• 1
    Only short films with a Palestinian dimension may participate in the competition. Film duration must not exceed 30 minutes.
  • 2
    Films originally in Turkish must have English subtitles; films not in Turkish must have both Turkish and English subtitles prepared in SRT format.
  • 3
    For the competition to take place, at least 10 films (Fiction, Experimental, Animation, Documentary) must apply and pass the preliminary evaluation.
  • 4
    Short films shot in 35mm, 16mm, video, or digital format may enter the competition. Works produced in analog format must be transferred to digital. The screening format is determined by the institution hosting the festival.
  • 5
    Participants may apply with more than one film.
  • 6
    There are no production rule restrictions. Having previously participated in another festival or having graduated does not disqualify a film from the competition.
  • 7
    Applications will be accepted exclusively through FilmFreeway. Additional documents may be requested from the owners of the top 16 selected films.
  • 8
    The 16 films that pass the preliminary selection will be screened for audiences as part of the festival. Transportation and accommodation expenses of the 5 finalist film owners will be covered by festival support.
  • 9
    The owners (or directors) of the top 5 films are required to attend the award ceremonies. Participants who are not present at the ceremony are still entitled to receive their monetary prizes.
  • 10
    Applicants confirm that they hold all rights to the film and consent to its screening at the physical screenings of the festival.
  • 11
    The festival is not affiliated with any political organization or entity. The purpose of the event is solely cultural, artistic, and humanitarian.
  • 12
    Films that meet the application requirements may be disqualified by the festival management even if they have passed the preliminary selection.
  • 13
    Videos containing copyright infringement, hate speech, content promoting obscenity, or discriminatory elements will be excluded from evaluation.
  • 14
    The participant who submits an online application is deemed to have read and accepted these terms and conditions.
ARTICLE 3: DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED BY THE 16 FILMMAKERS SELECTED FOR THE FESTIVAL PROGRAM

Owners of works selected for the festival program are required to provide their email addresses when uploading their films to www.filmfreeway.com. The application form will be sent via email communication. Completing and returning the form is mandatory.

ARTICLE 4: FESTIVAL COMMITTEE PROPOSAL

The preliminary selection committee consists of the festival executive board and/or experts selected by the festival executive board from outside itself. The number of members of the committee conducting the preliminary selection is determined by the festival board. Works that do not meet the participation requirements will not be screened for the preliminary selection committee. Works advancing to the final will be announced on the website after being determined by the preliminary committee.

ARTICLE 5: SPECIAL CONDITIONS

The rights holder is deemed to have unconditionally accepted that portions of the copies kept in the festival archive after the competition, not exceeding 60 seconds, as well as the film poster or a few frames from the film, may be used for promotional purposes in visual and print media.

No royalty fee will be paid for the screening of finalist films in public spaces within the scope of the festival.

ARTICLE 6

The applicant is deemed to have accepted all the conditions in the festival competition regulations from the moment they complete their online application. The competitor accepts and declares that they are personally responsible for all matters and transactions related to film screenings, as well as all legal responsibilities including copyrights, authorship, usage permissions, and similar issues that may arise under the Law on Intellectual and Artistic Works No. 5846 dated 05/12/1951.

All obligations regarding the copyrights of non-original music, photographs, videos, visual effects, AI-generated content, or other materials used in the submitted works belong to the rights holder. The festival committee cannot be held responsible for any legal violations or rights claims arising from such content.

The legal rights holder of the film guarantees that the submitted work has been produced entirely through legal means, does not infringe on the copyright and usage rights of third parties, and that all necessary permissions have been obtained.

Productions are presented to the audience and selection committee in venues deemed appropriate by the festival management. Changes to sessions, venues, and programs cannot be requested.

The conditions under which films will be voted on and awarded will be determined by the festival committee.

The responsibility for submitting the application form required to be completed for films selected as a result of the preliminary selection belongs to the rights holder.

The decisions of the preliminary selection jury and the competition jury are final. After the preliminary selection results are announced, participants cannot withdraw their film.

No participation or screening fee is paid to films participating in the competition.

ARTICLE 7: AWARDS

The festival management has the right to remove from the screening program any films included in the festival program that do not meet the necessary technical specifications and legal qualifications for screening. Producers, directors, actors, and other contributors to films participating in the Short Film Competition are deemed to have accepted these rules. It is the responsibility of the legal owner of the applicant film to inform those who contributed to the production about these regulations. Furthermore, the right to make changes to these regulations belongs to the Festival Committee.