armaan

Filmmaking Competition

Be the next Sony Dreammaker

Commencing in 2021, our World of Film competition celebrates the best short-form filmmaking shot on Sony cameras across Asia Pacific, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, India, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Australia and New Zealand. This competition aims to encourage filmmakers at all levels, from aspiring filmmaking students to passionate amateurs and industry veterans, showcasing their exceptional talents and abilities using the Sony system to capture their stories.

Film Categories

Documentary
2 - 20 Minutes
Non-Fiction
Non-fiction content must be presented as a depiction of real-life events, people, or narratives.
Non-fiction content may be presented either objectively or subjectively and can take the form of a story.
Among the typical non-fiction entries for this category include but are not limited to documentary and mockumentary films.
Scripted
2 - 20 Minutes
Fiction
Fiction content must be presented as an original (undocumented) fictional or fictionalised story, event or narrative.
The content must be wholly unique & is considered original by the production team.
Considerations for judging in this category include lighting and camera movement, as well as other cinematic elements such as sound, musical components, and visual editing that are deployed to create a cohesive fictional narrative.

Eligibility

Open Category
The Open Category is free to enter and is open to anyone who submits their film or films shot with a Sony camera body.
Entries may be entered either as an individual, or collectively as a production team, institution and association under one submission.
At least 80% of the submission should be shot with a Sony camera. Entries found to be non-compliant may be disqualified.
Student Category
The Student Category is free to enter for anyone undertaking a full-time filmmaking programme.
Entries must be by individuals who are currently studying filmmaking as their primary programme, in order to receive a diploma/degree within the field of filmmaking or by individuals who are currently studying filmmaking as a recognised programme as part of their chosen diploma/degree of study.
Institutions may submit entries on behalf of their students.
At least 80% of the submission should be shot with a Sony camera. Entries found to be non-compliant may be disqualified.

Prizes

1 winner per category
Please note that all entries will be judged during the local round only. The local winners will then automatically compete in the regional round.
REGIONAL
USD$15,000 Cash
LOCAL
1 unit of FX3 Full-frame Cinema Line Camera + 1 GM Lenses
REGIONAL
USD$8,000 Cash
LOCAL
α7 III with 35mm full-frame image sensor and 28-70mm Zoom Lens Kit

Submission Criteria

Entry Mechanics
No less than 80% of the submitted film’s run-time needs to be shot on a Sony camera body, allowing some leniency for drone or stock footage.
Entry or entries must be uploaded to YouTube/VIMEO with a mandatory hashtag #SonyWorldofFilm.
This is how you should STRICTLY title your entries: “World of Film by Sony Asia Pacific: <Film Title>”.
The video format for each entry should be no less than Full HD (1920 x 1080) quality on a 16:9 ratio.
A high resolution 4K (3840 x 2160) in widescreen (16:9 ratio) master should be made available in the event the film is shortlisted.
Verifications:
Behind The Scenes Photos/Videos
Behind The Scenes material (photos and/or videos) are required for verification purpose and they will not be used by the judges in determining the winning entries.
The Behind The Scenes material should clearly show Sony camera(s) in use & also cover how the film set was run.
The Behind The Scenes video duration should be between 2 – 3 minutes long OR 2-5 photographs.
Any legible format for both video and photo will be accepted, including mobile phone footage.
Disclaimers:
Only shortlisted participants will be required to send in their Behind The Scenes material.
The Behind The Scenes material must be received within 7 working days upon being contacted.
If no response is received within the designated period, the participant is deemed to have withdrawn from the contest.
Only shortlisted participants will be contacted.
Deadline
Entries open:
Monday, 2 August 2021, 10:00AM SGT
Entries close:
Friday, 31 December 2021, 11:59PM SGT
Local winners will be notified in Feb 2022 while regional winner will be notified in March 2022.
FAQs
I want to insert stock footage for a scene. Can I do this?
Yes, this is acceptable however you must observe the 80/20 usage as outlined in the conditions of entry.
I want to use footage shot on a drone. Can I do this?
Yes, this is acceptable however you must observe the 80/20 usage as outlined in the conditions of entry.
I have a stop-motion animation film shot on a Sony camera. Can I submit this?
Yes, you can submit this as your entry. We recommend that you enter this under the Fiction category.
Does the submitted footage need to be shot on Sony lenses?
The filmmaking competition has no requirement for make-of-lens used.
Do I need to own a Sony camera, or can I submit a film shot on a rented Sony camera?
You do not need to own a Sony camera to submit your film, but 80% or more of the film must be shot with a Sony camera.
For the Behind the Scenes (BTS) footage, I have a combination of videos and still images, or predominantly stills. Can I use this for the BTS submission?
Yes, you can use a combination of stills and video for your BTS submission. Place your photos onto a video timeline and submit the exported video as a slideshow of your photos.
Can I submit footage that was shot on a Sony camera but recorded on an external recorder, such as the Atomos Ninja V?
Yes, footage shot on a Sony camera but recorded onto an external recorder can be submitted.
Are there any restrictions on the age of my film being submitted?
The filmmaking competition is looking for films which have completed production within the last two (2) years, and new original films. Leniency may be given to older films at judges’ discretion, however the film must be made available in a 4K master if the film is successfully shortlisted.
I worked on or acted in a film, but didn’t produce or direct it; can I submit? I was the director, but not the producer, or vice versa, can I submit on my own?
If it’s not your film, it’s advisable to submit only after you’ve received permission from the filmmakers. If you are not the director, we kindly request that you also provide us with the director’s contact information.

For directors and producers, we strongly advise that everyone is in agreement about the competition they are submitting to, and which version of the film is being submitted.

When disputes arise, (i.e. a film has been submitted without everyone’s explicit approval), we suggest that production finds a solution and come to an agreement with all the key decision makers before contacting us.
How would I know if I have won?
If you are one of our winners, we will reach out to you via the contact details provided by you in the submission form during application. Announcement of the winners will also be made through the World of Film by Sony Asia Pacific website.
If you have any questions about the filmmaking competition, please contact the Sony XXX Team by emailing (local email). By participating in the competition, you also agree to our terms and conditions stated.
Terms & conditions
Sony Electronics (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., through its division company Sony South East Asia ("Sony") maintains this website www.sony-asia.com/microsite/world-of-film ("Site") and is responsible for this “World of Film by Sony Asia Pacific” contest ("Contest").
Sony reserves the right to cancel or amend the Contest and the terms and conditions of this Contest ("Terms and Conditions") at any time without prior notice. Any changes will be posted on the Site.
Eligibility of submission
To participate in World of Film by Sony Asia Pacific, you must satisfy the following eligibility requirements.
  1. The contest consists of two categories: Open Category & Student Category.
    Regional Prize winner shall receive
    1. The Open Category is open to: All entrants who reside in Africa, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Middle East, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam (“Participating Region”).
    2. The Student Category is open to: Entrants undertaking a full-time filmmaking programme* and residing in the Participating Region.* A programme refers to a formalized filmmaking course/credit/module/foundation, which is taught at higher education level, within a diploma/Bachelor of Arts/Master of Arts curriculum. A proof of identity for verification is required and must be produced upon request.
    Winners from Sony Film Festival in Australia and New Zealand will be given the opportunity to be shortlisted for the Regional Winner as defined below.
  2. A submission may be submitted by the producer or any representative of the film. The above hereinafter will be referred to as the “Applicant”. Each submission is unique to 1 film. However, each Applicant may submit more than one (1) film.
  3. Fiction and Non-Fiction films are accepted for submission. Sony reserves the right to decide which section the film will participate in.
  4. No entry fees are charged during this period.
  5. All applicants must be at least 18 years old.
  6. The maximum duration is 20 minutes including opening title and credits. The minimum length is 2 minutes.
  7. Industry professionals, including freelancers, may submit. However, submitted films must be produced in a non-commercial capacity. Any films that are made with the intent of sales and promotion of a product, service, brand will not be accepted.
  8. The World of Film by Sony Asia Pacific is non-exclusive. Submissions made to other film competitions may be eligible for participation. However, any submission of films which have already been awarded in any other competitions will not be accepted and disqualified when found.
Terms & Conditions
  1. Participation in World of Film by Sony Asia Pacific is subject to the terms and conditions set out herein, and any other terms and conditions set out on the World of Film by Sony Asia Pacific website at www.sony-asia.com/microsite/world-of-film (as amended from time to time and hereinafter referred to as the “Terms and Conditions”).
  2. By entering World of Film by Sony Asia Pacific, each Applicant will be deemed to have accepted and be bound by the Terms and Conditions. Each Applicant warrants that:
    1. He/she has the legal capacity to participate in World of Film by Sony Asia Pacific in accordance with the Terms & Conditions and the information submitted is true, complete and accurate; and
    2. He/she possesses the exclusive rights to each submission hereunder (including but not limited to the script(s) and music, etc) and that no submissions shall infringe the intellectual property, privacy or other rights or interest or any third party or may result in any liability; and
    3. Each submission will not contain anything that is libellous, defamatory, obscene, indecent, harassing or threatening or otherwise offensive or objectionable.
  3. The Applicant understands and accepts that personal particulars and information stated in the online submission form and any information supplied may be used and disclosed by Sony for purposes in connection with the promotion, marketing and publicity. In addition, the Applicant consents to Sony collecting, using, disclosing, and/or processing any and all personal data submitted for various purposes, including communication with the Applicant, sending the Applicant marketing and advertising materials from Sony, and conducting market research and statistical analysis.
  4. The Applicant shall indemnify and keep Sony indemnified from and against any and all losses, damages, claims and/or costs (including costs on a full indemnity basis) suffered and/or incurred by the Applicant as a result of your breach of any of the Terms and Conditions.
  5. Sony reserves the right to disqualify and/or exclude any submissions from the Contest, for any reason and for no reason, including without limitation, violation of any portion of these Terms & Conditions.
  6. Employees of Sony and its affiliates in Participating Regions, advertising and promotion agencies of Sony together with their employees, and immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each of the aforesaid persons are not eligible to participate in this Contest.
  7. Sony reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to terminate or suspend this Contest without any liability to the Applicants should there be unforeseeable events which in Sony’s absolute opinion may jeopardize the process of the Contest.
  8. The Terms and Conditions of this Contest shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Singapore.
Submission Requirements
  1. All submissions must be submitted via the online submission form on the World of Film by Sony Asia Pacific website at www.sony-asia.com/microsite/world-of-film. Any other forms of submission will not be accepted.
  2. All submissions must be received no later than 23:59 (GMT +8:00) on 31st December 2021.
  3. All submissions are required to be uploaded onto the platform listed on the online submission form. Film URL must be provided. The submitted film must be uploaded on either Youtube/VIMEO (which must be set to public). Any entries not uploaded and available for judging by 23:59 (GMT + 8:00) on 31st December 2021 may be disqualified.
  4. All non-English submissions must have English subtitles. Auto-generated English subtitles by Youtube are acceptable.
  5. All film submissions are expected to be in 16:9 format, viewable in at least Full HD quality when uploaded onto Youtube/VIMEO.
  6. All film submissions must be accompanied by the campaign name “World of Film by Sony Asia Pacific”, followed by the film title when uploaded onto Youtube/VIMEO. (i.e. “World of Film by Sony Asia Pacific | My Film”
  7. A short synopsis (of no more than 150 words) of the story must be submitted together with the film.
  8. At least 80% of the submission should be shot with a Sony camera. Entries found to be non-compliant may be disqualified.
  9. Shortlisted Nominees (hereinafter defined) will also be required to submit a soft copy of the behind-the-scene video or photo montage to prove that the film is shoot with a Sony camera.
  10. Without prejudice to any other provision herein contain, each submission hereunder must be an original work. It must not infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks or other intellectual properties of any person or entity.
  11. Submissions must not contain obscene or pornographic material; must not contain threatening or defamatory statements about any person, company, organisation or entity; must not invade privacy or other rights of any person, company or entity; must not in any other way violate applicable laws and regulations.
  12. Withdrawal from competition is not allowed once submitted.
  13. Each Applicant guarantees that the editing or special effects used for the film were made via legally acquired software.
Shortlisted Nominees Verification Submission Format
  1. A soft copy of the behind-the-scene video or photos montage of the film will be required from the Applicant who will be shortlisted by Sony (“the Shortlisted Nominees”). The required format is listed below:
    1. Format: Any legible format is accept including mobile phone footage
    2. Duration: 2-3 minutes video or 2-5 photos montage
Publicity & Promotion
  1. The Applicant hereby expressly and irrevocably consents to, and grants to the Sony, its principal, third parties representatives, and/or assigns, the rights to use his/her name, photographs, particulars, submissions at the Sony’s associated programmes in any manner and in any media and formats in perpetuity throughout the world as Sony deems fit including for publicity or promotional purposes. Such publicity may include without limitation, the film(s) submitted for World of Film by Sony Asia Pacific, the Applicant and/or likeness, voice, photographs, and/or video footages of the Applicant, biological information provided by the Applicant and/or any statement made by he/she concerning Sony, World of Film by Sony Asia Pacific, and/or prizes.
  2. Sony shall not be obliged to include any Applicant in any publicity whatsoever.
  3. Shortlisted Nominees shall agree to be contacted by Sony or its authorized representatives to participate in public relations events tied to World of Film by Sony Asia Pacific and Sony α series of cameras. This may include, but not limited to, quotes given for inclusion in press release, press conference, interviews, etc.
Judging Process & Prizes
  1. Each submission is judged for their artistic excellence in craftsmanship across the various aspects of filmmaking.
  2. The selection of the jury panel and the judging process shall be at the Sony’s sole and absolute discretion. Each Applicant shall accept and abide by any and all decisions made by Sony in relation to World of Film by Sony Asia Pacific, including and not limited to, the Terms and Conditions, evaluation criteria and the awarding of prizes. No enquires, appeals, verbal or written, shall be entertained.
  3. Any decision made by Sony in relation to the conduct of World of Film by Sony Asia Pacific is final, binding, conclusive and shall not be challenged on any grounds, including without limitation, grounds that Sony failed to act reasonably or fairly.
  4. All winners will be announced in March 2022. Sony reserves the right to extend or modify the winner notification and date of announcement or format where necessary. Shortlisted Nominees will be contacted beforehand via contact details submitted to Sony. If the Shortlisted Nominees does not reply within 7 working days, or if the data reveals that the video does not comply with these terms and conditions, the Shortlisted Nominees will not be eligible to receive the prize and an alternative winner will be selected.
  5. The winner(s) shall not transfer or exchange any prize(s) won, and Sony reserves the right to replace any prizes with items of similar value without prior notice. The winner(s) acknowledges and agrees that he/she may be disqualified from receiving any prize(s) if he/she is not able or willing to abide by Terms & Conditions which may be imposed by Sony, and in such event, Sony reserves the right to award the prizes to other winner(s).
  6. The winner(s)’ refusal to accept any prize(s) (be it cash or non-cash) shall release Sony from all obligations in connection with the prize(s). In addition, the winner shall fulfil all obligations (if any) specified by Sony.
  7. Sony reserves the right to disqualify any Applicant if it has reasonable grounds to believe that the Applicant has breached these Terms and Conditions, or on any grounds as Sony may in its sole discretion decide.
  8. In each of the Participating Regions, Local Winners may be crowned. The number of Local Winners (if any) will be determined by each Participating Region. On a regional scale, 1 Regional Winner per category will also be selected from across all Participating Regions.
  9. Applicants who submit more than one entry, or enter more than once locale’s contest, are only eligible to win once.
  10. Acceptance of any prize shall constitute a release and discharge of Sony by each Winner from any and all liability, claims, demands, causes of action, and/or damages which the winner may have, whether known or unknown at the present time, of any nature whatsoever, arising out of or relating to: (i) the Contest, (ii) personal injury and/or property damage, theft or loss suffered by the Winner as a result of the use and/or enjoyment of the prize, and/or (iii) any tax liabilities in relation to the Contest, prize and/or use or enjoyment of the same.
  11. Subject to the terms and conditions herein, the Winners of the Contest shall receive the corresponding below listed prize(s):
    Regional Prize winner shall receive
    1. Open Category (1 winner) – USD$15,000
    2. Student Category (1 winner) – USD$8,000
    Local Prizes will be determined and indicated on local contest home page.
  12. Where applicable, prizes not collected within 4 weeks from the date of notification for collection shall be disposed of at Sony’s sole discretion. Sony’s decision regarding the award of all prizes, and/or in every situation including any not covered in these Terms and Conditions, shall be final and binding on all participants in the Contest, and no queries, themes or appeals may be made or entertained regarding Sony’s decision on the same. The receipt by any Winner of any prize under this Contest is conditional upon compliance with any and all applicable laws, rules and regulations.
Liabilities
  1. Sony cannot accept any responsibility for any damage, loss, injury or disappointment suffered by any entrant entering the Contest or as a result of entering the Contest or accepting any prize. Sony is not responsible for any safe custody, return, non-delivery or missing of entries, late, misdirected, problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer on-line systems, servers, or providers, computer equipment, software failure of any email or entry to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet, telephone lines or at any app, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to entrant's or any other person's computer or mobile telephone related to or resulting from participation or downloading any materials in the Contest.
  2. By entering the Contest or accepting the prizes, you agree that no claim relating to such losses or injuries (including special, indirect and consequential losses) shall be asserted against Sony, its parent companies, affiliates, directors, officers, employees or agents from any and all losses, damages, rights, claims and actions of any kind resulting from the Contest and acceptance of any prize, including without limitation, personal injuries, death and property damage.
  3. By submitting the Contest entries, you agree and warrant that you shall not submit any content (a) that is hateful, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence; (b) that violates any law, statute ordinance or regulation (including, but not limited to, those governing export control, consumer protection, unfair competition, anti-discrimination or false advertising); that is, or may reasonably be considered to be, defamatory, libelous, hateful, racially or religiously biased or offensive, unlawfully threatening or unlawfully harassing to any individual, partnership or corporation; (c) on behalf of any merchant or manufacturer, or for which you were compensated or granted any consideration by any third party; (d) that includes any information that references other apps, addresses, email addresses, contact information or phone numbers; (e) or that contains any computer viruses, worms or other potentially damaging computer programs or files.
Use of Personal Information
  1. Information – All information, including personal information (“Information”) submitted or known to Sony and/or its affiliates in connection with this Contest will only be used for the purposes set out in and treated in accordance with these Terms and Conditions and those stipulated in the Privacy Policy of Sony at https://www.sony.com.sg/section/privacypolicy (“Privacy Policy”).
  2. Use of Information – In addition to those stipulated in the Privacy Policy, by entering the Contest, you agree:
    1. to the use of the Information, without compensation, for Sony’s promotional and marketing purposes; and
    2. to the use of the Information, without compensation, for the purpose of administration in relation to the Contest.
  3. Each Applicant to this Contest acknowledges that in respect of any Information from her/him pursuant to this Site:
    1. She/he is authorized to disclose such Information; and
    2. Such disclosure complies with any privacy legislation from any region, within the geographical scope of the Contest, and we have the right to use such Information as contemplated by this Site (including, without limitation, the disclosure of such Information to Sony's external agencies or third parties).
  4. Provision of Information to Third Parties - We will not sell or otherwise transfer the Information to unaffiliated third parties without your approval. If applicable, you will have the opportunity to indicate whether you would like to "opt in" and/or “opt out” to receiving promotional and/or marketing information about other products, services and offerings from us and/or any third parties.
  5. Analysis of User Behaviour - We reserve the right to perform statistical analyses of user behaviour and characteristics in order to measure interest in and use of the various areas of the Site and to inform advertisers of such information as well as the number of users that have been exposed to or clicked on their advertising banners. We will provide only aggregated data from these analyses to third parties. We are not responsible for any actions or policies of any third parties who request personal information and you should check the applicable privacy policy of that party.
  6. Cookies - You should be aware that information and data may be automatically collected through the use of "cookies". "Cookies" are small text files a site can use to recognise repeat users and allow us to observe behaviour and compile aggregate data in order to improve the Site and to target its advertising. Cookies do not attach to your system and do not damage your files. If you do not want information collected through the use of cookies, there is a simple procedure in most browsers that allows you to deny or accept the cookie feature.
  7. Updating or Removing Information - You may notify us of any updates, amendments and corrections to previously collected Information by using the Feedback Form on the Site. Further, upon your request, we will use commercially reasonable efforts to delete your Information from our database. However, it may be impossible to delete your entry without some residual information because of backups and records of deletions.
Disclaimer
  1. Please be advised that all materials posted on the Site are subject to public downloading by third party viewers. Sony has taken precautionary steps to deter users from downloading. However, should downloading persist, Sony shall not be held accountable or liable for any damages caused.

Judges

Judging rounds will consist a judging panel of industry experts and professionals from across Asia Pacific who will shortlist entries for the first and final rounds.
Judges details will be disclosed soon
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