2021 Regulations

Submissions for short and feature films are now closed.

The dates for the 2021 Semaine de la Critique could be subject to variations following the development of the health crisis.

These regulations are only valid for La Semaine de la Critique’s selection.

Selections of the Cannes Film Festival (Competition, Out of competition, Un Certain Regard) and the Directors’ Fortnight are managed by distinct entities.

Article 1 - Dates

The 60th edition of La Semaine de la Critique, organised by the French Union of Film Critics, will be held in Cannes, from July 7th to 15th, 2021 during the Cannes Film Festival.

Article 2 - Eligibility

To be eligible for La Semaine de la Critique, the film must comply with the following requirements:

For feature films only:

  • Must be the director’s first or second feature film.
    • By "first feature film", we mean it must be a first cinematic film (fiction, documentary or animation) with a duration over 59' from a director who has never directed a full-length film before (over 59'), theatrically released or selected in an international Class A festival.
    • By "second  feature film", we mean it must be a cinematic film (fiction, documentary or animation) with a duration over 59' from a director who has previously only directed one full-length film (over 59'), theatrically released or selected in an international Class A festival.

For all films, short and feature films:

  • Must have been completed within the 12 months prior to the date of the Festival (between May 2020 and Cannes 2021).  
  • For foreign short and feature films: must not have participated in any festival outside its country of origin (whether it is in competition or out of competition).
  • Must not have been shown on the Internet or broadcasted on TV, or commercially released outside its country of origin.

Article 3 - Selection committees

Films will be chosen by two selection committees: a Short Film Committee supervised by a short film Coordinator, and a committee for Feature Films. Both committees are under the responsibility of the Artistic Director. The Artistic Director and the committees’ members are all journalists and film critics from the French Union of Film Critics, which has appointed them. 

Article 4 - Entry fee

An entry fee applies for Short Films and Feature Films submissions. The films won’t be screened until the entry fee has been paid. Entry fees are not refundable. The payment is made through secured online payment upon registration (with cards such as Visa, Mastercard or any debit cards). American Express is not accepted.

Article 5 - Submission confirmation

Film registrations will be considered as confirmed when the online submission is done on our website (www.semainedelacritique.com) and the entry fee is paid. La Semaine de la Critique reserves the right to refuse any registration that hasn’t followed all the submission steps. Films sent without any registration will be refused.

Article 6 - Submission deadlines

Short Films submissions:
➢ The deadline for the submission and uploading of short films is May 3rd, 2021. Please note that the uploading will have to be proceeded during the submission process.

Feature Films submissions: 
➢ The deadline for the submission of feature films is May 3rd, 2021.
➢ The deadline for the reception of feature films is May 10th, 2021.

Article 7 - Screening material for previews

SHORT FILMS
Short films are uploaded on the Semaine de la Critique website during the registration process. Any short film sent in an other format will not be considered by the selection committee.
To submit a short film, please check our submission and upload requirements here.

FEATURE FILMS

Feature films can now be uploaded to the Semaine de la Critique website during the registration process.

The following other formats are also accepted: online link (example: Vimeo), DVD, BLU-RAY, DCP.
To submit a feature film, please check our submission requirements here.

Article 8 - Prints insurance / preview and selection

Shipping and insurance costs as well as customs taxes and customs broker’s fees (to and from Paris and/or Cannes) including "temporary admission" rights are at the expense of the producers. La Semaine de la Critique won’t cover any transportation costs. The responsibility of La Semaine covers the cost of storage and insurance in our screening rooms. The right-holders must make sure they’ll be able to cover every shipping expense that a selection in Cannes implies.

Article 9 - Prints specifications / Selection in Cannes

Films selected at La Semaine de la Critique will be screened in Cannes on Digital DCP (2 identical copies). 
Foreign films are to be screened in their original version with French subtitles and English electronic subtitles (under the image). Subtitling is at the producer's expense.

Article 10 - Programming

Dates, times and screening venues of selected films will be communicated to the right-holders mid/end of June 2021.
During the festival, selected films cannot be screened anywhere in Cannes before La Semaine de la Critique’s official presentation.

Article 11 - Jury and Awards

La Semaine de la Critique’s Jury will award the best feature and the best short films amongst the competition. First feature films are also competing for the Caméra d’Or prize, awarded during the Official Award Ceremony of the Cannes Film Festival.

Article 12 - Next Step

The 10 Short Film Directors selected in competition at la Semaine de la Critique can participate in the Next Step programme. Held in December 2021, in collaboration with the TorinoFilmLab, Next Step is a week-long training workshop that gives the filmmakers the opportunity to benefit from the advice of international consultants on their feature film project. 

Article 13 - Reruns

Following Cannes Film Festival, the selected films will be screened in France (Cinemathèque Régionale de Corse - Corsica, Cinémathèque Française de Bercy - Paris), Mexico (Morelia Film Festival), Chile (Santiago – SANFIC). For short films only, Czech Republic (Prague - Cinema Ponrepo) and Martinique (Festival Cinémartinique Atrium). 

The list of reruns is subject to change.
Right-holders of the film must provide prints for each rerun, until the end of all the reruns. The producer must inform his sales agent, his French distributor and the distributor of the rerun country of these obligatory reruns.

Article 14 - Promotional materials

Selected films must use La Semaine de la Critique’s logotype on all their promotional material (posters, press kits, teasers, film prints). If a film is awarded during La Semaine de la Critique, it is mandatory that the awarded films replace La Semaine de la Critique's generic logo by the corresponding Prize logo after the festival. 

Article 15

La Semaine de la Critique reserves the right to make unilateral decisions about situations not mentioned herein and/or make exceptions to the rules.

Article 16 - Responsabilities of the organisers

La Semaine de la Critique reserves the right to use all data from registration forms as provided for by the law nº78.17 of 6 January 1978 (in accordance with the data processing, files and freedoms act, any participant has the right to access and correct only data concerning him. This right is exercised by the French Union of Film Critics (SFCC).

La Semaine de la Critique declines any responsibility for registration applications not received. The board of the French Union of Film Critics (SFCC) has the right to settle all cases not provided for, by the present regulations. It reserves the right to suspend, cancel, or postpone the event or to modify the regulations, at any time, according to the requirements of its exploitation. No compensation of any kind can be made to the participants.

Article 17

Participation in La Semaine de la Critique implies acceptance of the foregoing rules and regulations.


For any information concerning the submissions, please contact the Film Department
Head of Film Department: Hélène Auclaire
In charge of short films | film department : Rémi Bigot
Tel. +33 1 45 08 81 56

Short film regulations

Feature film regulations