Festival dates: 19-29 June 2025
Submission deadline: 27 February 2025
Regulations
- No films to be submitted without complete entry forms
- All submissions to include the following:
- approx. 150 word synopsis
- complete filmography/biography of the director
- Screeners and any promotional material submitted will not be returned to the sender
- No material sent at charge of the Festival will be accepted
- In the event of your film being selected, it must be available in English or with English subtitles
- The holder of copyright authorises the Festival to make excerpts, of a maximum of three minutes, available to television channels and for use on the Encounters website for the promotion of the film and the festival.
- Please submit a promotional trailer to be screened during the Festival should your film be selected.
- If your documentary is selected to showcase at Encounters, you will be required to supply the following deliverables:
- Keywords you would like us to add to your film profile on our platforms
- Final Film Format for Online Showcase, Final Film Format for Physical Showcase (a DCP with subtitles embedded, technical specifications to be shared once film is invited, and an MP4/.H260 NO larger than 5-8 GB; Stereo; subtitles embedded; 10-15000Mbps)
- Film Trailer (NO larger than 1GB, subtitles embedded)
- Images:
- minimum 2 x film stills in print resolution (300 dpi),
- minimum 2 x film stills or photographs (Landscape JPEG file; 72dpi, 585 x 330 pixel ratio, titled ‘Landscape_Filmname’)
- optional additional film stills or photographs (JPEG file; 72dpi, any aspect ratio, titled ‘Still_Filmname’, minimum 600px in either dimension)
- Official Poster (portrait JPEG file, 72dpi, 282 x 422 pixels, titled ‘Official Poster_Filmname’)
- 1 x Carousel Film Still (JPEG file; 72dpi, 1600 x 600 pixel ratio, titled ‘Carousel_Filmname’)
- 2 x Background Film Stills (.jpeg file; 1600 x 1100 pixel ratio, titled ‘Background_Filmname’)
- We will also require high-resolution images of the above-requested formats for publicity purposes
Awards
The Encounters Festival endeavours to present the following awards at the end of the Festival:
- Audience/Programmers Award – Best South African Film
- Audience/Programmers Award – Best International Film