The third “Sobh” international media festival call for submissions has been published.

The third “Sobh” international media festival will be held under the direction of Ehsan Kaveh in two sections: “Main” and “Palestine Special”.

According to the festival’s public relations report, the call for the third “Sobh” international media festival was published. This festival will be held under the direction of Ehsan Kaveh in two sections: “Main” and “Palestine Special” and the deadline for registration and submission of works will be February 3, 2025.

The Sobh International Media Festival was inaugurated in 2023 with the objective of facilitating connections between a heterogeneous group of international program producers and fostering constructive interactions among them. This initiative is designed to influence the trajectory of global media trends.

The festival aims to acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of gifted individuals engaged in media pursuits, facilitating avenues for them to advance their artistic endeavors and innovation. The objective is to establish a robust and influential international media presence. Through our educational initiatives, including workshops and seminars, our objective is to provide artists with exposure to a variety of media, thereby broadening their perspectives and encouraging.

Festival Theme:

The Sobh Media Festival is dedicated to the examination of the nexus between media and the New World Order. In this context, the festival will investigate the significance of local and regional identities, spirituality, family values, and resistance discourse in the face of hegemonic powers.

The festival will feature two distinct sections in its third edition, scheduled to commence in December 2024. The first section will encompass television series and talk shows, while the second will be dedicated to the examination of Palestinian issues.

Main Section:

• TV Series
• Talk Shows
• Magazine Shows
• Documentaries
• News Reports and Features
• Motion Graphics
• Articles: Feature, Viewpoint, Investigation
• Radio Programs and Podcasts
• Social Media Content: Videocasts, Animations, Short Films, Vlogs

Special Palestine Section:

• Feature Films
• Music Videos
• Short Films
• Short Animations
• Illustrations
• News Blogs

Awards

Main Section:

• Best TV Series: Festival Trophy, Plaque of Honor, and €5,000
• Best Documentary: Festival Trophy, Plaque of Honor, and €3,000
• Best Talk Show: Festival Trophy, Plaque of Honor, and €2,000
• Best Magazine Show: Festival Trophy, Plaque of Honor, and €2,000
• Best News Report: Festival Trophy, Plaque of Honor, and €1,000
• Best Motion Graphics: Festival Trophy, Plaque of Honor, and €1,000
• Best Radio Program and Podcast: Festival Trophy, Plaque of Honor, and €1,500

Best Social Media Post:

• Best Videocast: Festival Trophy, Plaque of Honor, and €1,000
• Best Animation: Festival Trophy, Plaque of Honor, and €1,000
• Best Short Film: Festival Trophy, Plaque of Honor, and €1,000
• Best Vlog: Festival Trophy, Plaque of Honor, and €1,000
• Best Article: Festival Trophy, Plaque of Honor, and €1,000

Special Palestine Section:

• Best Feature Film: Festival Trophy, Plaque of Honor, and €5,000
• Best Video Clip: Festival Trophy, Plaque of Honor, and €1,000
• Best Short Film: Festival Trophy, Plaque of Honor, and €1,000
• Best News Blogger: Festival Trophy, Plaque of Honor, and €1,000
• Best Short Animation: Festival Trophy, Plaque of Honor, and €1,000
• Best Illustration: Festival Trophy, Plaque of Honor, and €1,000

Market Section:

The Market Section will be introduced as a new component of this edition of the Sobh Festival. It will feature the participation of buyers and distributors of both domestic and international works.

 Festival Rules:

• All submitted titles in the Open section should be subtitled in English .
• Subsequent to the selection process, a final clean version of the work, devoid of subtitles, must be submitted for all sections.
• Producers and distributors are responsible for their work at the festival.
• Works that have previously been screened at other festivals or broadcast in media outlets remain eligible for inclusion in the Sobh Festival, provided that the requisite criteria are met..
• Only works produced in 2024 are eligible for submission.
• The festival committee reserves the right to utilize a select number of works, spanning a duration of three to five minutes, for the purposes of promotional and informational content.
• A copy of the submitted works will be retained in the festival’s archives for non-commercial use by the festival secretariat.
• In the event that a prize is awarded to multiple individuals within a given category, the cash prize will be divided among them.
• The format requirements for submitted works in each section are detailed in the corresponding registration form.
• It is not permitted to include watermarks or distributor logos in submitted works.
• It should be noted that works submitted in previous editions of the Sobh festival are not eligible for participation.
• It should be noted that requests for entry which are incomplete or which present technical issues will not be considered.
• All information must be submitted and registered exclusively via the festival’s online platform.
• The producer or distributor is responsible for addressing any claims related to rights, and the festival assumes no liability.
• The signatories of the aforementioned form are held responsible for all matters pertaining to publicity, legal issues, and copyright, in accordance with the information provided therein.
• In accordance with the festival regulations, any provided documentation that is found to be incorrect or if the attribution of the work is proven false will result in the work being disqualified. The applicant will be held responsible for all consequences.
• The submission of the festival entry form is tantamount to acceptance of the terms and conditions that govern the festival.
• In this edition of the festival, the screening of feature films in the Palestine section and series in the main section are not subject to temporal constraints.

In the Social Media section, the link and all relevant information pertaining to the social media post should be duly recorded.

Submission Deadline and Instructions:

• Television works must be produced in 4K, 2K, Full HD, HD, or SD resolution.
• Submissions should be in H264 or MP4 format with a bit rate of 6 to 8 megabits per second, at a resolution of 1080i or 1080p, or as SD files with a resolution of 576p for review.
• Selected television works must be submitted as data files in one of the following formats: MOV, MPEG2, MXF, AVI, or H264 (MP4). These can be sent via a link or delivered in person to the festival secretariat.
• Audio works should be submitted in WAV format.
• For the Articles Section, participants must submit their works in Microsoft Word documents or PDF formats.

It is a prerequisite of the Social Media Section that a link to the published work be provided; submissions lacking a link will not be considered.

Deadline for Registration and Submission:

• February 3, 2025

The Secretariat’s Address:

• No. 4, Shahid Heidarnia Street (East 2nd), Mohammad Ali Keshavarz Boulevard, Farhang Square, Tehran, Iran.

• Postal Code: 1997754746
• Phone: +98 21 23066166
• Website: www.sobhfestival.com
• Email: info@sobhfestival.com