The submission of films for the 17th edition of the festival is now open. The 2025 edition will take place from March 28th to April 6th.
The Festival was created to promote documentary cinema and its creators, highlighting films that address social, cultural, economic, humanitarian, and environmental issues. Its aim is to support and advance the work of independent filmmakers, uncover new talents, foster the evolution of cinematic language, and engage in meaningful dialogue with the audience.
Please note: The deadline for entries to the International Competition has passed (15 November). Entries received after this date will not be considered.
Entries are open until 15 December 2024 for Belgian films!
Rules
Article 1. Selection
The theme, the cinematographic quality of the films, and the authenticity of the author’s approach are priorities during the selection process. The Festival is open to all filmmakers regardless of their nationality. Reports and magazines will not be considered. Films must have been produced after January 1st 2024. We accept films with a minimum length of 10 minutes.
Directors or producers register electronically on the festival site by completing the registration form below.
Registration is free for Belgian films.
For non-Belgian films, the registration fees are €30 (films longer than 40 minutes) / €15 (films between 10 and 40 minutes). The films must be:
- Presented in their original language
- Subtitled in French or English
Your application will be processed once payment has been made to the following bank account:
Name: Diogène ASBL
Bank: TRIODOS BANK
IBAN: BE62 5230 8112 9461
Description: Enter the film’s title + length (short or feature)
For payments made from banks outside Europe, you can also use PayPal at the following address:
Email address: lubomirgbn@yahoo.com
Description: Enter the film’s title + length (short or feature)
Informations regarding the “comments” section in the form :
- If your film is still in post-production, please inform us and send the current version. We also ask that you guarantee the submission of the final version no later than January 20, 2025. If your film is entered into other festivals in Brussels or is scheduled to be screened there before February 15, 2025, it is imperative to mention this in the special clauses. Any additional remarks or comments are welcome.
Article 2. Competitions and Awards
International competition
A Jury composed of film professionals, culture professionals
- Objectif d’Or – Best Film Award
- Objectif d’Argent – Prize for the best director, in its commitment and investment with the subject
- Objectif de Bronze – Prize for the most creative use of sound
- Special Jury Prize – Prize for the most original film in terms of content and cinematographic qualities
- Public Prize – awarded by a jury of 15 public volunteers
Youth vision competition
A special selection of international films that broaden the vision of young people, viewed by a jury of 15 young volunteers that will award the “Youth Vision” Prize.
Belgian Cinema competition
The “Belgian Cinema” Competition offers a panorama of the best Belgian documentary production of the year.
Young Belgian talent competition
The Young Belgian talent competition offers a wide variety of first films and graduation films (10-40 minutes) from young directors living in Belgium.
Article 3. Sending
It is essential to send us a copy for selection viewing:
- by post on a DVD at the address of the Festival – Rue de la Vanne 2, 1050 Brussels or electronically in.mov,.mp4,.avi format at preselection@festivalmillenium.org or on a Vimeo, Youtube link, etc.
The sending of the documents and the DVD copy is at the expense and risk of the candidates who waive any recourse against the organization. Do not hesitate to mention “For cultural use only” in order to avoid any problems with customs. Selection copies of the films must be sent to the festival no later than January 15th, 2025 (postmark). Any film received without prior registration will not be accepted.
For any information, please contact us via our e-mail:
preselection@festivalmillenium.org
Article 4. Principles of selection organization
The selection committee ensures that the applications are fully compliant and that the festival’s philosophy is respected. In addition, it may propose the programming of films in competition (s) or panorama.
Article 5. Selected films (competition or panorama)
Candidates will be informed by e-mail of the selection in competition(s) or in panorama of the films entered.
If the film is selected, the producer, or any other authorized person, undertakes to send it by 1 January 2025 at the latest:
- Promotional material (photos, trailer, charts, posters, etc.) A projection copy of the film in perfect condition and in a high quality definition (Apple ProRes 422HQ or H264 minimum speed 8000 Kb/s, 25 fps, Audio 48 kHz) The list of dialogues/subtitles
In case no trailer or film’s extract is provided by the director/producer, the Festival reserves the right to produce one in order to publish it on its website for promotional purposes.
Selection copies (DVDs) will not be returned. The directors and producers agree to entrust them to the Millenium Festival for archiving. The Festival will only be responsible for the reshipment of screening copies of films presented during the Festival in accordance with the instructions given for this purpose.
The producer or any other authorised person also undertakes to:
- Involve the respective winners in the award ceremony. Mention to the media and in promotional material the prize(s) obtained at the 17th edition of the Millennium Festival. Notify the organisation of the Millenium Festival of any known, past, present or future inscription of the film in any other festival in Belgium.
If a film is withdrawn by its director(s)/producer(s) after signing the registration form or the selection of the film, compensation will be due in the amount of 300 euros. No film selected will be subject to a screening rights fee.
Article 6. Presence of authors
The invitation of the directors of films selected in international competition is left to the entire discretion of the Festival Management. The associated costs will be expressly defined by letter (letter, e-mail, etc.) for each person concerned. The Festival will only invite directors to attend to the extent of its
possibilities and the support of its partners. In the case of a co-production, the Festival will only take charge of one invitation.
The Festival shall bear the insurance costs exclusively between the receipt and reshipment of the copies. In the event of loss or damage during this period, the Festival is only liable for the replacement value of the film or video copy.
- Rights: The candidate guarantees to have the agreement of all rights holders for the use of the film rights within the framework of the festival.
The rightful claimants authorize the festival organizers:
- to proceed with the free distribution of the work’s rights during the Festival to broadcast television, radio or webcasts of excerpts of approximately 3 minutes for promotional purposes.
- Archiving: Any film entered in the Millenium Festival – selected or not – will remain accessible to an audience of professionals (festival programmers, journalists, students, etc.), on royalty-free DVD media, at the Festival’s permanent video library in its offices, outside the Festival period. The Festival undertakes not to commercially exploit these copies.
In order to ensure the continuity of the objectives of the Millenium Festival, which are the promotion of quality documentary cinema, lifelong education and public awareness, the rightful owners of the film authorize the Millenium Festival to present the film within 12 months of the end of the 2025 edition of the Millennium Festival competition as part of non- commercial screenings for a school audience in educational establishments or cultural centers.
Article 7.
Registration for the Millenium Festival implies acceptance of these rules. All cases not expressly provided for shall be the subject of a final decision by the Festival’s Executive Board, taking into account FIAPF’s international regulations.
Article 8.
The Millennium Festival aims to offer ever greater visibility to documentary cinema among the Belgian public. If the director authorizes it, a film from the 2025 edition has the possibility to be projected online for a limited time (a few days), in the form of an event accompanied with interviews/discussions/articles with the directors on our social media.