The TDF - Thessaloniki Documentary Festival is an international Festival of films and videos, taking place annually in the month of March in Thessaloniki, Greece. The 21st Thessaloniki Documentary Festival is to be held from the 1st to the 10th of March 2019.
Purpose
To introduce and promote the most important documentary productions worldwide and to create an international forum for the presentations and discussion of emerging media and information technologies.
Organisation
The TDF is organized under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture and is administered by the Thessaloniki Film Festival.
On Line Entry - submission fee: 20 euro
All entry submissions must be made online through the link found on the Festival’s official page (www.filmfestival.gr).
TDF must receive an on-line screener, a completed entry form and payment of a 20-euro entry fee.
All URL links must remain active and accessible until the 10th of March 2019.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: After the submission of your film you will receive notice within 5 working days in order to proceed with the payment and complete the entry.
Should you wish to send a DVD instead of an online link, you must send 2 DVDs along with a print-out of the complete entry form to:
Thessaloniki Documentary Festival
7 Dion. Areopagitou str., 117 42 - Athens, Greece
Tel: +30 210 8706000, +30 210 8706016
Submission Deadlines
First deadline: August 3rd 2018 for films completed between November 2017 and March 2018
Second final deadline: November 30th 2018 for films completed between April 2018 and November 2018
(Between the 3rd and 20th of August, submissions will be suspended and the submission link will be inactive)
Official Competition
The films that meet the following conditions are eligible to participate in the international competition section:
1) the film is a director’s first or second documentary feature film
2) production must have been completed within the 12 (twelve) months preceding the Festival screening
3) has not been released or screened publicly in Greece
4) has a running time of over 50 minutes
Ten (10) to twelve (12) films of over 50 minutes in length will compete for the Golden Alexander and the Special Jury Award. The Golden Alexander award is accompanied by a €8,000 cash prize. The Special Jury Award is accompanied by a €2,000 cash prize.
Oscar consideration (Best Documentary Feature category)
Please note that the film that wins the Golden Alexander award will automatically be eligible to submit for Oscar consideration in the Documentary Feature category.
This new update made by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences concerns its Documentary Feature Qualifying Festival List that includes the TDF among the world’s leading film festivals and enables these festivals’ qualifying awarded films to serve the aforementioned purpose.
Official International competition for Virtual Reality (VR) films
The films that meet the following conditions are eligible to participate in the VR competition section:
1) production must have been completed within 18 (eighteen) months preceding the Festival screening
2) has not been released or screened publicly in Greece
An international 3 member jury will award the VR Golden Alexander.
Film Selection for all sections
1) Entrants whose films have been selected will be notified soon after the selection.
2) English subtitled prints must be provided for all films selected.
3) All selected films are screened in their original language and must be subtitled in English unless the original language is English.
4) Prints of selected films must be accompanied by one DVD copy following the exact runtime and subtitles of the screening version (for screening safety reasons) and they should reach the Festival Offices by February 2nd, 2018.
5) Films participating in the Festival’s main program must be recent productions of the past 18 months preceding the festival’s dates and not previously shown or been released in Greece.
6) All films participating can be DCP, 35mm, Beta tape (Digital Beta and Beta SP) and/or HD Cam.
7) There is no limit in running time (except for the Official Competition section as stated above).
8) The Festival decides and is responsible for the screening schedule of the film (day and hour) during the Festival’s period.
9) The Festival has the right to reject any material which does not further the character and objectives of its program.
10) Participation in the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival implies acceptance of the above regulations.
11) Films selected for the official program will automatically participate in the Doc Market free of charge unless otherwise stated by the film’s rights holder.
Postal / Shipping Expenses of selected films
1) The Festival organization will be liable for insuring the film, from the moment of its arrival at the Festival until its return by carrier.
2) Cost of shipping expenses will be shared among the Festival and the producer.
3) Should a copy be damaged, claims should arrive at the Festival Office no later than one month after the film has been received by the producer and two months after the end of the Festival.
4) The Festival’s liability in case of whole or partial damage of a print during the Festival cannot exceed the value of $300 USD.
