Festival Regulations

• General Provisions:

The International Documentary Film Festival "Come on, Doc!" is a professional showcase of documentary films from around the world.
The festival includes both competitive and non-competitive programs.
The festival is held in Belgrade, Serbia.
Festival dates: September 12-14, 2024.
The festival program, conditions for participation, and film screening arrangements are determined by the program directorate appointed by the festival's management.

• Goals and Objectives:

Promotion and popularization of non-fiction cinema with an emphasis on independent filmmaking.
Providing an opportunity for emerging directors to present their films, thereby contributing to the discovery of new talents.
Establishing and expanding professional networks and sharing experiences.
Drawing attention to Belgrade as a culturally rich city.
Creating an international community of independent documentary filmmakers in Belgrade.
Highlighting the importance of documentary filmmaking as a vital component of the film industry.

• Festival Language:

The official language of the festival is English. All films are screened in their original language with English subtitles.
Events within the festival may be conducted in other languages with mandatory translation into English.

• Festival Program:

Full-length documentary films (running time between 45 and 120 minutes).
Short documentary films (running time between 10 and 45 minutes).
The competition is open to independent films from around the world, produced with their own or crowdfunding resources, without the involvement of major production companies. Preference is given to films in "world premiere" status and those that have not been previously screened in Serbia. All genres are accepted, except for journalistic works.

• Jury and Festival Prizes:

A jury composed of film industry professionals (directors, producers, cinematographers, screenwriters, etc.) in a group of three (3) evaluates the films participating in the competition.
The festival covers the expenses of international jury members' stay in Belgrade, including their transportation and meals.
Individuals involved in the production or commercial distribution of films submitted to the competition are not eligible to serve on the jury.
In the "Come on, Doc!" program, there are four categories:

1. Best Feature-Length Film (€2000 prize)
2. Best Short Film (€2000 prize)
3. National competition (€2000 prize)
4. Audience Choice Award (€1000 prize)

Special awards and certificates from the jury, the festival's organizing committee, partners, sponsors, and various public organizations may also be awarded.

• Participation Rules and Conditions:

Directors with completed works on any legally permitted topics are invited to participate in the festival.
Applications can be submitted through the FilmFreeway platform (https://filmfreeway.com/Comeondoc).
Submissions are accepted from December 1, 2023, to July 30, 2024.
The festival accepts films by independent directors and producers produced no later than 2022.
Films in digital format are eligible for the competition.
The festival does not accept submissions of films available for open online viewing.
Participation in the competitive selection is free when the application is submitted before March 17, 2024. After that, the festival follows the fixed prices (https://filmfreeway.com/Comeondoc).
The festival does not cover screening rights for films in the competitive program.
Authors and producers of films selected for the main competition will be notified via email.
The decision to include a film in the festival's program is made by the program directorate. The program directorate does not provide reasons for rejecting a film from participating in the festival.
Digital copies of selected films must be provided to the organizing committee no later than August 20, 2024. Detailed technical requirements for copies will be sent to all selected participants individually. Films must have embedded English subtitles if they are not in English.
The festival may use excerpts from competitive films (up to 10% of the film's duration, but not exceeding 3 minutes) for promotional purposes.

• Guests:

Directors of films included in the program will be invited to the festival. If a director cannot attend, they may transfer their invitation to another member of the film crew.
The festival provides accommodation for representatives of competition films for three nights. Transportation expenses are the responsibility of the participants themselves.
The festival's management makes decisions regarding inviting guests, their terms and conditions of stay, and accreditation for the festival.

• Non-Competitive Program:

The non-competitive program of the festival includes exhibitions, creative meetings, roundtable discussions, and masterclasses, with the opportunity to screen full-length fictional films and other cultural events outside the competition.
All guests of the business program are invited by the festival. The festival covers transportation expenses and costs related to visa support and accommodation for business program guests.

• Audience:

"Come on, Doc!" is an open-to-the-public festival. Any person with a purchased ticket or an invitation issued by the festival's management is considered a festival audience member.