REGULATIONS – 2025 Edition (English version)
ORGANISERS
The Nebrodi Cinema DOC International Festival (formerly Nebrodi Cinema DOC Film Showcase) is organised by the URIOS APS Association, under the patronage of the Municipality of Naso.
The upcoming edition will take place from 29 September to 5 October 2025 in Sicily, set in the stunning surroundings of the Convent of the Friars Minor and the “Alfieri” Theatre in the Municipality of Naso, Province of Messina, within the Nebrodi Park area.
AIMS
“A story to tell, a world to change” – this is the motto we have chosen to encapsulate the philosophy of our festival.
The Nebrodi Cinema DOC International Festival, while promoting independent cinema in all its forms and content, emphasizes themes related to local territories, lesser-known or often forgotten stories, environmental conservation, social issues, and solidarity.
Regarding the topics addressed by the films submitted to the competition, while all works are accepted, the festival encourages the participation of those capable of inspiring audiences to ask questions, reflect, and feel emotions—key elements for fostering social, cultural, and environmental awareness. These works achieve this through diverse cinematic, expressive, and narrative forms and content.
Festivals are a vital resource for cinema, representing an alternative distribution channel that allows independent films to reach audiences otherwise inaccessible through traditional industrial cinema distribution networks.
For this reason, during the festival, we promote opportunities for dialogue and social interaction among creators, aiming to contribute to all participants’ professional and personal growth. Through screenings, meetings between directors, and discussions involving filmmakers, audiences, students, and the press, we aim to place the spotlight on the works and their creators, firmly believing in the significant social and educational impact that cinema can have.
In particular, we prioritize interactions between the world of cinema and young people, involving schools in all phases of the festival. Cinema, while being an extraordinary medium for entertainment, social, and educational content, can also be enriched by the ideas and enthusiasm of the youth. In recent years, young people have succeeded in drawing global attention to critical social and environmental issues, whereas adults have not always demonstrated sensitivity and foresight.
Thus, the festival fosters an exchange rather than passive consumption of the content presented by independent cinema. This interaction can become a valuable opportunity for growth for all participants involved in the festival.
We firmly believe that art, culture, and solidarity can make our lives—and those of others—better. Through our festival, we like to think we can help achieve this goal.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE
The festival is open to works created by professional and/or amateur filmmakers from around the world, in the following categories:
- Feature-Length Narrative Films (running time over 40 minutes)
- Feature-Length Documentary Films (running time over 40 minutes)
- Short Narrative Films, animated films, and music videos (running time up to 40 minutes)
- Short Documentary Films (running time up to 40 minutes)
All works are eligible for awards.
1 - REGISTRATION, FEES, AND ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
1.1 – Registration Period
Registrations for the Nebrodi Cinema DOC International Festival 2025 open on 1 January 2025 and close on 15 July 2025:
- Opening Date: 1 January 2025
- Early Deadline: Until 15 April 2025 – Registration fee: €15
- Regular Deadline: Until 15 June 2025 – Registration fee: €20
- Extended Deadline: Until 15 July 2025 – Registration fee: €25
- Short Films by Schools/Students: Free registration
1.2 – Registration Process
Registration is exclusively online via the website:
https://filmfreeway.com/NebrodiCinemaDoc
1.3 – Production Date
Eligible works must have been produced after 1 January 2022. Works completed before this date will not be accepted.
1.4 – Language and Subtitles
Submissions are accepted from all over the world.
- Non-Italian works must be subtitled in Italian at the time of registration.
- Italian-language works must be subtitled in English.
1.5 – Past Participation
Works that have participated in previous editions of the Nebrodi Cinema DOC International Festival or the Nebrodi Cinema DOC Showcase are not eligible.
1.6 – Staff Participation
Works involving collaborators or staff members of the Nebrodi Cinema DOC International Festival, in any capacity, are not eligible.
1.7 – Content Restrictions
The following works are not eligible:
- Works promoting political or religious propaganda.
- Works inciting violence or hatred towards any ethnicity, culture, or religion.
- Works violating Italian laws or human rights.
2 - DECLARATIONS, RIGHTS, AND AUTHORISATIONS
2.1 – Declarations and Liability
By registering, the author declares that they hold all economic and viewing rights to their work and all its parts. Furthermore, they affirm that their work is original and does not infringe on the rights of third parties.
In the event of a false declaration or claims by the legitimate copyright holders, the author releases the Festival and its organizers from any legal or financial liability and agrees to take full responsibility for all consequences related to the fraud.
2.2 – Submission Limit
Each author may submit up to two works. For each work, they must follow the online registration procedure and pay the corresponding registration fee.
2.3 – Rights Granted to the Festival
By entering the competition, the author and/or rights holder grants the Nebrodi Cinema DOC Festival permission to include their work in the Festival archive. They also authorize the Festival to use the submitted works and related materials for advertising, media, and promotional purposes, as well as to screen the work during the event or associated events.
2.4 – Communication and Contact
The author must provide a valid and functional email address, which will be used for all communications regarding participation in the festival. If a work is submitted by a festival distribution company, the author’s email contact must also be provided during registration.
Authors may contact the festival organizers at nebrodicinemadoc@gmail.com for inquiries or assistance regarding submission procedures or festival details before registration.
3 - SUBMISSION OF WORKS AND FORMATS
3.1 – Required Files
The following files must be uploaded to the FilmFreeway platform at the time of registration, with downloads enabled. (If these conditions are not met, the work will not be considered):
- Digital copy of the work (.mp4 format, minimum resolution 720p, maximum resolution 2160p), meeting the following specifications:
- Video encoding: H264
- Audio encoding: MPEG AAC Audio (mp4a)
- Maximum video resolution: 4096×2160
- Poster of the work (A4 vertical format, minimum resolution 300dpi, 29.7 x 21 cm / 3508 x 2480 px), in JPG or PDF format.
- Synopsis of the work, between 200 and 500 characters.
* If these conditions are not met, the Festival reserves the right to exclude the work from the competition or to contact the authors for video re-encoding to meet the specified parameters.
Additionally, please ensure that the technical sheet for the work is fully completed during registration, including the roles of the various contributors.
4 - ADMISSION TO THE COMPETITION AND SELECTION OF WORKS
4.1 – Evaluation Process
The submitted works will be evaluated by the selection jury, which will verify compliance with the requirements outlined in the regulations. The jury will compile a list of FINALIST WORKS for the festival. From this list, the FINALISTS IN NOMINATION for each category and award will be selected. These works will be screened during the festival and will compete for the awards.
4.2 – Registration and Selection
Submitting a work does not guarantee its selection for the festival.
4.3 – Announcement of Finalists
The FINALIST WORKS will be announced by the end of July 2025. Subsequently, and no later than 10 August 2025, the NOMINATIONS of the finalist films for each category and award will be announced.
4.4 – Screening Program
The finalist works in nomination will be included in the festival’s screening program. Authors of nominated works must provide, upon request, a high-resolution screening copy meeting the technical specifications indicated by the festival. Once included in the program, the nominated work cannot be withdrawn by the author during the final stages of the festival.
After the festival, the screening copy will become part of the festival’s archive and will be used exclusively for study purposes and to promote the appreciation of cinematic art, with no commercial use.
4.5 – Jury and Awards
The nominated finalist works will be evaluated by a technical jury comprising industry experts and professionals who will determine the winners in each category. The jury’s decisions are final and non-negotiable.
4.6 – Participation in Promotional Events
Authors of nominated finalist works may be invited to participate in collateral events, panels with other authors, press conferences, public and student meetings, and other initiatives aimed at promoting their works and the festival. (The organization reserves the right to host the nominated directors during the festival’s final stages.)
5 - EXCLUSIONS
5.1 – Grounds for Exclusion
The festival management reserves the right to reject works under the following circumstances:
- Non-compliance with the eligibility requirements outlined in the regulations, failure to submit required files within the specified deadlines, or submission of incorrect or incomplete information.
- Content that violates Italian laws, incites hatred toward any culture, ethnicity, or religion, or is offensive to human rights. Additionally, works that are clearly political or religious propaganda will not be accepted.
5.2 – Non-Selection
If a work is not selected for the competition, the registration fee will not be refunded.
5.3 – Out-of-Competition Screenings
Should the festival decide to screen works out of competition, the authors of those works must agree to the terms outlined in these regulations.
6 - AWARDS
6.1 – Prizes
The winners will be awarded an original trophy specifically created for the festival during the awards ceremony, which will take place in Naso, Province of Messina, during the week of 29 September to 5 October 2025. (The festival program, including screenings, awards, and collateral events, will be communicated to participants as soon as it becomes available.)
Awards:
- Nebrodi Cinema DOC Award: Granted to the best work among all entries in competition.
- Best Narrative Feature Film
- Best Documentary Feature Film
- Best Narrative Short Film
- Best Documentary Short Film
- Best Animated Film
- Best Music Video
- Schools/Students Short Film Award: For the best short film created by schools and/or students.
- Rino Bertoloni Meli Award: Granted to the best film as chosen by the student jury from participating Italian schools. (For more details about the award and the figure of Rino Bertoloni Meli, refer to the dedicated page on the website www.nebrodicinemadoc.it.)
- Audience Award: Voted by the audience during screenings.
- Special Main Sponsor Award
- “Grifone” Special Award: For the best feature film focusing on environmental and biodiversity conservation. (The griffon vulture, a significant symbol of the Nebrodi, was reintroduced in the early 2000s and now thrives between the Rocche del Crasto and the Nebrodi mountains. These majestic birds play a crucial ecological role by consuming animal carcasses, reducing the risk of disease outbreaks.)
- “Petagna” Special Award: For the best short film focusing on environmental and biodiversity conservation. (The petagna is a rare plant found only in a small area of the Nebrodi, representing resilience and strength despite its fragility over millennia.)
- Nebrodi GAL Award 2025
- “Sorrisi e Lacrime” Special Award: For the best film addressing social or humorous themes.
- “Sergio Granata” Special Award: For the best investigative documentary.
6.2 – Additional Awards and Special Mentions
Further prizes and special mentions may be granted to outstanding works by the jury, the festival’s artistic direction, media partners, and sponsors.
6.3 – Award Presentation
Prizes will be presented directly to the authors of the works during the awards ceremony. (To this end, the festival encourages the attendance of awarded directors and nominees through a hospitality program to be defined closer to the festival’s final stages.)
If the author is unable to attend the ceremony, they may delegate someone to accept the trophy on their behalf or request its shipment within three months of the festival’s conclusion.
7 - AWARD CEREMONY AND HOSPITALITY
7.1 – Award Ceremony
The awards will be presented during the final evenings of the festival, scheduled for the week of 29 September to 5 October 2025. The festival organisers will ensure participants receive timely communication about the festival program, including screenings, award ceremonies, and collateral events.
7.2 – Promoting Attendance
The Nebrodi Cinema DOC Festival encourages and supports the in-person participation of authors during the final stages of the festival. The aim is to foster human and professional connections among participants while introducing them to the Nebrodi region, its nature, traditions, villages, and hospitality.
During the festival’s final stages, depending on the number of finalist directors in nomination, the festival will communicate whether hospitality (excluding travel expenses) can be provided. Specific details and arrangements will be shared alongside the announcement of the finalist works in nomination.
This hospitality does not extend to accompanying persons or collaborators, who may, however, stay in the same venue or other affiliated accommodations at preferential rates reserved for festival participants. (Refer to the continuously updated partners page on the website: www.nebrodicinemadoc.it.)
Additionally, festival guests will have the opportunity to participate in excursions, tastings, panels, meetings, and other activities as outlined in the program of events, which will be finalised in August 2025.
For further information not included in this notice, please contact the festival through the following channels:
- Email: nebrodicinemadoc@gmail.com
- Phone/WhatsApp: +39 393 137 7161
- Website: www.nebrodicinemadoc.it
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063594459158
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/nebrodi_cinema_doc
