OPEN CALL FOR FILM ENTRIES: VAFF 2012
Thursday March 1, 2012
Festival Submission Guidelines
for the
16th Annual Vancouver Asian Film Festival
November 1 – 4, 2012
The Vancouver Asian Film Festival (VAFF) is Canada’s oldest festival dedicated to exhibiting films and videos by North American artists of Asian heritage. From its beginnings in 1995 and incorporated in the spring of 1997, VAFF is committed to supporting both emerging talent and established filmmakers. Visiting artists have included Justin Lin, Jessica Yu, Tze Chun, Quentin Lee, Michael Kang and Freida Lee Mock, as well as BC filmmakers Julia Kwan, Mina Shum, Nilesh Patel and Jeff Chiba Stearns.
Awards include a juried award for Best Canadian Short. Programming includes Q & A sessions, panel discussions, a filmmakers’ luncheon, and special gala events.
All screenings of the 16th annual VAFF will take place at the Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas, a multiplex theatre within Vancouver’s Chinatown and Downtown districts.
ENTRY FORM
Submissions for VAFF 2012 are accepted between March 1 and May 31, 2012.
ELIGIBILITY
- VAFF accepts independently produced films and videos by Asian-Canadian or Asian-American artists; at least one member of the creative team (director, writer or producer) must be of Asian heritage.
- Films and videos must have been completed no earlier than January 31, 2011. Submissions completed prior to this date will not be considered.
- Acceptable formats for exhibition are: HDCAM (NO HDCAM-SR) and DigiBetacam (NTSC only). Submissions in other formats, e.g. 16mm, DVD, VHS cannot be considered.
- Digital formats will also be accepted as H.264 (or .MP4) files – in either 1080p or 720p resolutions – and with either 24p or 29.97 fps frame rates. Filmmakers can send in their files on hard drives, USB thumb drives, data disks, at their own shipping costs or via download sites.
SUBMISSION DEADLINES
- Early bird deadline: April 30, 2012 (postmarked)
- Final deadline: May 31, 2012 (postmarked)
Submissions received after May 31, 2012 will not be considered for the 2012 festival. NO EXCEPTIONS.
ENTRY FEES
- Early bird: $15 (CDN or US)
- After early bird: $25 (CDN or US)
Payment must be made by cheque or money order. Please make cheques payable to Vancouver Asian Film Festival. Submissions without proper payment will not go through the selection process.
Each film/video submitted must be accompanied by its own separate entry form and entry fee. Unfortunately, fees cannot be waived – please do not send in requests for waiving of fees.
FILM CATEGORIES
Acceptable film categories are:
- Narrative (drama, comedy, romance, etc.);
- Documentary;
- Animation;
- Experimental
Submissions outside of these categories (e.g. music videos) will not be considered.
SUBMISSION MATERIALS
Please submit preview screeners in DVD (NTSC) format.
DVDs must be labelled with the film title, total running time, contact name, address, phone number and email address.
Please include a electronic press kit (on data disc, or USB thumb drive) with your entry, including:
- A film synopsis (approximately 100 words) and logline;
- Film stills (photos or hi-resolution electronic images: minimum 1200×1800 pixels @ 300 dpi);
- A cast and crew list;
- The director’s biography (80 words) and photo (see above for technical specs);
- The producer’s biography (80 words);
- Press/publicity clippings and list of awards and screenings (Word doc or PDF)
Please label all files, images and documents appropriately and descriptively.
SORRY, PRESS MATERIALS & SCREENERS WILL NOT BE RETURNED.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR BEST CANADIAN SHORT AWARD
Canadian films may be eligible for the Best Canadian Short Award, which may include a cash prize if funding is available.
To qualify, filmmakers must meet the following criteria:
- The director or writer must be a Canadian citizen or Canadian resident;
- One of the key members (director, writer or producer) must be of Asian heritage;
- The film must be live action;
- The film must be under 30 minutes in length;
- The film must be independently produced without majority funding from institutions (NFB, film schools, broadcasters etc.);
- The film must not have been broadcasted on television prior to the festival screening;
- The director must have final creative control of the work.
The award winner will be announced during the festival at the filmmakers’ luncheon.
SELECTION NOTIFICATION
You will be notified of festival selections by October 1, 2012. If selected, a Notice of Acceptance will be sent. It must be completed, signed and returned by the deadline date listed or your position in festival will be offered to another film.
IMPORTANT SHIPPING POLICY
If selected, exhibition prints or tapes must be shipped to VAFF pre-paid to arrive no later than October 15, 2012.
It is the policy of the festival to pay for one-way return shipping within North American only. Requests for international shipping will not be considered.
If screening prints/tapes are coming from other festivals, VAFF must receive print traffic contact information of the prior festival two weeks prior to VAFF’s start date. If VAFF is to send the screening print to another film festival, this outbound address must be given to VAFF one week prior to the start of VAFF or it will be sent back to the print source.
SHIPPING ADDRESS
Please mail or courier your submission materials and entry fee to:
Vancouver Asian Film Festival Office
455 Prior Street
Vancouver, BC, Canada
V6A 2G3
QUESTIONS
Email: programming@vaff.org
ABOUT THE VANCOUVER ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL
The Vancouver Asian Film Festival Society (VAFF) is a not-for-profit organization that aims to celebrate diversity in film by providing a forum for independent Asian-Canadian and Asian-American filmmakers to showcase their work to Asian and non-Asian audiences in Vancouver. The festival endeavours to represent the often-ignored North American Asians caught between two cultures and provides a cultural bridge among Asian communities and between Asian and non-Asian communities in Metro Vancouver.
