SKIP CITY INTERNATIONAL D-Cinema FESTIVAL 2008 7/19 sat - 27 sun SKIP CITY Audio Visual Hall & Convention Hall (Saitama, Kawaguchi)

1 Purpose

The principal objective of the Festival is to encourage and contribute to the development of Digital Cinema through international competition, screenings and awards for digital filmmakers and their works.

2 Entry

The submissions are accepted in the following two competition categories:

Feature Length Competition (International Competition)

a. 

Objective
The objective is to encourage and contribute to the development of Digital Cinema through international competition, screenings and awards for digital filmmakers and their works.

b. 

Requirements

• All submissions must be shot digitally and able to be projected in digital format. (If your film is nominated, a digital screening tape with English subtitles or original language in English will be required.)
• Directors of feature length submissions cannot have more than three feature film directing credits to their name(s). (If the submitted film is a director's fourth feature, he or she is not qualified for the competition.)
• Running time must be 70 minutes or longer.
• Production must be completed after January 2007.
• All feature length submissions must have been produced for theatrical release.
• Films that have been commercially released in Japan before July 19th, 2008 are ineligible for submission.
• Resubmissions are not accepted.

c. 

Selection Process

c-1. 

Pre-Selection
The Pre-Selection Committee, appointed by the Festival Committee, will select the nominees.

c-2. 

Final Selection
The International Jury Committee, appointed by the Festival Committee, will select the award winners for each category. Cash Prizes total up to USD $130,000.

Short Length Competition (Domestic Competition)

a. 

Objective
The objective is to encourage and contribute to the development of Digital Cinema through domestic competition, screenings and awards for digital filmmakers and their works.

b. 

Requirements

• Only domestic submissions are accepted. These include films produced in Japan, as well as films produced by a Japanese director or producer who live overseas.
• All submissions must be shot digitally and be able to be projected in digital format. (If your film is nominated, a digital screening tape will be required.)
• Running time must be less than 60 minutes.
• Production must be completed after January 2007.
• Films that have a distributing agency or have been commercially released in Japan before July 19th, 2008 are ineligible for submission.
• Resubmissions are not accepted.

c. 

Selection Process

c-1. 

Pre-Selection
The Pre-Selection Committee, appointed by the Citizens' Circle to Support the SKIP CITY INTERNATIONAL D-Cinema FESTIVAL, will select nominees.

c-2. 

Final Selection
Jury members, appointed by the Citizens' Circle to Support the SKIP CITY INTERNATIONAL D-Cinema FESTIVAL, will select award winners for each category. Cash Prizes total up to USD $20,000.

3 Announcement

Nominees

Nominees will be informed of their selection before the official announcement at the press conference. The competition lineup will be announced at a press conference held by the festival.

Award winners

Award winners will be announced at the closing ceremony on the last day of the festival.

4 Awards

Feature Length Competition (International Competition)

International jury members will select the award winners. Cash prizes and awards will be given to the filmmakers by the Festival Committee and co-sponsors of the Festival.
* Although most awards go to the applicants as a general rule, some awards go to specific individuals.

Short Length Competition (Domestic Competition)

Jury members will select the award winners. Cash prizes and awards will be given to the filmmakers by the Citizens' Circle to Support the SKIP CITY INTERNATIONAL D-Cinema FESTIVAL.

Total Cash Prizes

The total cash prizes, including both Feature and Short Length Competition, will be USD $150,000. Tax will be included in total cash prize. (Tax rate will be based on Japanese law.)

5 Entries

Entry Fee

There is no entry fee. However, transportation charges and insurance fees for sending the necessary materials must be covered by the applicant.

Entry Form

Each entry form must be printed out and signed by the actual applicant.

Pre-Selection Materials

a. 

Film
DVD is the accepted format for pre-selection. If the film's original language is other than Japanese or English, please make sure it has English subtitles. Exceptions can be made for DV tape with the same language stipulations as DVD entries.

b. 

Press Materials
(All materials must be in English or Japanese.)

b-1. 

Synopsis (approximately 700 words)

b-2. 

Plot

b-3. 

Cast and Crew list

b-4. 

Biography and filmography of the director and producer

b-5. 

Publicity materials

Mailing Instructions

The properly completed entry form, required promotional material, and pre-selection DVD must be received by March 10th (Mon.), 2007 at the following address:

Return of materials

None of the submission materials will be returned. All submitted DVDs and tapes will be shredded after the festival.

Copyrights

The applicant must hold the rights to the entire content of the submitted work and certify that all of the content contained therein is the sole property of the submitter and violates no breach of copyright.

Out of Competition

Films not selected for competition may be used for other screenings related to the festival.

6. Selected Films

All applicants will be notified of nomination results by the end of May, 2008.

Required Materials

Applicants of selected films will be required to submit the following materials to the festival office:

a. 

Digital exhibition tape with English subtitles
* If the original language of the film is in English, please send exhibition tape without subtitles.

b. 

Dialog List (both original and English)
* Both original and English dialog lists are used to create Japanese subtitles.

c. 

Publicity materials

c-1. 

Stills (2 different cuts)

c-2. 

Director's headshot

c-3. 

Poster

c-4. 

Brochure

c-5. 

Trailer (about 30 seconds)

Subtitles

The Festival Committee will cover the cost of creating Japanese subtitles for selected films. The use of these subtitles is limited to screenings related to the festival.

Shipping and Safekeeping

a. 

Shipping
The applicant will be responsible for the delivery of the exhibition tape to the festival office by the designated date. The Festival will cover the cost of return shipping of your exhibition tape after the Festival.

b. 

Responsibility of Safekeeping
The Festival will assume insurance responsibility from the moment of the exhibition tape arrives at the festival office to the moment the exhibition tape is returned.

Invitation

The festival invites one person (the director in principal) per nominated film.

a. 

International Feature Competition
The festival covers round trip air fees (economy class) and accommodation (stated hotel) during the festival for one person per nominated film.

b. 

Domestic Short Competition
The festival covers travel expenses (limited) during the festival for one person per nominated films.

Agreement

Entry into SKIP CITY INTERNATIONAL D-Cinema FESTIVAL 2008 constitutes agreement with all festival regulations and implies permission to exhibit work during the festival. If any falsehoods are detected on an entry form, the related film will be excluded from nomination and its applicants will be required to repay any expenses incurred by the Festival as a result thereof.