Guimarães Cinema Som is an international film festival that regards sound as a structural element of a film, taking in consideration its elements beyond the musical soundtrack.
Article 1
(Aims)
Guimarães Cinema Som is focused on films that offer an authentic perspective on sound. The festival also aims to provide the audience with a larger knowledge of the sound element throughout the history of cinema, from the silent era to contemporary films, concerning its different dimensions.
Article 2
(Date)
Guimarães Cinema Som will take place from the 1st to 4th of July 2023.
Article 3
(Sections)
The festival consists of three kinds of competitions:
International Competition: The international competition of feature and short films will select all projects finished after 2020 that present a significant and unique approach of soundtrack. The festival will accept fiction, animation, documentaries or experimental films. The selection criterion is based on the quality of the soundtrack, considering the use of music (or its absence), sound/image dialectics and the general importance of the sound concept within the singular universe of each film.
National Competition: The competition of Portuguese feature and short films is addressed to projects that give particular relevance to soundtrack. Only films finished after 2021 will be accepted; the festival has preference for world premieres. The intrinsic quality of the soundtrack is the main criterion for selection.
Soundtrack Competition: The festival will choose three silent short films for this competition. The competitors have the opportunity to create an original soundtrack for one of the chosen silent films, which can be musical/instrumental or non-musical/instrumental (with only voice and bruitage elements).
The submission has to include an online or CD record. Though these two supports are the only media available for selection, the festival has preference for competitors who are willing to present the original soundtrack in a live performance during the screening of the selected film.
The festival also comprises the aforementioned non-competitive sections:
Silent Film Exhibition
Mudam-se os Tempos: This section, one of the main stakes of the festival, includes silent films with known musical score played entirely live, with the unique participation of professional musicians. These cinema sessions include various concerts: solo, music ensembles and even orchestral participation.
Sound Film Exhibition
Sonoras Qualidades: This section offers a selection of peculiar films that distinguish themselves from the common medium due to their inventiveness in the use of sound.
Cinema Sound Mornings: Screenings of unforgettable films for the young public.
Guimarães Music Play: Screenings of videoclips and music documentaries in a café-concert atmosphere.
Article 4
(Who can apply)
For submission to Guimarães Cinema Som International and National Competitions all films must meet the following conditions:
- Feature and Short Films within the categories of Fiction, Animation, Documentary or Experimental — works that propose a significant concept of soundtrack through formal and structural approaches;
- Films produced after 2020.
For the Movie Soundtrack Competition, all the themes — instrumental or voice recordings and bruitage — must be original. The festival has preference for live presentations of the musical project.
Article 5
(Subtitling)
All non-English speaking films must be subtitled in English.
Article 6
(Jury)
Each competition section of Guimarães Cinema Som has its own jury.
International Feature Film Competition Jury: awards the Prize for Best Feature Film; composed by renowned personalities of international cinema.
Soundtrack Competition Jury: awards the Prize for Best Original Soundtrack; composed by illustrious personalities of cinema.
Musical Competition Jury: awards the Prize for Best Music; composed by prestigious members of the music community.
International Short Film Competition Jury: awards the Prize for Best Short Film; composed by influential personalities of international cinema.
National Competition Jury: awards the Prizes for Best National Feature Film and Best National Short Film; composed by prestigious members of Portuguese cinema.
Guimarães Junior Jury: awards the Prize for Best Guimarães Junior Film; composed by students from Guimarães schools.
Individuals directly or indirectly connected with any of the submitted films cannot be members of the jury.
Article 7
(Prizes)
Guimarães Cinema Som awards the following prizes:
- Best Feature Film
- Best Short Film
- Best Music
- Best Original Soundtrack
- Best National Feature Film
- Best National Short Film
- Best Guimarães Junior Film
- Public’s Special Prize: awarded to films from the International and National Feature and Short Film Competitions and from the Movie Soundtrack Competition.
Article 8
(Submission)
The submission must be made by Filmfreeway.com or by the site www.guimaraescinemasom.com.
The deadline for the submissions is the 15th of May 2023.
For each film selected, the responsible entity has to send an official copy for projection until the 15th of June 2023, along with the technical specifications of the copy, posters, postcards, and other relevant promotional materials.
Article 9
(Submission fee)
The festival charges the following submission fees for earlybird deadline:
Feature Film: 15 Euros;
Short Film: 10 Euros.
Article 10
(Announcement)
One month before the beginning of the festival, the selection will be communicated to both selected and non-selected films.
Article 11
(Devolution)
One month after the end of the festival every material related to the selected films and audio records will be returned to their owners.
Article 12
(Associated costs)
The costs of any material dispatch, whether film or audio record, as well as the return of the sent material, will be exclusively supported by the sending entity, not by the festival.
Article 13
(Insurance)
All films and audio records, once received and until their restitution, will be safely kept by the festival.
Article 14
(Publicity)
The winners must mention the Guimarães Cinema Som Film Festival in their promotional supports.
Article 15
(Acceptance)
Every competitor of the festival accepts the present regulation.
Article 16
(Unregulated cases)
The festival will decide on all unregulated cases according to the standard patterns of film exhibition.