Checklist for IDFA Forum entry

The online entry form is available starting June 12 through MyIDFA in the section ‘My Entries.’ There are 2 entry forms: The IDFA Forum entry form for linear projects and the IDFA DocLab Forum entry form for new media projects. All information must be provided in English.

The selection procedure consists of three phases: general entry, pre-selection and final selection. There are separate entry forms for each step in this process.

Phase 1: Entry

To fill out the entry form for this phase, the following information is required:

Project details

• Project (working) title
• Logline (max. 30 words): a few sentences that capture the essence of your film
• Synopsis (max. 400 words): a clear and simple description of your story line. What is it about?
• Category (If you are submitting a linear project, choose between 'Forum Pitch' and 'Rough Cut Presentation'; if you are submitting a new media project, choose 'DocLab Forum')
• Genre (choose from a list of options)
• Project description (max. 700 words): a project description can include background information, details about protagonists, information about access to subjects and locations, visual approach, director’s statement, etc.
• For project submissions to the thematic Children's Documentaries Pitch: a description of how your project will engage a young audience (if applicable – max. 250 words)
• Description of your target audience

Technical details

• Visual Material: Vimeo link to a trailer, rough cut, or other sample material:
  • For a public Forum presentation: preferably a trailer (max. 3 min.); or if you are in production and do not yet have a trailer, selected scenes (max. 10 min.) or a sample of your previous work (max. 10 min.)
  • For DocLab Forum: sample material; a trailer, teaser clip or pitch deck to showcase the general look of your project
  • For a Rough Cut Presentation: 20 minutes of rough cut material (a 20-minute clip, or the total rough cut with a time code selection of maximum 20 minutes). If you are selected you must deliver the full rough cut by Wednesday, October 21, 2020; we advise to keep the length of the rough cut as condensed as possible.
• Single project or series
• Type of experience (DocLab Forum)
• Anticipated length
• Production schedule, including (planned) start of production, (planned) end of production, (planned) release date
• Current status of production, and how the COVID-19 situation has affected your project and company
• Other submissions: any other training program/pitching event where this project was presented on-site or online (year, place/event, program, project title)
• Previous applications to the IDFA Forum with this project, if applicable (year, project title)
• Previous applications to the IDFA Bertha Fund with this project, if applicable (year, project title)
• Previous applications to the IDFAcademy Summer School/IDFA Project Space with this project, if applicable (year, project title)
• Previous applications to the IDFA DocLab Open Call for R&D Proposals

Budget Details

• Total amount of budget, financing in place, and amount still required
• Target: what are you looking for? Are you looking for co-producers only? Or are you looking for development funding, or only broadcasting partners? In case of a new media project: are you looking for exhibitors and/or tech partners? This will help us determine which presentation set up would best cater to your project.
• Finance Plan for production and post-production: here you can fill out the financing required; the presumed investments (company, amount) for your project (max. 250 words).
• Please note: 'In kind' contributions do not count as financing

Credit details

• You will need to provide names and contact details, as well as previous credits (max. 3 projects) for the following persons involved: Producer, Co-producer (if applicable), Director(s), Artist(s), Scriptwriter, Editor, Distributor/Sales agent, and/or creative team in the case of a new media project
• A short biography of the director(s), artist(s) and information about the producer(s)/production company (max. 350 words). For a new media project please also provide names and country of the other creative team members.

Phase 2: Pre-selection

All projects that make it through the pre-selection for IDFA Forum will be asked to fill out a second entry form. This second form is available on August 31; the deadline for submitting it is September 3. For DocLab Forum, the form is available on August 24 and the deadline for submitting it is August 28. To fill out the entry form for this phase, the following information is required:

Budget Details

• This excel sheet allows you to provide a finance plan (differentiating between requested, confirmed, and still required finance). If you are selected, this information will be listed in our password-protected online catalogue.

Credit details

• Confirmed financing in place provided by broadcasters, film institutions or other financiers: You have to specify the investor and provide a contact person and contact details. It may seem like you are asked to do this twice, but for us it is important that you fill out the credit details of all confirmed financing.
• You need to provide letters of commitment for all confirmed financing. Letters of commitment from broadcasters and financiers need to be in English and signed.
• 'In kind' contributions do not count as financing.

Visual materials

• Two stills of the project. Format: JPG. Resolution: 300 DPI. Size: 21cm x 14.8 cm/5.8 x 8.3 inches (A5). Orientation: Landscape. Please do not upload other formats than .JPG because we cannot process these.
• Two passport-size photos of the pitch team: the director/artist and the producer(s). Additional photos of co-director and co-producer. Format: JPG. Resolution: 300 DPI. Size: 2.5 x3.5 cm; 1 x 1.4 inches (minimum). Orientation: Portrait.
• For the DocLab Forum: You will need to upload a sample of your presentation/pitch.

Phase 3: Upon selection

To optimally present the selected projects on the Forum website, the pitch teams will be asked to fill out a third form, which will be available for two days only: from September 29 to October 1. To fill out the entry form for this phase, the following information is required:

• Final project details, to be used in our online Forum catalogue and on the IDFA website:
  • Logline (max. 30 words).
  • Synopsis (max. 400 words).
  • Project description (max. 700 words).
  • Biography of the director(s), artist(s), and information about the producer(s)/production company, creative team (max. 350 words).
• Information about your pitch team and visual materials. We will use the trailer (or other visual material) that you initially submitted for our secure, password-protected online catalogue. This will be only available to decision makers, who can then choose which project teams they would like to meet with. For the online pitch itself, you are welcome to use a different trailer if you wish; we are happy to discuss this with you.

At the end of this form you will be asked to pay the applicable participation fee, which are detailed in our Regulations. After selection the Forum team will contact the pitch teams about the online presentation and discuss how this is going to look like.