Catalyst International Film Festival

Category

Short

Catalyst International Film Festival logo
Catalyst International Film Festival

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General Information

edition

2nd

organizers

Dr. Susan Liddy

Festival Director / Programmer

Vanessa Gildea

Festival Director / Programmer

Contact details

Web & social

About the festival

CATALYST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL will focus exclusively on films that address under-representation on screen and behind the camera; gender equality, diversity and inclusion are core to our programming. We prioritise stories and storytellers who may struggle for visibility in the film industry and in mainstream film festivals. We believe that talent is plentiful but opportunities can be limited. Catalyst films will entertain and engage audiences - but they will also challenge and inspire.

Panel discussions, workshops, interviews, Q&A and special events will be an integral part of Catalyst International Film Festival. This is a place where diverse filmmakers, emerging and more established, can connect and maybe even collaborate. It is also the place where diversity is welcomed, not merely accommodated.

Key issues of the day will be enthusiastically debated with filmmakers, guest speakers, industry personnel and audience members. We anticipate not only a festival of films but also of ideas and opinions. We believe that there are clear cultural benefits created by engaging with diverse films and filmmakers.

Mindful of the power of film to engage and challenge, Catalyst International Film Festival will provide thought provoking cinema and proactive debate. We seek to generate new audiences and discussion around gender equality, diversity and inclusion and the practice of that by individual filmmakers. Our targeted festival guests will themselves speak to diversity whether in the vision, themes and characters explored in their films (content) and/or in the diversity of their personnel and crew (behind camera). Catalyst aims to generate new audiences for film culture and present a thought provoking and innovative programme.

Catalyst International Film Festival is also keen to engage with emerging filmmakers, ‘new’ rather than inevitably ‘young’, in order to broaden the horizons of potential future filmmakers and audience members. Filmmaking can be enriching as an art form, in and of itself; new technology has democratised filmmaking to some extent and we hope to capitalise on that in time.

AWARDS WINNERS IN 2020 were:

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT - WINNER - DAYS OF RAGE
Runner Up - Sycamore

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT - WINNER - WELCOME TO A BRIGHT WHITE LIMBO
Runner Up - The Grass Ceiling

BEST IRISH SHORT - WINNER - MATCH
Runner Up - The Girl at the End of the Garden

JURY SPECIAL MENTION AWARD - THE GRASS CEILING

SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVAL AWARD - IN ORBIT and SPREAD THE WINGS (Joint Award)

JURY PANEL: Marissa Aroy, Barry Dignam, Timara Lawless

In the current climate under the impact of COVID-19, the festival may be online or in a hybrid version. We will alway follow government guidelines for the safety of attendees.

Awards will be made in the following categories:

- Best Irish Short Film
- Best International Short Film
- Best Documentary Short Film 

- Best Student Short Film
- Spirit of the Festival Award
- Jury Special Mention Award

Spirit of the Festival is awarded to a film, or films, that captivate us while effectively articulating the themes and characters that our festival seeks to champion in productions that support gender equality, diversity and inclusion.

About

CATALYST INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL will focus exclusively on films that address under-representation on screen and behind the camera; gender equality, diversity and inclusion are core to our programming. We prioritise stories and storytellers who may struggle for visibility in the film industry and in mainstream film festivals. We believe that talent is plentiful but opportunities can be limited. Catalyst films will entertain and engage audiences - but they will also challenge and inspire.

Panel discussions, workshops, interviews, Q&A and special events will be an integral part of Catalyst International Film Festival. This is a place where diverse filmmakers, emerging and more established, can connect and maybe even collaborate. It is also the place where diversity is welcomed, not merely accommodated.

Key issues of the day will be enthusiastically debated with filmmakers, guest speakers, industry personnel and audience members. We anticipate not only a festival of films but also of ideas and opinions. We believe that there are clear cultural benefits created by engaging with diverse films and filmmakers.

Mindful of the power of film to engage and challenge, Catalyst International Film Festival will provide thought provoking cinema and proactive debate. We seek to generate new audiences and discussion around gender equality, diversity and inclusion and the practice of that by individual filmmakers. Our targeted festival guests will themselves speak to diversity whether in the vision, themes and characters explored in their films (content) and/or in the diversity of their personnel and crew (behind camera). Catalyst aims to generate new audiences for film culture and present a thought provoking and innovative programme.

Catalyst International Film Festival is also keen to engage with emerging filmmakers, ‘new’ rather than inevitably ‘young’, in order to broaden the horizons of potential future filmmakers and audience members. Filmmaking can be enriching as an art form, in and of itself; new technology has democratised filmmaking to some extent and we hope to capitalise on that in time.

AWARDS WINNERS IN 2020 were:

BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT - WINNER - DAYS OF RAGE
Runner Up - Sycamore

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT - WINNER - WELCOME TO A BRIGHT WHITE LIMBO
Runner Up - The Grass Ceiling

BEST IRISH SHORT - WINNER - MATCH
Runner Up - The Girl at the End of the Garden

JURY SPECIAL MENTION AWARD - THE GRASS CEILING

SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVAL AWARD - IN ORBIT and SPREAD THE WINGS (Joint Award)

JURY PANEL: Marissa Aroy, Barry Dignam, Timara Lawless

In the current climate under the impact of COVID-19, the festival may be online or in a hybrid version. We will alway follow government guidelines for the safety of attendees.

Awards will be made in the following categories:

- Best Irish Short Film
- Best International Short Film
- Best Documentary Short Film 

- Best Student Short Film
- Spirit of the Festival Award
- Jury Special Mention Award

Spirit of the Festival is awarded to a film, or films, that captivate us while effectively articulating the themes and characters that our festival seeks to champion in productions that support gender equality, diversity and inclusion.

Awards & Winners

There are no winners yet for this festival

Terms and rules

PLEASE READ ALL RULES AND TERMS BELOW

1. Short films must not run longer than 20 minutes including titles and credits.

2. Only films submitted through FilmFreeway can be considered by Catalyst IFF. Applications should include a brief synopsis (20-30 words) and two high res images.

3. All submissions must complete the notes indicating which diversity criteria your film has met. See the section below on Gender, Diversity and Inclusion Standards. If films are submitted without this information they will not be considered and the application fee will not be refunded.

4. Catalyst IFF does not pay screening fees for any of the short films submitted or selected.

5. Submission Deadline February 8th, 2021. All films must be submitted in final form and ready for screening.

6. EARLY BIRD - until October 19th 2020.

7. Only films completed after January 2019 can be considered.

8. Student films must be submitted with a valid Student I.D. in order to avail of the reduced submission fee.

9. If the film is not in the English language it must have English subtitles.

10. Music and image rights must be cleared for all films.

11. Selected submissions extracts can be included in all promotional material and publicity. (Extracts limited to and not exceeding 1 min)

12. Entry fees are non-refundable.

13.By submitting to Catalyst International FF you are accepting all the festival regulations and procedures.

14. Decisions of the Catalyst IFF Jury and Judges is final

15. The festival will liaise with the filmmaker regarding screening formats after final decisions have been taken

16. Selected finalists will be individually notified and a list will be on the website and social media platforms We regret we cannot provide individual feedback on your submission.

For inclusion in the Catalyst International Film Festival films will need to satisfy a number of criteria in order to demonstrate how content and personnel contribute to diversity.

Films must demonstrate a commitment to inclusion and meet the criteria in the following areas:

A) On-screen
AND
B) creative leadership.

A) On-screen representation, themes and narratives: if your film has a lead character/s or at least two secondary character/s in the underrepresented group list OR has a storyline or subject matter about an underrepresented character/s or group it qualifies for consideration for the festival.

AND

B) Behind the Camera Representation: If at least one member of your film’s key creative team – writer, director, producer, cinematographer, editor - is on the underrepresented group list OR two or more crew member it qualifies for consideration for the festival.

The festival seeks to address underrepresentation in the following areas:

· Gender
· Social and economic exclusion
· Race
· Disability
· Age
· Sexual Orientation

Please note this is not a definitive list and we would welcome queries about films that address under-representation in areas not mentioned here.

The festival does not issue waivers, please do not email the festival asking for waivers. Thank you.

Updated October 2020

Web & Social

Ratings & Reviews

Categories and fees

Irish Short Film
Early Bird (5th October, 2020) €12
Regular (8th February, 2021) €20
Late (1st March, 2021) €12

Short films, under 20 minutes long.

International Short Film
Early Bird (5th October, 2020) €12
Regular (8th February, 2021) €20
Late (1st March, 2021) €12

International Short Film, under 20 mins

Documentary Short Film
Early Bird (5th October, 2020) €12
Regular (8th February, 2021) €20
Late (1st March, 2021) €12

Documentary Short Film, under 20 mins

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