Skip to main content

DocuWeeks™ Final Entry Deadline May 10!

By amy jelenko



DocuWeeks 2011

IDA DocuWeeks™ CALL FOR ENTRIES
SPONSORED BY: FotoKem     NBCUniversal Archives     Consulate General of Canada
 
15th Annual DocuWeeks™ Theatrical Documentary Showcases
Los Angeles: August 19 - September 8 at Sunset 5
New York: August 12 - September 1 at IFC Center

Late (FINAL) Deadline:May 10, 2011$250.00

Click to submit, Withoutabox
Click here to submit.

DocuWeeks™ helps to qualify outstanding new feature and short documentaries for Academy Award® consideration, by providing its participants a commercial theatrical exhibition in Los Angeles and New York.

Among other requirements, to be eligible for consideration for the 84th Academy Awards®, a feature documentary film must complete a seven-day commercial theatrical run (screening twice daily) in the County of Los Angeles and in the Borough of Manhattan between September 1, 2010, and December 31, 2011. Short documentaries must complete a seven-day commercial theatrical run (screening once per day) in the County of Los Angeles or in the Borough of Manhattan.

DocuWeeks provides one-week theatrical runs in Los Angeles and New York City, as well as the required advertising and publicity support. If selected to participate in DocuWeeks a participation fee of $4,500 for short films and $14,000 to $20,000 for feature films will be required. See Co-op fees for more inforation. After reaching a minimum in gross ticket sales, films will participate in a ticket sales share program.

Please see the 84th Annual Academy Awards Rules for complete eligibility and Academy Award® application requirements. Each filmmaker is responsible for submitting their Academy Awards® application. IDA will provide the filmmaker with proof of advertisement and theatrical runs for submission to the Academy prior to the Academy deadline.

Requirements for application to DocuWeeks™

These requirements conform to the 84th Annual Academy Awards® Rules. The Academy rules take precedence if there is any discrepancy. We will make best efforts to update DocuWeeks™ requirements in the case of any changes to the Academy rules. Filmmakers are responsible for confirming their projects are in alignment with the Academy’s rules.

  • The film must meet all requirements for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) 84th Annual Academy Awards® Special Rules for the Documentary Awards.
  • Only individual documentary works are eligible.
  • The significant dialogue or narration must be in English, or the entry must have English language subtitles.
  • Films that, in any version, receive their first public exhibition or distribution in any manner other than as a theatrical motion picture release will not be eligible for Academy Awards. (This includes broadcast and cable television as well as home video marketing and Internet transmission, with the exception of password-protected Internet screenings for press review or film festival submission.) Screenings at film festivals are permitted. Ten minutes or ten percent of the running time of a film, whichever is shorter, is allowed to be shown in a non-theatrical medium prior to the film’s theatrical release.
  • Documentary motion pictures are divided into two categories:
    • Documentary Feature - motion pictures with a running time of more than 40 minutes, and
    • Documentary Short Subject - motion pictures with a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits.
  • Submitting your program to DocuWeeks™ in the wrong category will delay its viewing by the selection committee.
  • Films participating in DocuWeeks™ are responsible for paying a Co-op fee to cover the showcase costs. Fees are $4500 for shorts and range from $14,000 to $20,000 + for features. See Co-op Fees below for details.

Submission process:
All submissions are accepted through the online platform Withoutabox.com. By submitting to DocuWeeks™, you are confirming you have read the AMPAS 84th Annual Academy Awards® Rules.

To apply for IDA's DocuWeeks™ please use the online submission process at Withoutabox.com.

Click to submit, Withoutabox
Click here to submit.

Final (late) deadline for completing your entry in Withoutabox is 11:59pm PT MAY 10, 2011 and all submission materials requirements must be received at IDA no later than MAY 17, 2011 by end of business day (PT). You may make your submission in Withoutabox.com and send your required submission materials anytime beginning March 18, 2011.

Applicants will be notified in mid-June if selected to participate. Entry fee is NON-REFUNDABLE. If paying by check or money order, please send entry payment in US dollars.

Material requirements for SUBMISSION:

  • Enter your project into DocuWeeks™ using online platform Withoutabox™
  • Five (5) screeners on separate DVDs of the full motion picture including final credits
    • DVDs must play in NTSC Region 1 players
    • DVDs must be clearly labeled with title, producer, director, contact information, and running time inclusive of credits

DVDs must be sent to the IDA office (see shipping address); they cannot be uploaded. You must include a copy of your Withoutabox (WAB) confirmation page showing the WAB serial number of your entry.

Material requirements upon ACCEPTANCE

  • Digital press kit, uploaded to your Withoutabox.com entry (preferred) or delivered to IDA office on flash drive, CD or EPK, to include the following:
    • Short biographies of director and producer
    • Director and producer headshots
    • Film stills (no logos)
    • Brief Synopsis (125 words)
    • Medium Synopsis (250 words)
  • One sheet sized 21” x 40” and the texted and textless versions of the key art
  • 35mm print or Digital Cinema Package (see below)

Shipping address:
IDA / DocuWeeks™ 2011
Attn: Amy Jelenko / Programs and Events
1201 W. 5th St. Suite M270
Los Angeles, CA 90017
213 534 3600 tel

Anything sent to the IDA office in connection with your DocuWeeks™ entry must include a copy of your Withoutabox (WAB) confirmation page showing the WAB serial number of your entry.

Share of Ticket Sales
IDA is pleased to offer DocuWeeks™ participants a Box Office Revenue Share Program. Feature films grossing more than $5,000 as a combined total of gross box office receipts from their DocuWeeks™ runs in Los Angeles and New York will receive 50% of combined gross ticket sales above $5,000. Shorts will receive a percentage of gross of gross ticket sales above $5,000 based on the number of shorts screening in their shorts program.

Co-Op Fees
Participation in DocuWeeks™ requires payment of a Co-op fee structured as follows:
Features:
35mm (flat rate) $14,000
Digital Cinema Package (Based on running time)
41 to 89 minutes $17,000
90 to 102 minutes $20,000
Over 102 minutes TBD

Shorts:
35mm OR Digital Cinema Package $4,500

Co-op fees cover part of the costs of the theatrical run for your film in New York City and in Los Angeles including theater/projection equipment rental, paid advertising, and general publicity and promotion. If you are invited to and accept participation in DocuWeeks™ , the Co-op fee is due within two business days of receipt of the invitation. Co-op fees are NON-REFUNDABLE.

Screening Options:
If selected to participate in DocuWeeks™, you may choose to screen on 35mm print or Digital Cinema Package (DCP). Please choose this option carefully when you apply, as we have limited slots for each type of format. IDA does not cover the costs of producing either the 35mm print or the DCP. Final screening elements are due to theaters 7 days prior to opening screening date (TBA).

Digital Cinema Package (DCP) Information
Filmmakers choosing to screen via DCP must provide an Academy/DCI compliant DCP which will be loaded to Academy compliant cinema players and projected with D-Cinema projectors. Click here for the Academy’s technical requirements and information.

Hermosa Beach Filmworks LLC will be overseeing all DCP files for DocuWeeks™ and providing special rates to create Academy compliant DCP files for DocuWeeks™ participants. Please contact Jonathan Liebert directly with any technical questions regarding DCPs or for a quote.

Jonathan Liebert
Hermosa Beach Filmworks LLC
703-B Pier Ave #250
Hermosa Beach, CA 90254
310 897 6277
jliebert@hbfilmworks.com
http://www.hbfilmworks.com/

Applicants will be notified in early to mid-June if selected to participate in DocuWeeks™. Please contact Amy Jelenko, Program and Events Manager, with any questions.

Read what other filmmakers have to say about DocuWeeks™

Click here to read filmmaker comments.

"Kudos to DocuWeeks and its Theatrical Showcase, a wonderful screening program that is well-curated and generous to films that don't have distributors in place. Thanks to DocuWeeks, important, little noticed films can qualify for the Academy Awards and be seen in great theaters."
—Alex Gibney, Academy Award winner, Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)

"The IDA provides an extremely valuable service to filmmakers with DocuWeeks. It's unlikely I would have been able to qualify my films for Academyconsideration without it."
—James Longley, Academy Award nominee, Sari's Mother (2007); Iraq in Fragments (2006)

"DocuWeeks is a must! In a highly competitive and ever-changing theatricalmarket, DocuWeeks allows documentary films to be qualified for the bigawards. It's a great way to showcase films at a theatre with otherdocumentaries before deciding on a release plan or a distributor."
—Amy Berg, Academy Award nominee, Deliver Us from Evil (2006)

Past documentaries selected for IDA's DocuWeeks™ include:

Click here to read more.

• Killing in the Name / Oscar® Nominee / 2010
• Sun Come Up / Oscar® Nominee / 2010
• Wasteland / Oscar® Nominee / 2010
• Rabbit a la Berlin / Oscar® Nominee / 2009
• Smile Pinki / Oscar® Winner / 2008
• The Betrayal / Oscar® Nominee / 2008
• Taxi To The Dark Side / Oscar® Winner / 2007
• War/Dance / Oscar® Nominee / 2007
• Salim Baba / Oscar® Nominee / 2007
• Sari's Mother / Oscar® Nominee / 2007
• The Blood of Yingzhou District / Oscar® Winner / 2006
• Deliver Us From Evil / Oscar® Nominee / 2006
• Jesus Camp / Oscar® Nominee 2006
• Iraq in Fragments / Oscar® Nominee 2006
• Darwin's Nightmare / Oscar® Nominee 2005
• God Sleeps in Rwanda /Oscar® Nominee 2005
• Born into Brothels / Oscar® Winner / 2004
• Hardwood / Oscar® Nominee / 2004
• Chernobyl Heart / Oscar® Winner / 2003
• Ferry Tales / Oscar® Nominee / 2003
• Spellbound / Oscar® Nominee / 2002
• Why Can't We Be a Family Again? / Oscar® Nominee / 2002
• Children Underground / Oscar® Nominee / 2001
• On Tiptoe: Gentle Steps to Freedom / Oscar® Nominee / 2000
• The Personals / Oscar® Winner / 1998
• The Last Days / Oscar® Winner / 1998