TERMS AND REGULATIONS OF THE 19TH LUBLIN FILM FESTIVAL
I. GENERAL TERMS
1. The 19th LUBLIN FILM FESTIVAL, hereinafter referred to as the ‘Festival’, organised by Kinoteatr Projekt operating at the Centre for Culture in Lublin, hereinafter referred to as the ‘Organiser’, will take place on November from 21.11 to 29.11.2025. The organizer reserves the right to change the date of the Festival or shorten its duration.
2. The festival is planned in a stationary form (all events will take place in the designated buildings with the participation of the audience). In the event of an extraordinary situation beyond the Organizer’s control, preventing the organization of the Festival in the stationary formula, the Organizer does not rule out conducting online screenings.
3. The Centre for Culture in Lublin based in Lublin, 12th Peowiaków St. is the Festival’s Producer.
4. The Festival is intended for filmmakers from all over the world. The aim of the Festival is to promote a film repertoire which is original, daring, appealing to viewers, and at the same time novel in its approach to form and content. The Festival is also engaged in a large-scale educational activity, aimed at local community development.
Regarding Russia’s atrocious invasion of independent Ukraine, professing universal humanistic values defended by the Ukrainian nation, in 2025, until further notice, the Festival reserves the right not to select films of Russian production and co-produced with the participation of producers registered as legal and economic entities on territory of the Russian Federation
II. COMPETITIONS
5. As part of the Festival, there will be 4 short film competitions (max. 30 minutes):
a) FOCUS: TRANSGRESSION – Films qualifying for the competition are short live-action and short documentary films. We are looking for original films that experiment with its form and use new forms of narrative.
b) FOCUS: COMMUNITY – Films qualifying for the competition are short live-action and short documentary films. We are looking for films that address current social issues or original stories about the contemporary world which can help us to understand its complexity and diversity better.
c) FOCUS: CHILDREN – Films qualifying for the competition are productions intended for children, avoiding infantility and presenting a high artistic level.
d) FOCUS: ANIMATION – Films qualifying for the competition are formally original animations, both abstract and those raising important topics.
6. As part of the Festival, there will be the FOCUS: BORDERS competition.
Films qualifying for the competition are medium-length and feature-length films with duration of at least 40 minutes; live-action, animated and hybrid, with a clearly original style, seeking original forms of storytelling about contemporary times, made at a high artistic and technical level. The name of the competition can be interpreted broadly.
7. The Organisers reserve the right to change the names of the contests, to create contests additional ones (apart from the ones listed in section no. 5 and 6), and to decide not to hold specific contests (from among the ones listed in section no. 5 and 6).
III. MEETING THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS IS PREREQUISITE FOR THE FILM QUALIFICATION AT THE FESTIVAL
8. The following films can be entered into the competitions:
a) short films with a duration of no more than 30 minutes (including credits) produced no earlier than 1st of January 2023,
b) feature films (live action, animated and hybrid) with a duration of at least 40 minutes (including credits) produced no earlier than 1st of January 2023. Documentary films with a duration exceeding 30 minutes will not be admitted to the competition.
9. The entity submitting the film should have full copyright to the submitted film or should be authorized by the copyright owner to submit the film for selection.
10. No more than 2 films by the same author may be submitted to the selection.
11. Films that have already been submitted to previous editions of the Festival will not be selected.
IV. SELECTION OF FILMS FOR COMPETITION
12. The films can be submitted only through FilmFreeway (http://filmfreeway.com/festival/LublinFF) together with the required attachments.
The required attachments:
a) dialogue list in English with time codes in .srt format.
It is acceptable to submit Polish-language films with subtitles embedded in the video as part of the picture (so-called hardsubs);
b) at least 2 film stills in .jpg format (300dpi);
c) a photo of the director(s) in .jpg format (300dpi);
A film poster in .jpg or .pdf format is not obligatory, but if the applicant sends it to the Organisers (A3 size, resolution 300dpi), the poster may be exhibited at the Centre for Culture in Lublin during the Festival.
In case of technical problems with the submission of obligatory attachments along with the application via FilmFreeway platform, it is permissible to send them via e-mail to: festival@lff.lublin.pl. The e-mail’s subject must include the film’s title and the director’s name.
13. The applicant must send any missing information and materials to the Organiser in 7 days from being notified about the application being incomplete. If the missing information is not sent in the aforementioned term, the Organiser can not qualify the film to the Selection.
14. Films can be submitted free of charge from 1st of March 2025 till 31st of March 2025.
15. From 1st of April 2025 all entries via FilmFreeway will be charged:
a) from 1st of April 2025 till 2nd of May 2025 – 6 USD for each film (payable via FilmFreeway);
b) from 3rd of May 2025 till 2nd of June 2025 – 20 USD for each film (payable via FilmFreeway).
Entities that submit films of Ukrainian production are exempt from the obligation to pay the fee in the periods specified in section 15. The entity submitting the film to the competition may (in justified cases) request the Organizer to issue a free waiver by sending an e-mail to festival@lff.lublin.pl.
16. Films submitted after 2nd of June 2025 will not take part in this year’s selection.
17. A copy of the film must be uploaded to a streaming server and available to watch at least until the applicant has been informed of the selection results. Films on DVD, Blu-ray, or any other kind of physical media will not be accepted for the selection process.
18. Films for the Festival are qualified by the Qualification Committee appointed by the Organiser, hereinafter referred to as the Committee, which assigns selected films to individual competitions. The committee has the right to select films not qualified for the competitions for the specific screenings selected by the jury or theme screenings.
19. The list of the films qualified will be made available on the Festival’s website www.lff.lublin.pl after the completion of the Selection Committee’s deliberations. The applicants will be notified via email from the Organisers about the Selection results.
20. The applicant cannot withdraw the film from the festival after the announcement of the Selection results.
V. FESTIVAL SCREENINGS
21. Successful applicants will have 14 days after receiving notification of the selection results to deliver the following materials to the Organisers:
a) the screening copy of the film in .mov or .mp4 format with H.264 codec used, in a resolution of 1080p (no interlacing) or higher and with hardcoded English subtitles,
b) timecoded English subtitles in an .srt format synchronised with the screening copy (for non-Polish films only),
c) a list of the festivals at which the film was screened and awards it received, if any,
d) information whether the film will have its Polish, European or world premiere at the Festival (the screenings will not take place before 22nd of November 2024).
22. Full-length films screening copies can be delivered in DCP or Blu-Ray formats.
23. A download link to the screening copy together with the aforementioned materials can be send via e-mail at festival@lff.lublin.pl or a USB flash drive containing the screening copy together with the aforementioned materials can be sent to the following address:
Kinoteatr Projekt
Centrum Kultury w Lublinie
ul. Peowiaków 12
20-007 Lublin
POLAND
with a note „LFF”.
24. Failing to deliver the materials listed in section 21 may result in film’s disqualification from the Festival. At the same time, after accepting the demonstration copy, the Organizer reserves the right not to accept further demonstration copies of the same film if the time and technical conditions, in the Organiser’s opinion, do not allow it to be properly adapted to the projection at the Festival.
25. The Organiser does not cover the postal/courier costs of sending the screening copy.
26. The aforementioned storage media become the property of the Organiser and will not be returned (does not apply to portable hard drives with a DCP copy).
27. The Organiser does not charge for showing the film at competition or special screenings.
28. The Organiser does not pay a license fee. The applicant grants the Organiser a free, non-exclusive, unlimited territorially license to show the film at public screenings during the Festival and its replicas (in screening rooms or other, and as part of open-air shows).
VI. PARTICIPATION IN THE FESTIVAL (FILM REPRESENTATION)
29. The Organiser provides each contestant with free participation in all festival events. If it is necessary to introduce an online formula, access to some events may be territorially limited to the borders of Poland.
30. The Organiser provides a limited number of free accommodation, max. 2 persons representing a film qualified for the Festival program, unless there are circumstances beyond the Organiser’s control limiting the possibility of accepting guests. Free accommodation is granted based on the order of applications and the availability of vacancies.
31. The Organiser does not cover or refund the Festival’s participants travel and food expenses.
32. Applicants under 18 must supply the Organiser with their parents’ or guardians’ consent to enter the Festival. Additionally, they must appoint a guardian (over 18 years old) to accompany them at the Festival.
VII. AWARDS
33. Films qualified for the contests are judged by a Jury appointed by the Organiser from among the distinguished representatives working in the film field.
34. The Jury’s deliberations are closed to the public and may take place online. The Jury’s decisions are final and non-appealable.
35. Each short film competition will award one prize: the Golden Anteater statuette and a diploma, as well as a financial prize of PLN 2,000. The Jury may also award honourable mention that can recieve a diploma.
36. The Jury also awards two Lublin Film Awards. The Lublin Film Award: Feature Film will be given to one film from the Focus: Borders competition. The Lublin Film Award: Short Film will be given to one film picked from all short films’ competition. In both cases, the prizes are: the Golden Anteater statuette and a diploma, as well as a financial prize of 2,500 euros.
37. All films qualified for the Festival program will take part in the Audience Competition for the best film. After counting the votes from the audience for individual films, a special Golden Anteater of the Audience will be awarded, along with the financial Lublin Audience Prize of 4,000 PLN.
38. The organizer reserves the right to establish additional financial prizes (in addition to those mentioned in sections 35-37 or the establishment of additional financial rewards).
39. The Organiser will also choose a film to be awarded the Krzysztof Szot Award.
40. The Jury’s verdict and other awards decisions will be announced at the official closing of the Festival. The list of winners will also be published on the Festival website. The Organiser reserves the right not to organize the official closing of the festival in a traditional form, but only in the form of an online broadcast.
41. The authors of awarded films not able to participate in the official closing of the festival should send a short (around 1 minute long) video of appreciation for the award to festival@lff.lublin.pl immediately after receiving information about winning.
42. Financial awards will be paid only to the directors of the awarded films on the basis of contracts with the winners in the form of a transfer to the bank account specified in the contract in the amount including the tax deductions required by Polish law.
43. Golden Anteater statuettes and diplomas may be collected in person by the winners or their representatives during the official closing of the festival or at the premises of the Centre for Culture in Lublin at a date agreed with the Organiser. The organiser may also send the statuette and the diploma to the address indicated by the winner.
44. The Organiser reserves the right to add or change the category of the awards.
VIII. OTHER TERMS:
45. The applicant grants the Organiser the following licenses:
a) free, non-exclusive, unlimited territorially and time-wise license to show the film at public screenings during the Festival and its replicas;
b) free, non-exclusive, unlimited territorially and time-wise license to use the promotional materials supplied (the film’s description, stills, authors’ bios etc.) in the Festival’s publications (print, website, social media, press info, etc.) and in the Festival’s media coverage;
c) free, non-exclusive, unlimited territorially and time-wise license to use fragments of film chosen by the Organiser (the trailer or a film’s fragment up to 10% of its whole duration) in all the Festival’s promotional activities (print, website, social media, press info, the Internet, media: radio, television, cinema etc.);
d) free, non-exclusive, unlimited territorially and time-wise license to translate the dialogue list to Polish and screen the film with Polish subtitles (applicable to non-Polish films). The license also cover creating the subtitles for hearing impaired and audio description.
46. Granting a free, non-exclusive, time-limited to the screenings at the Festival, territorially limited to the borders of Poland license for public sharing of the film in the form of online access involves additional consent of the submitting entity, which can be granted in the application form or in writing in the form of e-mail. Possible online sharing of the film includes restricting access to the film to the borders of Poland, 500 unique plays without the possibility of downloading the file to the user’s internal drive and the password guarded access provided by the Organiser for a registered user. The organizer obliges not to publish the film online without the consent of the submitting entity.
47. The Organiser reserves the right to use the promotional materials supplied before, during and after the Festival. The applicant declares that he owns all the rights to the aforementioned materials. In case of any claims made towards the Organiser by any persons regarding the use of the aforementioned materials, the Applicant is bound to release the Organisers from any liability in the matter.
48. By entering the LFF Contests, the applicant agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.
49. The Organiser will not be held liable for any third parties’ rights infringement in connection with the use of the received materials, unless the infringement is the Organiser’s fault.
50. All matters not discussed in these Terms and Conditions will be decided by the Organiser.
51. The Polish version of these Terms and Conditions is the binding version.
52. In the event of any disputes arising from these Terms and Conditions, the applicable law is the Polish law, and cases will be heard by common courts in Lublin.
53. The Organiser reserves the right to change selected Terms and Regulations.
54. According to article 13 sections 1 and 2 of the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council (EU) 2016/679 of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free flow of such data and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (general regulation on data protection ) we inform that:
a) The Administrator of the personal data of the author/contestant is the Centre for Culture in Lublin with head office in Lublin (20-007), Peowiaków St 12 represented by the Director – Rafał Koziński. A Data Protection Inspector is appointed in the facility.
b) The personal data of the author/contestant will be processed for the purposes of:
– participation in the program of the Lublin Film Festival,
– information, i.e. sending information regarding program activities of the Centre for Culture in Lublin.
c) The recipients of the personal data of the author/contestant, in addition to the data administrator, will be only entities authorised to obtain personal data on the basis of the provisions of law.
d) The personal data of the author/contestant will be stored until he/her withdraw his/her consent to their processing. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of the processing which had been carried out on the basis of consent before its withdrawal.
e) The personal data of the author/contestant will not be subject to profiling.
f) Author/contestant has the right to access his/her data and the right to correct it, delete it, limit processing, the right to data transfer, the right to object, the right to withdraw consent at any time without affecting the legality of processing, which had been made on the basis of consent before its withdrawal.
g) Author/contestant has the right to lodge a complaint with the Office for Personal Data Protection when he/she feel that the processing of personal data concerning him/her violates the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation of 27 April 2016.
h) Providing personal data by the author/contestant is voluntary, however, it is also a condition of participation in the program of Lublin Film Festival.
