ZSIGMONDVILMOS FILMFESTIVAL
Call for application
Venue: Belvárosi Cinema, Vilmos Zsigmond auditorium, Szeged, Hungary
Date: 10-13May 2017
Vilmos Zsigmond, the world-famous, Academy Award-winning cinematographer, was born in Szeged and was also named honorary citizen of the town. The largest auditorium with 540 seats in Belvárosi Cinema, which is one of the biggest, oldest and most beautiful cinemas in Hungary, was named after him in 2005, and he was very proud of it. He visited the cinema many times and brought international TV companies along to the place where he first met the wonderful world of movies.
Festival goals:
The Zsigmond Vilmos Film Festival primarily aims at drawing attention to the work of cinematographers, one of the most important co-creators of a film, together with giving an opportunity to young artists to show their art. Hungarian cinematography has become world-famous in the past 50 years, and the members of the new generations, who both follow and renew the traditions, are no exception.
The festival also wishes to focus onVilmosZsigmond’s life and art andto show today’s cinematographers what he achieved. So every year we will also show a retrospective of his work, a selection of his films based on different criteria, as well as documentaries and interviews with and about him.
There will be further events accompanying the main programme, including workshops for professionals, open lecturesgiven by members of HSC and ASC, Q&A’s with artists and film critics, discussions about education in film and cinematography, exhibitions and concerts.
Applicants:
The open call focuses on university students or creative communities with members majoring in film studies, directing or cinematography from Central Europe, also including recent graduates (within 5-10 years). We wish to create a platform for young artists to meet and share their experience on what education is available and how filmmaking is supported in their respective countries. The call will be published in the countries of the wider Central European region (the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria) at every educational institution which offers studies in cinematography and film. New films, completed after 1 January 2014, and with unique vision and creative cinematography, which also characterised VilmosZsigmond’s work, can be submitted to the festival. There are norestrictions on theme, technical specifications, genre or length. One filmmaker can submit more than one film. The films will be grouped into different sections according to genre. There is no entry fee.
The call is open to feature films, short films, experimental films, documentaries and animation. The film format can be full HD, DCP, Blu-ray, DVD or H264, and the film has to be subtitled in English. We will not return the films we have received, they will be part of the festival archive.
We do not pay rental fee for the screening of the films.
The application deadline is 1 March 2017. Applications can be submitted on Belvárosi Cinema’s website email address .
The film has to be received by the festival by 1 April 2017 the latest. Depending on the number of submissions, the films may be pre-selected by a jury of five.
The competition programme of the festival will be announced on 20 April.
We will provide accommodation and meals for filmmakers (1-2 people per film) whose films are selected to participate in the competition programme.
The festival date is 10-13 May 2017.
Evaluation:
After pre-selection, an international jury will choose the best films from the competition programme.
Members of the jury:
Mari Miklós: Béla Balázs Award-winning film editor, associate professor, editor of The Long Shadow by Vilmos Zsigmond
Pierre Filmon: French film director, director of Close Encounters with Vilmos Zsigmond
Dr Gábor Szabó (HSC): Béla Balázs Award-winning cinematographer, university teacher, director of photography of The Long Shadow by Vilmos Zsigmond
James Chressanthis (ASC): American cinematographer, director, writer, producer, member of the American Society of Cinematographers
Dr Miklós Sághy: associate professor, film critic
The honorary patron of the festival is Susan Zsigmond.
Festival awards:
Vilmos Zsigmond Award for Best Cinematography
Best Film (in different categories, depending on the number of entries)
Szeged City Award
Audience Award
The jury reserves the right not to presentevery award.
Total budget for the awards: 3 million HUF (approx. 9500 EUR)
Festival partners:
Association of Hungarian Film Artists
Hungarian Art Cinema Association
Local government of Szeged
Hungarian Hollywood Council
Supporters:
Local government of Szeged
Ministry of Human Capacities
National Cultural Fund
Europa Cinemas
Founder and organizer
Belvárosi Cinema (Szegedi Rendezvény- és Médiaközpont Nonprofit Kft.)
Application rules and regulations
1. General information
Feature films, short films, documentaries, experimental films and animation films completed after 1 January 2014 can be submitted. There is no restriction on the length and number of films, one filmmaker or filmmaking community can submit more than one film. Each film has to be registered on a separate application form. We will provide accommodation and meals for filmmakers (1-2 people per film) whose films are selected to participate in the competition programme.
2. Deadlines
Application deadline: 1 March 2017
Shipping deadline (by which the film must be received by the festival): 1 April 2017
The competition programme will be published on: 20 April 2017
Date of the festival: 10-13 May 2017
3. Application process
There is no submission fee.
The online application form is available on Belvárosi Cinema’s website
email address:
facebook.com/zsigmondvilmosfeszt
Postal address:
Belvárosi Cinema
6720 Szeged
Vaszy Viktor tér 3.
Hungary
4. Information for film submission
The festival pays no rental or screening fee.
We ask applicants to submit their films in full HD, DCP, Blu-ray, DVD or H264 format, together with English subtitles. The films submitted will not be returned, they will be part of the festival archive.
Films with the compulsory English subtitles have to arrive till 1 April 2017 the latest and have to be available till the festival finishes. Postage has to paid by the applicant.
The festival reserves the right to publish a maximum 2-minute long part of the submitted films on its website for promotional and educational (non-commercial) purposes. The films selected for the competition programme will be screened at other Central European venues of the festival (3-5 venues).