RULES AND REGULATIONS

1. Eligibility

Films Eligible for Consideration by BHFF:

• Films directed or co-directed by a Bosnian-Herzegovinian film director either residing or stemming from Bosnia and Herzegovina, or

• Films produced or co-produced (as either a majority or minority co-production) by a Bosnian-Herzegovinian film production company based in Bosnia and Herzegovina, or

• Films by any filmmakers, directors or production companies that have Bosnia and Herzegovina as the film's subject or that relate closely to Bosnian-Herzegovinian socio-economic, cultural and historical issues, and

• Films complying with at least one point above and produced in 2021, 2022 or 2023

Films NOT Eligible for Consideration by BHFF:

• Films that don’t comply with any of the above categories

• Films produced for non-theatrical presentation such as TV films, series, or online videos.

• Films that are publically available for viewing on online video hosting sites (such as YouTube, Vimeo or similar) without password or private link protection.

• Films that have completed a theatrical and film festival circuit presentation and are available on TV or for purchase online in the U.S.

• Films produced in 2020 or older

 

2. Deadline
All entries, including entry forms, films and supporting materials (as stated in section 5 below), should be received no later than February 28th, 2023. All submissions received after that deadline will not be taken into consideration.

3. Film Categories
The following categories will be considered: feature films, short films, documentary films, and animated films.

4. Formats and Quality Standards
Only films of a professional audio/video and technical quality suitable for public presentation will be taken into consideration. Entrants are advised NOT to send original prints or tapes. All films MUST be subtitled in English if produced in a language other than English and must be labeled appropriately. Entries that do not meet these standards will not be taken into consideration.

Acceptable formats for entry and consideration purposes only:

• Video File

• Online Streaming Video

Acceptable formats for public screening:

• Digital Cinema Package (DCP)

• Quicktime video file (2K or 4K), using ProRes 422 codec

 

5. Supporting Material
In addition to the film and filled out entry forms, please send supporting information, such as film stills (suitable for the Web use and print publication), synopsis, press reviews, full production credits and trailers.

6. Entry Fee
No entry fees are required.

7. Multiple Entries
Candidates can participate at the festival with more than one film. Each film must be accompanied by a separate entry form.

8. Shipping
Please contact us if you would like to mail your submission for a shipping address.  The shipping costs for the materials sent to the BHFF™ are the entrant’s responsibility. Entrants are advised to obtain a tracking number in order to track their packages. BHFF™ is not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, illegible, damaged, misdirected, or postage-due mail. The entrant assumes all responsibility for properly packing and posting the entry.

9. Online Submissions
You will need to submit the film for consideration as a video file uploaded to a file-sharing site of your choice or as a link to an online video streaming site (Vimeo, YouTube, or similar). If you are submitting an online streaming video, the link MUST BE PASSWORD PROTECTED and the stream must include the entire film. As noted previously we do not accept entries that are viewable in the public domain. In rare cases, we do accept “works in progress” for consideration purposes only and only if the final version of the film will be available within an agreed-upon deadline.

If you prefer to mail your entry please contact us to make such arrangements. However, we only accept a paperless online Entry Form.  

10. Film Selections
Final selections will be posted on www.bhffnyc.org a few weeks prior to the opening of the festival. BHFF™ reserves the right to change film selections based on the BHFF™ rules and regulations.

11. Promotion
Information about the films that are selected for the final program will appear on www.bhffnyc.org website and in the BHFF™  brochure.  They may also be mentioned in the BHFF™ press releases.  BHFF™ reserves the rights to use films and support material for purposes of film and festival promotions.

12. Other Terms and Conditions

• Submission of the relevant film material to the BHFF™ automatically implies compliance with the existing rules and regulations of the festival.

• The entrant is responsible for all film material shipping expenses. 

• BHFF™ handles all submitted material with necessary precaution; however, BHFF™ is exempted from all the liabilities pertaining to handling and shipping of the material as well as for wear and tear due to normal use. 

• All submissions, if accepted for a final selection, constitute limited permission for BHFF™ to publicly present the film under its operational guidelines.  By submitting the film the applicant waives all public screening fees.

• BHFF™ has the right to keep all films submitted as a part of its library collection. However, films formats sent for final screening will be returned per request after the screening, provided that the filmmaker covers the shipping and handling costs