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Call for Entries: The Human Rights Film Festival of Santa Coloma, Barcelona, Deadline October 30!

OVERVIEW

The purpose of the festival is to promote a forum of reflection and debate that brings to the foreground the issue of Human Rights through the artistic representation in independent film and video productions. The festival grants ample space to political cinema, the promotion of individual rights and democratic freedoms, as well as tolerance and respect for minorities. It pays a lot of attention to the right to work, to the conditions of a life in dignity and to all the efforts being laid down to reconstruct solidarity.

It seeks to pay special attention to the rights of various social disadvantaged and discriminated social groups: women, children and indigenous people, in order to consider the need to ensure the full exercise of their fundamental rights.

Since the festival takes place in a society that is characterized by the presence of many immigrant communities, events, film screenings and discussions should be directed towards the construction of a multicultural society based on solidarity, equality and the full respect for human rights in their entirety.

The films chosen should reflect the festival’s philosophy, describe and witness not only the violations of rights and situations of crisis but also the entire individual or collective search, expressive or aesthetic, that inquires into the situation of man today in relation to his / her social and natural environment. The festival calls for independent filmmakers who are sensitive to these concerns, to participate with their work and use the festival as an area of dissemination.

During the festival there will be debates, panel discussion, special screenings and encounters between the audience and filmmakers, with the participation of human rights experts, public figures and popular organizations.

We are also interested in questions related to peoples right to self-determination, to cultural identity, to development and a healthy environment. In particular, since this is a festival that takes place in the middle of a society that is characterized by the presence of countless immigrant communities, the events, film screenings and debates should be oriented towards the construction of a multicultural society based on existing human rights.

The films chosen should reflect the theme of the festival, describe and testify not only the violations of rights, but also the entire individual or collective expressive and aesthetic search that inquires into the condition of man today in relation to his / her social and natural environment. Film and video makers, who are sensitive to these concerns, are called upon to participate with their work and use the festival as a place of dissemination.

DEADLINE

Deadline for submission of a film copy and entry form: 30th of October 2010.

There is no registration fee. Deliveries made by mail - all the copies and other material requested - should be sent (prepaid by sender) to the following address:

Casa Amèrica Catalunya
attn. Yolanda Viñals Verdes
C/Còrsega, 299, entresol
08008 Barcelona

Deliveries should be marked: “SÓLO PARA FINES CULTURALES; SIN VALOR COMERCIAL”.

The regular postal service is recommended in those countries, like in Spain, where it is considered to be reliable. In cases where it is necessary to use courier or private postal services the festival will not accept any responsibility for the additional cost.

SELECTION

The festival awards three prizes: Human Rights Award, Commemoration and Universal Justice Award, Equality and Interculturality Award.

All films that are submitted for the short listing will be considered by a Selection Committee made up of specialists in audiovisual media and the theme of the festival, according to the value they demonstrate in aesthetic and expressive terms as well as content. The Selection Committee reserves the right to choose the films for the festival program and to place them in the category, competitive or not, it considers appropriate.

Films or videos cannot enter that have been sponsored by commercial enterprises and whose content serve as publicity for the said enterprises.

The producers of the films chosen will be notified before 15 November 2010. The complete list of films short listed will be announced on the festival’s official website no later than 30 November 2010.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Films can enter that have originally been shot in film or professional video format (having to send HDCAM). The person responsible for the films entered commits to sending the following material to the festival before 30 October 2010:

- A completed and signed registration form.
- A copy of the film in DVD PAL, spoken or subtitled in Spanish or Catalan; the DVD must be correctly labelled with the title of the film, the name of the director, length, format, subtitles (if any); please indicate if it is a final or rough cut, or a work in progress.
- Synopsis in Spanish
- Three photos of the film in high resolution (300dpi)

If there does not exist a copy with subtitles in Spanish or Catalan or if it should not be available, a DVD copy without subtitles but with a list of dialogues in one of these languages (time-coded) will be accepted.