Everything you need to know about the Global Nonviolent Film Festival in an interview with Festival Director Daria Trifu
By Daria Trifu, Founder & Festival Director
This is a milestone year for the Global Nonviolent Film Festival because it celebrates its 10th yearly edition.
In 2021, the Festival takes place from September 23 to October 3.
Global Nonviolent Film Festival is the most important and renown nonviolent film festival in the world.
When did it start and why?
The 11-day event came on the market in 2012 and it started in a resort city in Romania. In 2016 its founders, film director Bruno Pischiutta and film producer Daria Trifu, took the event online giving access to the world’s viewers to watch the high quality nonviolent films it showcases.
What type of films are shown at the Global Nonviolent Film Festival?
The public demand for nonviolent film as a genre has never been more strong. The films shown at the Global Nonviolent Film Festival are mostly independently made, and they do not contain any acts of gratuitous violence.
There are more and more people in the world who are simply tired of seeing imagined shootings, killings, and torture on the ‘big screen’. They instead look for more than just simple entertainment: they look to discover new talent, new places, different cultures, and to broaden their horizons
What sets this Festival apart?
What sets this Festival apart are the films it shows.
There are over 15,000 film festivals in the world today. It certainly isn’t easy to stand-out, but the Global Nonviolent Film Festival did just that: it stood-out of the crowd by identifying and sticking to a niche market of nonviolent films, more exactly films that do not contain gratuitous violence.
When it started, it wasn’t easy denying access to films, especially when they were very high quality and sometimes even Studio pictures, if they contained gratuitous acts of violence. Saying ‘no’ to temptation and allowing the event to grow naturally, took time, but it was the right thing to do.
How did COVID impact the event in 2020?
This terrible pandemic had an unexpected positive effect on the Festival. In a year when every other film festival in the world had to cancel or postpone their editions, the Global Nonviolent Film Festival saw a major rise in both film submissions and viewers. This happened because it was already a well established and smoothly running online event, and it required no change in its structure or setting. The organizers had simply to adapt to the three-times higher than usual amount of films and daily presentations, but there were no hiccups and everything ran surprisingly well.
Last year, the Festival screened 66 films from 30 countries. Of those, there were 11 world premieres. It was a record number.
What can we expect from this year’s edition?
Again, a lot of great nonviolent movies, documentaries, animation and music videos. These films are new, some of them have never been seen before.
Where can the Festival be watched?
The web address is globalnonviolentfilmfestival.com. This is where all the films, trailers and Daily Presentations are broadcast.
What happens during the 11-day event?
The schedule of the 11-day event goes as follows:
On September 23 all the films selected go live on the Festival’s online channel. This way, the public can watch any of them at the time of their choosing.
Each day, a new video presentation goes live on the channel. That’s the event’s Daily Presentation where the organizers discuss and highlight one or more of the presented films accompanied by trailer(s). This way, the public has the chance to learn more about the films and their filmmakers.
On Monday, October 4 (the day after the event has ended), the Awards Presentation goes live on the channel. This gives the filmmakers and the public the chance to celebrate the winners.
All films remain available for viewing on the channel for an additional week following the end of the event. This gives everyone the chance to watch them and, eventually, focus on the awarded ones.
The trailers of the films and the Daily Presentations remain available on the channel for one full year, until next year’s edition. This gives additional promotion to the films.
How much does it cost to watch the films?
The trailers are free to watch and so are the Daily Presentations with commentary about the participating films.
The rest of the channel works on a pay-per-view basis where one can choose and pay for the film they wish to watch individually. Prices go from $1.99 to $13.99.
There are weekly VIP passes available for the event too. They give the possibility to the people to watch any number of films they choose for a period of seven days from the date of purchase. The price for the VIP passes is determined just before the Festival starts, and after the line-up is announced.
Where can the films be seen after?
Many of the films start streaming on globalcinema.online in the weeks and months after the Festival ends.
What is globalcinema.online?
It is a unique pay-per-view channel showcasing films & documentaries that do not contain gratuitous violence. It is available worldwide.
The Festival is today the primary source of content for the newly launched and ground-braking channel that fills a void in the field of video-streaming services by offering to the public nonviolent films that give them the possibility to learn more and to open their mental horizon.
Every film selected at the Global Nonviolent Film Festival receives worldwide distribution with very favorable financial terms. This new reality makes for a win-win situation for all parties involved: the public, the filmmakers, and the Festival.
Who are the Festival’s media partners?
Daria!
The arts, entertainment and business magazine established in 2005 is the principal media partner of the Global Nonviolent Film Festival. The magazine is available online at dariamagazine.com. In each annual edition, there are articles about the participating films and interviews with the filmmakers.
IndieActivity Magazine
Published by journalist Oladapo Bamidele (photo), IndieActivity Magazine provides the daily coverage of the Festival followed by interviews with all the awarded filmmakers. The magazine is also available online at indieactivity.com.
It is notable to mention that the Global Nonviolent Film Festival is recognized by the IMDB and all the awards are listed there as well as inter-connected to the respective films’ and filmmakers’ profiles.
How can filmmakers submit their work?
They can do so via FilmFreeway here: Global Nonviolent Film Festival
What are the submission deadlines?
May 25 is the official deadline. If a film is not ready for that date, there is not to worry because the Festival is still accepting submissions until the final deadline of August 25.
How can anyone contact the Festival?
Anyone, from filmmakers to journalists and to the general public, may contact the Global Nonviolent Film Festival at info@nonviolentfilmfestival.com. All messages receive a personalized reply and the organizers are happy to provide all the support and assistance needed.
FESTIVAL STRATEGY
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