Submissions Open for 13th Diaspora Film Festival

DIAFF is a film festival for films with themes on migration, refugees and separation, in the hopes of representing the voices of those who have lost their homes or were forced to relocate from the cities and towns where they built their lives.

Goals

• To share the values of tolerance of difference and diversity with the public
• To overview “Diaspora” in a broad sense and share contemporary concerns
• To support human rights and community culture of minorities, as well as to increase social
• Participation against hatred and discrimination in society

Program Sections

• Programs of the 13th DIAFF are divided into the following sections:
  • Diaspora in Focus
  • Diaspora Features
  • Diaspora Shorts
  • Cinema Picnic
  • Diaspora’s Eye

Themes

• The films addressing diaspora issues of ‘Migration’, ‘Transfer’ and ‘Separation’.
• The films around ‘Race’, ‘Nation (or Nationality)’, ‘War/Conflict’, ‘Refugee’, ‘Generation’, ‘Gender’, ‘Sexuality’ and ‘Environment’ from the diaspora point of view.
• The films addressing the story of those who leave their own communities and seek new places for various reasons including social, political, economic and cultural matters.

Costs Covered

• Film providers are responsible for shipping costs to the festival. DIAFF will cover return shipping costs after the festival.

Eligibility Criteria

• Production Date:
  • All submissions should be completed after January 2023.
• Genre/Length:
  • Feature/Shorts films of all genres (ex. drama, documentary, animation, experimental, etc.) and lengths are considered for selection.
• Subtitles:
  • The films that include non-English or non-Korean dialogue must include subtitles in either English or Korean for the preview screener.
• Others:
  • Any nationality can participate.
  • Films screened at other festivals or released theatrically are eligible.
  • A preview screener must be the same cut as the final screening copy. If a screening copy is different from the preview screener, it should be informed to the festival immediately.
  • Material submitted for pre-selection will not be returned.

Application Requirements

• Formats
  • Production Format/Size: all formats including film and digital.
  • Screening Format/Size: DCP/Digital
• Requirements
  • Entry Form
  • Online Screener Link (Strictly with Password)
  • Once you upload both application and screener, your application will be considered complete.
• Print (Screening Copy)
  • Format
    • The final screening copy should be in DCP format.
    • In exceptional cases, screening copies in file formats (e.g., MOV, MP4) may be accepted upon prior agreement with the festival office.
• Submission
  • Screening copies of selected films must be submitted online (via Aspera, etc.) or offline (via courier or express delivery).
  • When a screening copy is transported from or returned to another festival, standard shared freight terms apply.
  • DIAFF will return the print within 3 weeks after festival closing to the address specified in the submission. If a different return address is required, it must be provided to the festival office before the festival concludes.
• Subtitles
  • English Subtitles: Films not in English or containing non-English dialogue must have English subtitles embedded in the final screening copy. (This is not required for the entry screener.)
  • Failure to meet the subtitle requirements may result in disqualification from the festival program.
• Additional Materials
  • The following materials must be submitted to the festival office upon selection for DIAFF.
  • Materials
    • Film Information: Production year, Synopsis, director’s statement, distributor or production company information (compulsory/given fixed form/email)
    • Still images: Minimum 5 photos of the film (compulsory/over 300dpi/email)
    • Director’s photo (compulsory/over 300dpi/email)
    • Poster (optional/over 300dpi)
    • EPK: Trailer or other promotional clips under 3 minutes (optional/mov. avi./email)
    • Printed materials: PR brochures, fliers, post card (optional/should be sent by post to the same address above)
    • It is the entrants’ responsibility to secure authorization and permission from the copyright owner(s) of any copyrighted contents including music, image and cinematic materials within the selected films. The festival is not responsible for any legal issues that may arise from copyright infringement.
• Use and Management of Screening Materials
  • The festival reserves the right to use submitted materials for (non-commercial) promotional purposes on both online/offline (such as, official website, festival catalogue, press release, etc.).
  • The submitted materials above shall not be returned unless requested separately.
  • If it is confirmed that the works of submitted or screened films were leaked due to the negligence of DIAFF’s management, resulting in direct financial damage to the copyright holder, DIAFF will compensate for the damages caused by the leak through mutual agreement with the copyright holder.
  • The screener submitted during entry may be shared online with select personnel for festival operations, including Q&A sessions, written materials, and educational programs for the current year’s Diaspora Film Festival.
  • The selected films can be considered re-screening by the same festival afterward. Further screening should be negotiated with copyright holders.

For more information, visit Incheon Film Commission.