Taita Taveta Film Festival ()

Festival start: 09 February 2024      Festival end: 10 February 2024

Welcome to the Inaugural Taita Taveta Film Festival! The Festival was founded out of a strong desire to promote Taita Taveta filmmakers while simultaneously showing off Taita region, its people, talent, and culture through quality cinema. The Taita Taveta Film Festival will be an annual two-day celebration of film and creativity featuring industry panels, peer-to-peer interviews, evening afterparties, live screenings, Q&A’s and overall fun times.

Every year, the Festival will invite artists from all over the region to give their own interpretation of the world of today and tomorrow. Our vision is to achieve longevity while still remaining faithful to our founding purpose: to draw attention to and raise the profile of films, with the aim of contributing towards the development of cinema, boosting the film industry worldwide and celebrating cinema at an international level. We will always painstakingly curate our offering to ensure we showcase hidden gems alongside more mainstream films.

We also recognise that we are in a world of constantly changing images; as such, we must continue to reinvent ourselves from the inside. We endeavour to do so by constantly asking ourselves questions about the various aspects of the event that we can best prepare for the future with conviction and commitment, while staying attuned to the issues of our time.

All films in the official selection will compete for awards in the following categories with the prizes being awarded to the winners at our annual closing night awards event.

Film of the festival
Best Cinematography
Best Edit
Best Narrative

Taita Taveta Film Festival is now taking submissions for #TTFF2024. It will be the first edition of the festival and will take place on 9th and 10th December. We are looking for independent short films/mini-documentaries of between 5 – 7 minutes from Taita Taveta County creatives and filmmakers.

All attending filmmakers will be invited to take part in post-screening Q&A, and interviews.

All in-competition films will come from open submissions submitted through Festhome and the festival will end with the awards ceremony, with winners chosen by four judges hand-picked by the planning committee.

Filmmakers will have plenty of opportunity to network with other film creatives at a festival that is known as a relaxed, filmmaker friendly event in a town that can offer an experience to attendees beyond the festival itself.


AWARDS & PRIZES
All films in the official selection will compete for awards in the following categories with the prizes being awarded to the winners at our annual closing night awards event.

Film of the festival
Best Cinematography
Best Edit
Best Narrative

GENERAL RULES & THEME

TTFF is looking for independent short films/mini-documentaries of between 5 – 7 minutes Taita Taveta County creatives and filmmakers.

Theme: Tourism.
In our quest to showcase the county and all its beauty, we are requesting for short films/mini-documentaries surrounding the aforementioned theme. Your film could explore topics in, but not limited to the following areas:

Natural Attractions:
Highlight the diverse wildlife, landscapes, and conservation efforts in our world-renowned national park.

Explore the biodiversity and cultural significance of the Taita Hills and indigenous forests.
Suggestion: Feature breathtaking shots of wildlife, flora, and the local communities living in harmony with nature.

Cultural Tourism:
Showcase the rich cultural heritage of the Taita and Taveta communities, including traditional dances, music, and rituals.

Cultural Experiences: Provide insights into local cuisine, crafts, and the daily lives of the people.
Guideline: Capture the vibrancy and authenticity of cultural experiences, including interviews with local artisans and cultural practitioners.

Adventure and Ecotourism:
Highlight outdoor adventures like hiking, rock climbing, and cycling in the county’s scenic locations.

Eco-Tourism Initiatives: Showcase sustainable tourism practices and eco-friendly adventures present in the county.

Suggestion: Emphasise the thrill of adventure and the importance of responsible tourism.

Historical Sites:
Provide a historical narrative of various sites as well as their historical significance with engaging visuals of these ancient sites.

Community-Based Tourism:
Showcase community-led tourism initiatives that empower locals and benefit the region.

Conservation Success Stories:
Feature individuals and groups working towards the protection and preservation of Taita Taveta’s natural resources.

Guideline: Highlight the positive impact of community involvement and conservation efforts on tourism.

Environmental Conservation:
Wildlife Conservation: Discuss the challenges and successes in protecting endangered species.
Sustainable Practices: Highlight initiatives and organisations dedicated to environmental sustainability.

Guideline: Emphasise the importance of conservation efforts and how tourists can contribute.

Local Entrepreneurship:
Tourism-Related Businesses: Showcase local entrepreneurs and their contributions to the tourism sector.

Art and Crafts: Highlight the creativity of local artists and craftsmen.
Guideline: Tell the stories of these entrepreneurs and their products, focusing on their passion and innovation.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR SUBMISSIONS

Our Standard Festival Participation Agreement (Terms and Conditions), which all submitted films are also expected to follow is as follows:

1. Submission Format
Films must be submitted via Festhome.


– The Filmmaker is from Taita Taveta County. Yes Taita Taveta transplants in other areas are welcome to submit.

– Taita Taveta Film Festival requires that all films have not played to a public audience in Taita Taveta before the festival dates.

– Works-in-progress and documentaries with distribution are accepted.

– All films not in the English language are required to have subtitles.

3. Submission Fee
All Festhome submissions for TTFF are FREE

4. Selection of Films

Submissions are reviewed and selected under the following criteria:

– Quality of narrative and production values
– Independent nature of the production

5. Notification
Taita Taveta Film Festival endeavours to complete all selection procedures by (date) and inform all submitting parties, in writing, if their film has been successful or not after that time. Successful submissions will receive a Filmmaker Festival Pack that will include important information on shipping the DCP to the Festival, press and publicity, guest accreditation, contact information and how to make the most of participating in the Festival.

6. Festival Screenings
Selected films MUST provide a video file (.mov or .mp4).in order to be screened at the Manchester Film Festival. The film title MUST be clearly labelled on the hard drive.

7. Scheduling
Screenings are scheduled during the Festival at the discretion of Taita Taveta Film Festival. Whilst every effort will be made to adhere to the published schedule, Taita Taveta Film Festival reserves the right to make changes at any time for any reason.
No film may be withdrawn from the festival programme after its selection.

AGREEMENT / ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF TERMS AND CONDITIONS

By submitting to the Taita Taveta Film Festival I confirm that I have read and accepted the terms and regulations of TTFF. I will provide the festival with any additional information required pursuant to these rules and regulations. I authorise the Taita Taveta Film Festival to exhibit my film, and if selected, I confirm that an exhibition copy will be available in a required format for screening during the 2023 festival (December 14th – 15th 2023). I certify that I hold all necessary rights for the submission of this film/video to the Taita Taveta Film Festival and that all rights and clearances have been made. This film is not subject to any litigation nor is threatened by any litigation. I hold Taita Taveta Film Festival harmless from damage to, or loss of any or all materials en route to, from or otherwise at the festival. I assume all legal responsibilities therein. By Agreeing to these terms, I transfer to Taita Taveta Film Festival the right to use excerpts of the submitted film, its stills, and trailers, for the purposes of publicity and marketing of the film at the 2023/4 festival, and for other non-commercial uses related to the promotion of the 2023/4 festival. I hereby agree to indemnify Taita Taveta Film Festival, in the event that such rights have not been properly transferred.