User:Nelimsky/IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival

IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival (Film Palace Fest)(Bulgarian: Международен фестивал за късометражно кино В ДВОРЕЦА) is the largest and most prestigious cinema forum in Bulgaria, presenting films from all styles and genres of length up to 45 minutes. It is held each year in late June in the Black Sea town of Balchik.

The main objective of the Festival is to present and contribute to the development of contemporary film art in Bulgaria, Europe and the world, creating a favourable environment and platform for young filmmakers and established professionals.

IN THE PALACE ISFF is organised by Format SFF Foundation and Community Centre Veshtina in partnership and with support of Balchik Municipality, the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture, the Bulgarian National Film Centre and the State Cultural Institute – Cultural Centre “The Palace”, Balchik, and is the first and only short film festival in Bulgaria, funded by the MEDIA Programme of the European Union.

Program
The festival has a competitive character and includes three competition programmes - the main competitive programme, which includes films premiered in Bulgaria, TV film competition and additional competition programme. The participating films are determined by a selection committee and evaluated by an international jury. There is an award fund allocated for the fiction, documentary, animation and experimental film categories.

The festival calendar includes also a parallel programme for commercials and music videos. Traditionally, within the Festival are held training programmes, seminars, lectures, master classes in directing, cinematography, development of film projects, digital art, post-production, PR and marketing in the film industry.

Recently, the Festival features a qualified market for short films and projects.

As an addition to the Festival the Music Palace Fest also takes place in Balchik – a stage for live performances by contemporary Bulgarian and international musicians and bands.

The 9th edition of In The Palace ISFF will happen between 18th and 25th June, 2011.

History
Conceived initially as a forum for student films, the Festival is held for the first time in 2003 in Velingrad. Since its second edition, the Festival is hosted by the town of Balchik, situated on the Northern Black Sea coast of Bulgaria. Venue of the festival is the architectural park complex "The Palace", former residence of the British princess and the Romanian Queen Marie of Edinburgh.

In the 8th edition of the Festival in 2010 nearly 250 short films from 44 countries were selected for competition programmes between more than 4000 titles.