Joutseno Art Summer International Film Festival, its partners, and a team of internationally recognised judges hope to bring various enriching experiences of the “silver screen” and its related fields to highlight message of sustainable development.

We encourage submissions of a variety of genres and lengths, released in or after 2021. Artists whose works concentrate on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are welcome to submit their films using the special track and discounted fees offered. UN Sustainable Development Goals 1 (No poverty), 2 (Zero hunger), 12 (responsible consumption and production), and 13 (Climate action) are discounted. We are excited to review and showcase feature films, social impact documentaries, and films with a focus on education, human rights, gender equality, and justice. Even though the focuse is on the role of sustainable development and on the beauty of responsible art and filmmaking, we warmly welcomes submissions on other themes as well.

There are three stages to the process:

Nominations – Nominated films in each category will be contacted on the notification date. However, only films from the Official Selection will be screened.

Official Selection – The films that will be screened at the festival are selected from among the films that are in the Official Selection. The number and distribution of films that will be screened is decided by the festival organiser within the framework of the arrangements and schedules. The organizer will request the necessary materials and other additional information, as well as provide more information about the event.

Winners – Award winners will be selected from the Nominations & Official Selection List, and they are announced at the festival opening. 

submission deadlines and fees for the festival 2024

Opening Date: 1.11.2023

Earlybird Deadline: 24.3.2024

Regular Deadline: 19.5.2024

Late Deadline: 7.7.2024

Notification Date: 5.8.2024

Deadline for Official Selection films to deliver DCP-files: 28.8.2024

Event Date: 27.-29.9.2024

Planning to submit your movie? That's fantastic! Remember to read the rules and terms (under) before finalising your submission. You can find the fees on FilmFreeway, where filmmakers can submit their projects to the festival. You can proceed to FilmFreeway by clicking the logo under.

Rules and Terms / festival 2024

✓All films must be submitted in English or with English subtitles (if made in a different language).

✓ All films must be made in/after 2021.

✓ They must not have been among previous edition's nominations or winners in Joutseno Art Summer International Film Festival.

✓ Films must adhere to the time specified for the category they sign up for.

✓ Filmmakers are responsible for sorting out the copyright on their own materials.

✓ By submitting your project, you give us consent and right to screen your film in front of live audience, and, under special circumstances, online screening. Joutseno Art Summer International Film Festival does not pay for screenings nor is it liable for any compensation thereunto.

✓ Nominations: These are all the films that have been nominated for an award in one of the categories. The festival organiser decides, how many and which movies will be chosen for the Official Selection, and which of these films will be screened at the festival. The number and distribution of films that will be screened is decided by the festival organiser within the framework of the arrangements and schedules.

✓ We may promote clips from your film on social media, based on the press kits you provide us with. To achieve maximum visibility, make sure that you have a 30-second trailer, a poster, some photos, and other promotional materials (if available) that you upload to FilmFreeway before you click the button to finalise your submission.

✓ We retain the right to change the date and venue of the festival under special circumstances. All filmmakers will be informed about any such changes through email and on our online platforms.

✓ We place no restrictions on your work in terms of premiere status or whether it has been shown earlier.

✓ We do not accept partial screeners, trailers, or screener links that require any access other than password protected links.

✓ Any technical issues with the submitted films are 100% the responsibility of the filmmakers. If, at the time of judging, your video file does not work or does not have English subtitles (if in a language other than English), it will be automatically disqualified, without a refund. Please contact the festival team in good time if there are any issues with the submission process.

✓ We do not provide refunds, nor do we pay for screenings.

✓ We do not offer visa assistance; however, we can provide a letter if your submission has received the "Nomination" status. This letter could be presented to the Finnish immigration authorities as part of your application material. We, however, bear no responsibility of the final decision made by the concerned parties.

✓ Film representatives who have submitted their film are welcome to take part in the film festival events on site. Travelling to the festival venue is one’s own decision for which they are fully responsible. Each nominated film or one on official selection gets two (2) festival passes which will give free access to the festival red carpet, opening ceremony and screenings. All travel arrangements and the due expenses are the sole responsibility of the film representatives.

✓ By submitting to Joutseno Art Summer International Film Festival, you agree to our terms and conditions and to receiving marketing newsletters and discounts about film festivals in the form of emails. We will never sell your information to third parties.

✓ We reserve the right to update our terms and conditions.