Regulations

ARTICLE ONE | ORGANIZATION, GOALS AND POLICY

1.1. Queer Lisboa (henceforth QL) and Queer Porto (henceforth QP) – International Queer Film Festivals are organized by Associação Cultural Janela Indiscreta (henceforth ACJI), a non-profit association.

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

1.3. QL are QP are annual events taking place, respectively, in Lisbon, in September, for a minimum period of nine days, and in Porto, in October, for a minimum period of five days, unless a change of dates is determined by causes beyond the festivals’ scope.  

1.4.  The purpose of QL and QP is the screening and promotion of high-quality films focussing gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, transgender, intersex, and other queer and non-normative sexualities and identities.

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’s programmers and/or of ACJI.

1.6.  Each year, QL and QP seek 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, within or outside the festivals’ dates.

1.7. Whenever possible, QL and QP out-of-town screenings may occur in other Portuguese locations, in partnership and co-production with public and/or private institutions.

1.8. QL and QP select 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 and QP policy to give priority to Portuguese film productions, whenever the festival programmers find that a new national production justifies its inclusion in the festival program. This policy extends to Portuguese spoken film productions of all geographical origins. It is also QL and QP policy to promote Portuguese films in international film festivals.

1.10. It is QL and QP programming policy to screen 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 awards they may have won. These films must be unreleased commercially in Portugal unless the festival programmers consider them of high importance for the current program. It is also QL and QP policy to programme annual film retrospectives dedicated to a filmmaker, theme, country of production, or other.

1.11. It is QL and QP programming policy to screen and promote directorial debuts by young filmmakers.

1.12. It is QL and QP policy to offer lower ticket prices than those practiced by commercial cinemas unless this is not possible due to contractual agreements with the company or institution running the venues where the festivals are held.

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

1.14. Members of Portuguese LGBTQI+ associations are given a ticket discount unless this is not possible due to contractual agreements with the company or institution running the venues where the festivals are held. This discount is only applied upon presentation of a valid means of identification on purchasing the ticket, and prior discount agreement with the festivals. 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 relation to ACJI, and/or restrictions related to the number of discount tickets available.

1.15. The invitation of festival guests is contingent on the sponsorship of private and public institutions. However, QL and QP reserve 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 and QP staff includes one artistic director for the overall events, and one or more directors for each of the festivals, comprising the festivals’ direction board. Other staff members include programmers, who may be joined each year by guest programmers; a member of the ACJI board of directors acting as consultant; a print traffic and digital film manager; a hospitality manager; a press, marketing, and social media manager; an Audience Award manager; a Queer Market manager; a volunteer’s manager; and a graphic designer. Yearly, translators, volunteers (selected by interview), interns (by spontaneous application and/or through protocols between ACJI and private and/or public institutions), an audio-visuals editor, one or more official photographers, and one or more drivers. New positions may be opened yearly, depending on festival requirements. One person may hold more than one position.

1.17. The festivals’ artistic director is designated by the ACJI director’s board. The artistic director’s tasks include management and final word upon film programming within QL and QP and associated cultural events, whether simultaneous to the festivals or not; management and final word upon QL and QP image and content of its graphic and audio-visual materials; management and final word upon QL and QP official guests and jury members. The artistic director selects QL and QP 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 festivals and any other institution/company must be approved by the artistic director.

1.18. The festivals director’s tasks include general production of the festivals, related and parallel events, simultaneous to the festivals or not; submitting and following up applications for public funding and sponsorships; fundraising; establishment of public and private partnerships; technical and logistic operation in the festivals’ offices, venues, and other sites of intervention; management and coordination of festivals’ staff during the event.

1.19. Festivals’ budgeting, so as payments to staff and providers of goods and services, is the sole responsibility of the ACJI direction board, and is coordinated inside the festivals by its artistic director.

 

ARTICLE TWO | FILM SELECTION

2.1. QL and QP programme documentaries, fiction, docu-fiction, experimental and animated films, be they feature length or short subjects. Acceptable formats are: 35mm, DCP, or hi-res digital file. If a selected film is only available in a different format, QL and QP will try to negotiate the best solution with the rights holder of the film in question, to properly screen it. Whenever QL and QP must pay for a transfer copy of the film, compatible with the screening formats, the festivals will be considered the legal owner of this copy, while all legal representation, distribution or screening rights over the copy remain with the original holders.

2.2. QL and QP consider a short subject any film with a length lower or equal to 44 minutes, and a feature any film with a length higher or equal to 45 minutes. Festivals’ 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. Total or partial electronic subtitling in Portuguese of QL and QP film programmes is dependent on the annual availability of the festivals’ budget.

2.5. QL and QP select films by direct invitation to the rights holder. The film’s screening is subject to negotiation of screening fee and copy availability for the period in which the festivals take place. The maximum screening fee paid by QL or QP per film is 500.00€ (five hundred Euros). It is QL and QP 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 festivals’ 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 or QP is to be paid in full by the festivals, unless the print is in transit between other festivals, in which case QL and QP will only pay for either the import or the export duties 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 and QP accept film submissions to the festivals’ programs every year through their official websites. Submissions are made automatically for both festivals.

3.2. Participants must complete an online submission form for each film submitted to the festivals programs and send an online private preview link of the film, a downloadable file or a DVD, by post. 

3.3. Films submitted physically after the deadline set every year by QL and QP for film submission (postage date) may not be accepted for selection to that year’s programs. Exceptionally, by request to the festivals’ artistic director, submitted films may be accepted after this deadline.

3.4. QL and QP accept preview copies in DVD (any region), and preferably password-protected internet viewing or downloadable file. Regardless of being selected or not for the QL or QP programs, physical preview copies will not be returned, and will be added to the festivals’ archive.

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

3.6. It is QL and QP policy not to provide explanations in any form of the criteria used in the exclusion of a submitted film from the festivals’ programs.

3.7. QL and QP do not pay any screening fee for the screening of films entered by submission.

3.8.  QL and QP reserve the right to screen each film sent by submission up to twice. 

3.9.  Prior theatrical distribution, television screenings, or DVD or VOD release in Portugal disqualify films from entry, as well as their 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 or QP.

3.11.  The screening copy must be sent to the festivals by its rights holder (at their charge) up to 10 days before QL opens or up to 10 days before QP opens. The festivals will take charge of the transportation and costs of its return.

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

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

 

ARTICLE FOUR | COMPETITION

4.1. QL and QP include competition and non-competition sections.

4.2. QL includes five competition sections: Best Feature Film, Best Documentary, Best Short Film, Best European School Short Film “In My Shorts”, and Queer Art Best Film.

4.3. The QL Feature Film competition awards the Best Feature Length Narrative Film. This section includes a minimum of eight films.

4.4. The QL Documentary competition awards the Best Feature Length Documentary. This section includes a minimum of eight films.

4.5. The QL Short Film competition awards the Best fiction, docu-fiction, documentary, experimental or animated Short Film. This section includes a minimum of 18 films.

4.6. The QL Best European School Short Film “In My Shorts” competition awards the Best Short Film directed as part of a European film school curricula. This section includes a minimum of 10 films.

4.7.  The QL Queer Art competition awards the Best Feature Length Film. This section includes a minimum of eight films.

4.8. QP includes two competition sections: Official Competition, and "Casa Comum" Award.

4.9. QP Official Competition for Best Film includes feature length narratives and documentaries and awards the Best Film. This section includes a minimum of eight films.

4.10. QP "Casa Comum" competition awards the Best Portuguese Short Film and welcomes all cinematographic genres. This section includes a minimum of eight films.

4.11.  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 festivals or unreleased in Europe until the year preceding the festivals; c) and that have not been commercially distributed in Portugal before the festivals, are eligible for competition.

4.12.  QL and QP programmers short-list the films for competition. This selection is of the sole responsibility of the festivals’ programmers, who are under no obligation to provide explanations in any form of the criteria used in the selection.

4.13.  Prize winners are announced during the closing ceremonies of the festivals.

4.14. The monetary value of the QL awards 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; of 500.00€ (five hundred Euro) for the Best Short Film; of 500.00€ (five hundred Euro) for the Best European School Short Film “In My Shorts”; and of 1,000.00€ (one thousand Euro) for Queer Art. However, the festival reserves the right not to assign a monetary value to one or more of these prizes, in the event of budget restrictions that would not allow the allocation of one or more of these values.

4.15. The monetary value of the QP awards 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 Film; and a minimum of 500,00€ (five hundred Euro) for the "Casa Comum" Award. However, the festival reserves the right not to assign a monetary value to one or more of these prizes, in the event of budget restrictions that would not allow the allocation of one or more of these values.

4.16.  Cash awards 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. The cash award is paid through wire transfer, and it implies the previous issue of an invoice.

4.17. Awards in the form of legal rights acquisitions for Portuguese territory by TV broadcasters, theatrical distributors, or VOD distributors, are negotiated and paid to the sales agent of the awarded film. These contracts are of the sole responsibility of the buyer. The monetary partition of the award with the film producer and/or filmmaker is of the sole responsibility of the sales agent. 

4.18. In the eventuality that a screening fee has been paid for the screening 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. This only applies for cash awards, as stated in 4.16.

 

ARTICLE FIVE | JURY

5.1. The QL international jury is composed by 12 renowned programmers and directors of international film festivals, filmmakers, actors, or other film professionals, or renowned professionals of other cultural disciplines.

5.2. Three jury members are responsible for selecting the QL Best Feature Film.

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

5.4. Three jury members are responsible for selecting the QL Best Short Film and the QL Best European School Short Film “In My Shorts”.

5.5. Three jury members are responsible for selecting the QL Queer Art Best Film.

5.6. The QP international jury is composed by six renowned programmers and directors of international film festivals, filmmakers, actors, or other film professionals, or renowned professionals of other cultural disciplines.

5.7. Three jury members are responsible for selecting the QP Best Feature Length Narrative or Documentary.

5.8. The "Casa Comum" Award jury is composed by three personalities designated by the Rectory of the University of Porto. They select the Best Film of the competition.

5.9.  If, for any reason, a jury member fails to attend the festivals, no substitution will take place, unless this absence signifies a risk in terms of an award attribution, in which case the festivals will nominate a new jury member.

 

ARTICLE SIX | EUROPEAN SCHOOL SHORT FILM COMPETITION “IN MY SHORTS” (QL)

6.1. QL accepts any queer themed narrative, documentary, experimental or animated short film, produced in the preceding or same year of the festival edition, directed in the curricular context of a European film school.

6.2. The competition is assembled in a maximum of three short film programmes, comprising altogether a minimum of 10 films.

6.3.  Filmmakers whose films were selected are invited to attend the festival to present their films and take part of the formative programs, specifically organized for this program. These invitations are contingent of yearly festival budget availability to do so.

6.4. Whenever a given film school has three or more films that match this competition’s parameters, it is eligible to be a section partner. The invitation to be a Partner Film School is addressed by the festival.

6.5. The Partner Film School is responsible for pre-selecting the films for submission and final consideration by festival programmers, so as for making the necessary arrangements to make it possible for the students to attend the festival.

6.6. The festival commits to promote all Partner Film Schools and to offer complementary formative actions to the selected students, during the event. The school may also take an active part on organizing these formative actions.

6.7. The QL award for Best European School Short Film is an international award, regardless of being part of a national or international film school.

6.8.  The Best European School Short Film “In My Shorts” Competition may not take place if the festival programmers consider that the number of films submitted is insufficient to guarantee a minimum quota of quality films.

 

ARTICLE SEVEN | AUDIENCE AWARD

7.1. An Audience Award for Best Film is given away in the QL Competition Sections for Best Feature Film, Best Documentary, and Best Short Film, so as in the QP Competition Section for Best Film, for which each audience member is given a ballot at the beginning of each screening, on which they may cast a vote on each film in competition on a scale of 1 to 5.

7.2.  Each ballot may comprise several films, namely if it is a short film program. The ballots are collected and sealed after each screening, not being allowed to accumulate votes on different screenings in the same ballot.

7.3. A festivals’ staff member is annually named responsible for this award and for counting the votes.

7.4. 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 not be considered valid.

7.5. The festivals’ staff member responsible for the Audience Award should notify a member of the festivals’ 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 festivals’ direction. Void ballots will be destroyed.

7.6. Valid ballots will remain in the festivals’ archive for the period of one year.

7.7. A minimum of 25 valid votes is required for a film to be eligible for both the QL and QP Audience Award.

7.8. The Audience Awards are special mention, non-monetary awards.

 

ARTICLE EIGHT | ACCREDITATIONS

8.1. Film and television professionals (Industry), media professionals (Press), and festivals sponsors may request an accreditation to QL and QP to participate in the festivals.

8.2.  Accreditation holders are given free access to all QL and QP screenings, except opening and closing nights (and selected special screenings), subject to ticket availability. A ticket must always be obtained at the box office, at a maximum of one ticket per screening. Tickets can only be obtained for screenings on that same day.

8.3. Press accreditation holders are granted priority in booking interviews with festivals’ guests.

8.4. Accreditation for QL or QP can be requested each year from July, by filling in the online form available in the festivals’ official websites.

8.5. Accreditation for QL or QP can only be approved and issued by the festivals’ organization.

8.6. QL and QP accreditation is personal and cannot be shared.

8.7. To issue the accreditation, a name, photograph, and company/institution name are required.

8.8. During the festivals, the organization (of both festivals and venues) is entitled to require further legal identification from the accreditation holder, and to cancel their accreditation in case of any irregularity.

8.9. Accreditations are not sent by post or by any means handed out before the festivals and should be picked up at the venue from the first day of the festivals.

8.10. The festivals direction reserves the right to determine yearly the total number of accreditations and/or a limit for each company/institution.

 

ARTICLE NINE | INSURANCE

9.1. QL and QP have insurances over all physical film copies while at the venues, and only during the month of September, for QL, and October, for QP. Under no circumstance are the festivals responsible for damage or loss of the films while in transit, either while being imported or exported.

9.2. All the festivals’ team and volunteers are insured against accidents while at the venues where the festivals are held.

 

ARTICLE TEN | ACCEPTANCE

10.1.  Participation in QL and QP implies the acceptance of these Festivals’ Regulations, as well as of any other decision taken by the directors’ board of the ACJI and/or the festivals’ direction, and duly communicated to the attendees.

 

// Festivals Regulations approved by the Directors Board of the Associação Cultural Janela Indiscreta on November 27th 2023.

 

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