Rules and regulations for the Best Febio Pitch Award competition and the Works in Progress film project presentations as part of the 12th Bratislava Industry Days 2027
Article I
Competition organizers
The organizers of the Best Febio Pitch Award competition (hereinafter referred to as the “Competition”) are Super film s. r. o., with its registered office at Mýtna 42, 811 07 Bratislava, Slovakia, Company ID (IČO): 43824625; and the Slovak Film Institute (hereinafter referred to as the “SFI”), located at Grösslingová 32, 811 09 Bratislava, Company ID (IČO): 891444.
Article II
Submission criteria
The Competition and the Works in Progress (hereinafter “WiP”) presentation of film projects features 16 to 18 film projects that meet the following conditions:
– the majority producer (as defined by the Council of Europe Convention on Cinematographic Co-Production) must be from one of the participating countries: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Austria, Slovakia, or Ukraine;
– at the time of the WiP event, the project must not be completed, and the film must not have had its premiere;
– the project may be a fiction, documentary, or animated film of any length;
– the film project is in the development, production, or post-production stage;
– the film project is intended primarily for theatrical release.
Submission to the Competition is free of charge and remains open until December 15, 2026, via the submission form available on the website bratislavaindustrydays.sk.
Article III
Selection of Competition projects and deadline
The selection of film projects for the Competition is carried out by a selection committee consisting of three to five permanent members of the organizing team and/or representatives of the National Cinematographic Centre of the SFI. The selection process must be concluded by January 31, 2027, with applicants being notified in writing as to whether or not their project has been selected for the Competition.
Article lV
Basic selection principles
The decisive criteria for the assessment and selection of film projects for the Competition are cinematic quality and artistic value. Factors such as genre, chosen subject matter, creative approach, or specific technical methods are not taken into account. The objective of the selection process is not to achieve a balanced representation of countries, but rather to curate the best collection of projects that reflect the current film output from the aforementioned nations.
Article V
Film project presentations
As part of the Competition, selected film projects will be presented publicly in front of a professional audience, consisting primarily of representatives from international film festivals, markets, sales agents, distributors, and production companies. Each project is guaranteed equal conditions and an equal amount of time for its presentation. Any film project that is not presented during the Competition, or fails to submit the required materials by the specified deadline and in accordance with the required specifications, will be disqualified from the Competition.
Film projects must submit materials for the public presentation (video excerpts and/or images) to the organizers by April 5, 2027.
The film project presentations will take place on April 12 and 13, 2027, at Kino Lumière in Bratislava; however, in the event of unforeseen circumstances, the timing, location, and format of the presentations may be subject to change.
Article VI
International jury
The Competition jury consists of three members and is international in composition. Jury members are appointed for a single edition of the Competition by the Head of Bratislava Industry Days, who is delegated by the SFI. In exceptional cases, an individual may serve as a jury member again, provided there is an interval of at least two years. Appointments to the jury may include representatives from international film festivals or markets, sales agents, distributors, film producers, or other film professionals; generally, the appointee should be a respected figure whose practical experience or professional interests are significantly aligned with the field of film production. No person who has been involved in any capacity in the development of any of the competing film projects may serve as a member of the jury.
Article VII
Prize and announcement of results
The main prize of the Competition is the “Best Febio Pitch Award,” which includes a cash prize. It is awarded to the production company behind the winning film project, as determined by an international jury through their voting and final verdict. Film projects are evaluated based on their content, as well as the quality of the presentations themselves. The jury will announce the Competition results and the winning film project during the Bratislava Industry Days awards ceremony.
The cash prize is subject to taxation in accordance with the applicable laws of the Slovak Republic.
If the winner of the Competition is a legal entity (i.e., a film production company):
– the cash prize is considered taxable income for the legal entity and is included in its tax base;
– the organizer shall not apply withholding tax, and the winner shall account for the tax on the prize independently in their own tax return.
If the winner of the Competition is a natural person (whether an entrepreneur or a non-entrepreneur):
– the cash prize is considered income subject to income tax;
– the organizer shall not apply withholding tax; the winner shall account for the tax on the income in their own tax return, in accordance with the Income Tax Act.
The organizer bears no responsibility for the tax obligations of the participant or for the fulfillment thereof. The winner of the Competition is required to comply with the relevant tax regulations and to correctly declare the income received in their tax return.
Article VIII
Non-statutory awards
Film projects in Competition may also be eligible for non-statutory partner awards, the recipients of which are determined by representatives of the respective partners. These awards are non-monetary in nature; typically, they entail an invitation to another event or the provision of professional consultation. Depending on the nature of the award, the partners may specify which projects in Competition are eligible to compete for them (e.g. only Slovak projects, only projects in development, etc.).
Article IX
Each contestant shall provide personal data to the extent necessary for their unambiguous identification and subsequent contact in the event of a win. If a contestant is selected as a winner and receives a prize, they may grant the organizers express written consent, authorizing them to process the winner’s personal data and/or to create and publish the winner’s likeness, as well as to publish the winner’s full name in an appropriate manner in connection with their win in the Competition. Failure to grant consent under this provision shall not be a condition for participation in the Competition or for the awarding of the prize.
Article X
The Competition organizers reserve the right to amend the rules or cancel the Competition at any time. Any such amendments or cancellation will be announced by the organizers on the Competition website.
The organizer assumes no liability for damages or legal defects concerning film projects submitted to the Competition.
Participants are responsible for securing all rights related to the presentation of their film projects within the scope of the Competition (e.g., music, archival footage, etc.).
By participating in the Competition, entrants signify their agreement to these rules. If a prospective participant does not agree with any condition or provision set forth in these rules, they may not participate in the Competition.
In Bratislava, October 26, 2026