Who We Are

 

THE NEW RENAISSANCE

Inspired by the idea of a cultural revival, we recognize that the digital revolution creates the conditions for a New Renaissance, opening a door for a different set of stories to be told. Film is a unique medium, and the New Renaissance Film Festival’s mission is to support and champion the best upcoming filmmakers and screenwriters in this new era, to fulfill their dream in telling their stories.

 

A FESTIVAL FOR NEW STORIES AND STORYTELLERS

This one-day festival is organized by JAN HENDRIK VERSTRATEN and MASSIMO BARBATO who are themselves filmmakers and writers. They believe at the heart of every great film is a great story, one that will inspire an audience and hopefully help to shape culture in a positive way.

NRFF London has several categories but very close to our hearts is the YOUNG TALENT AWARD. This is a special award for screenwriting and for short films that will be presented to young talent between the ages of 18-24. We feel it is important to give those starting out in film a chance to discover their own unique voice and vision, as an artist, and to communicate with a larger audience.

This year’s festival (OUR FIRST) will be held on the 20^th August 2016, at the prestigious Courthouse Hotel Cinema in the heart of London’s West End, a city known for its diversity and innovation in the creative arts. We will screen between 40-60 narrative shorts, documentaries, animations and music videos over the course of the day, finishing with an AWARDS CEREMONY in the evening.

Running alongside the festival, will be a SCREENWRITING COMPETITION, a series of MASTERCLASSES by film industry experts, and a PANEL DISCUSSION.

 

ONE OF THE TOP UK FILM FESTIVALS TO KNOW ABOUT!

We were featured recently in the London METRO’s list of TOP UK FILM FESTIVALS, among some very distinguished company.  Click here for details!

 

STRENGTHENING LONDON’S FILM COMMUNITY

It is our passion to not only provide a stage for our filmmakers but also to strengthen the film community in London, by building an engaged audience through social media, our FILM OF
THE WEEK and SCREENPLAY OF THE MONTH initiatives, and links with local
businesses.

NRFF offers festival perks for festival contributors and exposure to local business through advertising opportunities on our Newsletter, social media, in the printed festival program and at the event itself. One hundred percent of sponsorship contributions will go directly towards the growth and development of the New Renaissance Film festival.

Would you like to become a sponsor? READ MORE...

 

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE: NRFF AMSTERDAM

NRFF is growing from the ground up, and our festival under the NRFF name will be launched in Amsterdam in October 2016, and in Lisbon next spring. Our mission is to enhance the vitality of independent filmmaking with these three annual festivals. Each city will engage with different themes and communities, giving independents the recognition they deserve.

 Would you like to get involved? READ MORE…

Don’t forget to join our MAILING LIST for the latest updates and special offers, and to follow NRFF London on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn (@nrfflondon) for lots of interesting posts.

 

FAQ

When and where does the NRFF take place?

The New Renaissance Film Festival takes place in London, UK, on Saturday 20 August 2016. A festival programme will be announced nearer the time, including venue details. 

How can I submit?

You can only submit your film or your screenplay ONLINE through FilmFreeway or Withoutabox.

FilmFreeway.com is a safe, one-stop shop for submitting to film festivals, and it’s free to join.  Your work is only accessible to festivals that you submit to and can never be downloaded or shared without your permission.

You always retain 100% of all rights to your intellectual property, and receive real-time submission status updates directly from the festivals you’ve entered.

Withoutabox.com is a website dedicated to film festival submissions and is the easiest and most effective way to submit your film to festivals.

The great thing about Withoutabox (WAB) is that rather than having to fill out all your details each time you want to submit to a different film festival, you load the info once and that’s it. You can keep tabs on your film’s progress and they will send details of other suitable festivals along with deadline reminders. WAB is also free to use (although you can take advantage of a premium paid-for service if you wish).

In addition, as WAB is part of IMDb, and as New Renaissance is a WAB-partner, your film will automatically get an IMDb page.

Can I submit in any other way?

No, at the moment submission is only possible through FilmFreeway and Withoutabox, but new partners may be added in the future.

What happens once I’ve submitted my film  or my screenplay?

Once we have your information from FilmFreeway or WAB, your fee and your link to your online screener or your screenplay document, we will start the judging process. Please be patient – in most cases you won’t hear from us until after the very final deadline has passed (July 6th 2016). We will get back to all submitters on 10 August 2016 the latest.

How do you decide which films to show or which screenplays to award?

We will not simply select those films or writing that already have won an award. We hope to find new gems and discover excellent stories that move us, challenge us and above all inspire us.

We realise this to be highly subjective, but we will definitely try to be open to a diversity of different voices and points of view.

After the judging process is complete, can I get any feedback?

The judges unfortunately cannot offer any feedback on unsuccessful entries.

Are there any age restrictions on submitting to the festival?

There are no age restrictions for submitting to the festival so everyone is welcome to enter. Work can therefore be entered on behalf of someone who is under 18 and it is your judgement call as to whether you think the work is suitable.

To enter a screenplay or a film into the Young Talent category you have to be between 18 and 24 years in order to qualify.

Can I alter my entry once it has been submitted?

No alterations can be made to submissions once they have been received.

Can I enter more than one film or one screenplay?

You may enter as many films as you like. You must purchase a separate entry fee for each film you submit, and you must also complete the online entry form separately for each film.

Is entry to the festival open to international entrants?

The festival is open to international submissions. We welcome submissions from all over the world and look forward to seeing a huge variety of entries.

Do you ever consider waiving fees?

Unfortunately we cannot offer any discounts or waive the submission fee. We will not review your work without it. We will not make any exceptions. All indie filmmakers struggle financially but if we waived the fee for every filmmaker who asked then we wouldn’t be able to provide this festival platform.

Do I need music/sound rights for my submission?

Yes. You are fully responsible for the clearance of all music or sound contained in your entry. You may be required to produce documentation at anytime.

Find out more at:

BBC Film Network

The American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers

Does my film have to have been produced this year?

We accept submissions of films produced in any year, but we will give preferred consideration to films produced after 1 January 2014.

Can I submit work which has been previously screened elsewhere?

Yes, entries can be sent which have previously been screened elsewhere, including films that have screened online, but please include information on previous screenings with your submission.

My film is not in English, do I have to provide English subtitles?

All dialogue in the film is required to either be dubbed in to English, or provide English subtitles. The only exception is with song lyrics, which do not have to be translated.

Does my film have to be a premiere?

No.

My film is online, will you still screen it?

We prefer it not to be online, but may still select it if we really like it.

Will New Renaissance Film Festival pay for me and/or my crew to come to the festival?

Sadly we can’t afford to fly filmmakers or screenwriters over for the festival.

Will you pay for my accommodation if I attend the festival?

No, we can’t afford to put you up either. We can advise you on accommodation though, if you wish. We are currently seeking for sponsorship to develop our hospitality budget.

Why do I need a press kit and what should it contain?

If we are to screen your film, we need to know something about it. We need details for our website and we also send information about our programme to the press and to distributors.