Dates

BIFED will take place between 9-13 October 2024 in Bozcaada. The Festival’s competition is open to films inspired by environmental issues and produced after January 1st, 2020. The deadline for all submissions is April 15th, 2024.

Festival’s Mission

BIFED aims to bring distinguished films on ecology (nature, human society, culture) from all around the world to Bozcaada, to unite the fields of arts and ecology and to award the most outstanding documentaries among the finalists. Copies (flash discs, DVDs, cards, etc.) for the pre-selection process will not be returned, and they will be kept in the archive of BIFED. If requested, the copies will be returned at the film owner’s expenses.

Festival Sections/Awards

International Competition for Documentaries

International Student Competition for Documentaries (Gaia Student Award)

Panorama/Screening (non-competitive section with thematic focuses)

Material Requested

Submission form completed and undersigned by the copyright owner. The submission form is available online.

A copy of the submission form will automatically be sent to the Festival’s e-mail address. The submission of the submission form assumes the acceptance of all the rules hereby described.

The films may be sent in the following ways:

Video links. Entrants may present password protected video-links by providing the link and password information in the submission form.

Entrants may ship the DVD or Flash disc by post/courier: (DVD PAL -zone 0/2- in English or Turkish version).

Please write the title of the film and the name of the film director on the DVD or Flash disc screener media. All documents requested must reach the Festival office until March 3rd, 2024 at the following address:

Istanbul Bilgi Üniversitesi c/o BIFED santralistanbul Kampüsü Eski Silahtarağa Elektrik Santralı Kazım Karabekir Cad. No: 2/13 34060 Eyüp İstanbul Tel: +90 212 311 7571

For materials shipped from outside Turkey, please enclose customs declaration: “Without commercial value, for cultural purposes only.” Any shipments made incorrectly will be refused. Customs charges will not be covered by the Festival committee.

Submitted materials will not be returned; all the DVD’s or other media received will be kept in the Festival’s archive.

Films admitted to the Festival

The applicant documentaries for the competition will be evaluated by an international selection committee and jury consisting of the international artists and professionals in the field of film, arts, ecology and environment and will be accepted for BIFED 2024 for its final judgement.

The authors accepted for the competition will be informed until August 30th, 2024.

The decisions of the selection committee & the jury are absolute.

BIFED has the right for a second public non-commercial screening of the productions after the festival to promote its primary aims specified above.

Technical Requirements for the Screening Format

Video specs: H264 codec 15000-20000 kbps bitrate Progressive

AAC or Dolby with preferably 320Kbps bitrate or LPCM

Audio Subtitles: The films have to include English subtitles, either as an option (preferably) or embedded. Hearing impaired is not required. Additionally, the time-coded dialog-list in English has to be submitted (.srt, .pdf…).

Costs

Registration is free of charge. The shipping costs of all materials sent are to be covered by the entrants.

Translations

All films in foreign languages will be subtitled. Turkish films are required to be subtitled in English. All Festival documents will be published in both English and Turkish.

Juries and prizes

Official prizes will be assigned by a qualified international jury, composed of at least five members, appointed by the Festival’s Direction. Awards or mentions may be announced during the Festival.

Agreement

The official Submission Form to the Festival constitutes unconditional agreement to all the regulations herein. BIFED reserves the right to make decisions on matters not specified within the regulations. BIFED – Bozcaada International Festival of Ecological Documentary Bozcaada Belediyesi Bozcaada – Çanakkale Turkey info@bifed.org