The Shanghai International Film Festival has recently announced its call for submission for its 2020 edition.
The century-old film culture and film industry has wrought a rich film and cultural foundation for the city of Shanghai. In 1993, the Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF) was born in the tide of reform and opening up. In 1994, it was recognised by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations as the first and only international non-specialised competitive film festival in China.
The recent best achievement for the UK film industry at this particular film festival was 2017, when Loving Vincent won the Best Animation Feature Film Award. But the UK’s engagement with SIFF can be traced back to as early as 1997, when Phil Agland’s The Woodlanders won both the BEST FEATURE FILM and the BEST DIRECTOR award.
As commented elsewhere (2019 & 2018), that the UK film industry has not necessarily utilised enough the opportunities that SIFF offers. UK-China Film Collab Project can therefore provide strategies support to UK film companies that are considering submitting their work to the 2020 edition.
Below is the original call from the Shanghai International Film Festival:
Submission Guidelines for the Golden Goblet Award (Feature Film)
Article 1
This Regulation is drawn to cover participation in competitions for Golden Goblet Awards of the Shanghai International Film Festival (hereinafter referred to as SIFF or The Festival)
Article 2
SIFF was ratified by the State Council of China, it is one of the FIAPF-accredited non-specialized competitive film festivals throughout the world.
Article 3
The Festival is held in June every year. The 23rd SIFF will be held from Saturday June 13 to Monday June 22, 2020.
Article 4
The Festival chooses and invites the films which will be presented in competitions.
The feature-length films that meet the following conditions are eligible for Fiction Competition of Golden Goblet Award:
- Film that has been completed in the country of origin after June 1, 2019.
- Film that has now been selected in an international section (competitive or not) of other FIAPF-accredited non-specialized competitive film festivals before SIFF; Film that has not been released commercially other than their country of origin.
- World premiere or International premiere is preferred.
- The minimum running time is 70 minutes.
- Formate: DCP
The feature-length documentary films that meet the following conditions are eligible for Documentary Competition of Golden Goblet Award:
- Film that has been completed in the country of origin after June 1, 2019
- Film that has not been in the main competition category of other FIAPF-accredited non-specialized competitive film festivals before SIFF;
- World premiere or International premiere is preferred
- The minimum running time is 70 minutes
- Format: DCP
The feature length animation films that meet the following conditions are eligible for Animation Competition for Golden Goblet Award:
- Film that has been completed in the country of origin after June 1, 2019
- Film that has not been in the main competition category of other FIAPF-accredited non-specialized competitive film festivals before SIFF;
- World premiere or International premiere is preferred.
- The minimum running time is 60 minutes
- Formate: DCP
Article 5
In order to be eligible for selection, a film must be submitted to the Festival no later than March 31, 2020. We require either media storage devices (DV, USB Disk, Hard Disk) or online screener for preview. Screeners may be sent to the following address by the above deadline:
Shanghai International Film Festival, 20th Floor, 211 Kang Ding Road, Shanghai 200041, China
In the meantime, online film submission at www.siff.com is necessarily requested.
Article 6
More documentation on each selected film including synopsis, film stills, biography & photo of director, cast and crew list for catalogue uses, as well as English subtitled/dialogue list, poster and film trailer (Detailed material list will be indicated in the film invitation separately), much reach the Festival before May 20, 2020.
DCP of the selected films much reach the Festival before May 31, 2020. It is obligatory for the submitter to follow the shipping instructions which accompany notification of film selection into the Festival
During the entire Festival, none of the selected films may be shown outside the Festival’s official theaters before its official presentation.
Article 7
The submitter shall send back the Receipt of invitation within five working days after receiving the invitation from the Festival. No film selected may be withdrawn for any reason from the Festival once its participation has been officially confirmed by the submitted in writing. If the submitter requests to withdraw the film, the Festival shall have the right of final decision. if any loss is caused to the Festival due to the submitter’s request to withdraw the film, the submitter shall compensate for all economic losses and reputation loss caused thereby, including not limited to the economic compensation, issuing an apology letter to the Festival and making a public apology via social media platform.
Article 8
Films in languages other than English must be subtitled in English. The subtitling expenses are the responsibility of the submitters. The submitters must provide the Festival with complete English subtitled lists which accord with those on the DCP. For versions not corresponding exactly to this definition, the Festival will decide unilaterally whether the films in question are acceptable. All films will be electronically subtitled in Chinese during the Festival. Translation of subtitles from English to Chinese and the screening o the subtitles will be complimentarily operated by the Festival.
Article 9
The festival designates the members of the Jury as well as President for Golden Goblet Award competition programs. Decision on each award will be officially announced at the Closing & Wards Ceremony. No person having taken part in the production or exploitation of a film in competition may be on the Jury. All jury members are sworn to secrecy. The Juries are obliged to present:
Fiction Competition, an award for
BEST FEATURE FILM
BEST DIRECTOR
BEST ACTRESS
BEST ACTOR
BEST SCREENPLAY
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
OUTSTANDING ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENT
Documentary Competition, an award for
BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
Article 10
The submitter of the selected films are required to deliver films complying with the specification for DCP used by the Festival
Article 11
All expenses for the transport of screener to the Festival, including custom fees and insurance, are the entire responsibility of the submitter.
The Festival covers outbound shipping and insurance fee, and pays for the insurance and storage during the period from the receipt of the DCPs to the return of the DCPs to the Forwarding Agent.
In case of damage to or lass of the DCPs during the period from the receipt of the DCPs to the delivery of DCPs by the Forwarding Agent, the Festival is only responsible for the costs involved in making a new DCP according to the current laboratory rates for ordering a standard DCP.
Article 12
All the film DCPs must be addressed as follows:
Shanghai Logistics Consultant Co. Ltd
c/o Shanghai International Film Festival
449 Bao Tong Road
Shanghai 200071, China
Tel: +86-21-55053379
Email: print@siff.com
The Festival must be notified of film titles, film format, date and wary of delivery as well as the air waybill when films are sent.
DCPs will be returned to the address indicated by the submitter within two weeks of the Festival.
Article 13
The director and main casts of the selected films will be invited to attend the Festival (Detailed offerings will be indicated in the invitation separately).
Article 14
The Festival maintains the right to decide all cases not provided in these Regulations, taking into account the the clauses of the FIAPF International Regulations.
Article 15
Participation in the Festival implies adherence to the regulations as here set out. It is the responsibility of producers, distributors, or other organisations submitting a film to ensure that they are legitimately entitled to enter a film in the Festival.
Article 16
SIFF Organisation Committee reserves the right of final explanation of all above articles.
For more information, please visit the festival’s official website:
www.siff.com
Shanghai International Film Festival is Industry Partner of the UK-China Film Collaboration Project.
