Regulations

1. The 31st “Cinéma du Réel” International Film Festival will be held in Paris at the Centre Pompidou and in partnering film theatres from 6h to 16th March 2009. The festival is organised by the Bibliothèque publique d’information (Public Information Library), the Centre Pompidou, the Centre national de la recherche scientifique-Images (National Centre for Scientific Research-Images), the Comité du film ethnographique (Ethnographic Film Committee), with the support of the French Ministry of Culture (Directorate of Books and Reading and the Ethnology Committee), le Centre national de la Cinématographie (National Film Centre), the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ile-de-France Regional Council, the City of Paris, the Procirep Television Commission, and the Société civile des auteurs multimédia (SCAM Authors’ Society).

2. The films submitted may be short, medium or feature length documentaries, copyrighted in 2008 or 2009.

3. The Festival is not looking for reportages, news programmes or journalistic-style documentaries. It gives priority to cinematographic writing and approaches, whatever the subject, genre or form.

4. Only films that have not been commercialy released or broadcasted in France are eligible for submission for the International competition.

5. The Festival can moreover propose that certain submitted films that were not selected be included in its professional video library and be available for viewing during the festival, and thereafter on its premises, for researchers and programming professionals.

6. Registration and Viewing Material
6.1 – Registration Duly completed entry forms must arrive at the Festival offices no later than November 30th 2008 (whether the film is finished or still in production).
6.2 – Viewing copies The deadline for completed films is no later than 30th November 2008. The deadline for films still in production: no later than 31st December 2008. The viewing copies can be DVD format (-R if possible) or VHS (all colour formats). Mailing costs for these copies, as well as any related duties, charges and fees, notably shipping and customs charges, are assumed by the sender. The festival keeps the viewing material for the sole purposes of documentaion, of promotion and of viewing by professionals on its premises for a maximum period of 12 months, except for films included in the Festival’s video library, and will only return the viewing material upon formal request by the sender.

7. Awards:
 Grand Prize of the Cinéma du Réel (Grand Prix Cinéma du Réel), with the support of Procirep, €8 000.
 The Library Award (Prix des Bibliothèques), with the support of the Direction du Livre et de la Lecture, €6 000.
 Scam International Prize (Prix International de la Scam) €4 600.
 Louis Marcorelles Award (Prix Louis Marcorelles), given by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the form of purchase of rights, of English and Spanish subtitling, off DVD publishing and promotion and financing of a mission abroad.
 Short Film Prize (Prix du Court Métrage), €2 500.
 The Young Jury Award - Cinema du Reel (Prix des Jeunes - Cinéma du Réel), with the support of Centre Pompidou and the City of Paris, €2 500.
 Joris Ivens Award (Prix Joris Ivens) for a first film, €2 500.
 Heritage Award (Prix du Patrimoine), with the support of la Mission Ethnologie, for a film whose subject matter involves France, €2 500.
 Pierre and Yolande Perrault Grant (Bourse Pierre et Yolande Perrault ) awarded to a young filmmaker, €2 500.
The award amounts are paid to the filmmakers. The festival cannot be held responsible for or be involved in any further distribution of monies resulting from the filmmakers’ contractual obligations. The titles of the above-mentioned awards may be modified, but their total amount and their nature will not be affected.

8. The Festival has facilities for screening 16 and 35mm prints, Beta SP video, and Digital Beta video. The Festival prefers the original theatre print of the completed work. Only quality prints will be accepted. The films selected for the Internation Competition are screened in their original version with subtitles in French and English. The costs of electronic subtitling in either of these two languages will be borne by the Festival.
Films selected for the French Competition must be provided in the French-language version or in the orinigal-language version with French subtitles.
Films in the festival’s non-competitive sections are screened in the original-language version with French (electronic) subtitles. In order to ensure the electronic subtitling of films, it is imperative that the Festival have at its disposal a full original-langage text and dialogue script, a French or English translation of texts and dialogues, a subtitle list in French or English.

9. The Festival will assume the transport expenses of the selected films, as well as storage and insurance expenses of the films from the time the films are received until they are sent back. In case of loss or damage during this period, the Festival will assume responsability only for the replacement value of the print.

10. The filmmakers and rightholders of the selected films undertake not to withdraw the films from the Festival programme after the programme has been announced, and in all events not after January 31st 2009.

11. Festival registration is free of charge. This registration implies full acceptance of the terms and provisions of the present Rules and Regulations.

Should any litigation arise only the French version of the Rules and Regulations shall prevail.