Festival start: 21 June 2019
Festival end: 23 June 2019
In its first edition, Madras Allies Film Festival is planning to be an annual celebration of the year’s best queer films from India and across the world, as well as panels and events bringing together filmmakers, movie lovers, and the LGBTQ community.
With the repealing of section #377, it's time for celebration and all hands must forward in pushing the LGBTQ community into the mainstream. What better way than with the help of cinema!!
We, at MAFF, believe that only the power of the arts allows for true identity construction. Through this festival, we want to create a safe space for dialogue and cultural exchange and for sharing, promoting self-love and the social integration of all.
MAFF is organised annually by The Jabez Kelly Project and Madras Film Screening Club.
Madras Allies Film Festival's collection of narratives, documentaries and shorts aims to portray the diverse and compelling stories from across the entire LGBTQ spectrum.
MAFF wants to give voice and visibility to the full spectrum of the LGBTQ experience by championing films, supporting storytellers, and engaging audiences in order to inspire dialogue, shift cultural bias and empower our diverse community.
Discover emerging talents, as we bring the best of queer cinema to MAFF that will not only help embrace the community into the mainstream, but it will inspire aspiring filmmakers to bring in more diversity into their stories.
By spreading messages of positive examples, Tolerance and dialogue where people can be confronted with realities close to having lived on the screen, we hope to spearhead a major fight in support of the community.
Cash Prizes: 1,735€
MAFF has both Competitive and Non-Competitive categories. MAFF awards more than Rs.1,20,000 lacs (US$1735) in cash prizes
Following are the competitive categories,
Best Narrative feature - INR 50,000
Best Narrative short - INR 15,000
Best documentary feature - INR 40,000
Best documentary short - INR 10000
Best student narrative - INR 5000
Best actor in a lead role
Best actor in a supporting role
Best director
Best cinematography
Best Editor
Best music director
Queerography fund by The Jabez Kelly Project - INR 15,000
The winners will be selected by a panel of eminent Jury. The decision of the Jury will be final and is indisputable.
Please check underneath the terms & conditions for consideration in competition categories.
MAFF welcomes Filmmakers/ Producers/ Distributors across the world to submit features, documentaries, short and animation films that highlight/ focus on LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) lives and issues.
Please take a moment to read our Rules & Terms before submitting!
General Eligibility
1. Madras Allies Film Festival is a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender & queer/questioning (LGBTQ) film festival. All submissions must be relevant to that community or your entry will be disqualified. Please do not submit any films without LGBTQ content.
2..All films not in English SHOULD have English Subtitles.
We prefer English language films too with subtitles or close-captions, for the festival to be more inclusive and accessible to hearing-impaired audience members.
3. Our submission period is from 13 April 2019 -- June 8, 2019.
4. Entries are accepted online via a secure password-protected link, or as an uploaded online screener on FilmFreeway.com.
5. Please make sure that your submission includes a Film Synopsis, a Director Biography and a still photo from the film as these are needed to produce the Film Festival Catalogue.
6. Rough cuts and works-in-progress are eligible for submission only if a completed final copy is available for preview by June 8, 2019. A brief explanation describing changes to be made for the final version and expected date of completion must be included with your entry.
7. In the event of a password change or link change after submitting, you must email the MAFF team at connectwithmaff@gmail.com immediately with that change so we may update your record. If the Festival is not notified of the change and the link is found to be inactive or the password to be incorrect, the submission may be deemed ineligible,
8. Short films that are publicly available online prior to the Festival may be considered for exhibition during the Festival but will be ineligible for Jury Awards. We prefer that shorts not be publicly available online.
9. MAFF reserves the right in its sole discretion to reject or disqualify any ineligible entries.
10. Previous Festival history for the Film does not influence the selection. Neither Films displayed in multiple festivals nor World premieres are given priority.
11. Only films made in India by an Indian citizen are eligible for entry into the competition section.
Originality and Permissions; INDEMNITY
1. Films must be the original work of the applicant(s). If a film is based upon another person’s life or upon a book or other underlying work, applicant(s) must secure any necessary rights to make such adaptations. However, it is not necessary to submit the adaptation rights agreements to the Festival. Neither the Festival nor its jurists investigate or attests to the authenticity of an applicant’s statement of authorship or rights secured. By entering the competition, you represent that you have secured all necessary rights.
2. Applicants are solely responsible for obtaining all necessary rights and permissions for third-party materials included in their films, including but not limited to music, trademarks, logos, copyrights, and other intellectual property rights. MAFF expressly disclaims all liability or responsibility for any violations of the foregoing.
Selected Films and Winners
1. MAFF has no obligation (other than as stated in these rules) to disclose any of the following information: i) identities of screeners or judges; ii) notes, feedback, or information relating to the submitted project; and/or iii) details regarding the submission review or selection process.
2. MAFF explicitly disclaims any liability or responsibility for any comments, notes, or opinions expressed about a submission, whether by MAFF or by its volunteers.
3. Selections will be notified via email by June 12, 2019. The judges’ decision is final.
4. Support Materials:
Accepted films are requested to provide an electronic press kit including:
- Production still photos, images that accurately represent the look of the film (NOT on-set photos)
- Director’s photo and biography/filmography
- Director’s statement
- Credits list
- All photos should be print-quality (300dpi) files
5. Winners receiving cash prizes are solely responsible for payment of all applicable local, state, and federal taxes.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Core Committee of Madras Allies Film Festival reserves the right to decide all questions regarding terms and conditions. By submitting your film to MAFF via FilmFreeway, you accept the terms and conditions mentioned above. For any submission related query, please write to our programming team at connectwithmaff@gmail.com.
The above rules and terms are subject to change with or without notice
By submitting your film for consideration to the 2019 Madras Allies Film Festival, you are telling us that you have full authority to do so, that the film is cleared for potential festival exhibition, and that you accept full legal responsibility for the intellectual property therein. Submitting your film to us constitutes permission to exhibit your work at the 2019 Madras Allies Film Festival. If your film is accepted to be part of the program, you will do your best to work with us to have the film’s director and other key personnel (actors, writers, producers, etc) attending the festival to present the film and interact with the Chennai audience. The Madras Allies Film Festival is also hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes. You shall also indemnify and hold harmless the Madras Allies Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.
