International Portrait Film Festival (IPFF) welcomes films featuring images and characters, telling stories, cracking the surface of perceptions and reaching the core.
IPFF is a project of Portret Films Ltd.
IPFF aspires is to bring together artists and viewers who sincerely long for enrichment with art, intellectual discussion and an experience of cinema through a new prism - that of the portrait film.
IPFF is a hybrid event. A symbiosis of intriguing live encounters and memorable virtual experiences. An interweaving of portrait cinema from around the world, debates, lectures, master classes.
The portrait is the focus of the films that will be screened at IPFF. We are looking for portrait films that have already been completed, as well as such that will be created with the concrete idea of 'portrait'. Of a person. A group of people. An object. Something invisible, but substantial. Of the self. Or of something else.
IPFF is for those profoundly needing art and excitement. And for the ones in search of their catharsis. For the unafraid to stare at the screen even when it is empty. The hungry - for experimental viewpoints. For those forever in love with cinema, caught in its loop.
The submitted films can be productions of independent directors, individual artists and institutional authors - film academies, film centers, film companies, distribution companies, collectives, creative associations, etc.
-
Up to 3 film submissions by an individual artist are allowed. Up to 5 film submissions by institutional entities are allowed.
-
The competition programme includes selected films that are to be screened live and online.
-
1. Time and place - dates, locations, spaces
The festival is held in Bulgaria, in the cities Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo and online, in the period 17 - 27 November 2021.
Main location - Sofia - competition programme and accompanying programme of the festival - 17-20 November.
Other locations - Plovdiv, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo - screenings of selected films - 21-27 November.
Online screenings and events - 17-27 November.
-
2. Conditions for participation
2.1. Deadlines for submission
- Earlybird deadline - 22.03 - 30.04.2021
- Regular deadline - 01.05 - 31.07.2021
- Extended deadline - 01.08 - 17.09.2021
- Notifying and announcing the selected films - 24.09.2021
-
2.2. Film duration
Maximum accepted film duration is 30 minutes.
-
2.3. Time when the films were made
The festival accepts films made after 1.01.2005.
-
2.4. File formats
- Submission formats - digital formats - MP4, AVI, MOV, MKV or any other format that is accepted by the platforms FILMFREEWAY and FESTHOME.
- Selected films formats - H264, МР4. After a film is selected to be part of the official festival programme, the organiser will contact each author in order to determine the exact technical requirements regarding the screening of their film.
-
2.5. Language and subtitles
The festival’s working language is English. If an applying film is not in English, it is mandatory that it has appropriately embedded English subtitles.
For the films selected in the competition programme, the festival team will translate and produce subtitles in Bulgarian. In this case, the author must provide a timecode file in English. This is absolutely obligatory!
For films in Bulgarian, if selected in the competition programme, it is mandatory to provide a copy with embedded subtitles in English.
-
2.6. Materials from the authors of selected films
The authors of films selected in the competition programme must send video and photo material (trailer - up to 2 minutes, poster, film stills/screenshots, other appropriate material, photos of the creators - director, cast, others if applicable), short bios of the main production persons (director, cinematographer, producer, cast) and a list of the production team (credits).
When a film is selected to participate in the competition programme, IPFF is entitled to use the information provided in the previous paragraph by the film team for publicity and advertising purposes.
-
2.7. Copyright
The applicant party must have full authority to submit their film to IPFF and to own the copyright of the work, including all rights to the music used. IPFF is not responsible for any claims made by a third party regarding copyright and related rights.
The applicant party agrees that the films selected in the competition programme will be screened within the framework of the festival programme in the cities of Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, as well as in the online edition of the festival and IPFF’s accompanying events.
The applicant party agrees that the films selected in the competition programme are kept in the archive of the festival.
-
2.8. Submission fees
- Earlybird deadline - 22.03 - 30.04.2021 - 11 USD
- Regular deadline - 01.05 - 31.07.2021 - 13 USD
- Extended deadline - 01.08 - 17.09.2021 - 15 USD
-
Submission fees are not refundable
-
2.9. Application procedure / platforms and notification
Submissions are accepted in the following platforms:
-
The application will be considered accepted upon the cumulative fulfillment of the following conditions:
- the applicant has completed all the fields required by the relevant platform;
- the applicant has paid the relevant participation fee.
-
When submitting a film, the applicant agrees, in the event that the film is selected in the competition programme, to give IPFF a permission to download a copy or to provide a link to access the film outside/beyond the application platform. The copy or link provided will only be used for access by festival jury members.
-
By submitting an application through one of the platforms listed above, the applicant agrees to all the conditions in this RULES AND REGULATIONS section regarding participation in IPFF.
-
3. Categories
The categories in 2021 are 7:
- Film portrait
- Collective portrait
- Alternative portrait
- Film self-portrait
- Portrait in motion (screendance/dance film)
- Portrait in a magic lantern (animated film)
- Portrait from above (drone film)
-
4. Awards
The awarded films in each category are determined by an authoritative international jury.
IPFF will award the best portrait creations with:
-
The grand prize IPFF 2021
- A trip to the IPFF 2021 festival days in Sofia (including a two-way plane ticket, 4-night accommodation and access to all festival events)
- specially made copper statuette
- digital laurels ‘Maya Award IPFF 2021’
-
Award for the most wonderful portrait creation in each category
- specially made copper statuette
- digital laurels ‘International Portrait Film Festival - Most Wonderful Film Award’
-
Audience Award - a favorite film chosen by viewers in the online edition of IPFF
- specially made copper statuette
- digital laurels ‘International Portrait Film Festival - Audience Award’
-
IPFF also presents a special award for a Film Dedication about the contribution of a person or about a cause aiming towards a brighter and better world
- specially made copper statuette
- digital laurels ‘International Portrait Film Festival - Film Dedication Award’
-
Digital laurels ‘International Portrait Film Festival - Official Selection’ for all selected films
-
5. Festival organiser
Portret Films Ltd.
-
6. Funding
IPFF is an independent film festival that is funded and financed by Portret Films Ltd. and by submission fees from applicants.
-
-
-
-
Competition programme
-
Film portrait
The personality of one human is at the centre of the film portrait.
-
The human being as a contradiction: a wandering creature whose existence is always absurd and meaningless, at the same time a creature-universe with no outline, no beginning and no end.
-
A film portrait can be documentary, fictional or radically experimental. About a popular personage (historical figure, athlete, artist...), or about the person you meet at the park every day.
Collective portrait
A portrait of a group of people. From a chess club to an entire nation. The heart of the films in this category is the collective. This is a film about a society, a band, a company, a community.
Alternative portrait
A non-human portrait. Of a stray dog or of a pet. Of every living being whose language man has difficulty understanding. An alternative portrait can also be that of inanimate objects that cinema breathes life into. The plant in the corner. The umbrella on the hanger. Even the portrait of an abstract idea or a philosophical puzzle.
Self-portrait
A portrait of the ‘me, myself and I’. A film self-portrait. About the world of personal achievements, failures, fears, manias, adventures.
Portrait in motion (screendance/dance film)
A portrait in a specific form - that of the intersection of cinema and dance, the exciting art and practice known as screendance. The portrait is obligatory but undefined. It can be of a person, of the self, of a collective or an alternative portrait. The condition here is that the means of expression within the work is through the symbiosis of dance and film, called screendance.
Portrait in a magic lantern (animated film)
A portrait belonging to the art of animation, where creative thought transforms into movement of lines, shapes and colours, springing deep from the director's imagination. Here too, the portrait can be of a person, of the self, of a collective or of everything that is part of IPFF’s alternative portrait category (check Alternative portrait).
Portrait from above (drone film)
A portrait captured by the flying body of a drone camera. The obligatory condition is that the drone element is predominant. The portrait can be of a person, of the self, of a collective or of everything that is part of IPFF’s alternative portrait category (check Alternative portrait).
-
The awarded films in each category are determined by an international jury of professionals with impressive accomplishments in their respected fields: film practitioners, academics, film critics, culturologists, authors, journalists. Presenting their different points of view, they distinguish the best films among the Official Selection of the festival.
-
IPFF will award the best portrait creations with:
-
The grand prize IPFF 2021
- A trip to the IPFF 2021 festival days in Sofia (including a two-way plane ticket, 4-night accommodation and access to all festival events)
- specially made copper statuette
- digital laurels ‘Maya Award IPFF 2021’
-
Award for the most wonderful portrait creation in each category
- specially made copper statuette
- digital laurels ‘International Portrait Film Festival - Most Wonderful Film Award’
-
Audience Award - a favorite film chosen by viewers in the online edition of IPFF
- specially made copper statuette
- digital laurels ‘International Portrait Film Festival - Audience Award’
-
IPFF also presents a special award for a Film Dedication about the contribution of a person or about a cause aiming towards a brighter and better world
- specially made copper statuette
- digital laurels ‘International Portrait Film Festival - Film Dedication Award’
-
Digital laurels ‘International Portrait Film Festival - Official Selection’ for all selected films
-
-
-
-
Competition programme
Competition Programme – full details in early November 2021!
-
Accompanying Programme:
Each year the accompanying programme of the festival places two obligatory accents:
-
- Film Dedication - screening of a film about a significant person or collective of people, with a contribution to the development of humanity;
- Live Portrait - lectures-discussions, masterclasses, intriguing events - with the participation of people working in a variety of film areas - all the details in October 2021!
-
-
-
With its second edition, IPFF opens its virtual library, offering the opportunity for visibility of the work of each applying artist.
-
Every author who submits a film and is interested in this offer can showcase their film with (up to 1 minute) trailer in the virtual library of IPFF, based in YouTube.
-
Separate playlists will be created for each category in the festival's video channel.
-
The video can be accompanied by a short synopsis and bios - a textual presentation of the author, the team, the film, etc.
-
In this way, the applicant artists will have another visible platform within the Internet space. The virtual library will be free and accessible to representatives of the film industry, film communities, researchers, cultural organizations, viewers.
-
Thus, in combination with our policy of active presentation of authors on social media networks, IPFF will be able to give further real value to all film applications at the festival.
-
-
-
With a series of live thematic events, IPFF is building a bridge between its past and future editions. Creating connections between artists and audiences, enriching the exchange with more density and new nuances.
In 2021, IPFF will present to new audiences films from the selections of its first edition (IPFF 2020) with the following events:
-
EYES FOR FILM - VARNA, SOFIA - JUNE 2021
Presenting projects from the Official and Online Selections of the first edition of IPFF to the youngest film dreamers and researchers.
Cinema meetings with High School and University students (with degrees such as Visual Arts, Animation Cinema, Film and Television, Music, Theater, Photography, Fashion).
-
BEYOND THE SCREEN - THE FEELING THROUGH EXPERIENCE - SOFIA, SEPTEMBER 2021
In 2020, the film Feeling Through was awarded as Film Dedication at the first edition of IPFF. A film with a cause, a film about human beings and humanity.
In partnership between the festival and the impressive production of the American director Doug Roland, the event will be held with Bulgarian audience, involving communities of deaf-blind people in the Bulgarian local context.
The film is about the unexpected New York night meeting of a youngster with a blind and deaf man (starring Robert Tarango - the first actor who is blind and deaf to be part of a major film production).
Alongside the screening of Feeling Through, part of the event will also be the presentation of a documentary about the creation of the film, as well as a discussion with representatives of communities of blind and deaf people in Bulgaria.
-
SYMBIOSIS - SOFIA, SEPTEMBER 2021
Presentation of screendance projects from the Official Selection of the first edition of IPFF, part of the “Portrait in Motion” category at alternative dance venues and centers. Screening and discussion.
-
CULTURES AND SUBCULTURES - VARNA, SEPTEMBER 2021
Presentation of films from the selections of the first edition of IPFF at multidisciplinary art spaces – stories about skateboarding, sports, dance and exciting narratives from different parts of the world. Screening and discussion.
-
-
-
-
A podcast about investigating and (re)discovering the phenomenon portrait within the world of art - the portrait in cinema and photography, in painting, literature, music, within art experiments and art provocations...
-
Once a month, two voices – that of Ana-Maria Sotirova and Djuli Hadjolyan, will greet listeners in a space inhabited by ghosts flying beyond the portrait frames!
-
A third voice will also be heard - in each episode there will be an intriguing guest who will share with audiences from different parts of the world his or her understanding of the phenomenon of portraiture, will tell us about their portrait experiences and will recommend artistic inspirations.
-
In the PORTRAITS podcast, the many voices will provoke us with interesting questions, awaking new curiosity and helping us rediscover the pure joy of communication, exchange of ideas, thinking and creating...all within the context of a true cultural phenomenon - the PORTRAIT!
-
The PORTRAITS podcast is an IPFF project.
-
Start: April 2021
-
The podcast is in English.
-
-
-
Strongly believing in the power of experimentation and synergy between various arts, in 2021, with its second edition, IPFF creates a competition module for photographic portraits in the following categories:
-
Portrait of a lady (a portrait inspired by another historical time, past or future)
Portrait of a lady on fire (a queer portrait)
Portrait in sepia (a monochrome portrait)
Portrait of the artist as a young man (a surreal portrait)
The picture of Dorian Gray (a very beautiful or a very grotesque portrait / portrait-grotesque)
Self-portrait with ear and pipe (self-portrait of the photographer)
-
The experiment will be open to photography projects by professionals and amateurs from around the world. The selected best photo portraits will take part in an exhibition during the festival events of IPFF 2021.
-
One of all the selected photographs will be awarded as a winner and will become a starting point for experimental transformations - in a virtual art incubator it will be an inspiration for subsequent creations within various arts and practices.
-
More information - soon!
-
Start: May 2021
-
-
-
EDITION 1
-
ABOUT THE FIRST EDITION OF IPFF
44 wonderful films in our Official Selection, 22 extra-special film treasures part of our online selections, screenings in 4 unique cinemas in 3 Bulgarian cities and at 1 international virtual festival platform, 7 award-winning works, numerous shared ideas, emotions and new friendships!
-
And beyond the numbers!
In 2020, under the slogan Into the depths of the contour lines, the International Portrait Film Festival (IPFF) had its premiere in the world of film festivals.
-
Although it appeared at a challenging time, IPFF stated its unique philosophy: the portrait as a prism through which we can watch films, perceive their messages, explore their core; to look into the visible, but to go beyond, revealing the potential of the film portrait to affect and transform.
We are proud that the concept of the festival was recognised by filmmakers from all continents, as well as by the fact that in the Official Selection of IPFF, within a substantial competition, 44 intriguing film portraits were chosen - works about inspiring personalities, fictional narrative films telling exciting stories, films of social significance, animated, comedic, highly experimental, surreal creations.
-
We also highlighted films that deserved a place in separate online selections, which we named For the peculiar-eyed and Thrilling Impressions.
The international jury of IPFF awarded films in each of the festival categories.
-
Special emphasis was placed on the 2020 Film Dedication - Feeling Through, which will continue its encounters with Bulgarian audiences in 2021!
The first edition of the festival was realised in a hybrid form. During the live screenings, spectators in the Bulgarian cities of Sofia, Plovdiv and Varna met the captivating film portraits. And through the Cinenso online platform, which specialises in digital film events, IPFF's short film selection was made available to cinema lovers around the world.
In the accompanying program of the festival, those tempted by the evolving audiovisual culture had the opportunity to participate in the masterclass "Bridging the Gap: The Audiovisual Essay in the Contemporary Media Sphere", led by Shant Bayramian.
An open virtual Zoom discussion panel with the participation of directors of the selected films provided a chance to present different perspectives on the portrait film, short cinema and the festival life of cinematographic works.
The first edition of IPFF earned the attention of some of the best culture-focused media and public platforms in Bulgaria, through which the ideas of the festival and the filmmakers reached their audiences (including the Bulgarian National Radio and the Bulgarian National Television).
-
All the meetings, emotions and sharing in the cinema rooms and venues made us happy and eager for the upcoming second edition of IPFF in 2021!
-
-
-
We keep dreaming and working hard to develop and upgrade IPFF with each new edition! We believe that this way we will give more value and meaning to people to whom the short film offers a strong charge - creators, viewers, researchers.
-
With these aspirations, in the second edition of the festival, we launch new activities to turn IPFF into a living and active platform for ideas and experiences related to portraiture as a cinematic prism and a cultural phenomenon.
-
Find out more about our searches, provocations and directions in 2021 in the website fragment NEW IN 2021!
We are thrilled that the concept of the festival was recognised by filmmakers from all continents, as well as by the fact that in the Official Selection of IPFF, within a substantial competition, 44 intriguing film portraits were chosen - works about inspiring personalities, fictional narrative films telling exciting stories, films of social significance, animated, comedic, highly experimental, surreal creations.
-
-
-
FILM PORTRAIT CATEGORY
-
-
-
-
-
-
FILM SELF-PORTRAIT CATEGORY
-
-
-
COLLECTIVE PORTRAIT CATEGORY
-
-
-
-
ALTERNATIVE PORTRAIT CATEGORY
-
-
-
-
PORTRAIT IN MOTION CATEGORY
-
-
-
You can find more about the films in our Official Selection HERE.
-
-
-
-
IPFF - ONLINE SELECTIONS 2020
We also highlighted films that deserved a place in separate online selections, which we named For the peculiar-eyed and Thrilling Impressions.
-
-
IPFF - FOR THE PECULIAR-EYED SELECTION IPFF - THRILLING IMPRESSIONS SELECTION
-
-
More about the curious films in our For the peculiar-eyed Selection HERE. More about the unforgettable films in our Thrilling Impressions Selection HERE.
-
-
-
BULGARIA, 1000 SOFIA
75 TSAR IVAN ASEN II Str.
+359 88 7331 067