1. The Festival

The 8th Bif&st – Bari International Film Festival, promoted by Apulia Region and organized by Apulia Film Commission Foundation, will be held from April 22^nd to 29^th, 2017 at Petruzzelli Theatre and other Bari film theatres. The major aim of the Festival – patronized by the President of the Italian Republic – is to promote, spread and highlight the best Italian and international cinema. Bif&st, directed by Felice Laudadio, is chaired by Margarethe von Trotta. Ettore Scola is honorary president.

2. The programme

The essential outline of Bif&st 2017 programme is online at www.bifest.it. This English version of the Regulations only applies to the following non-competitive and competitive sections.

3. International Premières

Non-competitive section dedicated to 8 Italian and international feature films, with minimum running time over 70 minutes, produced in 2016-17, preferably world premierès or absolute Italian premières. Selected films – with a gala evening screening at 9.00 p.m. in Petruzzelli Theatre from April 22^nd to 29^th – may have been presented at other major international festivals, excluding Italian ones.

4. International Panorama – competitive section

Competitive program – with afternoon screenings in Petruzzelli Theatre – reserved to 12 films with minimum running time over 70 minutes, produced in 2016-17, absolute Italian premières. Selected films may have been presented and also awarded at other major international festivals, excluding Italian ones. A selected audience Jury of 30 members, chaired by a renowned cinema professional, will confer the following awards:

• Bif&st 2017 International Award for the director of the best film
• Bif&st 2017 International Award for the best actor
• Bif&st 2017 International Award for the best actress

Submission for this section must be specified in the entry form. Deadline is Thursday March 16, 2017.

5. Submissions

Submissions are free of charge. The entry form, available on www.bifest.it, must be filled in online and sent by March 16th, 2017.

A screener of the film – only on DVD or Blu-Ray – together with a print of the entry form, must be sent by March 16th, 2017 (postmark) to: Bif&st Director Felice Laudadio, Lungotevere Flaminio 44, pal. VI, sc. C, int. 7 – 00196 Rome, Italy.

As an alternative, a private link can be sent for an online preview. Please allow at least three viewings. Links can be sent to: g.lavolpe@bifest.it

DVDs or Blu-Rays sent for pre-selection will be returned only upon specific request and at the submitter’s charge. By sending the screeners the submitters accept these entire regulations and agree, in case of selection, to the screening at Bif&st 2017.

Producers or distributors of the selected films must provide the festival office with all the materials necessary for their participation in the official festival program, as detailed hereunder.

6. Film participation

6.1 Subtitles for International Premières and International Panorama sections

All selected films for the International Premières and International Panorama sections – if shot in languages different from English, including Italian – must be presented in their original language version and with English subtitles on the screening copy provided by producers or distributors. The cost of the electronic subtitling in Italian will be at the expense of the festival. Producers or distributors of selected films must provide the festival office with all necessary materials for the realization of the electronic subtitles, such as:

• dialogue list in the original language

• list of English subtitles, with spotting list (time code in/out).

Dialogue/subtitles lists must be sent by email not later than March 24^th, 2017 to: subtitles@bifest.it. The subject of the mail must state: “Subtitles + Title of the selected film”.

For the Italian subtitling work, two DVDs or Blu-Rays with English subtitles, with definitive editing and identical running time of the screening copy, must be sent by courier to the following address no later than March 24^th, 2017, to:

• Bif&st Director Felice Laudadio – Lungotevere Flaminio 44, pal. VI, sc. C, int. 7 – 00196 Rome, Italy

For customs matters, shipments from non-EU countries must be marked: “FOR CULTURAL PURPOSES ONLY – WITH NO COMMERCIAL VALUE”. Their declared value for customs should not exceed € 10.

As an alternative, a secure link can be provided for the download of the film, with English subtitles, with definitive editing and identical running time of the screening copy, exclusively for Italian subtitling work.

6.2 Festival website and catalogue

For the promotion of all selected films on the official Bif&st website www.bifest.it and on other media, the following materials are required by email to the addresses catalogue@bifest.it; ufficiostampa@bifest.it by March 24^th, 2017:

• link to the film’s official trailer (if available) and/or to the film’s official website
• pressbook (max 3Mb)
• film poster or postcard, .tif or .jpg format, light version for the web
• minimum 3 photos of the film, .tif or .jpg format, minimum 300 dpi

As an alternative, an official link can be provided, for the download of the above materials (except trailers).

7. Shipping and film formats

7.1 Shipping of the screening copies

Shipping expenses of the screening copies of selected films from and to their countries of production, if not by different agreement, will be at the expenses of the festival. If screening copies are coming from, or are destined to other festivals, Bif&st will only take charge of a one way shipping (either inbound or outbound). There will be no exception to the present rule; with regards to this issue, submitters must make specific arrangements with the other festivals involved. For Italian films, the festival will take charge of shipping expenses only in the country of Italy.

All screening copies of selected films – thoroughly verified by producers or distributors or other senders before their shipping – must arrive to the official Bif&st international courier in Italy, which will be indicated at the appropriate time, not later than Friday March 31^st, 2017.

For customs matters, shipments from non-EU countries must be marked: “FOR CULTURAL PURPOSES ONLY – WITH NO COMMERCIAL VALUE”, and must enclose proper pro-forma invoices.

7.2 Screening formats

As to the films selected for the International Premières and International Panorama in Petruzzelli Theatre, the only accepted screening format is Digital Cinema Package – DCP (fully DCI/SMPTE compliant).

If the DCP is encrypted, it is mandatory that that producers or distributors provide KDMs for all the festival servers. KDMs must be sent well in advance considering the test screening (in Bari only), and the official festival screening. KDMs of selected films will be at the rights holders or distributors’ charge.

All details related to the screening copy must be provided in a specific online technical form which will be sent to submitters of selected films.

8. Insurance of the copies

The festival will cover the insurance costs for the screening copies of selected works against all risks, for the entire period they will be in care of the festival, between their arrival in Bari and their departure from Bari. Should a selected screening copy undergo any damage on the festival’s responsibility, Bif&st’s insurance will uniquely cover the material costs of the damaged copy, based on average laboratory costs, and according to standard values. The artistic direction expressly commits not to duplicate selected films, nor to present them out of the official venues of the festival.

9. Anti-piracy

In Petruzzelli Theatre, Bif&st – together with a professional, well experienced and trusted service agency – will adopt all standard antipiracy measures.

Should producers or distributors of selected films prefer an anti-piracy service agency of their own choice, the festival will not take charge of the related costs.

10. Press and promotional materials

Producers or distributors of selected films are invited to separately ship to the Press Office of the festival, the following promotional materials for Bif&st accredited press and distributors:

• Link to a presskit, containing
  • pressbook
  • 5 stage photos of the film (high resolution 300dpi) with no embargo date nor distribution deadline

As an alternative, the presskit can be provided on DVD or on USB pendrive, or on paper.

• Link to a official trailer and to no. 3 promo clips with maximum running time of 3’, in Full HD tv format, maximum 250 Mb.

As an alternative, promo clips can be provided on DVD or on USB pen drive.

• 2 film posters

All non-digital promotional materials (posters, brochures, clips, cards, etc.) of selected films may be made available to the festival by courier shipping with the label “Promotional material for BIF&ST 2017”– starting from March 31^st, 2017 – to the following operative offices of the festival:

• Bif&st c/o Fondazione Apulia Film Commission, Padiglione 180, Fiera del Levante
  Lungomare Starita, 1 – 70132 Bari, Italy

All costs related to shipping of the promotional materials, must be at sender’s charge.

For customs matters, shipments from non-EU countries must be marked: “FOR CULTURAL PURPOSES ONLY – WITH NO COMMERCIAL VALUE”.

11. Conditions

The film participation and the shipment of the screening copy to the festival imply full acceptance of the Italian version of the present regulations. May any dispute not covered by these rules arise, the final decision is to the artistic director of the festival. Should any controversy arise regarding the interpretation of these Regulations, the Italian version is binding. The Court of Bari is the Competent Court.

12. Contacts:

• Artistic direction: g.lavolpe@bifest.it
• Catalogue: catalogue@bifest.it
• Subtitles: subtitles@bifest.it