1. The 68th Venice International Film Festival, organised by La Biennale di Venezia, will be held on the Venice Lido from 31st August to 10th September 2011. The Festival is officially recognized by FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Associations).

2. The aim of the Festival is to raise awareness and promote the various aspects of international cinema in all its forms: as art, entertainment and as an industry, in a spirit of freedom and tolerance. As well as all the sections mentioned in the following paragraphs, the Festival may include retrospectives and tributes   to major figures as a contribution towards raising an  awareness of the history of cinema.

An international competition comprising a maximum of 21 feature films, presented as world premieres.

Some of the most important works of the year, and in particular those by directors already established in past editions of the Festival, will be presented in the non-competing section, comprising a maximum of 11 films.

A maximum of six Out of Competition films will be screened at around midnight, whose characteristics are particularly suitable for showing at this time of night.

Only feature films presented as world premieres will be admitted. Only in exceptional circumstances will  derogations be allowed for films which have not yet been given public screenings outside their country of origin.

A line of programming devoted to new tendencies in world cinema without distinction of genre or duration, presenting works that reflect the continual redefinition of filmmaking within the whole range of contemporary visual expression.

The section is open to films of all formats (full-length, medium-length, short-length) with a maximum of 21 programmes scheduled (in Competition and Out of Competition). Only films having their world première at the festival will qualify for selection. In exceptional cases this rule may be relaxed to allow the selection of films that have not been screened to the public outside their country of origin.

A section aiming to take stock of the latest trends in Italian cinema, comprising a maximum of 7 narrative feature-length films, 7 short films and 7 documentaries, in competition in their respective categories and 1 Special Event Out of Competition. Only works presented as a world premiere will be included.

The "Industry Office" is set up during the Festival which places its infrastructures and screening rooms at the disposal of producers and international sales companies. There are specific regulations to be respected in order to participate in the "Industry Office".

A series of no more than 8 films – debut works – independently organized by a commission nominated by the National Syndicate of Italian Film Critics (SNCCI) in accordance with its own regulations.

A series of no more than 12 films run by an independent organization, promoted by the Italian filmmakers associations ANAC and 100 Autori. Films are selected in accordance with their own regulations.

An International Jury of 7 or 9 personalities from the world of cinema and culture from various countries, excluding any person involved in any capacity on the production of the works invited or who may have an interest in their distribution, will award the following prizes for the feature films (no split awards permitted):

   - Golden Lion for best film

   - Silver Lion for best director

   - Special Jury Prize

   - Coppa Volpi for Best Actor

   - Coppa Volpi for Best Actress

   - “Marcello Mastroianni” Award for Best New Young Actor or Actress

   - "Osella" for Best Technical Contribution

   - "Osella" for Best Screenplay

The Jury may also choose to award a Special Lion for an overall work to a director or actor of a film presented in the Venezia 68 section.

A film awarded the Golden Lion may not also be awarded the Coppa Volpi (for actors or actresses), the Mastroianni Award or one of the two Oselle awards.

An International Jury of 5 personalities from the world of cinema and culture from various countries, excluding any person involved in any capacity on the production of the works invited or who may have an interest in their distribution, will award the following prizes (no split awards permitted):

   - Orizzonti Award (full-length films)

   - Special Orizzonti Jury Prize (full-length films)

   - Orizzonti Award (short films)

   - Orizzonti Award (medium-length films)

An international jury of 3 personalities from the world of Italian cinema and culture, excluding any person involved in any capacity on the production of the works invited or who may have an interest in their distribution, will assign the Controcampo Award (for narrative feature-length films), the Controcampo Award (for short films), the Controcampo Doc Award (for documentaries). No split awards permitted.

All the debut feature films presented in the various competitive sections of the Film Festival (Official Selection and Independent and Parallel Sections) will be eligible for the Lion of the Future – “Luigi De Laurentiis” Venice Award for a Debut Film. An International Jury of 5 personalities from the world of cinema and culture from various countries, including one producer, will award a prize of 100,000 US dollars, donated by Filmauro, to be divided equally between the director and producer (no split awards permitted).

6.5  The Juries will operate according to their own regulations; the Director of the Festival, or his delegate, may attend the meetings to advise on matters of regulations or procedures.

6.6  The Director of the Festival will recommend the nominations for the awarding of one Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, to the President and Board of Directors (on exceptional circumstances 2 Lions may be assigned).

6.7  The producers and distributors of the films presented undertake to display a notice with the mention of any prize received, the Biennale logo and that of its partners when any of these films receive a public screening.

Full-length, medium-length and short-length films will be admitted in the following screening formats:

    · 35mm

    · Digital Cinema Package – DCP

Where films submitted for Orizzonti are concerned, and in particular those presenting non-standard duration, the possibility of making an exception for films presented in Digibeta format will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

All films submitted must be of recent production, completed not prior to 15 September 2010, and must not have been previously presented in any other format or length, not even as a work-in-progress, for any selections of preceding editions of the Festival. Under no circumstances may films that have had a prior public screening be presented at the Venice Film Festival. Derogations may be requested only for films presented exclusively in their country of origin. Works previously presented in competing or non-competing sections at other international festivals are also excluded, as are those already available on the web.

Regarding the selection of the films submitted, the Festival Director will be assisted by a commission of experts, as well as by a group of correspondents and international consultants each dealing with different geographical areas. The Programming Office will put each decision on the record.

For each film entered for selection to the Festival, excluding short and medium-length films, an admission fee of 60 euros is requested to cover administrative costs. This sum will not be reimbursed if the film entered is not sent to the Festival HQ. The costs of screenings carried out away from the main venue (Venice) must be met by the participants.

In order to be eligible for selection, the films must be presented no later than 24th June 2011, accompanied by:

   a) the selection entry form, duly completed exclusively via our website, www.labiennale.org;

   b) one print (35mm) or a DVD, or a Blu-ray Disc or DIGITAL BETA video (Pal only), which must be sent to the Festival HQ by 24th June 2011. For short and medium-length films, only DVDs and Blu-ray Discs are admitted;

   c) story outline in Italian or English, a bio-filmography of the director, the cast and credits and, if possible, a press-pack;

   d) payment of the admission fee.

The Festival is under no obligation to return DVDs, Blu-ray Discs and videos submitted for selection, unless they arrive with prepaid return packaging via express carrier (courier or diplomatic bag). Any returns must be requested no later than September 2011.

The work-in-progress materials and films for which no return has been requested may be transferred to the Biennale Archives, for documentation and research purpose. They will not be used for commercial purposes, in order to protect the interests of the film-makers and the producers.

Those films invited will receive an Entry form to be duly completed and returned no later than 15th July 2011. Receipt of the form by the Festival implies the legal acceptance of the invitation by all concerned and will be considered definitive and irrevocable.

The invitation of a film to participate must remain confidential until the announcement of the programme by the Festival. Failure to comply will result in its exclusion from the selection.

The general scheduling and screening times are the sole responsibility of the Management of the Festival.

The presenters of invited films must send the following by, and no later than, 12th August 2011:

   - 2 prints of the original version with Italian subtitles (English subtitles for Italian films) for the official gala and press preview screenings;

   - 1 print of the original version, preferably with subtitles in Italian, as a reserve copy (if so wished by those presenting the film);

   - 1 DVD of the original version with Italian subtitles for exclusive internal use by the Festival services.

   - A list of subtitles.

All subtitling costs are to be paid by those submitting the film.

The Festival reserves the right to refuse any print which, on advice of the Festival technicians, is considered to be of inadequate quality for public screening.

The specifications for digital cinema with regard to the systems used by the Festival are available on the official website.

All necessary material for the Festival catalogue (synopses, cast and credits, biography and a complete filmography of the director, photographs of the director, of actors and scenes from the film in b/w and colour, plus a brief director’s comment on the film) must reach the Festival as soon as possible, but no later than 17th July 2011, and must be marked as “Material for Catalogue”.

The proprietors of films participating in the Festival must send the following press material separately, no later than 12th August 2011, for distribution to the press and potential buyers:

    - for feature-length films, approx. 1,500 press packs (600 in English, 900 in Italian);

    - for short and medium-length films, approx. 1,100 press packs (400 in English, 700 in Italian).

Invited works will also be requested to send digital images of the film and the director, video material (Betacam and .avi / .mov) and audio clips.

The publicity and promotional material must state “Film Selected for the 68th Venice Film Festival” and, where applicable, the phrase “World Première”.

All forms of promotional activity after the presentation of the programme by the Festival must, with the explicit commitment of those submitting films, include a mention of participation in the 68th Venice Film Festival, the relevant section and the official Biennale di Venezia logo, as supplied by the Festival. Films awarded a prize must also state which award was won, in accordance with the official graphic designs predetermined and supplied by the Biennale di Venezia.

All shipping costs to and from the Festival (including any costs from Venice airport to Venice Lido and custom charges for films sent from outside the European Union), must be met by the participants.

In case of 35mm films, the presenters should contact the Programming Office beforehand for instructions regarding the shipment (program@labiennale.org).

For 35mm prints sent from outside the European Union and subject to Temporary Import regime, the presenters may make use of the temporary import regime granted expressly for the Film Festival, by using the official shipping agent for La Biennale. Copies of films sent by air freight must be addressed to La Biennale’s official shipping agent: 

    SATTIS srl – Santa Croce 310

    30135 Venezia (Italia)

    Destinazione: Aeroporto Marco Polo

    Tel. + 39 041 5299111 – Fax +39 041 5299112

Copies of films in DVD, Blu-ray and Betacam format, together with all the materials sent for selection must be sent by courier or post directly to the Festival address:

    La Biennale di Venezia - Settore Cinema

    68. MOSTRA INTERNAZIONALE D’ARTE CINEMATOGRAFICA

    Ca’ Giustinian - San Marco 1364/a, 30124 Venice, Italy

    Tel. +39 041 5218878

    Fax +39 041 5218854

    cinema@labiennale.org  

    www.labiennale.org 

    La Biennale di Venezia - Settore Cinema

    68. MOSTRA INTERNAZIONALE D’ARTE CINEMATOGRAFICA

    Palazzo del Cinema, Lungomare Marconi, 30126 Lido di Venezia, Italy

    Tel. +39 0412726501

    Fax +39 0412726520

All costs relative to the transport of publicity, promotional and photographic material from the place of origin to the Biennale offices or the Festival must be met by the participants. These include all customs charges for material sent from outside the European Union. Publicity and promotional material sent to the Festival will not be returned.

All insurance costs covering the transport of films and press material to and from the Festival must be met by those presenting the films.

The Biennale provides “fully-comprehensive risk” insurance coverage for the entire period during which the prints are in the care of the Festival. The insurance value of a film may not exceed the average laboratory costs for a standard print. Furthermore, all necessary measures will be taken by the Festival to protect the author’s copyright for works entrusted to the Festival, in accordance with the FIAPF dispositions regarding safeguarding against piracy.

Directors and producers of films presented at the Festival are warmly invited to donate a print of their work on film, to be added to the Biennale’s Historical Archives of Contemporary Arts, destined solely for the purposes of research and conservation, and excluding all commercial use in order to protect the interests of the film-makers and the producers.

Moreover, the directors and producers of films that receive awards are obliged to deposit a copy of their film with the Biennale's Historical Archives of Contemporary Arts in high-definition Digibeta, complete with the official logo, as well as an indication of the competition section and any award the film won at the 68th Festival.

Copies will be kept at the Biennale's Historical Archives of Contemporary Arts for the sole purpose of documentation and research, excluding any commercial use, in order to protect the interests of the film-makers and the producers.

Participation in the Festival automatically entails observance of the present regulations. Producers, distributors or other parties who submit films to the Festival must guarantee they are legally authorised to do so. The Director of the Festival reserves the right to adjudicate any cases not covered by the regulations herein, and can make exceptions to the regulations in justified, well-motivated cases. Should any dispute arise regarding the interpretation of any article contained in these regulations, the original Italian version is to be considered binding.