Premise
MyART INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (MyART, from now on) is an international independent film Festival which has been promoting human rights protection since 2017. Actually, in many parts of the world, issues concerning human rights are particularly serious, since the use of brutal methods has increased and there is a systematic use of arbitrary detentions, ill-treatment and tortures, enforced disappearance, rigged trials and dreadful terms of imprisonment, often to the detriment of human rights defenders.
The first victims of such loss of rights are immigrants: because of the consequences of economic globalization, which produces wars, impoverishment, violation of fundamental freedoms (freedom of expression, religion, sexual orientation, etc.), more and more people are forced to flee to save themselves. Meanwhile, all over Europe prohibitionism in terms of circulation and right of citizenship of the immigrants is established, which develops new means of blackmail and imprisonment. The growing strengthening and militarization of national borders furthers a process of progressive “clandestinization”of immigration and favours the exploitment of migrant labour. Behind the rhetoric of “firmness” against clandestine immigration, is the assurance of a quota of workers on the national territory living in conditions that allow their full exploitment and impede any form of protection of their civil and social rights.
Goals
The Festival, including three competition sections, aims at supporting and spreading film works which go beyond simple witnessing to become active, committed cinema, with its eye on the future of new generations: a workshop involving film directors, producers and, above all, audience, making it an active part in the construction of a new concept of global citizenship which is able to combine human rights protection with respect for diversity.
MyART promotes cinematographic culture through the audience’s free use of all works (both in and out of competition).
Regulation
ART. 1 Place, time and designation
MyART’s fifth edition will take place in Cosenza from 26th to 30th October 2021.
ART.2 Festival subject
The Festival subject is human rights protection, with particular attention to migratory processes and respect for fundamental freedoms (expression, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, etc.).
ART. 3 Constitution and Organization
3.1 MyART Festival is organized by the Cultural Multiethnic Association “La Kasbah” Onlus (LA Kasbah, from now on) which has dealt with protection and promotion of human rights – specially of immigrants and political refugees – since 2001, supporting paths of interaction and exchange between different cultures.
3.2 On occasion of MyART, “La Kasbah” appoints an Organizational Direction, an Artistic Direction and a Secretary.
3.3 La Kasbah will rely on a board of trustees, chosen among prominent members in the cinema and cultural scene, which will be assigned the task of supervising the definitive programme in order to make sure that films in competition, events and innintiatives in the programme are consistent with the Festival mission.
ART. 4 Sections, Awards and Activities of the Festival
The Festival programme is divided into the following sections and related awards:
4.1 Documentary section:
Documentary films, of up to 60 minutes, about subjects related to human rights protection, with special attention to migration as well as respect for fundamental freedoms (expression, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, etc.).
4.1.1 SARAH MALDOROR AWARD – The best documentary will win a 2.500 € Award dedicated to the film director of Guadalupean descent Sarah Maldoror.
4.2 Short film section:
Fiction short films, of up to 30 minutes, about subjects related to human rights protection, with special attention to migration as well as respect for fundamental freedoms (expression, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, etc.).
4.2.1 SHADY HABASH AWARD- The best short film will win a 1.500€ award founded by Fondazione Migrantes and dedicated to the Egyptian videomaker Shady Habash.
4.3 CALAFILM section:
Documentaries and fiction short films by Calabrian authors, or set in Calabria, or produced by Calabrian productions having a subject, idea, or project which represents or looks at the territory in an original way. The prize can also be awarded to figures from Calabrian cinematography who have particularly distinguished themselves on a national and international scale.
The best documentary will be awarded the CalaFilm 700€ money prize.
The best fiction short film will be awarded the CalaFilm 300€ money prize.
4.4 Non-competing films
Documentaries and fiction short films that have not got through selection but are considered to be deserving to be part of MyART programme.
4.5 Special sections, subjects, retrospectives, tributes (out of competition).
The Artistic Direction will be able to grant awards and/or special recognitions to film directors and works critically acclaimed and/or awarded in national and international festivals of greater contemporary importance.
4.6 Meetings and events
Alongside the film programme, during MyART Festival, ad hoc meetings and roundtables with the festival guests (directors, producers, representatives from the film sector and associations) concerning the subjects of the current festival edition.
*The Artistic Direction, for each edition, reserves the right to confirm and/or modify the awards and their value during the planning phase. Awards are granted by juries specially set up by the Artistic Direction for each edition (see point n.6).
Art. 5 MyART for School
5.1 MyART pays special attention to young people and students by means of a dedicated space, called MyART for School, aiming at promoting the knowledge of film culture and greater awareness of human rights among young people. During MyART festival, morning screenings will be organizaed, including educational moments on the art of film and human rights (special events attended by national and international film directors and personalities, seminars, workshops). Moreover, through a dedicated App, the students involved will express their vote, and the best short film will receive MyART for School Award.
ART. 6 Juries and special awards
6.1 MyART Artistic Direction will form the official Juries for the “Documentaries” and “Short Films” sections, which will consist of personalities from cinema and human rights culture.
The juries are required to grant the official awards.
6.2 Special awards and recognitions might be added to the official awards at the discretion of the juries.
Art. 7 Application to MyART International Film Festival
7.1 The selection of the films accepted in the competition is under the exclusive care of MyART International Film Festival Artistic Direction.
7.2 Films and videos produced after 1st January 2019 – preferably in Italian preview – can apply for the sections in competition.
7.3 To apply for the Festival it is necessary to fill the application form and send the film in its original language (with Italian subtitles) sending an mpg4-h264 file with a no less than 8.000kb/sec bitrate or a streaming link to submit@myartfilmfestival.it with username and password, following the procedures provided in the entry form, within 31st July 2021.
The link will have to stay open and active throughout the duration of the Festival.
Such materials – penalty the exclusion – will have to be sent together with a file containing the plot of the film and the director’s bio-filmography (indicating the original titles of the works and awards); a technical file containing the artistic and technical cast; a short director’s statement on the film; a picture of the director (high resolution, jpg), 4 pictures of the film (high resolution, jpg), a poster (jpg or pdf), a digital trailer (30’’ max) for promotional use (mp4 or h264, max 5000 kbs bitrate).
7.4 The application fee is 15,00€ and must be paid within 10 days from submission, by bank transfer to account n. 70089 – Iban: IT10F0335901600100000070089; BCITITMX, registered to Associazione Culturale Multietnica “La Kasbah” – Cosenza; Bank: Prossima; reason: “quota iscrizione MyARTIFF 2020” – “Name and surname” – “title of the film”.
7.5 All information about the selected films, biographies, fimographies and pictures will be used to edit the catalogue. The contents of editorial production that form the info material of the Festival are covered by a Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike CC-BY-SA free licence released under CC Creative Commons licence (for futher infomation please visit http://creativecommons.org/licences/by-sa/3.0/).
7.6 The Festival Secretary will send the results of the selection within 30th September 2021.
Art. 8 Video formats and sending deadlines
8.1 The high resolution film file for the screening must be received by the Festival staff no later than 12th October 2021 (penalty the exclusion from the Festival).
8.2 All copies must be in their original version with Italian subtitles.
The Festival does not cover booking expenses for the films selected for the competition.
Art. 9 Non-commercial exploitation of the works
The selected works in and out of competition will become part of MyART International Film Festival Archive. The Artistic Direction reserves the right to use the received works in no exclusive form for archive, divulgation, promotion, didactic and cultural purposes.
Underwriting the Festival application form, the director/production and/or distribution, if present, or their legal guardians, allow La Kasbah association the right to use and screen the film in competition for archive, divulgation, promotion, didactic and cultural purposes. The association which promotes the festival guarantees that all activities for archive, divulgation, promotion, didactic and cultural purposes with the participation of spectators, will be free of charge.
Art.10 General regulations
The present regulation is drawn up in Italian and English. In case of difficulties of interpretation, the Italian version shall prevail.
The request for admission to the Festival implies the unconditional acceptance of these regulations.
The calendar and timetable of the screenings fall within the exclusive competence of the Festival Direction.
In case of loss of damage of the film copy, the Festival liability shall be limited to the cost of reprint of the copy according to the Italian rates.
The Festival Artistic Direction can make decisions concerning issues that are not included in the present regulation. The competent Court for any dispute is the one of Cosenza.