Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ

 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. When is the Festival?

The Bengaluru International Short Film Festival will be held from August 03 - 13 this year with OTT screenings starting from August 4.

2. Where is the Festival?
The Bengaluru International Short Film Festival will take place in multiple theaters across Bengaluru. In addition, we will have virtual access (OTT screenings) for the viewers for selected films.
3. How Long Has The Festival Been Around for?
The festival started in Bangalore in 2010.
4. What films will be screened at the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival?
Explore all announced films on our website. The full lineup will be available on our website and official social media handles.
5. How Do You Distinguish Short Films From Feature Films?
Films with running times of less than 30 minutes are classified as Shorts. Films that are 30 minutes or longer are classified as Features. We DO NOT accept feature films. You should select your submission category based on what the final projected running time of the film will be, including credits.
6. How Much Local Content Is Showcased In The Festival?
We receive film submissions from across India. How many local shorts and feature films are showcased depends primarily on the quality and quantity of eligible films received, and the available screening slots.
7. How Will I Find Out If My Film Is Selected For Screening?
To find out whether your film has been selected or not, please visit our website or our social media handles. We will also contact you via email. Please make sure that the email address you provided on your application is operational at that time. If your email address changes after you’ve filled out the application, please update us with the new email. We shall not be held responsible for any failed notification.
8. What Is Non-Competition Section?
The jury goes through all films submitted and selects the best of them for the competition section. The next best films will be selected for screening in the non-competition section.
9. Who can avail passes to the festival?
Only persons above 18 years can apply for a Delegate Pass. A Delegate Pass is not transferable.
10. Where/How do I get passes?
Delegate passes can be availed at both venues. Virtual screening passes can be availed by clicking on the link below. You can also collect them at the venue during the festival.
11. I did not receive an email confirmation after my purchase.

You should have received an email upon registration. If you do not see any in the inbox, please check your spam folder. If you’re still experiencing issues, please contact us at hello@bisff.in or use the chat option on the website.

12. Are refunds or exchanges available?
All payments are non-refundable for any reason, including but not limited to illness, acts of God, or travel-related problems. Passes are non-transferable and are the property of BISFF.
13. Will all Festival films be available for OTT screening?

Not all Festival films will be available on our OTT platform. Please check the list of films that will be available for virtual screening.

14. Are Festival Films Closed Captions?
Yes, the films will have English Subtitles (closed captions).
15. Can I use one pass to watch films both at venues and virtual screenings?
Yes, one pass can be used to watch films both at the venue and the OTT platform if you have passes for both in-person and virtual admission.
16. Can I share my pass?
Each in-person pass is non-transferable and can only be used by the owner of the pass at any given time.
17. Can I Watch Live Events From Apple Tv, Firestick, Or Google Chromecast?
Live events will not be available to watch on Apple TV, Firestick, or Google Chromecast. To participate in the Q&A during a live event, you will need to watch on a computer to use the chat feature within the player. You can also watch live events on a tablet or smartphone. However, these devices will have limited functionality in the chat.
18. If A Forum Session Or Live Stream Is Already In Progress, Can I Still Attend?
Yes. You may join the session or Livestream as long as it is underway.
19. If I’m Not Able To Watch A Forum Or Stream Live, Will The Recordings Be Available Later?
Yes, the recordings for the Forum sessions will be available for the duration of the Festival here:

Youtube

Facebook

20. How Can I Help Spread The Word About BISFF Online?
We greatly appreciate your sharing info about BISFF’s online festival. We recommend you share BISFF newsletters and social media posts with your friends and family or with your social media followers.
21. Do You Have Any Advertising Opportunities During The Festival?
Please contact us to discuss the opportunities available. Our program, on-screen and venue packages are available to fit most budgets.
22. Will Tech Support Be Available?
Yes. We offer tech support via phone from 10 am – 6 pm leading up to the Festival and from 11 am – 9 pm during the Festival
at +91 9986863615
23. How Can I Donate?
To make a donation, you can contact us at either hello@bisff.in or bisffblr@gmail.com

1. I have my tickets for virtual admission. What should I do?

Please note this pass is only for online screenings. Please use the same ID to log in and watch the films. Multiple logins are not accepted.

2. What is OTT streaming?

Streaming simply refers to watching a film using your internet connection (instead of downloading a file to your computer). It’s immediate and available on demand with any device connected to the internet.

3. What are the system requirements for streaming?

Compatible Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows 7 or later, Apple Mac OS 10.12 or later, Chrome OS

Compatible Browsers: Google Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Opera, Safari (for Mac). We recommend using the latest version of your browser. Internet Explorer is not supported.

You can also watch films on Android tablets and phones using Chrome, and on iPhones and iPads using Safari.

4. When can I watch your streaming films?
Most films in the festival are available to stream from August 3rd - 13th, beginning at 12:00 AM on August 3rd. Access to some films will be limited to a few days within the Festival period; please check individual film listings for specific details.
5. Can I pause or rewind the films while streaming?

Yes, you can pause, rewind and revisit the films while streaming. You’ll have access to all the films streaming online during the festival dates, excluding a few. The exceptions will be indicated on the films’ pages.

6. Can I watch the festival films from anywhere in the world?

Films will be available only in India. All the films streaming online will be geo-blocked to India.

7. Why does video playback stall or not play smoothly?

We use adaptive bitrate streaming, meaning the streaming quality will automatically adjust to your internet speed. If your internet connection is poor or inconsistent, you may experience problems during playback. If you’re on Wi-Fi, try moving closer to your router.

1. I have my tickets for in-person admission. What should I do?
Please note that this pass is only for Theatre screenings. You must carry your Delegate Pass issued by the Festival. Without these requirements, you will not be permitted to watch the film. Food and beverages are not included in the Delegate Pass.
2. What will happen if I lose the pass?

In case of a lost delegate pass, a duplicate delegate pass will not be issued. You will not be permitted to watch a film without your delegate pass.

3. What is the seating arrangement at the venue?

Delegates will be allowed inside the screening hall only 15 minutes before the screening on a first-come-first-seated basis. No delegates are allowed in the screening hall once the seats are full.

4. Are there Q&As with the filmmakers?
Yes, there will be select in-person filmmaker conversations or post-screening Q&As.
5. How do I find out what else is happening during the Festival?

Our website will have most of the updated information. We’ll also post and live stream different content on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. If you aren’t already following us, please do so!

1. Do I need to meet a minimum age requirement to submit a film?

No, we encourage filmmakers of all ages to submit their work. However, we do have a separate category specifically related to young/student filmmakers. All submitted films will compete against each other for the available slots in each program. If you are under the age of 18, a student, and if your film is accepted, we will require signed, written permission from your SCHOOL before we can screen your film. Students also get a concession for film submission.

2. How many films may I submit?

You may submit as many films as you’d like. We do not offer reduced rates in fees for multiple submissions. If you submit three films, you must pay the submission fees for all three of them. Please do not submit multiple projects on the same LINK. If we receive a submission with multiple films on one link, we will only consider the first film included.

3. My film has already premiered at a festival screening. Is it eligible for your festival?

We will accept submissions that have already premiered in any film festival. But, your film’s premiere status will be taken into consideration when final programming decisions are made.

4. Why do you charge a submission fee? there are plenty of free festivals around.
A couple of reasons motivated the inclusion of our submission fee. From our experience with earlier seasons, free submissions generated a large number of spam submissions and/or submissions that did not fit the criteria mentioned in the call. We are a volunteer-run organisation and the investment in terms of time to weed out and disqualify these entries was significant. It is hoped that requiring a submission fee would encourage filmmakers to make sure the films they submit match the required criteria. The second reason for levying the submission fee is for a source to fund the artist/exhibition fee we pay to the filmmakers whose films are selected to screen at the festival.
5. What should I include with my submission?

After completing the online application, you will have to provide a link to the uploaded film (part of the application form).

6. Are submissions accepted exclusively through Filmfreeway or can we send in submissions directly (electronically) or by mail?

We only accept submissions via FilmFreeway and other online platforms

7. Which format should the film be submitted in?

We accept a low-quality screener for submission on Filmfreeway. However, if your movie is selected for screening at our festival, we will require an HD file.

8. Can I send a DVD instead of uploading it online?

No. We only accept digital copies of your film sent via Vimeo, Youtube, and other video streaming or downloadable sites. The file size must be less than 2GB. Once your upload is complete, you MUST view the uploaded file in its entirety to ensure everything is in order.

9. How do you determine if a film is considered Indian or International?
In almost all cases, this is determined by the primary source of the film’s funding. If 50% or more of the film’s financing came from sources within INDIA, it qualifies as an INDIAN Film. If more than 50% of the film’s financing came from international sources, it qualifies as an International Film. Please select your submission category based on the primary source of financing. We do reserve the right to make a final judgement call based on several other factors, such as the primary shooting location, language(s) spoken in the film, and the nationalities of key members of a film’s cast and crew.
10. My film includes Non-English dialogue, do you require English subtitles?

We require that all films that contain significant non-English dialogues include on-screen English subtitles. We prefer English films to also have English subtitles, so our audience can follow the conversation.

11. Will you notify me if you do not receive my film?

Due to the volume of submissions we receive, we are unable to contact each applicant individually if we do not receive their film. Kindly, make sure you follow up with our office for the same.

12. What happens if you are unable to get my movie to play?

We will make every effort to play your movie, but if we are unable to view your film, we will attempt to contact you to request another link/copy using the primary contact information that you provided on your application. However, there is no guarantee that we will get your replacement link/disc in time, and we must give preference to those who sent in a working link. For this reason, we ask you to make sure your link plays all the way through BEFORE you submit.

13. If my film has aired on television / Internet channels. May I still submit it?

If your film is short (less than 30 minutes in length), it is eligible even though it has been broadcast on television. However, once it gets selected for the festival, the movie has to be removed from online channels ts ill the end of the festival.

14. Can I send a newer cut of my film after I have already submitted an earlier version?

Sending replacement cuts after you have already submitted a prior version of the film can cause a great deal of confusion throughout the screening process. It is also unfair to those who sent in a cut before their selected submission deadline. We reserve the right to disqualify, without refund of any or all submission fees, any applicant who attempts to avoid submission fees by sending in a replacement cut of their film after their selected deadline has passed. WE WILL ONLY VIEW THE FIRST CUT OF YOUR FILM THAT WE RECEIVE.

15. Can I submit my film as a rough cut?

No, we require a final cut version of your film.

16. Am I required to obtain Rights Clearance for music or other copyrighted material included in my film?
From a legal standpoint, you must clear all copyrighted material included in your film before you can publicly screen it. However, BISFF does not check to ensure that you have obtained clearance for these materials at any point during the application process, nor will we be held responsible for any inclusion of uncleared materials in your film. It is the sole responsibility of the entity submitting the project to secure permission from the copyright holder of the material in question, whether it is music, stock footage, or any other elements that could violate an existing copyright. Films that are accepted into the Festival must sign a waiver stating that materials used in the film do not violate any existing copyright. Quite often, rights holders offer reduced rates for festival films, so you should contact them directly to avoid any possible rights infringements.
17. What if my contact information or anything else about my submission changes after I have filled out the application?

You can mail us to keep us updated. We will use the public contact information from your application to contact you regarding problems with your submission and to notify you of your acceptance status, so please ensure this information is always up-to-date.

18. Do you have permission to watch all these submissions?

All the films are watched by the festival jury. We depend on new talent and new filmmakers to uphold our mission as a Festival of discovery. If we didn’t watch the films submitted to us, we would miss out on so many new works of independent film. If your film is received on time, your account is paid in full, and there are no playability issues with your online link, your film will be treated like all other films submitted to us for consideration.

19. If my film is not chosen, may I speak with a programmer for notes or feedback?

Unfortunately, No. With numerous films to go through, we don’t have enough time to speak or correspond with you individually about your film. We apologise.

20. If my film is not selected, will I get a refund?

Refund requests for submissions are not appreciated. All payments are non-refundable for any reason.

21. Do you offer waivers for submission fees?

We do not offer submission fee waivers since that would be unfair to independent filmmakers who pay to submit their work for consideration.