The Oldest Film Festival in Lisbon

Queer Lisboa is the sole Portuguese Film Festival dedicated exclusively to screening gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and transsexual themed films, a genre known as Queer Cinema. It is our purpose that of programming the most aesthetically and narrative wise relevant titles in the international panorama, so that our audience has access to a number of films whose visibility in the film circuit is very restricted. Queer Cinema is an integral part of Film History, although its taxonomy is very recent: in the early 1990’s a new genre arises, mirroring new subjective perspectives on sexual and gender identities.

Queer Lisboa is the gateway in Portugal for this genre. The Festival also invites a number of personalities working in Queer Cinema to attend the event, therefore promoting theoretical knowledge on queer themes and concepts. The film programme is organized in Competition Sections for Best Feature Film, Best Documentary, and Best Short Film; so as in non-competition sections, special screenings and film programmes dedicated to a filmmaker, theme, or country, retrospectives on the representation of homosexuality in Film History, sections dedicated to Queer Cinema subgenres, and parallel pedagogical activities.

The Festival also works on the preservation, promotion, and distribution of Portuguese Cinema, of which we regularly present retrospectives and special programmes in International Film Festivals.

Competition

Competition Section for Best Feature Film

Selection of 10 feature length fictions produced in the same or previous year of the Festival.

Prizes

• Best Film (1.000,00 €)
• Best Actress (mention award)
• Best Actor (mention award)

Competition Section for Best Documentary

Selection of 10 feature length documentaries produced in the same or previous year of the Festival.

Prizes

• RTP 2 Award for Best Documentary (3.000,00 €)

Competition Section for Best Short Film – Audience Award

Selection of up to 30 short fictions and documentaries, produced in the same or previous year of the Festival.

Prizes

• Best Film (500,00 €)

Non-Competition

Queer Art

A section where film meets the visual arts, according to two perspectives: on the one hand, a showcase of recent films which explore the limits of cinematic languages, genres, and narratives; and, on the other hand, a showcase of documentaries and fictions which portray renowned personalities of the queer art scene. This section also pays special attention to films portraying groundbreaking tendencies of queer theory.

Centrefold Screenings

Individual screenings of features and / or documentaries, presented in a specific context, such as national premieres, as part of an ephemerid, as part of Queer Lisboa parallel activities, or in collaboration with another institution.

Films presented in the opening and closing night galas.

Thematic Film Programmes

Recent feature and short length fictions and documentaries, or retrospectives dedicated to a filmmaker, actor, distributor / producer, on a specific theme, or dedicated to a country.

Feature Film, Documentary, and Short Film Panorama

A selection of non-competition films.

Queer Pop

A programme of music documentaries, and Portuguese and foreign music videos.

Hard Nights

A selection of both recent and vintage films, which explore the boundaries of sexuality in an explicit way.

Article 1 | Organization, Objectives and Policy

 1.1. Queer Lisboa | Lisbon Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (QL) is organized by Associação Cultural Janela Indiscreta (ACJI), a non-profit association.

 1.2. QL is sponsored by public and private institutions, through annually renewable protocols, and is open to the public in general.

 1.3. QL is an annual event, held every September in Lisbon, with a duration of nine days.

 1.4. The purpose of QL is the exhibition and promotion of high quality gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, and queer themed films.

 1.5. Without prejudice to the filmmakers’ freedom of expression, the graphic and verbal languages, and the points of view expressed by the selected films, do not necessarily reflect those of the Festival Programmers and / or of Associação Cultural Janela Indiscreta.

 1.6. Each year, QL seeks to complement film screenings with a series of events, be they debates, conferences, lectures, performances, book and DVD sales, art exhibits, master classes, workshops, parties, and others.

 1.7. QL Festival extensions may occur in other Portuguese cities, in partnership and co-production with public or private institutions.

 1.8. QL selects films of all geographical origins, regardless of political or social issues that might be somehow relevant at that time in history.

 1.9. It is QL policy to give priority to Portuguese film production, whenever our Programmers find that a new national production justifies its inclusion in the Festival program. This policy extends to Portuguese language cinematographic production of all geographical origins. It is also QL policy to promote Portuguese cinema in International Film Festivals.

 1.10. It is QL programming policy to exhibit recent films, produced in the same year or the preceding year of the Festival edition, irrespective of their country of origin, participation in other International Film Festivals and of any prizes they may have won. These films must be unreleased commercially in Portugal, unless our Programmers consider them of high importance for the current program. It is also QL policy to programme annual film retrospectives dedicated to a filmmaker, theme, city or country, or other. 1.11. It is QL programming policy to exhibit and promote directorial debuts by young filmmakers. 1.12. It is QL policy to practice lower ticket prices than those practiced by commercial Theatres, unless this is not possible due to contractual agreements with the company or institution running the Theatre where the Festival is held.

 1.13. It is QL policy to integrate selected films into film cycles and film programs. Any film may share the bill with other films in one single session, namely if it is a short subject.

 1.14. Members of Portuguese LGBT Associations are given a ticket discount, unless this is not possible due to contractual agreements with the company or institution running the Theatre where the Festival is held. This discount is only applied upon presentation of a valid means of identification on purchasing the ticket. The percentage of this discount is determined each year. However, ACJI reserves the right to determine eligible Associations, based on their significance within Portugal, their institutional connection to ACJI, and/or restrictions related to the number of reduced tickets available.

 1.15. The invitation of Festival Guests is contingent on the sponsorship of private and public institutions. However, QL reserves the right to use a percentage of its total budget to finance a direct invitation to specific personalities, whenever the Festival Programmers feel that their presence is of utmost relevance to the event.

 1.16 QL staff includes one Artistic Director and two Directors (Festival Direction), a minimum of three staff Programmers, which may be joined each year by Guest Programmers, a member of the ACJI Board of Directors as Consultant, a Copies Manager and Assistant to the Direction, a Guests and Hospitality Manager, an Assistant to the Jury, a Press and Marketing Manager, an Audience Award Manager, a Queer Market Manager, a Volunteers Manager, a Graphic Designer, and a Social Networks and Internet Manager. Yearly, Translators, Volunteers (selected by interview), Interns (by spontaneous application and/or through protocols between ACJI and schools or universities), an Audio-Visual Editor, and one or more Official Photographers will also be selected. New positions may be opened yearly, depending on Festival requirements. One person may hold more than one position, with the exception of the Directors.

 1.17 The Artistic Director’s tasks include: management and final word upon film programming within QL and associated cultural events, whether simultaneous to the Festival or not; management and final word upon QL image and content of its graphic and audio-visual materials; management and final word upon QL official guests and jury members. The Artistic Director selects QL staff and oversees its production and operations, as well as all official relations as defined in 1.18; authority in these areas may be delegated to the Directors. Any decision regarding the acceptance or interruption of any sponsorship/protocol between the Festival and any other institution/company must be approved by the Artistic Director.

 1.18 The Festival Directors’ tasks include: general production of the Festival, related and parallel events, simultaneous to the Festival or not, submitting and following up applications for public funding and sponsorships, fundraising, budgeting, payments to staff and providers of goods and services, establishment of public and private partnerships, technical and logistic operation in Festival offices, Theatres, and other sites of Festival intervention, management and coordination of Festival staff.

Article Two | Film Selection

 2.1. QL programs documentaries, fiction, experimental and animated films, be they feature films or short subjects. Acceptable formats are: 35mm, DCP, Beta Sp, Digibeta, DVCam, MiniDV and DVD. Please notice that DVD is only accepted in case it is the sole screening format available. If a selected film is only available in a different format, QL will try to negotiate the best solution with the rights holder of the film in question, in order to exhibit the film. Whenever QL has to pay for a transfer copy of the film, compatible with our screening formats, the Festival will be considered the legal owner of this copy, while any and all legal representation, distribution or exhibition rights over the copy remain with the original holders.

 2.2. QL considers a short subject any film with a duration lower or equal to 44 minutes, and a feature any film with a duration higher or equal to 45 minutes. Festival Programmers are, nonetheless, free to disregard this parameter, if by analysing the film plot, they decide otherwise.

 2.3. If a selected film is spoken in a language other than English, the film copy must be subtitled in English.

 2.4. Electronic subtitling in Portuguese of all QL film programmes is dependant on the annual availability of Festival budget.

 2.5. QL selects films by direct invitation to the rights holder. The film’s exhibition is subject to negotiation of screening fee and copy availability for the period in which the Festival takes place. The maximum screening fee paid by QL per film is 500.00€ (five hundred Euro). It is QL policy to negotiate the lowest screening fee possible up to this value. The aforementioned fee may be exceptionally exceeded whenever a Festival sponsor, public or private, takes direct responsibility for the total or partial payment of the screening fee of the film, or in the case that the Festival Programmers deem the film as exceptionally relevant.

 2.6. The import and export of print copies of the films programmed by direct invitation of QL is to be paid in full by the Festival, unless the print is in circulation between Festivals, in which case QL will only pay for either the import or the export of the print, but never both.

 2.7. No cuts or changes in any film will be made for its public screening, for any reason. Each film will be screened in the best technical conditions available.

Article Three | Film Submission

 3.1. QL accepts Film Submissions to the Festival program every year.

 3.2. Participants must complete a Submission Form for each film submitted to the Festival program, signed by its rights holder and sent to QL by post or courier service. Submission Forms sent by e-mail will not be accepted.

 3.3. Films submitted after the deadline set every year by QL for film submission (postage date) may not be accepted for selection to that year’s program. Exceptionally, by request to the Festival Artistic Director, submitted films may be accepted after this deadline.

 3.4. QL accepts preview copies in the DVD (any region) format. Password-protected internet viewing may be exceptionally accepted, upon request to the Artistic Director. Regardless of being selected or not for the QL programme, preview copies will not be returned, and will be added to the QL archive.

 3.5. The decision of the Programmers on each submission will be notified by e-mail before the deadline set by QL each year.

 3.6. It is QL policy not to provide explanations in any form of the criteria used in the exclusion of a submitted film from the Festival program.

 3.7. QL does not pay any screening fee for the screening of films entered by submission.

 3.8. QL may screen each of these films a maximum of two times, whenever possible.

 3.9. Prior theatrical or television screenings, or DVD release in Portugal disqualify films from entry, as well as its integral and legal availability on the Internet.

 3.10. If the film is selected, it is the responsibility of its rights holder to guarantee its availability for QL.

 3.11. The screening copy must be sent to the Festival by its rights holder (at his/her charge) up to 10 days before the Festival opens. The Festival will take charge of the transportation and costs of its return.

 3.12. If the screening copy is in transit between Festivals, QL will only pay for either the import or export duties of the copy, never both.

 3.13. The Festival holds the right to use film stills and up to 90’’ (ninety seconds) of film footage for promotional purposes.

 Article Four | Competition

 4.1. QL comprises Competitive Sections and non-Competitive Sections.

 4.2. QL comprises three Competitive Sections: Best Feature Film, Best Documentary, and Best Short Film.

 4.3. The Feature Film Competition awards the Best Feature Length Fiction Film, the Best Actor, and the Best Actress. This section comprises a minimum of 10 films.

 4.4. The Documentary Competition awards the Best Feature Length Documentary. This section comprises a minimum of 10 films.

 4.5. The Short Film Competition awards the Best Fiction or Documentary Short Film. This section comprises a minimum of 20 films.

 4.6. All selected Feature Films, Short Films or Documentaries, national and international, with a) a queer theme, b) produced in the preceding year or in the same year of the Festival or unreleased in Europe until the year preceding the Festival, c) and that have not been commercially distributed in Portugal before the Festival, are eligible for competition in one of the three categories.

 4.7. QL Programmers short-list the films for the Competition Sections. This selection is of the sole responsibility of the Festival Programmers, who are under no obligation to provide explanations in any form of the criteria used in the selection.

 4.8. Prize winners are announced during the Closing Ceremony of the Festival.

 4.9. The monetary value of the prizes is determined by the sponsorship of a public or private institution, to be renegotiated annually. However, a minimum of 1,000.00€ (one thousand Euro) is established for the Best Feature Film; of 1,000.00€ (one thousand Euro) for the Best Documentary; and of 500.00€ (five hundred Euro) for the Best Short Film.

 4.10. The cash award will revert to the film director. When the film has more than one director, the amount of the award will be shared in equal parts by all directors.

 4.11. The cash award is paid through bank transfer.

 4.12. In the eventuality that a screening fee has been paid for the exhibition of the awarded film (in any category), the value of the fee will be discounted from the global prize value, if such has been agreed beforehand with the legal rights holder of the film.

 Article Five | Jury

 5.1. The International Jury is composed by eight renowned programmers or directors of International Film Festivals, filmmakers, actors or other cinema professionals, or renowned professionals of other cultural disciplines.

 5.2. Five jury members are responsible for selecting the Best Feature Film, the Best Actor, and the Best Actress.

 5.3. Three jury members are responsible for selecting the Best Documentary.

 5.4. If, for any reason, a jury member fails to attend the Festival, no substitution will take place.

 Article Six | Audience Award

 6.1. The Best Short Film is an Audience Award, for which each audience member is given a ballot at the beginning of each screening, on which s/he may cast a vote on each film in competition on a scale of 1 to 10.

 6.2. Several films and / or short film programmes may appear on each ballot.

 6.3. At the time of each screening, only the votes attributed to the film or films listed in the correspondent short film programme may be filled in. Ballots with votes for films or film programmes screened at different times will not be considered valid. Ballots are to be placed in the box available at the end of each screening.

 6.4. A Festival staff member is annually named responsible for this award and for counting the votes.

 6.5. For each film, the average of votes is calculated, considering the number of valid ballots entered for that specific film.

 6.6. Validation of a given ballot is individual for each film entry, unless a visible disregard of the Audience Award rules is detected in that or any other film in the same ballot, in which cases all votes on the ballot in question will be not considered valid.

 6.7. The Festival staff member responsible for the Audience Award should notify a member of the Festival Direction of any doubts or dubious issues regarding the votes. The final decision to validate a specific ballot rests entirely with the member of the Festival Direction. Void ballots will be destroyed.

 6.8. Valid ballots will remain in the Festival archive for the period of one year.

 6.9. A minimum of thirty valid votes is required in order for a short film to be eligible for the audience award.

  Article Seven | Accreditations

 7.1. Television and Film professionals (Industry), as well as Media professionals (Press), may request an Accreditation to the Festival Office in order to participate in QL.

 7.2. Accreditation holders are given free access to all screenings of QL, subject to ticket availability. A ticket must always be obtained at the Box Office prior to each screening, at a maximum of one ticket per screening.

 7.3. Industry and Press accreditation holders are granted free access to all Festival activities and priority in booking interviews with Festival guests.

 7.4. Accreditation for QL can be requested each year from July 1st.

 7.5. Accreditation for QL can only be approved and issued by the Festival organization.

 7.6. QL Accreditation is personal and cannot be shared.

 7.7. During the Festival, the organization is entitled to requires further legal identification from the Accreditation holder, and to cancel their Accreditation in case of any irregularity.

 7.8. For either a Press or Industry Accreditation, a name, photograph, and company / institution name are required.

 7.9. Accreditations are not sent by post or by any means handed out before the Festival, and should be picked up at the Cinema from the first day of the Festival.

 7.10 QL Direction reserves the right to determine yearly the total number of accreditations and/or a limit for each company/institution.

 Article Eight | Insurance

 8.1. QL has insurance over all film copies while at the Theatre in Lisbon, and only during the month of September. Under no circumstance is QL responsible for damage or loss of the films while in transit, either while being imported and/or exported.

 8.2. All the Festival team and volunteers are insured against accidents while at the Theatre where the Festival is held.

Article Nine | Acceptance

 9.1. Participation in QL implies the acceptance of these Festival Regulations, as well as of any other decision taken by the Directors Board of the Associação Cultural Janela Indiscreta and / or the Festival Direction, and duly communicated to the participants.

Festival Regulations approved by the Directors Board of the Associação Cultural Janela Indiscreta on 26th October 2008.

 An update of items 2.1., 3.9., 4.5., and 5.2 was approved by the Directors Board of Associação Cultural Janela Indiscreta on 1st June 2009.

 An update of items 1.10, 1.14, 2.5, 3.3, 3.4, 4.9, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 6.6, 6.7, and 9.1, as well as the insertion of items 1.16, 1.17. 1.18, and 7.10, were approved by the Directors Board of Associação Cultural Janela Indiscreta on 23rd March 2011.