee is responsible for programming the different competition sections. The program includes two Official Competition Sections aimed at promoting new filmmakers:
‐ International Official Competition, for national and international short films and feature films that have not previously premiered in Argentina, provided that they are the directors' first, second or third work. Shared credits in the director category will not count as part of the directors’ individual career but as part of a separate career together.
‐ Argentine Official Competition, for Argentine short films and feature films that have not been previously premiered or previewed in Argentina, favouring world or international premieres and films with less exposure at major festivals.
2.2- Unofficial Competitions
The Festival’s selection committee reserves the right to create other parallel competition sections.
2.3- Jury
The Festival's selection committee shall appoint the members of the Jury according to the following:
‐ International Official Competition: the Jury will comprise a minimum of five members, with no less than two thirds being foreign personalities.
‐ Argentine Official Competition: the Jury will comprise a minimum of five members, with no less than two thirds being foreign personalities.
Any person who has an interest in the production and/or exploitation of any film screened in competition cannot be a member of the Jury.
The Jury's votes shall be secret, and the final decisions shall be made by simple majority.
A representative of the Festival will attend the Jury's deliberations, with no right to vote.
The members of the Jury vow to refrain from expressing publicly their opinions on any of the films subject to consideration prior to the official award announcement.
2.4- Awards
The International Official Competition Jury will grant the following awards:
‐ Best Direction
‐ Best Acting
- Special Jury Prize
‐ Best Film
The Jury may propose up to three special mentions. No film may receive more than two awards.
The Argentine Official Competition Jury will grant the following awards:
‐ Best Film
‐ Best Direction
The Jury may propose up to three special mentions. No film may receive more than two awards.
2.5- Mention of Participation
The producers and distributors of films participating in the Competitions shall include the phrase “Selección Oficial Internacional”/“International Official Selection”, “Selección Oficial Argentina”/“Argentine Official Selection” in all their film advertising and press material, using the logo of the Festival. This commitment applies to both theatre releases and Blu-ray, DVD and VOD releases.
The producers and distributors of award-winning films shall mention such award(s) in all their film advertising and press material, using the logo of the Festival. This commitment applies to both theatre releases and Blu-ray, DVD and VOD releases.
The logo will be available on the Festival’s website.
3- SUBMISSION INFORMATION AND MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR THE SELECTION PROCESS
3.1- Required Materials
The producer who holds the rights of the film shall submit digitally the following to the Festival:
‐ The entry form, duly completed and signed, which is available on the Festival’s website.
‐ A copy of the film or a link to it, in English or Spanish or else subtitled in one of those languages.
In case of uploading the film for online viewing, we recommend using www.vimeo.com, with a password. In the additional comments box please include the title of the film, director’s name, runtime, subtitles (if any) and a contact email address.
In case of sharing a download link, this must not expire (such as WeTransfer links that are only valid for a limited amount of time) and the file size must not exceed 3 Gigabytes.
Please indicate if the work is a final cut, a rough cut, or a work in progress.
3.2- Submission deadlines
Foreign films: To be eligible, films must be submitted online before January 15th, 2021.
Argentine films: To be eligible, films must be entered online before January 18th, 2021. The selection committee will not consider films submitted after the deadline.
4- SELECTED FILMS
4.1- Catalogue
With the purpose of issuing an accurate catalogue, the Festival requires, for each selected film, a duly completed entry form and the following materials: film synopsis, director's biography and filmography, one film still, a photo of the director and the full artistic and technical credits. The required materials shall be submitted as soon as possible upon acceptance of the invitation to participate in the Festival and before the deadline, which will be duly notified.
Editorial decisions are entirely at the discretion of the Festival.
4.2- Press materials
If available, posters, postcards and other press materials will be requested by the Festival press office for promotional use.
4.3- Excerpts for Promotional Purposes
The Festival may use excerpts from national or foreign films – with a maximum length of 3 minutes – for promotional purposes (excerpts from short films used promotionally will not exceed 10% of their total running time).
Should a producer fail to submit the required film excerpts, the Festival may copy one or more fragments from the movie for promotional use during the Festival.
For promotion of the Festival lineup and each of the selected films, the Festival may upload digital photos and clips of films (of a maximum of 3 minutes) onto the Festival's website and social media of the Ministry of Culture.
4.4- Screening Schedule
The film programming and the screening days and times are decided by the Festival Organizers.
4.5- Screening Format
The representatives of the selected films undertake to send a DCP and a DM of the movie for its exhibition during the Festival. The festival will provide an online platform for this purpose.
The submission of works in other film or video formats requires the authorization of the Festival.
Once the screening format has been informed to the Festival Organizers, it may not be changed.
4.7- Language and Subtitles
Selected films will be screened in their original version.
Foreign Films:
A Spanish-subtitled screening copy is preferred if available. If this should not be the case, a copy with English subtitles will be required (unless the latter is in fact the language of the film).
In addition, a list of the script lines in the original language and in English shall be made available (with time codes), as well as a DVD or digital file of the final cut, the exact same version to be screened, for electronic subtitling.
Argentine Films:
An English-subtitled screening copy is peferred if available. If no English-subtitled copy should be available, the Festival may request a list of the script lines in English (with time codes), as well as a DVD or digital file for electronic subtitling.
In the case of Argentine films in competition, all copies shall be subtitled, except for films that have more than one language and always with express authorization from the Festival Organizers.
5- Shipment and Return of Screening Copies
5.1‐ Shipment Instructions
Details about shipment of film and video copies for screening will be duly explained by the area of Print Traffic once a film has been invited to the Festival. The producer shall not submit the copy until having received such instructions.
5.2‐ Copy Availability
Unless otherwise authorized by the Festival, the print/video shall remain available throughout the entire duration of the Festival. The print/video shall arrive in Buenos Aires before Febrary 10th, 2020.
6- SANITARY SITUATION
Taking into account the sanitary situation of Coronavirus (COVID-19), all the instances mentioned in this regulation are subject to the possibility of their realization in relation to the protocols that could be approved or modified during the remaining months of the year in course 2020 and the year 2021. The Ministry of Culture of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires will be exempt from responsibility in case of modification or cancellation of the event due to the context. The PARTICIPANTS waive any claim of "moral rights" and other rights of any kind or nature in relation to the modification or cancellation of the EVENT.
7- ABOUT THESE RULES
Participation in the Festival entails the acceptance of the present Rules. In the event of any conflict (concerning the organization or operation) not covered in these regulations, it will be resolved by the Festival Organizers. In case of controversy in the interpretation or implementation of these Rules, the participants and the Organization agree to be subjected to the jurisdiction of the Administrative Litigation and Tax Court of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. The parties hereby expressly renounce to any other venue or jurisdiction that may be applicable for any reason. For these purposes, the parties establish that their legal valid residence is the one indicated in the registration form. Any notifications shall be served upon such residence. Furthermore, any legal notification that may be served upon the Gobierno de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires shall be sent to the following address: Uruguay 458, Departamento Oficios Judiciales y Cédulas, in accordance with Art. 20 of Law no. 1218 and Art. 1 of the Resolution no. 77-PG-06.