FAQ: Docs for Sale

1. What is Docs for Sale?
2. What does it mean to have a film in Docs for Sale?
3. What kinds of films are eligible for Docs for Sale?
4. What facilities does Docs for Sale offer?
5. How does IDFA use Vimeo?
6. Can I upload video without a Vimeo account?
7. How long will my film be online?
8. What can I do with my online subscription?
9. Help! It isn’t working. What’s going wrong here?
10. Can I reclaim VAT?

1. What is Docs for Sale?

Docs for Sale is IDFA’s marketplace for creative documentaries. During the festival, buyers, sales agents, and festival programmers can view documentaries in Amsterdam. Since December 2008, Docs for Sale has an online version as well. This is a year-round marketplace that offers video streaming for professionals. On the Docs for Sale website, buyers, sales agents, festival programmers and other exhibitors can watch documentaries throughout the year, whenever they want, from wherever they are.

2. What does it mean to have a film in Docs for Sale?

Having your film in Docs for Sale means that it can be viewed by hundreds of potential buyers and festival programmers. If your film is selected for Docs for Sale, it will be included in the catalogue in Amsterdam as well as in the online catalogue. Your film will be placed in a secure online environment where potential buyers can view at any time for 1 year.

3. What kinds of films are eligible for Docs for Sale?

Docs for Sale focuses on creative documentaries. Non-fiction genres such as nature documentaries, corporate films, travelogues and informational films are not eligible for selection. Of the films that are ultimately admitted to the market, many of them are also presented at IDFA in competitive and non-competitive sections. Others include films that Docs for Sale selects itself, on the basis of submissions that we believe could be interesting for buyers and sales agents. If your film is older than one year, it will not be accepted for the Docs for Sale.

4. What facilities does Docs for Sale offer?

Viewing reports
During Docs for Sale in Amsterdam, you can ask for an up-to-date screening report any time you want. This will show you who has viewed your film and what they thought about it. After Docs for Sale is over, you will receive the viewing report by e-mail. For documentaries in the Docs for Sale online catalogue, you can log in any time to check if someone has viewed your documentary and if they left any comments. 

Meet up with buyers or festival programmers in Amsterdam
Face-to-face meetings are often the best. Docs for Sale in Amsterdam facilitates a lounge where you can meet with potential buyers. The Docs for Sale staff is always willing to help you meet the right people, but it’s also important to study the market beforehand. You should know what kind of film you are trying to sell and who might be interested in it. You can find the Docs for Sale guest list on our website, so you know who will be attending the market in Amsterdam.

Contact registered buyers directly
You can suggest your documentary to registered buyers by sending e-mails to the ones whose profile corresponds to your film. Spamming everybody is not a good idea. Instead, do your homework to find out who might be interested in your film. 
The profiles of the potential buyers and their contact information will be available on our website in the end of September.

5. How does IDFA use Vimeo?

IDFA has a contract with Vimeo as the provider of HD-quality streaming video on our website. All video materials will be uploaded to a private Vimeo Business account managed by IDFA. Vimeo is a global platform and is used as an industry standard for filmmakers to share and present their work online. Over the past years more than 95% of all submissions to IDFA have allowed full access to content residing on Vimeo already.

• We upload files to our 'private' Business
• account within a password-protected album that only IDFA has access to.
• All files are set so they cannot be searched or found on Vimeo's public platform.
• There are further settings in place that only allow the video to be viewed on www.idfa.nl, which ensures that all video is domain-restricted to IDFA only.
• Our database checks the MyIDFA account that is logged in on the IDFA site and the video will only appear on the website if this MyIDFA account has rights to view the content.
• Content cannot be commented on, shared or downloaded.

6. Can I upload video without a Vimeo account?

For your Docs for Sale submission you do not need to create a Vimeo account as we have that covered with our own Business account. All we need from you is a video file of the final cut of your film, encoded according to Vimeo's compression guidelines.

Once you have prepared your file you need to send it to video@idfa.nl via an online file transfer service (for instance: https://www.myairbridge.com/en). Before you send the file please take care in naming it clearly and correctly. You can add further information about version, codec, resolution and date if you wish to. As we receive hundreds of submissions, the title of your film is the most important component.

Here is an example of a clear naming convention whereby we immediately know the title, specifically for DfS, a final version and date of file creation: Bee Eaters_DFS _Final version_25102016.mp4

7. How long will my film be online?

Your film will be online for one year.

8. What can I do with my online subscription?

Docs for Sale online gives buyers access to a wide range of documentaries from anywhere in the world. This online documentary platform contains award-winning titles selected for IDFA as well as other important documentaries that shouldn’t be missed. You can watch documentaries online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You’ll be able to browse through the catalogue or perform a search – by subject, genre, length, sales agent, etc.

Contact the sales representative of the film directly
You can contact the sales representative of the film directly by clicking on the person’s name.

9. Help! It isn’t working. What’s going wrong here?

Please check whether you are logged in with your MyIDFA account. If not, log in at the top right of the screen.

If this does not fix the problem, please try again using a different browser.

10. Can I reclaim VAT?

Professionals (entrepreneurs) can submit a claim for refund of VAT charged by IDFA if:

• You use the goods and services for business and not personal use.
• You use the goods and services for activities over which VAT is charged.

Furthermore you may only submit a claim for refund if:

• you are not required to file a VAT return in the Netherlands
• the Dutch VAT has been charged to you
• the VAT is deductible as input tax for the Dutch entrepreneur
• the amount of VAT for which you claim refund is at least € 50 per calendar year.

How to claim for a refund? This differs for EU entrepreneurs and non-EU entrepreneurs.

EU entrepreneur:

• Reclaim digitally through the tax administration of the EU country in which you are established.
• Submit your claim before October 1 of the year following the year over which you are claiming refund of VAT. As from 2012 claims for refunds must always be submitted digitally.

Entrepreneur outside the EU: 

• Claim a refund of the VAT that you have paid in the Netherlands using the form:  'Application for VAT refund for entrepreneurs based in non-EU countries'  (downloadable from http://www.belastingdienst.nl).
• In order to get to the form 'Application for VAT refund for entrepreneurs based in non-EU countries' you can use the Registration of foreign businesses aid. By answering a number of questions, you will know if you can complete the application straight away or if you first have to apply for a VAT identification number or registration number. The calculation tool will guide you to the correct form.
• Submit your claim before July 1 of the year following the year over which you are claiming refund of VAT.
• You must also enclose the following documents together with your claim for a VAT refund: (I) declaration of entrepreneurship, preferably from the tax administration in your country and (II) original invoice from IDFA.
• The Tax authorities will only handle your request after you have registered as a foreign entrepreneur. No registration number yet? You can use the calculation tool Registration of foreign businesses aid to request a form for applying for the registration number.