International Festival of Red Cross and Health Films (21)

Festival start: 12 June 2025      Festival end: 20 June 2025

The motto of the festival is: "By humanism to peace and friendship". It is held every two years. Bulgarian Red Cross is the main organiser of the forum.

It has a growing importance as a powerful tool for the dissemination of humanitarian and cultural values through cinema. The Festival is traditionally attended by the most senior leaders of the international Red Cross organisations. The International Committee of the Red Cross, the League (now Federation) of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the World Health Organisation, UNESCO, SIDALC, the Association of Film Producers, Association of Film Distributors, the International Organisation of Film Critics, National cinematographies and film production houses.

Special Jury award
Production award
Screen-play award
Best film Red Cross film award
Special award for Red Cross film on behalf of the President of the Bulgarian Red Cross;
Best Health film award;
Special award for Health film on behalf of the Rector of the Medical University of Varna.
Best full-length Documentary film
Best short-length Documentary film
Special award for Documentary film
Best full-length Feature film
Best short-length Feature film
The Mayor of Varna award for significant creative achievement

FESTIVAL PARTNERS AWARDS

The Jury reserves its right on its perception to award incentive diplomas.

REGULATIONS
of XXI International Festival of Red Cross and Health Films - 2025

The International Festival of Red Cross and Health Films (hereinafter referred to as "Festival") is organised by the Bulgarian Red Cross together with the Medical University of Varna, Bulgaria.

The Festival is under the patronage of the Vice-President of the Republic of Bulgaria and is supported by the Municipality of Varna.

The Festival is biannual, with competitive character of participation and four competition categories; besides, the Program of the Festival offers also out-of-competition film panel, discussion panel, tutorial module and special events.

In the years between two festivals with competitive character a Festival Academy is organised covering a panorama of films, discussion panel and a tutorial module.

The slogan of the International Festival of Red Cross and Health Films is “Through Humanity to Peace and Friendship” and the theme of the XXIst Edition of the Festival is “Humanity every day in a changing world”.

In 2025, the Festival celebrate 60 years of it’s establishment.

Official languages of the Festival are Bulgarian and English.

I. DATE AND VENUE
Article 1. The XXIst (twentyfirst) edition of the International Festival of Red Cross and Health Films hereinafter referred to as "Festival" is held 12th June - 20th June 2025 in Varna, Bulgaria.

II. THE FESTIVAL ORGANIZERS:

Article 2. /1/ The Festival is governed by the official representatives of its organisers - the President of the National Council of the Bulgarian Red Cross, the Rector of the Medical University of Varna and by the Director of the Festival. For this purpose the International Festival of Red Cross and Health Films Foundation has been established.
/2/ For each edition of the Festival, public institutions, corporate bodies, media and organisations involved in the funding or significantly contributing for the Festival, including also Red Cross and the Red Crescent National Societies, can be invited as partners.

Article 3. /1/ The Festival Director is Mr. Ilko Raev.
/2/ The Festival Artistic Director is Prof.Dr. Bojidar Manov
/3/ To conduct the Festival the Director creates Festival Organisational Committee. It performs technical and organisational functions to assist the Festival Director.

III. INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION PROGRAM

Article 4. The International competition program presents films connected to the Festival thematic in the following competition categories:

/1/ Red Cross and Red Crescent films - reflecting the activities of the National Societies of Red Cross and Red Crescent in the world as well as the activities of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and of the International Red Cross Committee.
/2/ Health films – with scientific, popular scientific or educational character, specially devoted to the achievements, the condition of the health care and its problems.
/3/ Documentary films (full-length and short-length)
/4/ Feature films (full-length and short-length)

IV. JURY AND AWARDS:

Article 5. /1/ The Festival Governing body nominates the members of the Jury.
/2/ The Jury consists of renowned activists from Red Cross and Red Crescent, experts in medicine, environmentalists, professional filmmakers, renowned artists of contemporary art, journalists and people bearing high public reputation.

Article 6. Each member of the Jury, including the President, shall have the right of 1 (one) vote.

Article 7. The Jury adopts decisions, determining awards stipulated in Article 8 with a protocol, signed by all its members.

Article 8. The Jury is required to award all the following awards:

1./1/ The Grand Prix of the International Festival of Red Cross and Health Films – for the best film of the Festival;
- Special Jury award – for a film representing work of art, innovation, civil positions or else, formulated by the Jury as cinematic achievement;
• Direction award;
• Screen-play award;
/2/ The Article 8, 1/1/ awards are nominated among all the films in the competition regardless of their category of competition.

2. Category of competition awards:

/1/ Red Cross films awards category:
• Best film award;
• Special award on behalf of the President of the Bulgarian Red Cross;
/2/ Health films awards category:
• Best film award;
• Special award on behalf of the Rector of the Medical University of Varna.
/3/ Documentary films category
• Best full-length film;
• Best short-length film;
• Special award (for a film with high quality, regardless of the length)
/4/ Feature films category:
• Best full-length film;
• Best short-length film;
• The Mayor of Varna award for significant creative achievement (for a film with high quality, regardless of the length)
/5/ For every category of competition, the Jury reserves its right on its perception to award incentive diplomas.

3. All the awards, mentioned in 2. /1-4/ are accompanied by a diploma for the corresponding award signed by the Jury Chairman.

4. The Article 8 awards do not have a financial coverage.

Article 9. /1/ Artistic unions, foundations and other organisations can establish their own awards provided by them. These awards are approved by the Director of the Festival.
/2/ All awards under the preceding paragraph shall be deposited in the Organisational Committee of the Festival no later than 1 /one/ month before the date of the Festival. For the XXIst edition of the festival, this period is until 12 May 2025.

V. PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAMS OF THE FESTIVAL

Article 10. /1/ In the Official Selection of the 21st edition of the Festival may participate films that have been produced in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Article 11. /1/ Applications for participation in the 21st edition of the Festival may be done by filling in the Form for participation (Festival Regulations Application form 1) together with film carrier applied.
/2/ Applications for participation in the 21st edition of the Festival may be sent to the Organisational Committee of the Festival
• at the postal address of the Festival;
• by e-mail: ircfilmfest@redcross.bg
• Through on-line platforms: Festhome and others with official links from the festival site – redcrossfilmfest.org.
/3/ Applications for participation (Article 11 /1/) in the 21st edition of the Festival should be received by the Organisational Committee of the Festival not later than 15th March 2025 for all categories.

Article 12. /1/ The Festival does not collect taxes for the films applying for the selection.
/2/ The Festival does not pay remuneration for the participation and the screening of the films in the Film Program.

Article 13. The Festival reserves its right, by choice, to include and show in its Out-of- competition Program the films that have applied for selection but have not been admitted to take part in the Competition Program.

Article 14. /1/ The film selection is performed by a Selection Committee constructed by the Governing body of the Festival. The Selection Committee should consists of renowned activists of Red Cross and Red Crescent, experts in medicine, environmentalists, professional filmmakers, renowned artists of contemporary art, journalists and people bearing high public reputation.
/2/ The film applicants are informed about the results of the selection not later than 10th April 2025.

Article 15. All the films, selected to take part in the Festival, receive a Certificate of participation.

Article 16. The Festival Governing body reserves at its own discretion the right to invite for participation other films beyond selected.

VII. FILMS FORMAT AND CARRIERS

Article 17. For the selection of the films to participate in the Festival, they should be provided to the Festival till March 15th 2025 in one of the following formats:
• DVD, Blue Ray, USB or HDD carrier by post to the address of the Festival for the account of the sender;
• YouTube, Vimeo or other sharing service;
• File transfer server such as dropbox.com; tranz.it; mediafire.com, wetransfer.com or other file transfer services;
• Through the platforms: Festhome.

Article 18. /1/ The films provided should be unmarked (i.e. no water marks, logos or ad-visory messages such as “For screening purposes only”), be of very high quality for full screen public exhibition.
/2/ If the provided for selection carriers are not of sufficiently high quality or if they bear marks, after their approval for participation in the Festival, the applicants should provide them to the Festival on carriers in compliance with Article 18 /1/ not later than 20th April 2025.
/3/ If these films are not provided to the Festival in the due time according to Article 18. /2/, without further stipulations they will drop out of the Festival Program.

Article 19. /1/ After the selection is over, the Festival may ask the applicants to provide some of the films on DCP if possible.
/2/ The film copies on DCP should be submitted to the postal address of the Festival, announced in article 11 /2/, until 25th April 2025, for the account of the sender.
/3/ The DCP film copies will be delivered back to the representative of the applicant after the screening of the film. If there is no representative at the Festival, the copies will be returned to the address of the sender not later than two weeks after the end of the Festival for the account of the Festival.

Article 20. The Festival is not delivering back the copies of the films carriers to the applicants, except for these on DCP.

Article 21. All the films submitted for selection with original language different from English should have subtitles in English, possibly on a separate file, or dialogue lists in English. The films with original English should be supplied with subtitles in English, on a separate file or a dialog list.

VIII. BUDGET AND FINANCING

Article 22. The Governing body of the Festival prepares its Budget.

Article 23. The Festival is funded by all the co-organisers who can announce the amount and the mode of their funding participation by the end of January 2025 and if necessary also during the Festival.

Article 24. /1/ The Festival raises funds from projects, donations and sponsors.
/2/ The Festival raises funds also through advertisements in an order established by the Director of the Festival.
/3/ The sponsors, the benefactors and the advertisers cannot place any conditions on the program and the work of the Festival.

Article 25. The Festival accepts funding also from Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies to support the organisation of the Festival.

Article 26. The Festival accepts funding also from District Societies of the Bulgarian Red Cross to support the organization of the Festival.

Article 27. The above mentioned funding /Articles 24 – 26/ can be remitted to the Festival account:
Beneficiary:
Foundation “International Festival of Red Cross and Health Films”
Bank: DSK Bank
Bank Address: Bulgaria, Sofia 1036, 19, “Moskovska” Street
IBAN: BG02STSA93000022044759
SWIFT: STSABGSF

IX. GUESTS AND PARTICIPANTS IN THE FESTIVAL:

Article 28. /1/. Each National organisation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent determines the members of its delegation to participate in the Festival;
/2/ The Board of the Medical University of Varna decides upon the members of its delegation to participate in the Festival;
/3/The lists of the delegations mentioned above should be received by the Organisational Committee not later than 31th April 2025.
/4/ The Festival provides accommodation, subsistence and side events costs for the Festival days 12th till 20th June for up to one member of a delegation.
/5/ The other members of the delegations participating in the Festival should pay to the Festival for their accommodation, subsistence and side events costs according to calculations to be fixed not later than 31st May 2025, based on the duration of their stay and the Festival events during that period.

Article 29. /1/ The authors, the artistic teams or/and producers of the selected for the Festival Program films, participate at the Festival at their own expenses, covering their costs for transport, subsistence, accommodation, unless other conditions are negotiated additionally with the Festival. Their attendance should be coordinated with the Governing Board of the Festival not later than 12th May 2025.
/2/ The costs indicated in Art.29./1/ for accommodation and subsistence should be paid to the Festival according to calculation to be fixed not later than 31st May 2025, based on the duration of their stay and the Festival events during that period.

Article 30. /1/ Official guests of the Festival can be invited by the Director of the Festival within the approved budget.
/2/ This invitation is personal and cannot be assigned to other persons.

Article 31. Each National organization of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent, the District Councils of the Bulgarian Red Cross, as well as the Medical University of Varna, may invite, at their own expense, film and television experts, producers, journalists and others. Their participation must be coordinated with the Director of the Festival not later than 31st May 2025.

Article 32. Journalists from various media get accreditation for the Festival submitting an application form /Annex 2 to the Regulations of the Festival/ not later than 31st May 2025 and after approval from the Organisational Committee of the Festival; the cost of their participation is at the expense of their sending institution or media.

Article 33. All the participants, guests and journalists receive their accreditation at the Registration block of the Festival from 12th till 20th June 2025

X. ADDITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

Article 34. The official contacts of the International Festival of Red Cross and Health Films are:
adress: BULGARIA, 9000 Varna, 3 “Bratya Shkorpil” Str.
phone: +359 888 422 421;
e-mail: ircfilmfest@redcross.bg
website: redcrossfilmfest.org
Article 35. In cases of alteration in the policy, in the tendencies of organising the Festival or in cases of unforeseen circumstances, the Festival organisers reserve their right to make adaptations in the above Regulations.

Article 36. The present Regulations are valid for the 21st editions of the International Festival of Red Cross and Health Films and they are subject to updating for the next editions.

Ilko Raev
Director
International Festival of Red Cross and Health Films Varna