UNICEF Innocenti Film Festival to showcase the Best World Film and Video on Childhood

Deadline Date : July 31, 2019

UNICEF is giving a chance to showcase the best world film and video on childhood through its Innocenti Film Festival.

Entries to be included in the festival will promote deep reflection on narratives of childhood and the experiences that shape them – in the child’s individual life, in the family, the community, in institutions and societies of both the Global South and North.   The UNICEF Innocenti Film Festival will be held in Florence 25 – 27 October 2019. The festival will showcase the world’s best current film, video, multi-media, with emphasis on young artists and the Global South.  

Categories   Films to be included in the UNICEF Innocenti Film Festival must be explicitly centred on child or adolescent characters. Two categories for entry have been established:

• General Entry – is open to filmmakers of any age but carries duration limits from 20-120 minutes. This is to promote submission of substantive works that develop more in-depth narratives on childhood.
• Under 20 – is limited to filmmakers who have not passed their 21st birthday. This category carries no duration limits in order to provide maximum opportunities for the voices of children and youth who may be exploring shorter, non-traditional formats and modes of expression.

Why a Film Festival?

• Children’s rights are timeless, but the circumstances of childhood have changed dramatically since the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was signed in 1989. Great strides have been made, but complex new threats have also emerged.
• Far fewer children succumb to illness and malnutrition than ever before; yet, violence, the rise of technology, displacement and climate change introduce complex new threats that were undreamed of three decades ago. The CRC remains a vital global reference point to which all nations turn.
• As these changes occur, the role of media – in all its dynamic forms – as well as the deepening engagement of children and young people in media production and use, have impact on children’s lives in ways that are both profound and yet only dimly visible.
• The UNICEF Innocenti Film Festival will take stock of these dynamic forces shaping childhood, spark discussion on the state of children and promote deep reflection on the experiences of children in different contexts.
• The festival will be produced in collaboration with Cinema La Compagnia di Fondazione Sistema Toscana (Film Commission of Tuscany).

Rules and Terms

• Films to be included in the UNICEF Innocenti Film Festival must be explicitly centred on child or adolescent characters.
• Films will promote deep reflection on narratives of childhood and the experiences that shape them – as individuals, in the family, the community, in institutions and societies.
• They are searching for dramatic and documentary entries of the highest quality visual artistry and production craft.
• Emphasis will be placed on films and media that authentically represent the thoughts, voices and experiences of children themselves.
• In keeping with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, they are making a conscious effort to select films that have been produced by and/or with children, youth or young adult artists and producers.
• In order to portray a wide diversity of childhood narratives they are making a deliberate effort to promote entries from filmmakers and artists in in both the Global South and North.
• They are mainly seeking more traditional dramatic and documentary narrative formats, but they are providing wide latitude within the two entry categories to achieve a balance between longer, more developed entries and shorter, more innovative entries from younger artists and producers.
• No film will be accepted for consideration by the UNICEF Innocenti Film Festival without the date of birth of the primary filmmaker(s).
• They will only consider ONE ENTRY PER FILMMAKER, per category. Filmmakers under 21 may submit one entry in both the ‘General Entry’ and ‘Under 20’ categories.
• They reserve the right to request verification of date of birth, if necessary.

Selection Criteria

• Films to be included in the festival will promote deep reflection on narratives of childhood and the experiences that shape them – as individuals, in the family, the community, in institutions and societies – reflecting realities in the Global South and North.
• Emphasis will be placed on films and media that authentically represent the thoughts, voices and experiences of children themselves.
• While the UNICEF Innocenti Film Festival has no age limits for entry, in keeping with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, special priority will be given to films and media that have been written, directed or developed by and/or with children, young people and young adult artists.

How to Apply   Interested Applicants can apply via given website.   For more information, please visit UNICEF Innocenti Film Festival