Loading

Search

International Golden Scale Short Film Competition Regulations

Breaking News
Festival Awards Have Been Announced

16th INTERNATIONAL GOLDEN SCALE SHORT FILM COMPETITION 

DIRECTIVE AND TERMS OF PARTICIPATION

GENERAL INFORMATION

Aim

The competition aims to select the best justice themed short film, promote production of justice themed films and create discussion about the theme.

Date

The competition will take place in Istanbul within the scope of the 16th International Crime and Punishment Film Festival which will be held between 27 November – 2 December 2026

Application deadline for the competition is September 4, 2026, 6pm (Istanbul GMT+3)

TERMS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE COMPETITION

  1. Justice themed fiction, documentary, experimental and animation films released after January 1, 2026 may participate in the International Golden Scale Short Film Competition.
  2. Durations of the films submitted for the competition must be at least 5 and at most 25 minutes including the credits.
  3. ⁠Films that have previously had a commercial theatrical release in Turkey, have been broadcast on television channels, screened at festivals in Istanbul, or have been commercially sold, distributed, or made publicly available online in any format are not eligible for the competition.
  4. Screenings or awards at festivals held outside of Istanbul do not constitute a barrier to participation in the competition.

 

TERMS OF APPLICATION

  1. Applications for the competition must be made online via the application link on the official website of the festival.
  2. For an application to be considered valid, the application form for the International Golden Scale Short  Film Competition, filled completely, and an online screener link for the film must be sent to the festival before the application deadline of September 4, 2026. 
  3. An applicant may apply with more than one work of art. In this case, a separate application form must be filled for each film.
  4. The signatories declare that all information filled in the application is accurate. The festival management is not obliged to investigate the accuracy of the information provided on the application forms. The signatory shall be the sole bearer of any legal responsibility that may arise from the information provided in the application.
  5. Screening copies of the films must have with English subtitles, in cases where this is not possible, an English dialogue list should be provided in order to make electronic subtitles in English.
  6. Films shot in any format can participate in the competition. However, the festival screening copies must be in DCP format. Copies in other formats will not be screened.
  7. Copies must have the appropriate picture and sound quality for screening. If the copy does not have the appropriate picture and sound quality, the film may be excluded from the competition without any warning.
  8. Films accepted for the competition must ensure their DCP copies reach the festival center by 3 November 2026, 6 p.m. (Istanbul GMT+3).
  9. Copies must be sent directly to the address stated by the festival. DCP copies must be sent to the festival in their original, protected, hard cover boxes, along with the name of the film written legibly on the box. Transport details of the films (Name of the film, date and type of transport) must be sent to the festival via email. Films will be returned to the address provided within three weeks of the conclusion of the festival.
  10. Cost of arrival and return transportation of copies and storage, customs, insurance and transaction costs in Turkey will be covered by the Festival. Return transportation costs will be paid by the Festival only if the copy is being returned to the provider. However, if the copy is to be sent to another festival, the festival management is not responsible for the shipping and costs.
  11. Films that were previously commercially screened in Turkey, have been shown on television channels, have been screened at festivals held in Istanbul or which have been commercially sold, distributed or broadcast in any format or which can be viewed publicly on the Internet cannot participate in the competition. Being screened or awarded at a festival outside Istanbul does not prevent participation in the competition
  1. Digital copies of the films participating in the competition will remain at the festival administration to be kept in the festival archive. The festival may use these copies for educational purposes at the university.

 

ASSESSMENT

  1. The final decision regarding the selection and scheduling of the competition films belongs to the festival management. In addition to applications, the festival advisory board, distributors, directors, international film organizations and non-governmental organizations can make suggestions.
  2. Assessment results are announced on the festival website and sent to the participants e-mail addresses.
  3. The festival jury and the jury president are selected by the festival committee from international directors, screenwriters, producers, actors, film critics, cinema historians and known people in the field of cinema. The president of the jury and / or members of the jury cannot leave their duties by showing a reason other than the force majeure stated in the law.
  4. The jury can collectively or individually watch the films during the festival at cinema or private screenings.
  5. Festival management will determine the time and date of the jury’s decision meeting and when the results will be delivered to the festival management.
  6. Festival management will assign an observer without voting rights to attend the jury meeting. The results of the competition are delivered to the Festival Management together with the reasoned decision signed by all members by the Jury. Nobody except the jury members, the observer and a translator assigned by the festival management if necessary can attend the jury meetings. If the jurors’ votes are tied, the vote of the jury president will count as two votes.
  7. The main jury will evaluate the competition films only in the best short film category and must choose a best film from the competition films. In addition, if the jury deems it appropriate, the jury can award a Jury Special Award. However, the Jury Special Award does not have a monetary award.

 

AWARDS

Golden Scale Short Film Award

  1. The Golden Scale Short Film Award, together with a cash prize of TRY 60,000, will be presented to the director of the film selected as Best Film in the Golden Scale Short Film Competition.
  2. The award recipient must attend the awards ceremony in person to receive the award or be represented by an authorized representative.
  3. Cash prizes will be paid to the bank account designated by the director after the deduction of all applicable taxes and statutory charges in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Türkiye.
  4. The rights holders of award-winning and finalist films are required to indicate that their film has received an award and/or been selected as a finalist, together with the logo of the International Crime and Punishment Film Festival, in the opening and closing credits of the film, press releases, newspaper advertisements, and all other promotional materials related to the film.

Çavuş & Coşhunsu Law Firm Special Award

  1. A cash prize of TRY 30,000 will be presented as the Çavuş & Coşhunsu Law Firm Special Award to one film selected by the Golden Scale Short Film Competition Jury. The award may not be shared and will be presented to the director of the selected film.
  2. The award recipient must attend the awards ceremony in person to receive the award or be represented by an authorized representative.
  3. The cash prize will be paid to the bank account designated by the director after the deduction of all applicable taxes and statutory charges in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Türkiye.
  4. The rights holders of award-winning and finalist films are required to indicate that their film has received an award and/or been selected as a finalist, together with the logo of the International Crime and Punishment Film Festival, in the opening and closing credits of the film, press releases, newspaper advertisements, and all other promotional materials related to the film.

Elmadağ Law and Consultancy Special Award

  1. A cash prize of TRY 30,000 will be presented as the Elmadağ Law and Consultancy Special Award to one film selected by the Golden Scale Short Film Competition Jury. The award may not be shared and will be presented to the director of the selected film.
  2. The award recipient must attend the awards ceremony in person to receive the award or be represented by an authorized representative.
  3. The cash prize will be paid to the bank account designated by the director after the deduction of all applicable taxes and statutory charges in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Türkiye.
  4. The rights holders of award-winning and finalist films are required to indicate that their film has received an award and/or been selected as a finalist, together with the logo of the International Crime and Punishment Film Festival, in the opening and closing credits of the film, press releases, newspaper advertisements, and all other promotional materials related to the film.

FINAL PROVISIONS

  1. All representatives of films participating in the competition shall be deemed to have accepted the terms and conditions set forth in the Festival Regulations.
  2. The Festival Executive Committee shall have the authority to decide on all matters not covered by these Regulations and to resolve any disputes that may arise.
  3. The Festival Management reserves the right to amend these Regulations whenever deemed necessary.
Catalog

Forms


Tickets

International Crime and Punishment Film Festival © 2022. All rights reserved