I. Introduction to the Golden Kapok Award Competition

Golden Kapok Award Competition of Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival (GZDOC) is dedicated to presenting outstanding documentaries to the public, promoting various cultures, cultivating documentary audiences, and promoting domestic and International documentaries in China.

II. Date of Event

The Documentary Film Festival is held in Guangzhou every December.

2020 Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival will be held from December 14th to December 17th, 2020.

III. Eligibility for Golden KapokAward Competition

1.The Golden Kapok Award Competition is open for the following 3 types of films:

Documentary Feature: motion pictures with a running time of more than 30 minutes (including Opening Credits);

Documentary Short: motion pictures with a running time of 30 minutes or less (including Opening Credits);

Documentary Series: three or more episodes, the running time of a single episode is not limited, and content is inter-related;

2. To be eligible for 2020 GZDOC Golden Kapok Awards, a film entering the Award Competition must be produced no earlier than January 1, 2018.

3. Films that, in any version (including the re-editedversion), had participated or been screened in the previous GZDOC, will not be eligible for the Award Competition.

IV. Submission Guidance

(i) Submission Deadline

Submissions for the 2020 GZDOC are open from March 25, 2020 (GMT+8) to August 31, 2020 (GMT+8). The submission must be completed online and all the other required submission materials should be sent to the General Office of the Organizing Committee (OC) by the deadline. The application received after the deadline or the application with incomplete materials willnot be accepted as qualified entries.

Application process and required materials

1. Please register online at GZDOC Golden Kapok Awards official submissions sites, www.gzdoc.cn, click "Registration- Film Submit" to complete the online submission form.

2. Please upload the following submission materials:

(1) One poster in JPG format, pixel no less than 150 dpi;

(2) 1-3 Film stills in JPG format, pixel no less than 150 dpi;

(3) A photo of director in JPG format, pixel no less than 150 dpi;

(4) For non-Chinese dialogue films, a full-length English subtitle file (SRT or ASS format) or subtitle script (word file or txt file) is required. 

3. Please submit the following video material:

(1) The preview version

Requirement:

① Filmin MP4 / MOV format, 1080P and above, data rate 2000kbps to 5000kbps;

②For Chinese dialogue films, complete Chinese and English subtitles are required. For NON-MANDARINE dialogues (including English) films, English subtitles are required.

③To add a watermark, please mark "GZDOC Preview" in the upper rightcorner. Any other watermarks should not be applied, in a bid to ensure the viewing effects.

(2) Trailer

Requirement:

①Motion Pictures with a running time of less than 3 minutes, in MP4 / MOV format, 1080P and above, datarate 2000kbps to 5000kbps

② For Chinese dialogue films, complete Chinese and English subtitles are required. For NON-MANDARINE dialogues (including English) films, English subtitles are required.

(3) Please submit your video material in one of the following ways:

①Mailing

Please mail the copies of preview film and trailer in DVD/USB/Mobile Hard Disk along with the film title and contact information to: 

Address: Room 3303, YingLong Plaza, No.76, West HuangpuAvenue, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.

Contacts: Mr. Ding Zhizhao

Tel: 86-020-38780150-806

② Internet transmission

Upload thefilm’s preview version and trailer into Cloud Storage (such as Vimeo or Google Drive) and send the download link and password to film@gzdoc.cn along with filmtitle and contact information.

(iii) Registration fee 

Free Entry

(iv) Notices for material delivery

If you choose to post your materials, in order to ensure the materials delivered on time, please use the traceable and signature-required express delivery service. Please do not use the surface mail. If the materials are sent from overseas, please use the international express (such as DHL or FEDEX), indicated "no commercial value" and "for cultural use only" on the package, and fill in the customs declaration value less than 10 US dollars.  No application materials will be returned. Donot send film prints, master tapes or other originals. The Organizing Committee will not pay for the delivery fee caused by the application, and has the right to refuse the delivery unpaid.

(v) The use of information and application materials

1. Please fill in submission form correctly and completely.The information in the form will be used and published in the process of pre-selection, evaluation and final announcement. If there is any information wrong or missing, the responsibility will be borne by the applicant.

2. The signup account used in the official website (www.gzdoc.cn)will be used as the contact of applicant by default. The follow-up notificationrelated to preselection and evaluation will be delivered to this contact first. Please keep the call and the mailbox accessible.

3. After the film is submitted to GZDOC, the application information and materials will be presented on the official website, as well as online and offline media for publicity. The Organizing Committee has the right to edit and use the film information and materials submitted, including thefilm application information, posters, stills, trailers or snippet less than 5 minutes, on GZDOC’s official channels.

(vi) Update and supplement registration information andmaterials

1. If applicant wants toupdate information or material after submission, please send an email to film@gzdoc.cn and explain the update in detail. After reviewed and approved bythe Organizing Committee, the update will be completed.

2. If there are follow-upmaterials (such as posters, stills, promotional materials, awards, etc.),please send the materials to film@gzdoc.cn and explain the updated materials.

3. If the preview versionis the version in post production, the applicant can submit the final screening version after being selected, but applicant cannot update the version duringthe evaluation process.

(vii) Copyright Statement

Applicant (and applyingcompany) shall own the copyrights or distribution rights of the film submitted by him/her; shall ensure that there is no dispute over copyright of the film; guarantee it has acquired the copyrights/authorizations from the copyright owners for themusic, video, image and text contained and used in the films; ensure theoriginal contents in the film do not violate the copyrights or legal rights ofany other third parties. Any disputes, damages or compensations arising out ofor in relation to the copyright infringement of the film shall be borne by itsapplicant (and applying company). GZDOC reserves the rightto disqualify any film with unauthorized copyrighted materials.

V. Awards

Best Feature Documentary Award (1)

Best Documentary Director Award (1)

Best Short Documentary Award (1)

Best Documentary Series Award (1)

Best First Feature Documentary Award (1)

Special Jury Prize (1)

China Story: Best Feature Documentary Award (1)

China Story: Best Short Documentary Award (1)

China Story: Best Documentary Series Award (1)

Best Sino-foreign Coproduction Documentary Award (1)

VI. Evaluation process

The entries will be screened for theinitial evaluation, semi-final evaluation and final evaluation. They will be reviewed and selected by the Selection Committee and Jury Committee. The OC is responsible for inviting professionals and setting up the Selection Committee and the Jury Committee.

1. The initial Selection committee is responsible for presenting the semi-finalist from all the submissions. The applicant who is selected for semi-finalist will be notified by email in mid October, and the list will be released on the official website.

2. The Semi-final Jurycommittee is responsible for presenting the finalist from the semi-finalists. The finalist will be notified by e-mail in mid-November and released on the official website.

3. The winners will be selected from finalists by Jury Committee and will be announced at the Golden Kapok Award Ceremony, held on December 17, 2020.

VII. The Notice for Finalists

1. Finalist confirmation

The applicant shall confirm the participation in the final evaluation with the OC within two working days after receiving the notification (email) from the OC. Once the applicant confirms the participation, the finalist film cannot be withdrawn for any reason.

2. The screening version

After the film is selected for finalist, the official screening version must be submitted to the OC. Apart from the technical adjustments such as mixing, grading, and subtitle translation, the screening version must be in consistent with the preview version. OC Films cannot be updatedduring the evaluation process.

3. Use of information and materials of films selected

Once the film isselected, the application information and material submitted online and offline will be presented on the documentary festival brochure, official website, orfor online and offline media promotion events. The OC is entitled to edit and publicly use the materials,including film entry information, posters, stills, trailers and clips of nomore than 5 minutes and on GZDOC’s official channels. If there is any information or material missing during the application phase, all materials must be completed at the finalist stage.

4. Classification of Premiere

(1) Worldwide Premiere - Filmsthat have been internationally broadcast, screened at film festivals, areavailable online, or have been released via streaming, home video, or any otherpublic platform are not eligible.

(2) International Premiere– Films that have been broadcast, screened at film festivals, are available online, or have been released via streaming, home video, or any other publicplatform outside the production countries are not eligible.

(3) Asia Premiere - Films that have been broadcast, screened at film festivals, are available online, or have been released via streaming, home video, or any other public platform in Asia are not eligible.

(4) China Premiere - Films that have been broadcast, screened at film festivals, are available online, or have been released via streaming, home video, or any other public platform in China are not eligible. (This category is mainly for domestic work).

5. Premiere Screening Term

The evaluation process will not be affected by a film’s premiere status. Once afilm， that is qualified for the premiere screening, also get selected into the finalist competition, it’s agreed that Organizing Committeehas the right to premiere the film during documentary festival. Any third party shall not premiere the film or conduct any activity that will breach the premiere screening term between the film owner and the OC. 

6. Screening schedule

The finalist films will be publicly screened twice from December 12 to December 20, 2020. The screening schedule and venue will be decided by the Organizing Committee. The winning films will be screened at least once before December 30, 2020. The screening times would not exceed the number ofawards the film will obtain.

7. Publicity requirements

After the film is selected, the OC will provide the GZDOC logos for Finalist or Winner. The film selected must include the GZDOC logos in all its subsequent promotional materials, and it’s strictly forbidden to modify the logo.

VIII. Statement

1. Any changes against the regulations will be postedon the "GZDOC-Guidance-Notice " page of the official website (www.gzdoc.cn). The applicant can withdraw from the event if he/she thinks the modified clauses are unacceptable by notifying the Organizing Committeewithin 10 working days after the announcement is posted. Otherwise, it will bedeemed that the applicant accepts all the modified clauses.

2. If there were any situations that are notspecified above, the OC reserves all rights for the final explanation of the regulations.

3. The applicant signing up for the screening session of 2020 Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival should accept all the above terms and conditions. Ifthere is any dispute, it shall be governed by and construed in accordance withthe laws of PRC.

General Office of the Organizing Committee of

Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival

March 18, 2020

The Head of Golden Kapok Award Competition Department

Mr. Ding Zhizhao

Tel:020-38780150-806

Email: film@gzdoc.cn