Rules and Regulations of the 22nd edition of IFF Tofifest
TOFIFEST International Film Festival (hereinafter referred to as “Festival”), organized by Fundacja Biuro Kultury, will be held from 25th to 30th June 2024 in Toruń, Poland.
1. Festival Idea
Presentation of trendsetting, ambitious, auteur cinema. The Festival aims at presenting cinema, which offers independent and bold content, discusses topics of significant importance and originality, as well as strives to build cultural bridges that connect various regions, both geographically and socially. The Festival discovers talented young artists, both Polish and foreign, and extensively promotes their films. The Festival is open to artists from all over the world.
2. Festival Competitions
There are two competitions that will take place during the Festival:
- ON AIR International Feature Film Competition. The competition is intended for first and second films of directors. Accepted are films that were made after the 1st of January in 2023.
- FROM POLAND Polish competition. The competition is intended for feature films, documentaries and animations made in Poland or with the Polish co-production in after the 1st of January in 2023.
In the case of films with exceptional artistic value the Organizer may waive the requirements of Rules and Regulations. In case one of the members of the jury is associated with a film taking part in ON AIR or FROM POLAND competition respectively, he or she is excluded from the jury's deliberations on the film, and his or her vote is given to the president of the jury.
3. Other Sections
The Festival consists of a number of non-competitive sections. The Director of the Festival has the right to select films not qualified for the competitions for other sections of the programme. Current list of sections is available on the Festival’s website: www.tofifest.pl.
4. Festival Selection
- The condition of the film’s consideration for selection is the filling in of the online submision form (located at www.tofifest.pl).
- Entrants are required to provide a link to a website where the film can be watched. The link provided by the Applicant must be active all the time, until the end of the Festival.
- The deadline for submitting films for all the competitions is 15th May 2024.
- In case of failure to comply with the Rules and Regulations the Festival is not required to consider the film for selection.
- Every submitted film (with dialogues) whose original language is not English must be subtitled in English or attached with a dialogue list with time codes.
- The film must be attached with the following materials:
- synopsis of the film,
- film stills,
- photo and biography of the director,
- English dialogue list with time codes in digital format (online).
- The Festival does not return media submitted for selection. They are retained in the Festival Archives.
- All films submitted for Competitions will be reviewed by the Selection Committee appointed by the Organizer of the Festival. The Director of the Festival decides on the admission of the submitted film to the Festival at the request of the Selection Committee. The Selection Committee is not required to explain their decision.
- Following formats are eligible for festival screenings: Blu-Ray and DCP. DVD and 35 mm film copies are also accepted under special circumstances.
- Taking the hybrid nature of the Festival into consideration, the Submitting Person undertakes to deliver a film qualified for a competition, in a form adapted technically for broadcasting via an online platform.
- Due to the epidemic situation related to COVID-19, the Organizer reserves the right to present the film online in a one-off screening for the public.
- With the pandemic situation in mind, the Organiser reserves the right to modify the screening programme, in order to adapt it to the current restrictions imposed by the Ministry of Health.
- All artists participating in the Festival undertake to follow all safety regulations recommended by the Ministry of Health, for the duration of their participation in the Festival.
- The festival does not charge for film submissions.
5. Participation in the Festival
- The Applicant of a qualified film is required to provide an original film medium within the period prescribed by the Organizer. In case the competition copy is not provided by the indicated date the Festival has no obligation to present the film in the Competition.
- The Director of the Festival reserves the right to invite, after the deadline for submissions, films of their choice to participate in the Festival.
- Technical quality of provided film copies will be one of the criteria for their eligibility.
- The qualification of the film to one of the Competitions is equivalent to accreditation to the Festival for one person representing the film. The Festival provides a two-day accommodation for only one representative of the qualified film. Any questions can be directed at competition@tofifest.pl.
- The Festival Office may facilitate booking accommodation and gaining accreditation for additional people from the film crew. The intent to personally participate in the Festival should be indicated in the submission form.
- The Applicant agrees to the public screening of the film as part of the Festival (no more than 3 screenings).
- The Applicant agrees to the screening of the film during shows promoting the Festival in Poland and abroad. Each time the screening schedule will be sent to the Applicant.
- The Applicant agrees to the presentation, within the limits prescribed by law, of the fragments of the film and film stills on television and in other electronic media, publications, advertising, on the website of the Festival and in other promotional materials of the Organizer—solely for the purpose of the promotion of the Festival.
- The Applicant agrees to the provision of the preview copy of the film to representatives of the film industry and journalists accredited to the Festival for the purpose of closed screenings, in case the need arises.
- The Applicant agrees to the publication of information about the film on the Festival’s website and in the official prints (catalogue, programme, leaflets, etc.) and press materials.
- The Applicant agrees not to withdraw the film from the Festival.
6. Awards
- The Festival offers following Awards:
- Grand Prix—Golden Angel: award for the best film in the ON AIR,
- Golden Angel: audience award for the director of the best film in FROM POLAND Competition,
- Honorary non-competititive Awards:
- Award for Artistic Insolence to the outstanding character of Polish and European cinema,
- Flisak: Award of the Mayor of Toruń for the best artist from the region,
- Pola Negri Film Award of the Marshal of the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship for Debut of the Year.
- The information about establishing other Festival Awards, which are not mentioned in these Rules and Regulations, will be announced on the website of the Festival.
- Money awards will be paid after the Festival. In order to receive a money award it is required to provide, within 21 days after being informed about the award, personal data in accordance with the form provided by the Organizer and signed by the winner.
7. Concluding Remarks
- Submission of a film to the Festival constitutes acceptance of these Rules and Regulations.
- The Director of the Festival decides in matters not covered by the Rules and Regulations.