COMPETITION REGULATIONS

10th GÜZEL ORDU INTERNATIONAL
SHORT FILM COMPETITION SPECIFICATIONS

1. ABOUT
Since its inception, the Güzel Ordu Culture and Art Foundation has been organizing these competitions to raise public awareness on social issues, encourage, motivate, and highlight the creativity of individuals, and appreciate their achievements. Furthermore, these competitions aim to promote and experience the power of independent filmmaking, and to foster artistic excellence and the creative freedom of artists without censorship.

The main themes of our competitions throughout the years have been: "The Black Sea" in the first year, "Children's Rights" in the second year, "Women's Rights" in the third year, "Justice" in the fourth year, "The Wave" in the fifth year, "On the Shore" in the sixth year, "Empathy" in the seventh year, "Miracle" in the eighth year, and "Happiness" in the 9th year.

2. DATES
Submission Start Date: July 01, 2026
Submission Deadline: August 30, 2026
Announcement of Finalists: September 12, 2026
Deadline for Submitting Required Documents for Finalists: September 25, 2026
Festival Dates: October 14 - 18, 2026 ORDU / TÜRKİYE

3. THEME
The theme for the 10th Güzel Ordu International Short Film Competition in 2026 has been designated as "FREE / OPEN THEME".

4. TERMS of APPLICATION
The competition is open to the 13 member states of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation:

*Türkiye *Albania *Azerbaijan *Bulgaria *Armenia *Georgia *Moldova *North Macedonia *Romania *Russian Federation *Serbia *Ukraine *Greece

Submissions from countries outside of this list will not be evaluated.

4.1 The competition is open to anyone interested in Short Films.
4.2 People of all ages can apply for the competition.
4.3 Application to the competition is free of charge.
4.4 The official language of the competition is Turkish. If productions participating from national or international arenas contain languages other than Turkish, they must submit a copy that is either dubbed in Turkish or includes Turkish and English subtitles.
4.5 Applications to the competition will be made online via our website through the Filmfreeway platform.
4.6 Applications can be submitted in Fiction, Animation, Virtual Reality, and Documentary categories.
4.7 The duration of short films applying in the Fiction, Animation, and Virtual Reality categories must not exceed 21 minutes, including the credits.
4.8 For documentary films, this duration is limited to a maximum of 41 minutes.
4.9 The Competition Executive Committee reserves the right to make an exception of up to a 10% (ten percent) margin regarding the duration when deemed necessary.
4.10 All films submitted to the competition will be preserved in the Foundation's competition archive.
4.11 Only films produced after 01.01.2026 are eligible to participate in the competition.
4.12 The deadline for film submissions to the competition is August 30, 2026.
4.13 Films shot in any preferred language or geographical location may apply to the competition, provided that they fulfill the Turkish and English subtitle requirement.
4.14 Competitors may apply to the competition with more than one film.
4.15 Having previously applied to another festival, platform, or competition does not prevent participation in this competition.
4.16 Any current or future copyright issues experienced by the competitors do not concern the competition management / committee. Therefore, the competition / festival management cannot be held subject to legal sanctions.
4.17 The competition management / committee / team is responsible for sharing the finalist films on their own audiovisual networks.
4.18 The competitor is deemed to have accepted that the finalist works may be featured and screened in Güzel Ordu Culture and Art Foundation events for non-commercial purposes, provided that the director's name is specified. The competitor is also deemed to have accepted the broadcasting and screening of these films on the Güzel Ordu Culture and Art Foundation’s website and social media pages.
4.19 The Güzel Ordu Culture and Art Foundation reserves the right to withdraw from organizing the competition, cancel the competition, or not continue the same competition in the future at any stage prior to the announcement of the competition results, without giving any reason. In the event that the competition is not held or is canceled, no work sent or delivered to the Foundation by the authors/owners can be used by the Foundation.

5. ORGANIZATION
The organization of the 10th Güzel Ordu International Short Film Competition is carried out by the Festival Executive Committee.

6. FESTIVAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

  • Festival President
  • Festival Artistic Director
  • Festival Organizing Director
  • Festival Communications Director
  • Festival Public Relations Director
  • Festival Financial Affairs Director
  • Festival Academic Advisor

7. EVALUATION

7.1 The Pre-jury, Youth Jury, and Main Jury are determined by the Festival Executive Committee.
7.2 The Pre-juries present a maximum of 6 films per category that meet the criteria and pass evaluation to the Selection Committee. The Pre-jury evaluates and shortlists the submitted works based on compliance with specifications, technical quality, aesthetics, creativity, and category choice.
7.3 The Youth Jury watches the finalist films in each category and selects their favorite film.
7.4 The Main Jury determines the winners from among the finalist films in each category, taking into account their creativity and artistic qualities.
7.5 Juries submit their decisions in writing, with justifications, signed, to the Festival Executive Committee before the date results are to be announced. The decisions of the Selection Committee are final. Participants do not have the right to object to the results.
7.6 Finalist works will be announced by being published on the Foundation's website and social media accounts.
7.7 Selection Committees are not obliged to present an award if there are no works of sufficient quality to win an award in any given category.

8. FINALIST WORKS

8.1 Finalist works will be announced on September 12, 2026, on our website gofilmfest.org and through our social media accounts.
8.2 For the finalist works, the following documents must be sent in the specified formats by September 25, 2026.

Material List:

To be transmitted via online file transfer programs (WeTransfer, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.):

  • Screening copies of the work must be in Full HD quality, with Turkish and English subtitles (Turkish subtitles in white, English subtitles in yellow), in .mov or .mp4 format. An unsubtitled screening copy of the work must also be sent (Format: Full HD quality, .mov or .mp4).
  • A 30-second trailer of the work must be delivered.
  • 2 high-resolution stills from the work (These must be frames from the film itself, not behind-the-scenes photos).
  • A poster must be prepared in A3 size, vertical format, and delivered.
  • A photograph of the director with a resolution of at least 500x500 pixels must be delivered to be used in the catalog.
  • A signed printout of the online application form.
  • A signed printout of every page of the Güzel Ordu Culture and Art Foundation Short Film Competition specifications, signed by both the director and the producer, to show that the right holders accept the terms of the regulation.

9. AWARDS

9.1 Among the works participating in the Güzel Ordu Culture and Art Foundation Short Film Competition, the Best Film Award, the Special Jury Award, and the Youth Jury Ceren Özdemir Award will be presented to works determined by the Jury.

To the directors of the works selected in the Fiction category:
Spotted Turtle Best Film Award: 35,000 TL + Plaque
Special Jury Award: Plaque
Youth Jury Ceren Özdemir Award: Plaque

To the directors of the works selected in the Animation category:
Spotted Turtle Best Film Award: 35,000 TL + Plaque
Special Jury Award: Plaque
Youth Jury Ceren Özdemir Award: Plaque

To the directors of the works selected in the Virtual Reality category:
Spotted Turtle Best Film Award: 35,000 TL + Plaque
Special Jury Award: Plaque
Youth Jury Ceren Özdemir Award: Plaque

To the directors of the works selected in the Documentary category:
Spotted Turtle Best Film Award: 35,000 TL + Plaque
Special Jury Award: Plaque
Youth Jury Ceren Özdemir Award: Plaque

9.2 Special awards may be given upon the specific requests of institutions and organizations participating in or sponsoring the festival.

9.3 Upon the recommendation of the Jury, the Güzel Ordu Culture and Art Foundation may grant special awards outside of these categories.

9.4Plaques will be presented at the award ceremony to be held by the Güzel Ordu Culture and Art Foundation. Monetary awards will be deposited into the winners' bank accounts within three months following the end of the Festival.

9.5 The award is given to the director of the film. If a film has more than one director, the award amount will be divided equally among them.

9.6 If the director cannot be present at the award ceremony, the award will be given to a representative designated in advance by the director and notified in writing to the Güzel Ordu Culture and Art Foundation. Directors who do not attend the Award Ceremony will not receive the monetary prize.

9.7 In the event that a person passes away after earning the right to receive an award, the award will be delivered to their legal heirs.

9.8 The owners of the finalist works will be obliged to publish a statement indicating that they received the Spotted Turtle Best Film Award / Special Jury Award / Youth Jury Ceren Özdemir Award, or that they were a finalist, along with the Güzel Ordu Short Film Competition Laurel logo, in the opening and closing credits of the films, in their press releases, newspaper advertisements, and all kinds of promotional media related to the film.

10. SPECIAL CONDITIONS

10.1 The signatory on the competition application form must be the legal owner of the film.
10.2 The accuracy of all information provided in the application form binds the signatory. Any legal liability that may arise due to this information belongs solely to the signatory.
10.3 The Foundation is obliged to use its own logo along with the Official Sponsor's logo together with the work in press releases and local television broadcasts prepared for the announcement of the competition and its results.
10.4 Copyright and Screening Rights: The copyright of all works will belong to the authors/owners; however, the Foundation organizing the competition has the right to organize non-commercial screenings, provided that the names of the owners are credited.
10.5 Filmmakers are obliged to comply with the program schedule determined by the Festival Committee. In case of non-attendance at these events, the Festival Committee reserves the right to disqualify the finalist.

11. SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOW-UP AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

11.1 Participants in the competition must follow our social media accounts.
11.2 Applicants can follow updates regarding the competition on our Foundation's social media accounts.

Our Social Media Accounts:
Instagram: instagram.com/gzlordu
Instagram: instagram.com/gokisafilmfest
Facebook: facebook.com/gzlordu
Twitter/X: twitter.com/gzlordu

Our Websites:
gofilmfest.org
gzlordu.org
E-Mail: [email protected]

11.3 The award ceremony will be held in Ordu. Venue and program details will be announced on our website and social media accounts.

12. CONCLUSION
This specification consists of 12 articles and is deemed accepted by all individuals applying to the competition. *(Note: The original Turkish text mistakenly lists 11 articles while numbering up to 11 in two different sections; it has been harmonized here as 12 continuous articles for clarity).*