This Open Call invites film submissions worldwide for the Thus Have I Seen Buddhist Film Festival 2012 (THIS BFF). The first instalment of the festival held in 2009 was warmly received in Singapore, with 93.5% of all tickets sold.

THIS BFF aims to promote awareness of the Buddha’s timeless Teachings and the diversity of Buddhist cultures around the world through the use of film, a contemporary medium.

THIS BFF seeks films that, through good storytelling and production values,

• Contemplate on the Buddhist philosophy and way of life;


• Introduce the immense cultural diversity of a 2,500 year-old religion that has grown from being a missionary order in ancient India to become a global religion today.

Films selected for showcase in the week-long festival will be a mix of invited works curated by the Organiser and works selected from the Open Call.

THIS BFF is non-competitive and no prizes or awards will be presented. Films may be in any language. However, non-English dialogue films must be subtitled in English. We accept screening formats on 35mm, Digital Beta and Betacam SP.

THIS BFF welcomes relevant films from any period.

Categories
1. Feature — any work made with actors performing a fictional story with runtime over 60 minutes

2. Short – any work made with actors performing a fictional story with a runtime under 60 minutes

3. Documentary — nonfiction works that is a depiction or direct filming of a real life situation, which may include Buddhist issues, practices, history, culture, personalities or arts.

4. Animation — any work consisting primarily of animation, regardless of length or genre

Fees
1. There are no entry fees, but all freight/postage fees for screener submissions shall be borne by the filmmaker

2. The Organiser will only bear the costs of shipping selected film reels or tapes from the country of origin and back

Copyright

It is the responsibility of the entrant/filmmaker to ensure that all approvals and permissions for use of materials within the film (music, etc) have been obtained before submission.

Final Selection

The final selection of all films is up to the discretion of the Organiser. Only selected entrants will be officially notified. Should your film be accepted, THIS BFF will request additional information for press and publicity. A soft copy press kit must accompany all selected films. The press kit must include print-quality digital promotional posters, photographs, trailer, director’s biography, production notes and the film’s screening history and awards received.

Submission deadline is 31 March 2012.

All packages must be freight and postage pre-paid and must include the following:

1. The completed official application form
2. 2 copies of DVD screener of the film or full access to the film through a secure online platform
3. Director’s CV
4. Hi-res JPEG/TIFF film stills

Please send entries to

THIS Buddhist Film Festival 2012
Robinson Road Post Office
PO Box 1492
Singapore 902942

Contact details

Tel: +65 9765 4322 / +65 9826 9319

Email: info@thisfilmfest.com

Website: www.thisfilmfest.com