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International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA)

(Click for full image) Amsterdam

18th - 28th November 2010

The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) is Europe's largest documentary film festival, and includes the Docs for Sale market that runs alongside it and the FORUM for the co-financing of international documentaries, which takes place over three days during the festival.

The festival awards in a number of categories, including the Joris Ivens Competition for features, the Silver Wolf Award for shorts between 30 and 60 minutes, and the First Appearance Award for film debuts.

During the festival there's a daily newsletter that's definitely worth checking out if you can't make it, but making it is the best option for this event.

The FORUM is Europe's largest annual gathering of television commissioning editors and independent documentary producers, held alongside the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.

Submission Guidelines

Creative documentaries of any length completed after 1 August 2008 are eligible for IDFA 2009. There is no fee required for entry.

In total, IDFA programmes some 200 new documentaries dividing among more than thirteen festival programmes. The festival has six competition programmes. Apart from these competitions, IDFA presents regular programme sections that recur annually, complemented by special sections. These special programmes focus on specific countries, directors and/or themes.

Films and videos can only be shown at the festival if they have English commentary and/or English dialogue, or are in their original versions with English subtitles.

IDFA accepts the following screening formats: 16mm and 35mm, HD Cam, Betacam SP PAL and Digibeta PAL. Presentation of other formats and video systems requires the authorisation of the Festival.

Additional guidelines for the different competition categories and programme sections are:

1. IDFA Competition for Feature-Length Documentary
  • Restricted to films and videos longer than 60 minutes.
  • Only world, international and European premieres are accepted; priority is given to world premieres
  • IDFA allows a maximum of two festival screenings prior to IDFA
  • national theatrical release is allowed
2. IDFA Competition for Mid-Length Documentary
  • Restricted to films and videos between 30 and 60 minutes.
  • Only world, international and European premieres are accepted; priority is given to world premieres
  • IDFA allows a maximum of two festival screenings prior to IDFA
  • national theatrical release is allowed
3. IDFA Competition for Short Documentary
  • Restricted to films and videos up to 30 minutes.
  • Only European, international or world premieres are accepted
4. IDFA Competition for First Appearance
Open to first-time or second-time directors. When deciding whether this is your first or second film, IDFA not only counts your previously directed documentaries, but also fiction, animation and experimental films. Graduation projects from film schools or universities should be submitted for the IDFA Competition for Student Documentary (Section 5).
  • Open to both film and video documentaries of any length.
  • Only world, international and European premieres are accepted; priority is given to world premieres
  • IDFA allows a maximum of two festival screenings prior to IDFA
  • national theatrical release is allowed
Please note: a detailed biography and a filmography of the director(s) are obligatory.

5. IDFA Competition for Student Documentary
  • Open to (graduation) films of a film school/university. IDFA will not accept documentary exercises.
  • Open to both film and video documentaries of any length.
  • Screening or broadcasting in the Netherlands prior to the festival will not exclude the film, but priority will be given to premieres.
6. Premieres from the Lowlands
  • NEW in 2009: films from the Premieres from the Lowlands section plus Dutch productions from the above mentioned competitions compete for the new IDFA Best Dutch Documentary Award (€5,000)
  • Open to Dutch productions.
  • Only world premieres are accepted
  • Open to both film and video documentaries of any length.
7. Reflecting Images: Best of Fests - International non-competitive section containing films that made an impact on the international festival circuit
  • Open to international productions.
  • Open to both film and video documentaries of any length.
  • Screening or broadcasting in the Netherlands prior to the festival rules the film out.
8. Reflecting Images: Masters - International non-competitive section containing films made by renowned (documentary) filmmakers
  • Open to international productions.
  • Open to both film and video documentaries of any length.
  • Screening or broadcasting in the Netherlands prior to the festival rules the film out.
9. Reflecting Images: Panorama - International non-competitive section containing films that are thought provoking in form and/or choice of theme
  • Open to international productions.
  • Open to both film and video documentaries of any length.
  • Screening or broadcasting in the Netherlands prior to the festival rules the film out.
10. ParaDocs - ParaDocs is a programme comprised of experimental documentaries and documentary experiments. The form and content of these projects vary considerably from the conventional and dominant documentary formats that are suited to TV and the cinema.
  • ParaDocs is open to both film and video documentaries of any length, but also to video installations and other media which are not necessarily presented in a cinema.
  • We also invite visual artists to submit their documentary projects.
  • Documentaries may have been presented or broadcast in the Netherlands prior to the festival, but IDFA gives priority to premieres.
11. Kids & Docs
  • Open to films or videos that capture the experiences of young people up to 13 years of age.
  • Open to both film and video documentaries of any length.
  • Documentaries may have been screened or broadcast in the Netherlands prior to the festival, but IDFA gives priority to premieres.
  • Documentaries will be presented to visitors and professionals. The documentaries will be presented with English commentary and/or English dialogue, or in their original versions with English subtitles.
12. Workshop Results
  • Open to documentaries realised on the basis of a plan developed during the IDFA Documentary Workshop.
  • Open to both film and video documentaries of any length.
  • Screening or broadcasting in the Netherlands prior to the festival will not exclude the film.
  • Documentaries may be screened in the Dutch version, but an English version is preferred.
13. Doclab - Doclab is a new programme section at IDFA, investigating new technologies to represent reality and the relationship between new media, web culture and documentary. For reference, feel free to take a look at last year's programme on www.doclab.org.
  • open to all narrative documentary content, ranging from linear film to websites, mobile projects and installations.
Entry is via the MyIDFA portal on the festival website.
Link: http://www.idfa.nl Email: info (at) idfa (dot) nl Telephone: +31 20 6273329 Fax: +31 20 638 5388 Address: Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen 10, 1017 RR, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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