Documentary Submission Rules

• No films to be submitted without complete entry forms
• All submissions to include the following:
  • approx. 150 word synopsis
  • complete filmography/biography of the director
• Screeners and any promotional material submitted will not be returned to the sender
• No material sent at charge of the Festival will be accepted
• In the event of your film being selected, it must be available in English or with English subtitles
• The holder of copyright authorises the Festival to make excerpts, of a maximum of three minutes, available to television channels and for use on the Encounters website for the promotion of the film and the festival.
• Please submit a promotional trailer to be screened during the Festival should your film be selected.
• ​If your documentary is selected to showcase at Encounters, you will be required to supply the following deliverables:
  • Keywords you would like us to add to your film profile on our platforms
  • Final Film Format for Online Showcase, Physical Showcase Format tbc (NO larger than 5-8 GB; Stereo; MP4/.H260 ; subtitles embedded; 10-15000Mbps or closest to 5-8GB file size.)
  • Film Trailer (NO larger than 1GB, subtitles embedded)
  • Images:
    • minimum 2 x film stills in print resolution (300 dpi),
    • minimum 2 x film stills or photographs (Landscape JPEG file; 72dpi, 585 x 330 pixel ratio, titled ‘Landscape_Filmname’)
    • optional additional film stills or photographs (JPEG file; 72dpi, any aspect ratio, titled ‘Still_Filmname’, minimum 600px in either dimension)
    • Official Poster (portrait JPEG file, 72dpi, 282 x 422 pixels, titled ‘Official Poster_Filmname’)
    • 1 x Carousel Film Still (JPEG file; 72dpi, 1600 x 600 pixel ratio, titled ‘Carousel_Filmname’)
    • 2 x Background Film Stills (.jpeg file; 1600 x 1100 pixel ratio, titled ‘Background_Filmname’)

The Encounters Festival endeavor to present the following awards at the end of the Festival:

• Audience/Programmers Award – Best South African Film
• Audience/Programmers Award – Best International Film