Regulations

A) OBJECTIVE

To encourage and support cooperation between filmmakers in Balkan countries and to establish joint funds within the scope of the Balkan Panorama Film Festival, which aims to promote and support important and innovative works of Turkish and Balkan cinema and to make Izmir a meeting point between filmmakers and audiences.

B) FESTIVAL ORGANIZATION

Balkan Panorama Film Festival is a registered trademark. It is organized by the Rumeli Culture, Art and Education Association.

C) FESTIVAL DATE

Balkan Panorama Film Festival will be held between 25 September – 01 October 2026.

D) TERMS OF PARTICIPATION

The deadline for the application of films is March 20, 2026.
Only films completed after January 2023 can participate in the competition.
Fictional, animated and documentary films with a running time of over 60 minutes can participate in the Feature Film section.
Fictional, animated and documentary films with a running time of a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 25 minutes can participate in the Short Film section.
Screening copies of films should be prepared for screening in mp4 or mkv format and in accordance with the technical specifications specified in this regulation.
If the films that have been accepted to the competition with the screening copy are not technically suitable, and if there are problems that may affect the screening quality such as damaged, worn or similar, the Festival Management will decide whether the films are qualified to participate in the competition or the screening section.
The director or producer can participate in the competition with as many films as they want. Participating in other festivals or receiving an award is not an obstacle to participating in the competition.
Films shown on national and international television channels (including digital platforms, pay TV channels) and DVD / Blu-ray editions are not accepted for the competition. This article will not be taken into account in a pandemic or similar events.
Productions created as television films are not accepted to the competition.
Films that have not been released or that have been released in limited numbers can participate in the competition.
Films that won awards at the festival are obliged to show the award they received in their press releases, newspaper advertisements and movie posters, together with the festival logo.
Subtitles of movies should be sent separately from the video in srt (UTF-8) format.
Films that are viewed by the Pre-Selection Committee and deemed suitable for the competition will be officially notified to the applicant no later than 19 June 2026. The Festival Management reserves the right to use up to three (3) minutes of footage from the film for promotional purposes.
Films that are finalized to participate in the competition can withdraw their films by the authors until 05 June 2026, with a written document, provided that they apply to the Festival Management.
The deadline for mp4 or mkv screening copies of the films that are finalized to participate in the competition is 10 July 2026.
The films will be presented to the audience in the halls and theaters deemed appropriate by the Festival Management and according to the program.
The Director's Name, Surname, Name of the Film, Duration and Production Year must be clearly written on the mp4 or mkv files.

E) SPECIAL CONDITIONS

All written information given by the applicant with his/her signature in the application form is accepted as correct by the festival management. All legal responsibility that may arise from misleading information belongs to the applicant.
If films are wanted to be broadcast by TV channels after the festival, the Festival Management helps to establish communication between the owner of the film and the TV channel.
Producers, directors, actors and other artists who contributed to the films participating in the Balkan Panorama Film Festival are deemed to have accepted these rules. It is the applicant's responsibility to inform the film-related artists about these regulations.

F) AWARDS AND PAYMENTS

NATIONAL FEATURE FILM COMPETITION

The awards of the Yellow Umbrella National Feature Film Competition are determined by the main jury consisting of five (5) members. The award categories are as follows:
1. Best Feature Film + Yellow Umbrella Award.
2. Best Director Award + Yellow Umbrella Award.
3. Dario Moreno Special Jury Prize + Yellow Umbrella Award.
The Best Film Award is given to the producer of the film.
The Yellow Umbrella Awards are given to the artists participating in the festival or to the representatives of the film. However, the prize money is deposited into the account of the legal person.
If artists who took part in the films participating in the competition are foreign nationals, this does not prevent them from receiving an award.
The winner must be present at the Award Ceremony or send a representative to receive the award. The owner of the work who does not attend the Award Ceremony without a valid excuse and does not notify this in writing or does not send a representative will not be awarded any prize, including a monetary award. In this case, the jury selects a new winner.
The authors of the works who are entitled to receive a monetary award will be paid their awards within 180 days at the latest after the end of the festival.
The amount of the prize money is announced on the official website of the festival, at the latest, 2 weeks before the start of the festival. Unless a prize money and its amount are announced in the festival regulations and official website of the festival, award winners will be awarded only with a Yellow Umbrella Award.

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM COMPETITION

The awards of the Yellow Umbrella International Feature Film Competition are determined by the main jury consisting of five (5) members. The award categories are as follows:
1. Best Feature Film + Yellow Umbrella Award.
2. Best Director Award + Yellow Umbrella Award.
3. Dario Moreno Special Jury Prize + Yellow Umbrella Award.
The Best Film Award is given to the producer of the film.
The Yellow Umbrella Awards are given to the artists participating in the festival or to the representatives of the film. However, the prize money is deposited into the account of the natural and/or legal person.
If artists who took part in the films participating in the competition are foreign nationals, this does not prevent them from receiving an award.
The winner must be present at the Award Ceremony or send a representative to receive the award. The owner of the work who does not attend the Award Ceremony without a valid excuse and does not notify this in writing or does not send a representative will not be awarded any prize, including a monetary award. In this case, the jury selects a new winner.
The authors of the works who are entitled to receive a monetary award will be paid their awards within 180 days at the latest after the end of the festival.
The amount of the prize money is announced on the official website of the festival, at the latest, 2 weeks before the start of the festival. Unless a prize money and its amount are announced in the festival regulations and official website of the festival, award winners will be awarded only with a Yellow Umbrella Award.

FANCY UMBRELLA FEATURE FILM COMPETITION

Fancy Umbrella Feature Film Competition consists of 10 films competing in the national and international feature film competitions of the festival.
The award of the Fancy Yellow Umbrella Feature Film Competition is determined by the People's Jury consisting of five (5) members. The award categories are as follows:
1. Best Feature Film + Fancy Yellow Umbrella Award.
The Best Film Award is given to the producer of the film.
The Yellow Umbrella Awards are given to the artists participating in the festival or to the representatives of the film.
The winner must be present at the Award Ceremony or send a representative to receive the award. The owner of the work who does not attend the Award Ceremony without a valid excuse and does not notify this in writing or does not send a representative will not be awarded any prize, including a monetary award. In this case, the jury selects a new winner.

NATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION

The awards of the Yellow Umbrella National Short Film Competition are determined by the main jury consisting of three (3) members. The award categories are as follows:
1. Best Short Film + Yellow Umbrella Award.
The Best Film Award is given to the producer of the film.
The Yellow Umbrella Awards are given to the artists participating in the festival or to the representatives of the film. However, the prize money is deposited into the account of the natural and/or legal person.
If artists who took part in the films participating in the competition are foreign nationals, this does not prevent them from receiving an award.
The winner must be present at the Award Ceremony or send a representative to receive the award. The owner of the work who does not attend the Award Ceremony without a valid excuse and does not notify this in writing or does not send a representative will not be awarded any prize, including a monetary award. In this case, the jury selects a new winner.
The authors of the works who are entitled to receive a monetary award will be paid their awards within 180 days at the latest after the end of the festival.
The amount of the prize money is announced on the official website of the festival, at the latest, 2 weeks before the start of the festival. Unless a prize money and its amount are announced in the festival regulations and official website of the festival, award winners will be awarded only with a Yellow Umbrella Award.

INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM COMPETITION

The awards of the Yellow Umbrella International Short Film Competition are determined by the main jury consisting of three (3) members. The award categories are as follows:
1. Best Short Film + Yellow Umbrella Award.
The Best Film Award is given to the producer of the film.
The Yellow Umbrella Awards are given to the artists participating in the festival or to the representatives of the film. However, the prize money is deposited into the account of the natural and/or legal person.
If artists who took part in the films participating in the competition are foreign nationals, this does not prevent them from receiving an award.
The winner must be present at the Award Ceremony or send a representative to receive the award. The owner of the work who does not attend the Award Ceremony without a valid excuse and does not notify this in writing or does not send a representative will not be awarded any prize, including a monetary award. In this case, the jury selects a new winner.
The authors of the works who are entitled to receive a monetary award will be paid their awards within 180 days at the latest after the end of the festival.
The amount of the prize money is announced on the official website of the festival, at the latest, 2 weeks before the start of the festival. Unless a prize money and its amount are announced in the festival regulations and official website of the festival, award winners will be awarded only with a Yellow Umbrella Award.

G) FILM COPIES

During the festival, the Festival Management is responsible for the copies of the films participating in the competition.
The festival reserves the right to screen the films deemed appropriate by the festival management at the events within the scope of the Travelling Balkan Panorama Film Festival.
Downloadable mp4 and mkv copies are stored in special encrypted memory sticks from the download date until the end of the festival.

H) THE FORMATION AND FUNCTION OF PRE-SELECTION COMMITTEE

Pre-selection Committee determined by the Festival Management selects the candidate films to be submitted to the evaluation of the main jury.
The members of Pre-selection Committee consist of not less than 3 (three) people, but at most 7 (seven) people.
The Festival Management can select the members of Pre-selection Committee from among film writers, academics, film industry, other fields of art, film festival managers, journalists that they believe are competent in the field of cinema, especially culture and arts.
Pre-selection Committee evaluation determines the films to be included in the competition and non-competition programs.
The festival management may appoint a non-voting observer at Pre-selection Committee meetings to assist the regulation.
The members of Pre-selection Committee cannot share their views on the films with any person under any circumstances, except during Pre-selection Committee evaluation meeting.
Pre-selection Committee is obliged to submit the list of films nominated for the competition as a result of the evaluation, together with the decision reports they have signed, to the Festival Management and to keep the results confidential until the Festival Management announces.
Pre-selection Committee members are obliged to watch all films. They can watch the films individually or collectively on dates determined by the Festival Management.
Owners or creative members of an applicant film such as producers, directors, actors etc. cannot be a member of the Pre-selection Committee.
The decision of Pre-selection Committee is final.

I) THE FORMATION AND FUNCTION OF THE JURIES

Members of the Jury may be more than 5 (five) members.
The names of the Jury members are announced to the public through the festival press release.
The Festival Management can select the members of the Jury from among film writers, academics, film industry, other fields of art, film festival managers, journalists that they believe are competent in the field of cinema, especially culture and arts.
Owners or creative members of an applicant film such as producers, directors, actors etc. cannot be a member of the Jury.
The festival management may appoint a non-voting observer at the Jury meetings to assist the regulation.
The members of the Jury cannot share their views on the films with any person under any circumstances, except during the Jury evaluation meeting.
Jury members are obliged to watch all films and attend jury meetings.
The Jury makes their decisions by absolute majority. All members have 1 (one) vote.
The jury is obliged to submit the reasoned decision report signed by all members to the Festival Management one day before the Award Ceremony at the latest and to keep it until the decision is announced.
The Jury cannot make a decision not to give an award, to share the awards or to place an award in a new category without the approval of the Festival Management. They are responsible for determining the awards in all categories. However, they may state this in the reasoned decision.
In case the jury members cannot attend the Award Ceremony for any valid reason, the festival management announces the award winners.
The decision of the Jury is final.

J) GENERAL TERMS

The decision authority regarding all matters outside the scope of these Regulations belongs to the Festival Management.
Except for the screening copies of the films that participated in the festival, all materials remain with the Festival Management.
mp4 or mkv copies of films promised to be delivered on time to the Festival and fail to do so will lose their right to participate in the competition. In such a case the Festival Management will include a different film in the competition.
Everyone who has completed the festival application (work owner, etc.) is deemed to have accepted the festival regulations and general rules. They cannot make a request on any other subject other than the regulation and general rules.
The festival cannot be held responsible for any topics other than regulations and general rules.
The right to change the regulations belongs to the Festival Management.

K) AUTHORITY

The decision authority on matters not specified in this regulation belongs to the Festival Management. Producers, directors, actors, cinematographers and other people who contribute to the films are deemed to have accepted these rules. It is the responsibility of the legal owner of the film, the applicant, to inform the people who contributed to the production of this regulation.

L) EFFECTIVE DATE

This Regulation entered into force on 12 December 2025 with the approval of the Festival Management.