CineEco 2023 – 29th International Environmental Film Festival of Serra da Estrela, Seia, Portugal | 5th – 13th oct 2023
1. PURPOSE
1.1. CineEco – Serra da Estrela International Environmental Film Festival as the purpose of promote, show and award audiovisual works of fiction, animation, experimental and documentaries, with focus on environmental issues, produced in any part of the world. It simultaneously organizes actions and activities related to this theme.
1.2. This way, the Festival intends not only to value the natural and cultural resources, but also to promote the environmental heritage and the tourism in Serra da Estrela. Its theme is focused on the environment, embracing the entire surrounding environment.
2. ADMISSION
2.1. The competitive sections and the parallel exhibitions of CineEco’2023- 29th Serra da Estrela International Environmental Film Festival will take place in Seia, from 5th to 13th October 2023, and are opened to national and foreign films, documentaries, series and TV reports. The competitions include the following categories:
_ International Feature Film Competition (from 60 minutes);
_ International Short and Medium-length Film Competition (up to 60 minutes);
_ Portuguese Language Feature Film Competition;
_ Portuguese Language Short Film Competition;
_ Regional Panorama Competition.
2.2. The films of the competitions in the Portuguese Language can simultaneously compete in the international competitions.
2.3. All the works registered must be performed after 1st January 2022.
2.4. The organization of the Festival reserves the right to include in international competitions, whenever justified by the quality of the works, Portuguese films that have only entered the national categories.
3. REGISTRATION AND SELECTION
3.1. The registration of the works to the competition must be till 31st May 2023 in:
_ Festhome: www.festhome.com
_ FilmFreeway: https://filmfreeway.com
_ Website of the festival: www.cineeco.pt
3.2. In any of these places of registration, there must be, obligatorily, the following items:
_ Two photos (still’s) of the film with good quality of resolution (300px, in a maximun size A5)
_ Declaration stating the acceptance of these participation rules, and authorizing the film to be exhibited at the festival and his extensions and also the use of images and sounds for promotional purposes (attached document).
There can also be:
_ Filmography
_ Curriculum and photo of the film director
_ Trailer and any other available material to promotion (posters, press kit, etc.)
3.3. CineEco does not pay any fee of film exhibition.
3.4. The official selection will be announced to all the candidates till 31st of July 2023, and after this will be released in the website and in the other channels of communication of the festival
3.5. CineEco will only notify the films which were selected.
3.6. After the announcement of the selected films, it is an obligation to send both the requested materials and the respective copy of the file extensions till 15th August 2023.
3.7. When the previous point in 3.6 is not fulfilled, the film from the official selection will be excluded.
4. SUBTITLING
4.1. The registered films which are not in the English language, must have a screener with subtitles in English.
4.2. The selected films which are not in the English language must be accompanied with a copy of the exhibition with subtitles in English.
5. AWARDS
5.1. The following Awards will be awarded:
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM COMPETITION
I – Grand Prix Environment, which will win € 2000 (two thousand euros), that will be given to the work considered to be the best in the category of International Feature Film Competition.
II - Environmental Anthropology Award, which will win € 500 (five hundred euros), that will be given to the work considered to be the best in the category of International Feature Film Competition, which better shows the environmental anthropology theme.
INTERNATIONAL SHORT AND MEDIUM-LENGTH FILM COMPETITION
III – International Short and Medium-length Film Award, which will win € 500 (five hundred euros), that will be given to the work considered to be the best in the category of International Short Film Competition.
IV – Environmental Education Award, which will win € 500 (five hundred euros), that will be given to the work that better helps to promote the environmental education theme in the category of International Short Film Competition.
V - Animated Short Award, which will win €500 (five hundred euros), that will be given awarded to the work that is considered the best animated short in the category of International Short Film Competition.
PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE FEATURE FILM COMPETITION
VI – Camacho Costa Award, which will win € 1000 (one thousand euros), that will be given to the portuguese language feature film considered to be the best in the category of Portuguese Language Feature Film Competition.
PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE SHORT FILM COMPETITION
VII - Portuguese Language Short Film Award, which will win € 500 (five hundred euros), that will be given to the work considered to be the best short –film in the category of Portuguese Language Short Film Competition.
REGIONAL PANORAMA COMPETITION
VIII – Regional Panorama Award, which will win € 500 (five hundred euros), that will be given to the work developed in the region of Serra da Estrela and which best promotes the local environmental issues.
ALL THE CATEGORIES
IX – Water Value Award, which will win € 500 (five hundred euros) that will be given to the work that best shows the Water theme, among all the competitive categories.
X – Youth Award which will be given to the best work of each one of the categories in competition that best reflects the youth environmental interests and concerns.
5.2. If the Jury wishes so, they can assign Honorable Mentions.
5.3. The given Awards will be accompanied by a trophy and a diploma.
5.4. In case of Honorable Mentions, these ones will be accompanied by a trophy and a diploma.
6. THE JURY
6.1. The Jury of the International Feature Film Competition will be composed by three recognized people who belong to the cinematography and environmental world, who will give the following awards: Grand Prix Environment and Environmental Anthropology Award
6.2. The Jury of the International Short and Medium Length Film Competition will be composed by three recognized people who belong to the cinematography and environmental world, who will give the following awards: International Short Film Award, Environmental Education Award and Television Award
6.3. The Jury of the Portuguese Language Feature Film Competition, Portuguese Language Short Film Competition and Regional Panorama Competition, will be composed by three recognized people who belong to the cinematography and environmental and regional world, who will give the following awards: Camacho Costa Award, Portuguese Language Short Film Award and Regional Scene Award
6.4. The Youth Jury will be composed by young people who belong to the territorial area of the Intermunicipal Community of Beiras and Serra da Estrela, which will be distributed by the points 6.1; 6.2 and 6.3.
6.5. The Jury may decide to give, or not to give, the foreseen awards in this Participation Rules.
6.6. Among the Jury, there cannot be people who have direct interests in the production and /or exploration of the films presented in the contest.
7. FINAL ARRANGEMENTS
7.1. CineEco retains the right to select some of the registered films to integrate some of the parallel noncompetitive sessions and the theme exhibitions out of the competition, which are included in the general program.
7.2. To all due effects, each contestant assumes all the responsibility of the works which have registered in the contest, which means that CineEco has no responsibility in what respects third party.
7.3. Cineeco has the right to pass on television, cinema or other means of communication small parts of the awarded works, or any others that are asked by social means of communication.
7.4. CineEco reserves the right to display the works in competition in its shows and extensions, within one year after the festival, in other places of Portugal, with no-profit and with the aim of pedagogical effects. Where appropriate, CineEco will suggest prize-winning works, or others, to be displayed in other equal international festivals.
7.5. The contestants must respect the Participation Rules, and accept all the clauses in it, as it stays demonstrated by the signature of the authorization of display which must be attached to the registration form.
7.6. With regard to the decisions of the organization, in what concerns the interpretation and the compliance of these Participation Rules, there will be no appeal.
7.7. The results of the contest will be known in the closing ceremony of the 29th Serra da Estrela International Environmental Film Festival and through the website of the festival, as well as in other supports of social communication.
7.8. All the issues which were not foreseen in the Participation Rules will be resolved according to the rules of the international Cinema Festivals.
