Regulations

Short Film Competition Regulations

Article 1: Purpose

The competition is open to everyone producing in the field of cinema. As part of the Istanbul Gelişim University International FutureScope Short Film Festival to be held on December 5-6, 2025, a short film competition is organized to support non-commercial short film productions; to contribute to the national development of fiction, experimental, animation and documentary cinema; to bring together filmmakers from abroad and at home; and to raise awareness with the motto of sustainable living.

Article 2: Participation Conditions

• For the competition to be held, at least 16 films (Fiction, Experimental, Animation and Documentary) must have participated and passed the preliminary evaluation.
• 35mm and 16mm films and productions shot with video technique or digital technology can participate in the short film competition. However, films shot with analog film technique must have been transferred to digital media. Screening formats in the Short Film Competition are determined by the festival executive committee.
• Productions with a maximum duration of 15 minutes can participate in the competition.
• Contestants can apply with more than one work.
• Films made between 2022 and 2025 can participate in the competition. Having previously participated in any festival or short film competition or having won awards from these competitions does not prevent participation in the competition.
• Pre-applications will be made digitally through the application site directed from the application section. For works that make it to the top 16, they will be asked to fill out and return the application form.
• Films submitted must have embedded English subtitles. (For non-English films)
• 16 films among the films participating in the competition will meet with the audience within the scope of the festival. The owners of the 16 films among the finalist films will be invited to the competition gala to be held at Istanbul Gelişim University within the scope of the festival.
• Transportation costs of finalists residing outside Istanbul among the owners of the top 16 films will be covered by the competition committee, but accommodation costs of other work owners will not be covered. The University is not responsible for the accommodation, meals, etc. costs of the work owners.
• The Award-Winning Work Owner Must Be Present at the Award Ceremony to Receive the Award or Send a Representative. No Award, Including Monetary Award, Will Be Given to the Work Owner Who Does Not Fulfill This Condition.
• The last day to participate in the competition is October 1, 2025. Online applications must be completed by this date. If the film is password protected, it must be shared with its password and the film and email address must be uploaded to the address directed by the application on the site.
• When the contestant makes an online application, they accept the competition conditions of the festival.
• Films that do not meet the application conditions may be excluded from the competition by the festival management, even if they pass the preliminary elimination.

Article 3: Documents to be Sent by the Owners of the 16 Works Included in the Festival Selection

The owners of the works included in the festival selection must upload their email addresses when uploading their films to the address found here. The application form can be sent when necessary through communication established via email. It is mandatory to fill out and return the form.

Article 4: Festival Committee Proposal

The number of members of the committee that will make the preliminary selection is determined by the festival committee. Works that do not comply with participation conditions will not be shown to the pre-selection committee. After the works that make it to the finals are determined by the preliminary committee, they will be announced on the festival's website.

The Festival President, Festival Director and Festival Coordinator of the International Short Film Festival may participate in all jury committees within the scope of the festival in line with their areas of expertise, professional experience and competencies, when deemed necessary.

These individuals may serve as Jury Members or Jury President in the relevant jury committee, if deemed appropriate by the festival management.

Article 5: Special Conditions

The work owner unconditionally accepts that a portion of the copies to be kept in the festival archive after the competition, not exceeding 60 seconds, the poster of the film or a few frames from the film may be shown in visual and printed media for promotional purposes, and work owners who have applied to the competition are deemed to have accepted this condition. No copyright fee is charged for the screening of finalist films in public places within the scope of the festival. When the contestant makes an online application, they accept the competition conditions of the festival. The copyright responsibility of non-original music, photographs, videos, etc. in the application works belongs to the work owner who applied. The legal owner of the film guarantees to the festival committee that the film is completely legal and compliant with copyrights. The work owner has guaranteed that all intellectual and industrial property rights, including copyright, of the work in the competition belong to them. The work owner irrevocably declares, accepts and guarantees that in case third parties claim rights regarding this work, all responsibility will belong to them and the University has no responsibility. Productions are presented to the audience and selection committee in halls deemed appropriate by the festival management. Session, hall and program changes cannot be proposed. The festival committee determines under what conditions the films will be voted on and awarded. The responsibility for sending the application form requested to be filled out for the films to be determined as a result of the preliminary elimination belongs to the work owner. The decisions of the preliminary jury and the competition jury are final. After the preliminary elimination results are announced, the participant cannot withdraw their film. No participation or screening fee is paid to films participating in the competition.

Article 6:

Film representatives under 18 years of age who are finalists from outside Istanbul must participate with their legal guardians.

Article 7: Awards

The organizing committee has the right to remove from the screening program films included in the competition program that do not have the technical features and legal qualities required for screening. The producer, director, actor and other people who contributed to the film participating in the Short Film Competition are deemed to have accepted these rules. It is the responsibility of the legal owner of the film who is the applicant to inform the people who contributed to the production of this regulation. In addition, the right to change the regulation belongs to the competition Committee.