The Innsbruck Nature Film Festival (INFF) is an international film competition on the topic of nature, environment or/and sustainability. We are offering filmmakers from all over the world a platform for presenting their latest work. Our focus in the competition is set on documentaries – feature length, mid length and short – as well as on animation short films.
This year, our new category “Shorts for Kids” is open for fiction shortfilms, too. Interesting long fiction films are welcome for a screening out of competition.

During our four festival days around 60 curated films will be screened and we invite filmmakers to take part in Q&A’s, panels and video interviews. We also organize a high-quality side program: scientific talks, networking events, industry meetings, mountain excursions, art exhibitions, a Director‘s Lunch etc. in order to engage an on-topic, ecological and creative discourse.

The venue is Metropol cinema in Innsbruck where we can show films on big screens up to 280 spectators and use the „Couch-room“ for cozy discussions.

Our juries, composed of international and high profile members, select the winners of the following Prizes & Awards:
* „GRAND PRIZE for the best NATURE DOCUMENTARY” worth 3.000 € donated by
Innsbruck Tourismus
* “GRAND PRIZE for the best ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTARY” worth 3.000 € donated
by the City of Innsbruck
* New: “GRAND PRIZE for the best “Mid-Length Documentary” worth 2.000 €
* „AWARD for the BEST SHORT DOC” worth 1.500 €
* „AWARD for the BEST ANIMATION SHORT FILM“ worth 1.500 €

SPECIAL AWARDS (eligible to all films that have been submitted to the festival in 2023):
* „WILD WOMEN AWARD“ worth 2.000 €
We want to highlight female directors and/or camerawomen in the field of
nature/environmental documentary
* „CHRISTIAN BERGER CINEMATOGRAPHY AWARD” worth 1.500 € (non-cash-prize)
Personally selected by Christian Berger, Academy-Award nominated cameraman and
producer
* „BEST FILM ON THE TOPIC OF SOIL“ worth 2.000 €
Selected by a group of European soil-experts.
* New: “BEST SHORTFILM FOR KIDS” worth 1.500 €
Will be selected by the audience (school & cinema screenings)

Prizes and awards may change due to unforeseen circumstances.

+++ Please submit your film only if it is related to the topics of NATURE and/or THE ENVIRONMENT and/or SUSTAINABILITY and/or BETTER LIFE +++

SUBMISSION
Films can be submitted in the following categories :
ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENTARY (max. 120 min.)
NATURE DOCUMENTARY (max. 120 min.)
MID LENGTH NATURE / ENVIRONMENTAL DOC (max. 60 min.; these entries will also be in the running for the two 2 Grand Prizes and the SPECIAL AWARDS!)
SHORT DOC on the topic of nature/environment (max. 15 min.)
ANIMATION SHORT on the topic of nature/environment (max. 15 min.)
SHORTFILM FOR KIDS (feature or doc or animation, max. 15 min.; these entries will also be in the running for the ShortDoc or AnimationDoc Awards!)
FEATURE FILM (out of competition, min. 40 min.)

The Curator and the Jury reserve the right to change the entrant’s choice of category in her/his favour.

YEAR OF PRODUCTION
2021 or younger.
For the SHORTFILM FOR KIDS: 2019 or younger

Max. two film contributions per director may be submitted to the competition.
Films that are still in the making are eligible for submission if they will be completed at least one month prior to the start of the festival. Please get in touch to discuss how to proceed.

FEES:
If your film is selected for the Festival and you’ll present it in Innsbruck we will be happy to reimburse your entry fees with travel vouchers.
The INFF reserves the right to change the entry fees. Please note that the submission platform FilmFreeway and the payment platforms may charge additional processing fees.

SUBMISSION CONDITIONS INFORMATION
The application is only valid with the submission of the following:
- A fully completed official online-application form. Please don’t forget the synopsis, photos and a trailer if available; it makes our team’s task and the jury work much easier!
- Access to the film material as an online-screener (via FilmFreeway, YouTube, Vimeo etc.). Please make sure that the screeners are activated for screening at least until the end of the Festival!
- Successful payment of the submission fee

LANGUAGE/SUBTITLES
All non-English submissions must have English or German subtitles (preferably also films that are in German).
We do appreciate if English language films have English subtitles or, even more convenient for the local audience, German subtitles. Best option: German dubbing and English subtitles.
For the category “Shorts For Kids” German dubbing, at least German subtitles are mandatory.

SHORT LIST / SELECTED FILMS
All entrants will receive a confirmation E-mail by the end of June 2023 whether they are selected for the competition (Short List) or for a screening out of competition – or not.

In addition, a member of our hospitality team will contact the director (or another representative of the team) to arrange a personal or online appearance at the screening in Innsbruck. We support travel arrangements that are as environmentally friendly as possible.

Withdrawal from the competition is no longer possible after the shortlist has been published end of August 2023.

Entrants automatically consent to the submitted film being shown at INFF. The Festival also includes the „INFF on Tour Programme“ and “Best Of INFF” events we organise in collaboration with selected institutions after the main Festival. The Festival and these additional events are non-commercial, their purpose is educational or to provide a forum for the genre of nature, wildlife and environmental films that will open up new audiences.

With submission of the film the submitter agrees that parts of the film may be used for announcement purposes for the Festival. Any other use not mentioned in these Terms of Participation will be agreed with the entrant. The festival also reserves the right to make a password-protected copy of the film available to jury members, selected representatives of the press, panelists or selected professional visitors.

INFF does not pay screening or technical fees.

If the film wins a prize in 2023, the prize money and/or prize will be sent out until the end of 2023.

By submitting the film the entrant confirms that they possess all the rights necessary for their film to be screened at a film festival (e.g. music, film excerpts from other productions …). They affirm that its use does not infringe any copyrights or performance rights of third parties and undertakes to indemnify and hold the organiser free from any liability regarding claim/ claims of third parties in this context. Furthermore, any film(s) containing racist, sexist, religiously derogatory or inflammatory content will be excluded from the competition.

In case of changes in the execution of the event or if the event is cancelled, the organiser is not liable for damages to the participant. This agreement does not constitute a service or company relationship between the participant and the organiser. All disputes arising from this agreement shall be settled before the competent court in Innsbruck.
Registration for the INFF implies acceptance of these conditions of participation.