The Prague Youth Film Festival (PYFF) in an annual
event dedicated to the celebration of emerging international filmmakers.
Our mission is to highlight and provide a boost to new filmmaking
talents.
Taking place in Prague, Czechia, one of the premier film and culture
centers of Europe, PYFF will feature galas, parties, a press junket,
television and radio coverage, an exciting award ceremony, and some of
the best films by young filmmakers you can see in the world!
Among the PYFF 2019 members are the American film producer Rick
McCallum (Star Wars, Britannia, In Love and War, Borgia), the British
director Kirk Jones (known for Waking Ned Devine, Everybody’s Fine and
What to Expect When You’re Expecting), as well the German
cinematographer Rene Richter (Head Full of Honey, Zone Rouge), and the
Czech production designer Petr Kunc (Lea, Day of the Dog, The
Hypnotist). More exciting names to be announced shortly.
The Prague Youth Film Festival is organized by Paul & Petra
Ratner, who produced the popular Prague 48 Hour Film Project (48 HFP)
for 8 years, attracting thousands of participating filmmakers, over 10K
in attendance and many careers launched. Besides 48 HFP, Paul and Petra
have worked in organizing festivals for well over a decade. Their
experience includes producing the Sarasota Film Festival, one of the
largest and most acclaimed festivals in North America, as well as the
Screenlife International Contest, the Hollywood Nights Young FIlmmaker
Showcase, the ReelTalk PSA Contest, and years of involvement in the
Slamdance Film Festival and the Santa Fe Film Festival.
Awards & Prizes
– Grand Prize from one of our partners to be announced shortly. In the past, our festivals awarded prizes like DSLR cameras.
– Jury Awards – upon selection by a jury made of top film and tv
industry professionals, the best films created by emerging filmmakers
will be awarded prizes in a variety of categories, including Best First
Feature (Documentary and Narrative), Best Narrative Short, Best
Documentary Short, Best Experimental, Best Environmental Film, Best Top
Ten under 10, and more. Specific amounts of any cash prizes to be
announced shortly.
– Other Festival Prizes & Awards – We’ll be announcing additional Jury, Audience, Special Awards closer to the festival.
– Partner Opportunities – Our media partners will feature the work of
some of the filmmakers and the winners. The participants will also have
numerous opportunities to present their skills and projects to our
industry partners from across the European and American film and tv
landscape. Our work spans the U.S., the European Union, Russia and
India, and we seek to create opportunities for young filmmakers around
the world.
– Networking Events – If you attend PYFF as a Filmmaker, you will
meet fellow young filmmakers from all over the world and network with
industry leaders at our parties and gala, taking concrete forward steps
in your career as a filmmaker. It’ll be sure to be a memorable
experience!
Rules & Terms
ELIGIBILITY:
• To be eligible for all categories except Narrative Feature (up to
35), Documentary Feature (up to 35), directors of each film, short or
feature, must have been 25 years of age or younger at time of filming.
• The directors submitting to Narrative Feature (up to 35),
Documentary Feature (up to 35) can be up to (and including) 35 years of
age. These categories can include first time features by directors older
than 25 as well as features by non-first-time directors.
• The submitted film(s) must have been made in 2018 or 2019.
• The film must not contain scenes of graphic violence, nudity or
extreme coarse language (and must be accessible to a general audience).
• All music and other copyrighted material used in films must be properly licensed.
• All films must be in English or subtitled in English.
FILM SUBMISSION:
FilmFreeway, the site handling our submissions, will accept links to
Vimeo and or YouTube videos as well as provide you with a way to upload
your film directly to their platform. All films will be watched by our
judges utilizing this secure screening process.
PAYMENT: You will be able to pay entry fees online during the online application process.
FILM STILLS: If your film is accepted, you will be required to
provide a high-quality (300dpi) film still and, preferably, a poster.
SYNOPSIS: The 3-line synopsis you submit when filling out your online
application will be used in the festival guide, on the PYFF website and
for other promotions, so please provide a compelling description of
your film. PYFF reserves the right to edit the synopsis for length and
grammar.
NOTIFICATION:. If your film is selected to be part of PYFF 2019, you
will be notified via email no later than November 22nd, 2019.
FILM DISTRIBUTION: Films selected for PYFF 2019 may have the
opportunity to take part in distribution opportunities through PYFF.
Distribution may include Internet, television, in-flight, and other
avenues. See filmmaker release below for further information regarding
distribution.
EXHIBITION REQUIREMENTS: Each film selected for PYFF 2019 must send in an exhibition copy of the film as an HD resolution (1920×1080) QuickTime file (pro-res 422 or better) via Dropbox, WeTransfer or other online large file transfer service. Alternatively, the selected filmmaker must promptly provide another high-quality file for projection (in consultation with PYFF technical staff on appropriate specs). The exhibition copy of film must be received no later than end of day December 6th, 2019.
Submissions: https://filmfreeway.com/PragueYouthFilmFestival
UNATC student waiver: film.festivals@unatc.ro
