Rules and Regulations of 65th Krakow Film Festival

The 65th Krakow Film Festival (65th KFF) will be held in a hybrid formula from 25 May to 1 June 2025 in cinemas and from 30 May to 15 June 2025 online at VOD platform www.krakowfilmfestival.pl. The festival aims to review and promote documentary, short animations and fiction films. The films are screened in both competitive and non-competitive sections.



REQUIREMENTS 

1. COMPETITIVE SECTION

  • The following films may take part in competitions:
    • foreign films made in 2024 and 2025 that were not screened publicly before 3 June 2024,
    • Polish films made in 2024 and 2025.

Polish producers submit films to the Polish competition only. Out of the films submitted, the selection committee chooses those that will take part in international competitions (they have to meet the requirements set for individual competitions).

  • Competitions:
    • International Documentary Film Competition: documentary films with the running time of 50 minutes and more,
    • International Short Film Competition: documentary, animated and fiction films with a running time not exceeding 30 minutes,
    • International DocFilmMusic Competition: music documentary films with the running time of 50 minutes and more,
    • National Competition: Polish films only
      • documentary films with an unlimited time,
      • animated and fiction films with a running time not exceeding 30 minutes.

2. NON-COMPETITIVE SECTION

Out of the films submitted for selection, the organisers may choose films to be screened in non-competitive cycles.

3. PREMIERE REQUIREMENTS

  • To be eligible for international competitions, the film must be a Polish premiere and a world premiere is preferred. The film cannot be presented at any film festival or film review, theatrically released, broadcasted on TV, streamed on VOD platform or any other online media in Poland prior to the festival dates.
  • To be eligible for national competition, the film must be a Polish premiere. The film cannot be presented at any film festival, theatrically released, broadcasted on TV, streamed on VOD platform or any other online media in Poland prior to the festival dates.
  • A Polish premiere is preferred in the non-competitive section.

4. LANGUAGE VERSIONS

Preview and screening copies must have English subtitles (not applicable to films where English is the original language).


SELECTION

1. ENTRY FEE

  • The festival shall charge the following entry fees:
    • EUR 15 for films not exceeding 30 minutes,
    • EUR 30 for films exceeding 30 minutes.

NOTE: an entry fee must be paid no later than 7 days after the online registration of the film. Otherwise the submission will be deleted.

  • The entry fee shall not apply to Polish films. In addition, films produced in the countries mentioned below may be exempted from entry fees (not applicable to films co-produced with countries not listed below): Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Camboia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo Dem. Rep., Cuba, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, India, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Micronesia, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
  • The festival reserves the right not to select films from the Russian Federation, in 2025 and until further notice.

2. DEADLINES FOR SUBMISSIONS

  • International Competitions:
    • 30 November 2024: for films made prior to 31 October 2024,
    • 31 January 2025: for films made after 31 October 2024.
  • National Competition:
    • 30 November 2024: for films made prior to 31 October 2024,
    • 15 February 2025: for films made after 31 October 2024.

3. SUBMISSIONS

  • Films should be submitted for selection in the following way:
    • by completing an online entry form available at www.krakowfilmfestival.pl,
    • by sending a non-public link to the film, with or without a password, with unlimited access, not restricted by time or territory (e.g. Vimeo, YouTube, etc.). During the process of selection, the passwords cannot be changed.
  • The links which require downloading a file such as WeTransfer, MyAirBridge, etc., will not be accepted.

4. RESULTS

  • Applicants shall be informed whether the film was admitted to or rejected from the programme by email at least 30 days before the start of the festival.
  • The list of films selected for competitive and non-competitive sections shall be placed at www.krakowfilmfestival.pl as soon as the selection process is completed.
  • After receiving information about the qualification of the film for the festival programme the applicant shall provide film promotion materials (including stills from the film, the director’s picture and biography, the dialogue list in the original language and in English, technical information and the trailer).
  • Any additional information can be obtained from the festival office: KRAKOW FILM FESTIVAL, ul. Basztowa 15/8, 31-143 Kraków, Poland tel.: +48 12 294 69 45, [email protected]


FESTIVAL SCREENINGS

After receiving information about the qualification of the film for festival screenings and its approval by the right holder, the applicant agrees not withdraw the film from the festival as well as to provide the
materials listed in the film panel (online entry form).

In addition to the screenings in cinemas, there will also be online screenings.

1. SCREENINGS IN THE CINEMAS

  • Screenings in cinemas are held from 25 May to 1 June 2025.
  • The festival may organise no more than 5 cinema screenings of one film. Any additional screening outside the festival programme requires the additional consent of the right holder.

2. ONLINE SCREENINGS

  • In addition to screenings in cinemas, online screenings are held from 30 May to 15 June 2025 at the festival’s streaming platform www.krakowfilmfestival.pl.
  • Films presented as part of the online programme are available as VOD within the territory of Poland only.
  • The terms of online screenings will be arranged directly with the right holders of the films presented as part of the online programme.
  • The organisers will secure the best possible protection against piracy for films presented online, including watermarks placed on the film and multi-DRM technology.

3. KFF VIDEO LIBRARY

  • The films qualified for the festival programme shall automatically be placed in the online KFF Video Library and made available to the accredited participants of the KFF Industry organised during the festival (unless the right holder refuses consent in writing).

4. SCREENING COPIES

  • Only DCP format is accepted for the festival screenings.
  • Screening copies shall be uploaded to the festival server by 30 April 2024 or delivered to the following address:
    KRAKOW FILM FESTIVAL, ul. Basztowa 15/8, 31-143 Kraków, Poland, ph.: +48 12 294 69 45, [email protected].


AWARDS

1. INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

  • Golden Horn for the director of the best film
  • Silver Horn for the director of the film of outstanding artistic value
  • Silver Horn for the director of the film focusing on social issues

2. INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION

  • Golden Dragon for the director of the best film
  • Silver Dragon for the director of the best documentary film
  • Silver Dragon for the director of the best animated film
  • Silver Dragon for the director of the best fiction film

3. INTERNATIONAL DocFilmMusic COMPETITION

  • Golden Heynal for the director of the best music documentary

4. NATIONAL COMPETITION

  • Golden Hobby Horse for the director of the best documentary film with a running time exceeding 30 minutes
  • Golden Hobby Horse for the director of the best documentary film with a running time not exceeding 30 minutes
  • Golden Hobby Horse for the director of the best animated film
  • Golden Hobby Horse for the director of the best fiction film

5. OTHER AWARDS

  • Audience Award for the best film screened in selected sections
  • Dragon of Dragons Special Award for extraordinary achievement in the documentary and animated film genre granted by the Programme Council of the Krakow Film Foundation.
  • Other awards approved by organisers and funded by associations, partners or institutions.


PROMOTION

  • The applicant approves the release of information about the film on the festival website and social media, in the official publications and press materials as well as in other promotional channels.
  • For promotional reasons, the materials about the film (including stills, the film trailer or clips) sent by the right holders may be made available to the media, television stations or partner Internet portals on the conditions described in the online film panel.
  • The festival organisers may distribute selected films on the conditions arranged with the right holders.


DELIVERY, RETURN AND INSURANCE OF FILM COPIES

1. DELIVERY

  • The transport costs of screening copies as well as all shipping charges shall be covered by the applicant.
  • The costs related to online transfer shall be covered by the applicant.
  • The applicant shall pay all customs duties outside the territory of Poland. The festival does not pay customs duties outside the territory of Poland. The applicant shall observe customs regulations related to film transport.
  • Parcels with foreign films from outside the European Union shall be accompanied by a pro forma invoice specifying the parcel value, which should not be greater than EUR 15, with the following note: ’No commercial value. For cultural purposes only’.

2. RETURN OF COPIES

  • Film copies on external devices shall be returned within two weeks after the festival closing date, at the organiser’s cost, to the address submitted by the applicant. The festival shall be notified of any changes of this address not later than one week before the festival starting date.
  • Film files will be removed from the servers within two weeks after the festival’s end.

3. INSURANCE AND PROTECTION

  • Film copies on external devices shall be insured against damage, theft and civil liability for the duration when they remain in the organiser’s possession.
  • Films presented online are available for registered users only and are geo-blocked using CDN protection. They are encrypted and protected with multi-DRM tools, and a visible watermark is placed over the streamed video.


FINAL PROVISIONS

  • The films qualified for competitions shall be made available to the festival organisers free of charge.
  • The Festival Director determines whether the film submitted to the festival shall be included in festival screenings.
  • There is no option of appeal against the decision of the Festival Director.
  • The films submitted for selection in the previous editions of the festival shall not be considered.
  • The organisers may withdraw from the requirements provided in the Rules and Regulations for films of exceptional artistic value.
  • All matters not included in these Rules and Regulations shall be determined by the organisers represented by the Festival Director.
  • Submitting a film to the Krakow Film Festival is equivalent to accepting the provisions of these Rules and Regulations.
  • The Rules and Regulations of the Festival are in conformity with the International Rules and Regulations issued by FIAPF. 

65th KFF