TopEntry Regulations
26th Annual Chicago International Children's Film Festival
Entry Regulations
26th Annual Chicago International Children's Film Festival
October 22 - November 1, 2009
1.) Organization. The Chicago International Children's Film Festival is an annual, competitive film festival presented by Facets Multi-Media, Inc., a non-profit media arts organization dedicated to programming and distributing international film, video, and theatre. The Chicago International Children's Film Festival, now in its 26th year, is the largest festival of films for children in North America and the only children’s film event recognized as an Academy®-qualifying festival. In 2008, the CICFF presented over 250 films and videos from 44 countries.
2.) Mission. It is the mission of the Chicago International Children's Film Festival to set an internationally recognized standard of excellence in film, video, and television production for children. It is further our mission to support the work of talented and dedicated filmmakers by awarding prizes, by showcasing international films of the highest quality, and by providing a professional forum through which quality children's films and videos may gain increased distribution and access to wider audiences. The Festival is also committed to engaging young viewers with positive media images and to using media as a tool to stimulate critical thinking.
3.) Notification of Festival Status. The Festival will inform all entrants no later than end of August 2009, whether their submissions have been accepted. At that time, the primary contact person for each accepted film or video will receive the 2009 Shipment Information Worksheet to be completed and returned. The preview cassettes and support materials of all entries, accepted or rejected, cannot be returned.
4.) Entry. Submit an entry by sending the following materials to the Festival, to arrive by May 1 or May 31, 2009:
- Signed and completed 2009 Entry Form (one entry form per film, video, or episode)
- A full-length preview VHS (NTSC or PAL) or DVD (formatted for multi-zone or Zone 1 (North America)) of the entry, clearly labeled with title of production. Each tape must contain only one production; putting multiple entries on a single cassette or DVD will cause delays and may result in your film being rejected.
- Entry fee in USD. U.S.-affiliated bank checks and international money orders should be made out to Facets Multi-Media and the title of the film/video(s) should be written on the check. To charge an entry fee to Visa, Master Card, American Express, or Discover, please include the card number, expiration date, and signature. See Entry Form for details.
- Production information, including cast and credits.
- Director’s filmography, including years of production.
- Brief biographies of producers, director, and principle actors.
- Two high-quality images from the production. For marketing purposes, images MUST be at least 300 dpi. These may be e-mailed to as .jpgs or .tifs or sent by regular mail.
- Director photo. This may be e-mailed to as .jpgs or .tifs or sent by regular mail.
- Posters, press book, or other promotional materials if available.
- A statement of filmmaking philosophy from the director for inclusion in the program book. This statement should address the reasons for which the filmmaker has chosen to make films for children, the impact the director feels film has on children’s lives, and why he or she chose to address the topics presented in the film.
For early entries received by May 1, 2009, the standard entry fees apply:
- Short film or video (under 60 minutes): $40.00 USD
- Feature-length film or video (60 minutes or longer): $80.00 USD
For late entries received after May 1 but before May 31, 2009, the late entry fees apply:
- Short film or video (under 60 minutes): $60.00 USD
- Feature-length film or video (60 minutes or longer): $100.00 USD
Methods of payment include: US-affiliated bank check, credit card (MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express), or international money order. All checks should be made out to Facets Multi-Media and should include the title of the production(s) being entered. If paying by credit card, please note that the entry fee will appear as a "FMI-Facets Multi-Media, Inc." charge on your credit card bill. Please note that the entry fee is non-refundable.
6.) Eligible Films and Videos.
- The Festival accepts both live-action and animated submissions, on film and on video.
- Productions must have a copyright date of 2007, 2008, or 2009 to be eligible.
- All entries submitted must be suitable for children ages 14 and under. (Films deemed more appropriate for young people ages 14 and over may be eligible for entry in the MediaBridge Festival, a separate youth festival organized by CICFF.)
- Premieres are given priority.
- All films and videos whose original language is not English must be subtitled or dubbed in English. Dialogue lists or scripts are not acceptable as a substitution for this rule.
- Under no circumstances will screening fees be paid by CICFF for print usage.
FEATURES AND SHORTS: Productions of 60 minutes or longer are considered features. Productions of less than 60 minutes are considered shorts.
FILMS AND VIDEOS: A production is a FILM if it is finished in 16mm or 35mm. A production is a VIDEO if it is finished on videotape or digitally produced on video or if it is only available on video (BetaSP NTSC).
LIVE-ACTION AND ANIMATED PRODUCTIONS: In the event that a production includes both live-action cinematography and animation, please identify (on the entry form) the category in which it should compete.
TELEVISION PRODUCTIONS: A submission is considered a television production if its intended distribution is television broadcast or direct-to-video release rather than a theatrical release. The Festival reserves the right to place feature-length television productions in the feature film/video awards category. Multiple episodes of a television series must be submitted separately.
Do not submit episodes and productions that have aired or will have aired on national network or cable television in the United States by the time of the festival.
DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTIONS: If the CICFF receives a substantial number of documentary entries, there may be a separate competition category for documentaries. Otherwise, a documentary submission will compete in the category selected on the Entry Form. A production is considered a documentary if it takes as its subject actual people, places, and events and presents them in a non-fictional context.
CHILD-PRODUCED PRODUCTIONS: Films and videos that have been produced by children aged 6 to 14 are considered to be “child-produced.” An adult supervisor is allowed; however, the entire film/video must be conceived and produced by children with minimal adult input. Child-produced films and videos must match the Festival criteria outlined in item 8 below. There is no entry fee for child-produced films or videos.
POETRY BASED PRODUCTIONS: (See below)
7.) Films Eligible for the Poetry Foundation Prize ($10,000). Excellence in the arts of poetry and film will be honored through the presentation of a cash prize for the best film based on a poem. The Poetry Foundation Prize will be awarded to a filmmaker whose use of verse in film opens new artistic vistas and inspires children to a lifelong engagement with and appreciation for poetry. In order to compete for the Poetry Foundation prize, any film submitted must be based on a poem that is written by a poet other than the filmmaker. This unique competition was created to encourage filmmakers around the world to incorporate poetry into their productions in artistically compelling ways. In successful submissions, the artistry of the filmmaking process will be in service to the poem. Both animated and live action films will be eligible to compete for the Poetry Foundation prize and a special jury will be convened during the summer of 2009 to determine the award winner. The prize will be awarded to the film that truly captures, reflects and expresses the spirit of poetry in film for young audiences.
Additional required materials for eligibility:
- A copy of the poem(s), in English, on which film is based.
- Author and date of publication of poem. If the poem has been translated, the CICFF needs to know the name of the author and the date of the translation.
- Confirmation that the filmmaker has the right to make a film based on the poem.
- A statement of filmmaking philosophy from the director for inclusion in program book. This statement should address the reasons for which the filmmaker has chosen to make a film based on poetry, the impact the director feels poetry and film have on children’s lives, and why he or she chose to address the topic presented in the film.
9.) Criteria.
Criteria for selection:
- The action of the film should be child-driven and the stories should be culturally authentic, timely, and of universal appeal.
- Films and videos submitted to CICFF should be made for, rather than about, children.
- Film content should be creative, highly original, and demonstrate artistic and technical mastery.
- Content should speak positively to children of diverse backgrounds and cultures and should provide strong role models for both boys and girls.
Criteria for non-acceptance of films into the festival include:
- Excessive or gratuitous violence, nudity, or profanity.
- Content that advocates and supports racial, cultural, religious, or gender bias.
- Films and videos may also be disqualified for technical or procedural reasons, including:
- Any film or tape not subtitled or dubbed into the English language. (This is enforced for both submission and Festival screening purposes. Scripts or dialogue lists may not be sent as a substitution for this rule.)
- Films and videos that are purely educational or instructional in nature.
- Films and videos that are intended primarily for an adult audience.
11.) School screenings. Post-festival school screenings are an especially valued tradition at the CICFF. In 2009, these well-attended screenings will take place Nov. 2 through Nov. 13. Festival formats of all accepted films must be available through November 13, 2009. Consistent with festival policy, screening fees will not be paid by CICFF for print usage for these screenings.
12.) Prizes.
Adult Jury Prizes are awarded in these categories:
- Live-action Feature Films or Videos
- Animated Feature Films or Videos
- Live-action Short Films or Videos
- Animated Short Films or Videos
- Documentary Films or Videos
- Live-action Television Production
- Animated Television Production
Children's Jury Prizes are awarded in these categories:
- Live-action Feature Films or Videos
- Animated Feature Films or Videos
- Live-action Short Films or Videos
- Animated Short Films or Videos
- Live-action Television Production
- Animated Television Production
- Child-produced Films or Videos (directed by children aged 6 to 14)
Special Prizes awarded by the CICFF:
- Poetry Foundation Prize ($10,000)
- Best of the Fest Prize (selected by audience vote)
- The Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Emerging Director Award ($2,500)
- The Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Child-produced Prize ($2,500)
- The Liv Ullmann Peace Prize
- The Rights of the Child Prize
13.) Juries. Awards are determined by several juries, including an Adult Jury and a Children's Jury. The Adult Jury, comprised of filmmakers, critics, and educators, is separated into the following sub-juries: Animated Shorts & Features, Live-action Features, and Live-action Shorts. Television productions selected for competition will be judged by the Live-action Shorts Adult Jury and the Animated Shorts & Features Adult Jury. The Festival's 70-member Children's Jury, led by a team of media educators, meets separately from the Adult Jury and awards its own prizes. The Adult and Children's Juries meet during the summer preceding the Festival. For special prizes, separate juries determine awards. Prizes may not be awarded in all categories if the juries feel that the entries do not meet the high standards of the Festival.
14.) Academy Qualification. Films that win first prize from the Adult Jury in the category of Live-action Short or Animated Short may become eligible to enter the Academy Awards® competition.
15.) Correspondence. All correspondence to the Festival management, including entry forms and support materials, must be in the English language. We apologize for any inconvenience.
16.) Transportation of films and videos selected. The Festival formats of films and videos selected for festival inclusion must arrive at the Festival offices no later than September 13, 2009. Films and videos are to be sent to the following address: The Chicago International Children's Film Festival, Facets Multi-Media, 1517 W. Fullerton Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60614 USA. All transportation costs of Festival formats to Chicago must be borne by the participant, including charges for customs clearance.
The Festival will pay the cost of shipping all films and videos back to the participant, excluding charges for customs clearance. The Festival will not be responsible for expedited or overnight shipping charges to other organizations without two weeks’ notice in advance of the date the film is due at another venue. The primary contact person for each film that is accepted into the Festival’s program will be required to complete and return the 2009 Shipment Information Worksheet upon receiving it. This worksheet will provide further details regarding shipping procedures for Festival formats.
17.) Deadlines. May 1, 2009: early deadline for entry form, support materials, and preview copy for Jury Selection.May 31, 2009: late deadline for entry form, support materials, and preview copy for Jury Selection. (Add $20 to the standard entry fee if the submission will arrive in our offices later than May 1.) The Festival is not obligated to consider any submissions that arrive later than May 31, 2009. September 13, 2009: Festival format due for all films and videos selected for the Festival.18.) Rulings. The Festival Committee and Facets Multi-Media, Inc. Board of Directors reserve the right to rule on cases not covered by these regulations.
19.) Participation Agreement. The Participation Agreement contained on the official Festival Entry Form must be signed, or “checked” if using the online version. Please note that signing or checking the participation agreement is legally binding.
