Regulations for Participation

Art means ideas. With the theme "The Art of Peace," the aim is to cultivate the idea that peace, much like the creation of a work of art, requires thoughtful, meticulous, and disciplined intellectual inquiry.
The art of peace is about creating a way of thinking about peace and defining what our expectations of peace should be.
The effects of the art of peace in:

• Our personal lives
• Family life
• Gender roles
• Social relationships
• The art of education
• National and international relations

will encourage the creation of collective wisdom and the generation of new ideas. The resulting works will refresh our thinking by exemplifying how the concept of peace can influence every aspect of life.

• The competition is open to all amateur and professional short film makers.
• Films must not exceed 15 minutes in length.
• Films should align with the festival's main theme, "The Art of Peace," and develop creative approaches accordingly.

• Peace and Art: Participants should explore themes that link art with concepts such as peace, human rights, cultural dialogue, conflict resolution, social justice, and reconciliation.
• Philosophy of Art: Films should also reflect on how art mirrors human nature, ethical responsibility, and aesthetic values. They should convey the idea that art serves as an intellectual tool guiding people toward peace.
• Original Creativity: Films should develop creative and original narratives that represent peace through various art forms (music, dance, painting, theatre, digital art, etc.).
• Critical Perspectives on Peace: Films may critically examine the peace as a process, but such critique should be framed within a creative and artistic context.

• Films must be original and should not have been commercially distributed before.
• Films must have been produced in 2023 or later.
• Technical format: Films should be submitted in HD (1080p) or higher resolution, in digital formats (MP4, MOV, AVI, etc.).
• If a film has won an award in another competition, this must be indicated at the time of submission.

Films can be in any language; however, films made in a language other than English must include English subtitles.

Films will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Artistic Creativity: How the film utilizes art for peace and its artistic aesthetic approach.
• Tematik Derinlik: Barış temasının ele alınışındaki özgünlük, düşünsel derinlik ve felsefi yaklaşımlar.
• Thematic Depth: Originality, intellectual depth, and philosophical perspectives in addressing the theme of peace.
• Technical Achievement: Visual and audio quality, direction, editing, and overall cinematographic success.
• Artistic Responsibility in Thinking: The film’s ability to deliver a strong message about peace and its effectiveness in evoking emotions in the audience.

Films that win awards will be evaluated in different categories:

• Best Short Film (Professional Category)
• Best Short Film (Student Category)
• Best Documentary (Professional Category)
• Best Documentary (Student Category)

In addition to monetary prizes, winning films will be screened at the festival and promoted on international platforms (excluding films previously promoted on international platforms).

• The application form and film file must be submitted via the festival’s official website by the specified deadline.
• A short director’s biography and a description of the film must be provided along with the submission.

• All rights to the film must belong to the participant.
• Participants must grant permission for their films to be screened as part of the festival and to be used in the festival’s promotional materials.

• Films must not contain content that promotes violence, discrimination, or hate speech. Films should respect all groups of people and adhere to the principles of inclusivity.
• All copyright issues arising from the use of non- original texts, images, music, etc. in short films and documentaries are the responsibility of the producer. The legal responsibility arising in this context belongs to the owner of the production.
• The finalist films will be announced on the official web page of the Rotary Peace Film Festival and its social media pages.
• The finalist films can be screened for educational events organized by the Rotary Club of Peace, Istanbul, Turkey.
• Applications must include signed participation specification, application form, 3 film stills (do not include behind-the-scenes photos); Turkish and English synopses of the film not exceeding 500 characters, Turkish and English biographies and filmographies of the director not exceeding 500 characters, and a student certificate, if any.
• I have read and agree to the festival guidelines outlined above. I hereby declare that I hold all copyright rights to the work detailed in the credits above and accept full responsibility for any copyright claims arising from the music used in the film. I also acknowledge and accept that, should it be determined that any part or the entirety of this work belongs to another individual, I will bear full legal responsibility