I. FILM FESTIVALs

There are currently thousands to tens of thousands of film festivals operating globally with different focus and a variety of categories. Through its distribution section, FAMU is constantly in touch with festivals throughout the calendar year as they open calls for film submissions. Just as other film schools do, FAMU focuses primarily on short, documentary, animated, and generally student film festivals.

What are the methods for submitting films?
 

1. I have a completed film. What comes next?

You have a completed film and are considering showing it to the audiences. It is good to know the answers to the following questions before you contact us:

• Is the film indeed completed and signed off by FAMU Studio?
• Are both the Czech and the English versions of the film available?
• Is this version of the film available on Vimeo as a preview? If it is, this is very helpful because we can work with it when assessing and submitting the film.

If you have everything ready, write to our contact address festivals@famu.cz and give us brief information about the film and potentially your idea of its festival strategy. A preview version of the film makes the entire process simpler.

What is the subsequent process and rules?
 

2. For key festivals, FAMU submits the films directly

Among the wide range of festivals, there are certain events that are of key importance from the viewpoint of FAMU and its dramaturgy in terms of prestige, focus and impact. Submissions to those festivals are fully under the school’s control. These festivals are specified in this list  in category AA.

Given the fact that, for certain festivals, FAMU as a school can submit a limited number of films or is subject to a time limit (minutes) for its entire collection of films, the school reserves the right to process submissions to such festivals at its discretion following consultations with Department leaders and producers. This is why films are to be submitted either by a representative of the school or by another entity (provided that the festival rules allow this) that has discussed the submission with the school in advance and received the school’s approval.

If you wish to submit your film to such a festival, you need to contact the members of the distribution team an discuss the subsequent steps to be taken in order to avoid duplicity and ensure that everything is aligned with FAMU’s dramaturgic priorities. For films where FAMU is the majority coproducer, we reserve the right to decide whether or not a film will be included among the candidates. For minority coproductions, any steps taken must be coordinated with FAMU. Among other things, this increases the film’s chances of success.

For priority events, FAMU pays submission fees and provides marketing and additional financing (scholarships, Czech Film Fund support) for films that succeed.

When selecting films for key festivals, the distribution team relies on their own expertise as well as on the opinion of independent consultants from strategically important players active in the audiovisual industry.
 

3. I want assistance with submitting a film

You do not have the ambition to try and participate in an AA festival, yet you still want to send your film out to the world but lack experience doing so: If this is the case, proceed as suggested above and mention that you would like to ask the school for cooperation in distribution, and we will assess your request on the distribution team.

If this is within our capabilities, the FAMU distribution team will contact you and ask you to complete the FAMU entry form (read more below) and provide additional promotional material. This includes primarily:

1. A subtitled copy of the film for downloading
2. Five stills in HiRes quality, 300 dpi minimum, 2 MB maximum, .jpg format ONLY
3. Director’s photo in HiRes quality, 300 dpi minimum, 2 MB maximum, .jpg format ONLY
4. Time-coded dialogue list in English in the .srt format. Furthermore, we recommend including the following if available:
5. Trailer.
6. Poster, preferably in the .pdf format.

We prefer receiving the above material via uschovna.cz and Wetransfer. Thank you.

Please complete all the information in the entry form carefully (including the director’s bio) in both Czech and English to make the process easier and quicker.

Your film must be subtitled in English for international film festival submissions. We recommend including the cost of obtaining professional English subtitles and a time-coded dialogue list in the .srt format in the production budget. This will greatly improve your chances of success. In general, translation requires a lot of attention including taking into consideration any local and tonal specificities and subtleties that could influence the jurors and viewers on the festival scene.

We will do our best to offer you all the help possible, but please keep in mind that our team is and will be significantly short on staff during the transitional period. We reserve the right to make the decision on where we can help efficiently and in which cases the school will pay the submission fee and/or any other associated costs.
 

4. I want to take care of my film alone

Obviously, the distribution team is not capable of contacting all the festivals or giving all emerging films the same amount of care, and so it is of course welcome if the students are active directly; after all, they should also learn about this key aspect of the film market. Communication is the key, and can help on either side.

FAMU submits films to hundreds of festivals as they announce their calls and deadlines during the year. For some events, FAMU is also given waivers (free submission slots) for which no fees are paid.

If you plan on contacting festivals on your own and have a completed festival strategy, contact us at least 15 days prior to your submission so that we are aware of your activity and can assist you if desirable.

5. I was approached directly by a festival

Your film has intrigued a festival’s dramaturgical panel and was invited. If this happens, again, contact a FAMU representative and inform them about the selection. Unless expressly agreed otherwise, the person in charge will contact the festival and cover all the paperwork. Also, it is possible to obtain a special-purpose scholarship to give the team support in order to take part in the event in person.

If you wish to take care of your film all by yourself, make sure that FAMU at least has a record of your film being screened.

II. PUBLIC SCREENINGS AND SALE OF RIGHTS

You have an opportunity to present your film at a screening charge; you have received an offer to sell your rights for further commercial exploitation including getting a full-scale sales agent: If FAMU is the majority coproducer, all such activities must take place through FAMU’s structures and any funds from the sale of the rights go back to school to help finance other distribution activities.

For majority coproductions, all commercial releases are subject to FAMU’s approval and administration, and FAMU reserves the right to make the decisions in this respect. In these cases, AMU is the only entity that is authorised to enter into contracts with other parties. FAMU also defines or approves the film’s distribution strategy and its presentation via various distribution channels. The person in charge of distribution at FAMU will give you information on the planned screenings upon request.

For minority coproductions, it is necessary to cooperate while notifying FAMU and during the subsequent clearing of coproduction shares for the respective period in accordance with the contract in force. FAMU will also inform the author about any public screening of their work and any terms and conditions related.

I want to present my film publicly but not commercially (with free admission). What do I do? Contact us. We will try to help you as much as we can and offer the rights for showing without further charges.

I want to post my film online. What are the options? The easiest way to reach the audience is via the FAMU Films platform managed by dramaturge Marek Koutesh. It is open to all student films and your space for presentation is guaranteed. Other specialty platforms such as Dafilms and KVIFF TV involve curatorship. FAMU actively offers them its successful and exceptional films and collections while catering to demand from VOD partners who ask for films based on their own dramaturgical guidelines.

III. WHAT DO I DO IF MY WORK IS NOT A FILM?

You have created an audiovisual work of a different type than a film and wish to present it publicly.

The model of the former festival department did not account for non-film outputs. We are aware that this is problematic for an audiovisual faculty, and we will strive to find a systematic solution in the future. If you have a non-film work that has been invited to a prestigious festival, showcase, or other event, the easiest path for support currently leads through scholarships. Students can apply for support to present and develop their creative outcomes at both national and international levels through scholarships for outstanding artistic, research, development, innovative, or other creative results contributing to the deepening of knowledge. Additionally, it is possible to apply for support through special scholarships, which are awarded at FAMU, primarily to support students' participation in international educational events or participation in film festivals.

For more information about scholarships and how to apply, please visit: https://www.famu.cz/cs/studuji/studijni-oddeleni/stipendia/