General issues
Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF) is organized by the Romanian Film Promotion and the Association Transilvania Film Festival and is the first and most prestigious competitive feature film festival in Romania.
The primary objective of TIFF is to promote cinema as an art form by presenting some of the most significant films of the moment - films endowed with originality and free expression, exhibiting unconventional uses of cinematic language, or expressing emerging cutting-edge currents.
TIFF is an annual event whose 20th edition will take place in Cluj-Napoca, in Transylvania, from May 28 until June 6, 2021. Each selected film will be screened at least twice. The screenings take place both in traditional movie theaters and in unconventional locations. A representative selection from the 2021 TIFF program will be subsequently shown in Bucharest, Sibiu, Oradea and other selected cities during TIFF Caravan.
Sections
Official Competition
Representative for the most recent output in world cinema, this section is open to first and second-time feature filmmakers. Only national Romanian premieres are considered.
Romanian Days
Competitive section for Romanian shorts and features produced in 2020 and 2021. National premieres have priority in this section. Minority co-productions with Romania are shown outside competition.
Supernova
Non-competitive showcase of the most significant features of the year, including titles awarded in major international festivals, works by renowned auteurs, national box-office leaders, and audience hits, meant for TIFF’s open-air screenings.
Full Moon
Showcase for fantasy, thriller, and horror genre features.
No Limit
Non-competitive section dedicated to features that are provocative, controversial, experimental, transgressive, and innovating in both form and content.
What's Up, Doc?
Non-competitive section for documentaries over 60 minutes released after May 1st, 2020.
In addition to the sections above, TIFF’s 19th edition includes special events, conferences, workshops, master classes, non-competitive sections (national showcases, best-of selections, auteur retrospectives, etc.), media education and cinematic arts programs for children and teenagers, concerts, photo exhibits, book launches, etc.
Awards
Main awards in the official competition
The Transilvania Trophy for best film in the Official Competition (EUR 10,000, divided 50-50 between director and majority producer; cannot be awarded ex-aequo).
Best Director in the Official Competition (EUR 3,500, going towards the director).
Special Jury Prize (EUR 1,000, going towards the director).
Best Performance (EUR 1,000, going towards a male or female actor or ensemble).
The Official Competition Jury may award two special mentions.
Other TIFF awards:
FIPRESCI Award, offered by a jury of members of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) to a feature film in the Romanian Days section.
Audience Award, decided by audience vote among the films in the Official Competition.
Excellence Award, dedicated to an outstanding figure of Romanian cinema.
Lifetime Achievement Award, dedicated to an outstanding figure of world cinema.
Romanian Days Award: Feature Film (divided 50-50 between director and majority producer).
Romanian Days Award: Short (going towards the director).
Romanian Days Award: Debut (going towards the selected winner).
Eligibility
1. Release (world premiere) dates for films selected in the competitive programs of the festival must be after May 1, 2020.
2. Foreign and Romanian entries in the Official Competition must not have been screened in Romania.
3. National premieres have priority in the Romanian Days section.
4. Screening materials must be on DCP or HD digital files.
5. As films are presented in the original language with Romanian and English subtitling as necessary, selected films must provide an English (or, in exceptional cases, French) dialogue list in a customary electronic format (.srt, .stl, .sub, .ssa, etc, but not .pdf or .xls) which includes time codes.
6. The festival does not provide screening fees for films in the competitive sections of TIFF (the Official Competition, Romanian Days).
Submissions
Screening rights-holders (producers or distributors) must fill in the submission form on the Eventival.eu platform. TIFF regulations and submission forms can be found at: https://vp.eventival.com/tiff/2021 Online screener links including usernames or passwords can be inserted in the submission forms.
Please note that national Romanian premieres are given priority in the selection process in all sections.
Applying producers or distributors are responsible for the information provided in the submission form.
Deadlines
February 1st, 2021 for submissions for the Official Competition, Romanian Days (shorts and features), Full Moon, Supernova, No Limit, and What's Up, Doc? sections.
Submission fees
International features:
- EUR 20.00 (early bird, October 15th - December 31st, 2020)
- EUR 40.00 (January 1st - February 1st, 2021)
Romanian films have no submission fee.
Selection
The official selection for TIFF will be announced one month before the festival opening.
The official program (scheduling and locations) will be set by the festival organizers.
The festival is open to the public as well as to the large number of accredited journalists and distributors attending the festival.
Directors whose films are selected in the Official Competition will be invited to attend the entire duration of the festival. TIFF will cover travel and accommodation at the festival.
The winner of the Transilvania Trophy will have up to two additional screenings, with no screening fee, during the satellite events organized by TIFF in Sibiu, Oradea and during TIFF Caravan in 2021.
Producers and distributors who hold screening rights for shorts selected in the Romanian Days section will allow additional screenings of their films in TIFF events in Sibiu, Oradea and during TIFF Caravan in 2021.
Producers and distributors who hold screening rights for features selected in the Romanian Days section will grant TIFF priority to screen their films at TIFF Sibiu, TIFF Oradea, and during TIFF Caravan in 2021.
Acceptance to participate in the festival implies compliance with the regulations herein.