Entry form. Regulations

Inclusion criteria

To participate in the competition, non-fiction films of any genre made for the last two years before the Festival are allowed. For non-competition, non-fiction films of any genre and timing unrestricted in the year of production are allowed, if they were not screened in Ukraine earlier. This requirement is not applied to films in retrospective screenings.
Films that were made to order, or represent report on activities of some organizations, or realization of certain projects, spread pronounced propaganda, lobby political or commercial interests, instructional and training films are debarred from participation. Films took part in other festivals are not precluded from participation in Docudays UA Festival.

Program

Competition

  • DOCU/LIFE (this competition presents full-length creative documentaries where problems with human rights observance are shown with artistic means of expression);
  • DOCU/RIGHT (this competition presents feature-length documentaries focused on problems with human rights observance, paying attention to such problems and the struggle for fundamental rights and freedoms);
  • DOCU/SHORT (this competition presents documentaries of no more than 45 minutes of running time).

 

Non-Competition

  • DOCU/UKRAINE - Ukrainian documentary films
  • DOCU/BEST - The best from international human rights documentary film festivals
  • DOCU/ART - Documentaries about art and artists 
  • DOCU/CLASS - International Documentary Filmmaking Workshop
  • Presentations of diverse International film festivals
  • Retrospective screenings
  • Special events (conferences, round tables, thematic sections, master classes by leading experts in documentary filmmaking and human rights, discussions, seminars, workshops, photo exhibitions, etc.)

Jury

The Festival comprises four juries: DOCU/LIFE Competition Jury (3 people), DOCU/RIGHT Competition Jury (3 people), DOCU/SHORT Competition Jury (3 people), and the Students Jury (5 people). As jury members, Organizing Committee invites well-known Ukrainian and foreign filmmakers and human rights activists. Student jury is formed by the Youth department of the Organizing Committee according to recommendations of youth organizations.

Awards

  • DOCU/LIFE Competition Jury Award
  • Two Special Mentions in DOCU/LIFE Competition
  • DOCU/RIGHT Competition Jury Award
  • Two Special Mentions in DOCU/ RIGHT Competition
  • DOCU/SHORT Competition Jury Award
  • Two Special Mentions in DOCU/ SHORT Competition
  • Students Jury Award
  • Audience Award (by results of the audience inquiry)
  • Andriy Matrosov Award (established by the Organizing Committee. Andriy Matrosov was the Festival producer. He perished in traffic accident on February 16, 2010).

Organizations or private persons are welcome to present their own special awards (prizes).

Application and selection procedures

Film selection is made by the Selection Committee consisting of five members. The Organizing Committee invites documentary and human rights experts to be members of the Selection Committee. The Organizing Committee approves the Festival Program and determines the order of screenings.

Submission deadline is November, 30 of every year preceding the year of the Festival 

To submit a film, you need to:

1. Comply with the Preselection Conditions.

2. Fill out the  Online Entry Form.

3. Send in your film together with printed out and signed Entry Form to the following address: Darya Bassel, PO box 342, Khreshatik str. 22, Kyiv 01001, Ukraine (The Selection Committee will take into consideration only packages postmarked before November, 30).

4. If you submit online screener, DVD copy is not required.

5. If your film is selected, you'll have to comply with the Festival Regulations.

6. In case of any questions, please contact [email protected].

Films can be selected for Competition Programs (Docu/Right, Docu/Life and Docu/Short) or Non-Competition Programs. However, the Selection Committee decides which section a film can participate in.

All letters and parcels must have mark: for Darya Bassel.
Important! Do not use courier delivery service! Send films and materials by regular mail only!

Films mailing, insurance and return

The applicant bears all mailing expenses for sending films to the Festival.
To reduce mailing expenses, including customs duties, please indicate merely symbolic (token) sums of videotapes value (for example, $1). The Organizing Committee covers insurance expenses for copies on DCP, and 16 or 35 mm films. Copies thereof are to be returned by the organizers within 30 days after the end of the Festival to address indicated in your entry form at the Festival expense.
It would be expedient to use diplomatic channels of the sender’s country of residence for mailing purposes. If the sender uses mail, please, mark the parcel: “For cultural purposes only. No commercial value.”
Important! Do not use courier delivery service! Send films and materials by mail only!

Screening

During the Festival, the same film may be screened no more than three times. Film copyright owners agree that their films are to be shown in Ukrainian translation. Translation costs are covered by Festival Organizing Committee.
Individual viewers have access to the video library (also online video library) with Festival films.
The Festival does not pay screening fees as it is non-profit.

Invitation and participation

Directors, scriptwriters or producers of the films selected for participation in competition are invited as the Festival participants. The Organizing Committee covers their accommodation, meal and travel expenses, and gives no per diem payments. At the Festival expense, only one representative from each film or project may be invited. All decisions on the Festival guests, jury members, or trainers are approved by the Organizing Committee.

Advertising and promotion

The Organizing Committee can prepare and give to television stations special advertising reels (up to 3 min) of selected films, using the copies at the Organizing Committee disposal. Short (1 min or less) fragments of selected films can be used by mass media for Festival-advertising purposes and for showing before film demonstrations. 
Advertising of films and organizations participating in the Festival is free of charge, all other advertising are to be paid for at a fixed rate.

Travelling Festival

After the end of the Festival in Kyiv, the Organizing Committee carries out the Travelling Festival Docudays UA throughout Ukrainian regions (oblasts). During this Travelling Festival, one film may have no more than two public screenings in region.
The Travelling Festival is non-profit event. However, to reduce renting costs for cinema halls, the organizers reserve the right to allow cinema owners selling entrance tickets provided that gains are not exceeded operational costs. The Organizing Committee get no profits from such ticket sales.
Please, indicate in the entry form your consent or intention for participation of your film in the Travelling Festival.

Festival archives

The film copies and DVDs sent to the Festival and prepared for needs of the Travelling Festival are to be kept in the Festival archives.
These copies can be used by organizers (Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, Kherson City Association of Journalists “Pivden”, Kherson Regional Charity and Health Foundation (KRCHF), Centre for Modern Information Techniques and Visual Arts) in their subsequent work related to the purposes and objectives of their organizations for strictly educational, not commercial reasons.

Other

Any issue not mentioned in these Regulations is to be considered by the Festival Organizing Committee in accordance to procedures of the international festivals. Filled and signed entry form means that applicant agrees with the Festival rules states in these Regulations.

Official Festival web-sitewww.docudays.org.ua

21 INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL
 31 — 9 
May
June 2024