Application for Asian International Children’s Film Festival is Now Open!!

 
 
Now on its 12th year, the Asian International Children’s Film Festival was launched to promote friendship and goodwill among Asian youths through filmmaking. Under this event, young filmmakers from various parts of the Asia are invited to Japan for a competition and days of cultural exchange activities that culminate in an awarding ceremony for winning film entries.
 
Last year, more than 100 high school students from all over Asia joined the Asian International Children's Film Festival 2017 held in Kitami City, Hokkaido, Japan. There, participants presented their self-produced short films that portrayed their take on the festival’s theme “School Teacher”.  
 
This year, the film festival is focusing on the theme “Self Responsibility”.  Participants are free to let their creativity show through different styles and genres, provided that they focus on the festival’s designated theme.
 
The top three finalists from the Philippines will be sent to Japan to compete in the international leg of the contest. All expenses will be borne by the Government of Japan through the JENESYS2018 Programme. The JENESYS2018 Programme was launched to strengthen international relations among the youths of Southeast Asia and Japan by facilitating various cultural and academic events. Please refer to the following link to learn more about the JENESYS2018 Programme: (https://www.mofa.go.jp/p_pd/ep/page23e_000516.html).
 

   
The aim of the Contest is to encourage students from high schools all over Asia to interpret and capture in film the theme “Self Responsibility”. Participants are encouraged to be as creative as possible in their films. They are free to experiment on format and genre as long as the film’s main content remains true to the central theme of the festival.
 
 
 
OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES:
 
TERM
 
Applications for the Asian International Children’s Film Festival 2018 will begin on July 16, 2018 and end on August 17, 2018.  Information on how to enter and prizes form part of these Official Rules. By submitting an entry, each entrant agrees to the Official Rules and warrants that their entry complies with all requirements set out in the Official Rules. This is a skill-based contest and chance plays no part in the determination of winners.
 
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
The contest is open to all Filipino* high school students (grades 10-12) in the country, except those who have been to Japan under previous JENESYS Programs and/or Asian International Children’s Film Festivals. Students may opt to submit their entries individually, or as a group provided that each group contains a maximum of three (3) people.
 
Students must have a PHILIPPINE passport with at least six (6) months of validity prior to joining the contest.
 
*Refers to Philippine nationals. Non-Filipino high school students (permanent residents, etc.) may participate but will not be included in the Philippine delegation to Japan.
 
ENTRIES, FORMAT, AND LENGTH:

(a.) To enter the Contest, you must submit a video focused on the theme:  Self Responsibility

(b.) The duration of the video must not exceed THREE (3) MINUTES in total. Videos longer than 3 minutes will automatically be disqualified.

(c.) Submissions can be in any style or genre, but not limited to, drama, narrative, comedy, or documentary.

(d.) Each group can only submit one (1) entry.

(e.) Entries must be submitted in standard video formats (avi., mp4., mpeg, etc.)

(f.) Participants must submit a copy of the script for their film entry. The script must be typewritten and written in (or translated to) English.

(g.) Participants must submit three (3) copies of their entries, all properly labelled.

(h.) Only students may be involved in each step of making the video entry (from pre-production to post-production). Entries found to be produced with the assistance of adults may be disqualified from the contest.

(i.) All participants are required to complete the Application Forms and submit necessary documents in relation to the Contest upon submission of entries.

(j.) Each submission must be original and created entirely by the participant/s, from pre-production to post-production of the video. Submissions must not include anything that violates any law or the copyright of any third party, including the use of music.Entrants are advised to remove or obscure labels/brand names from any commercial products used in their videos. The Organizers may, at its discretion, disqualify any submission it believes incorporates materials without permission from the owners or are not otherwise in the public domain. Likewise, the Embassy of Japan will not provide any editing tools or assistance to participants.
 
(k.) Entries and other pertinent documents will not be returned.
 
(l.) Entries may be in English or Filipino, but text or subtitles must be avoided. Note that adding subtitles will automatically lead to point deductions.
 
(m.) By submitting an entry, you agree to let the Organizers use it for future promotion, marketing, and publication purposes.

SUBMISSION OF ENTRIES:
Entries may be delivered via courier or hand-delivered to:
   

Properly label your DVDs with your name/s, title of the video, and contact number/s.


DEADLINE:
The deadline of submission of video entries and other requirements is on or before Friday, August 17, 2018.
 
Selection of Entries
 

• The Screening Committee will choose the Top 3 entries to compete in Japan for the Asian International Children’s Film Festival 2018. The initial decision of the judges regarding which entrants become finalists on the international competition shall be final and binding in all regards.
   
• The Top 3 Finalists will be notified through phone call or e-mail by the Japan Information and Culture Center (JICC), Embassy of Japan.


• The Top 3 Finalists will be given an all-expense paid trip to Japan to compete in the Asian International Children’s Film Festival 2018.Expenses for the entire trip, including air fare, accommodations, meals, and transportation in Japan, will be shouldered by the Government of Japan through the JENESYS2018 Program.

 
 
PLEASE REFER TO THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE CONTEST AND INFORMATION ON PAST WINNING VIDEO ENTRIES  
As stipulated in the Official Rules, all forms pertaining to the contest must be duly accomplished and submitted along with the copies of the participants’ video entries. Please check the following list to make sure you have included all the necessary forms in your submissions.

 

• Form I: Entry Form


• Form II: Endorsement Letter from School


• Form III: Parents’ Consent Form


• Form IV: Student Agreement to Contest Terms and Conditions 


• Script of the Film


• Passport copy