REGULATIONS

THE TERMS OF
XIII INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL in OLSZTYN
“PRISON MOVIE”

§1

  1. International Film Festival in Olsztyn “Prison Movie” hereinafter referred to as the Festival is an international competition and a preview of film creativity related to penitentiary activities.
  2. The aim of the Festival is popularize and to promote the penitentiary art of film in Poland and in the world, conducting discussions and knowledge in society about penitentiary education, to present the film achievements of filmmakers from around the world and to recognize and reward the authors of the best films. 
  3. The Festival’s Gala and announcement of the Nominations for the “Good Villain” Awards will be held on December 4, 2025 at the Feliks Nowowiejski Philharmonic Hall of Warmia and Masuria in Olsztyn.
  4. The Festival’s Final Gala and presentation of the “Good Villain” Awards will be held on October 8, 2026 at the Feliks Nowowiejski Philharmonic Hall of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn.

§2

  1. The Organizers of the Festival are:
    1. Regional Inspectorate of Prison Service in Olsztyn,
    2. Detention Centre in Olsztyn.
  2. The Organizers invite the Local Government of the Province of Warmian-Masurian to co-organize the Festival.
  3. The Festival Organizing Committee invite you to participate in the festival in as co-organizers and partners other state-owned entities, public or private, domestic and foreign, who intend to contribute to the organization their material or financial assistance in the preparation and implementation of the Festival.
  4. The Festival Organizing Committee invites interested persons, associations, foundations, and institutions to organize meetings and seminars, film shows, exhibitions and other events aimed at promoting the Festival.

§3

  1. The Organizing Committee of the Festival consists of the Festival Director, Artistic Director, The Festival the representative of The Regional Inspectorate of Prison Service in Olsztyn – the Organizer of the Festival, the representative of The Detention Centre in Olsztyn – the Organizer of the Festival and one person designated by the Director of the Detention Center in Olsztyn.
  2. The Festival Director directs the work of the Organizing Committee, is responsible for all matters related to the preparation and conduct of the Festival. 
  3. The Artistic Director creates the Festival budget and supervises the implementation of expenses, is responsible for maintaining contact with filmmakers submitting films to the Festival, and is responsible for the project in the promotion part of the Festival and in the artistic part. In exceptional situations, he assumes the duties of the Festival Director. 

§4

  1. The Festival program consists of:
    1. The competition in which prizes are awarded;
    2. The Festival Gala with announcement of Nominations for the “Good Villain” Awards;
    3. The Final Gala of the Festival with the presentation of the “Good Villain” Awards;
    4. screenings of films submitted to the Festival; 
    5. events included in the Festival’s Program.

§5

  1. The Contest is open to films with penitentiary-related themes submitted by November 17, 2025. Films are submitted by sending an Entry Card to the e-mail address: oisw_olsztyn@sw.gov.pl or kontakt@prisonmovie.pl

    DROPBOX’s “cloud drive” technology is used to upload the film. The relevant link to upload the footage, for security reasons, will be sent only after the completed Submission Card is submitted.

    The preferred format of the submitted footage is MP4 with an aspect ratio of 16:9 /panorama, cinema format/. Other ways to deliver the film and file format should be agreed with the Festival Director.
  2. The film submitted to the Festival can not be withdrawn by the Applicant and decisions of  regarding the admission of the film to the Competition are final and cannot be appealed. 
  3. In the case of application a film whose maker is an employee, student or graduate of a film school, a professional developer (director, journalist, cameraman), the Jury of the Festival will assess it in the professional production category.  
  4. Films whose authors are other than those listed in paragraph 3 §5 will be qualified for the Competition in the category: amateur production.
  5. The Applicant bears full responsibility for the truthfulness of the data provided in the Application Form.
  6. Organizers of the Festival act in good faith and are not responsible if any information regarding the legal situation of the film submitted to participate in the Festival is concealed.
  7. The copyrights of the film submitted for participation in the Festival may not infringe the copyrights and personal rights of third parties. 
  8. Foreign films must be subtitled in English
  9. The Organizers do not charge for film submissions and The organizers do not obtain financial benefits from screening of films submitted for participation in the Festival.
  10. The Organizers do not charge for film submissions and The organizers do not obtain financial benefits from screening of films submitted for participation in the Festival. 
  11. The Applicant agrees to the publication of information about the artist and the film on the websites of the Festival Organizers and institutions cooperating in the organization of the Festival and in the official publications of the Festival (Catalog, Program, leaflets, etc.) and press materials.
  12. The Applicant agrees to participate in shows and film presentations, as part of the Festival, in some environments (universities, schools, community centres, churches, foundations, associations, penitentiaries, other entities entered into the Festival Program by the Festival Organizing Committee) and for use for official purposes of the Prison Service.
  13. The Festival Organizing Committee has the right to use fragments of the movie (up to 4 minutes), minutes of trailers and photos for the Festival’s promotional purposes.  
  14. The Applicant agrees to the processing and presentation of personal data for the implementation of the Festival.
  15. The Organizers of the Festival are the administrator of personal data.
  16. The Festival Organizing Committee reserves the right, for reasons beyond the control of the organizers, to interrupt or cancel the main competition and the final gala, change of the gala date, place and refraining from the achievement of the programme of the festival.
  17. Any questions regarding the submitted films should be sent to the following e-mail address: oisw_olsztyn@sw.gov.pl or kontakt@prisonmovie.pl or the: Okręgowy Inspektorat Służby Więziennej w Olsztynie, Al. Marszałka Józefa Piłsudskiego 3, Olsztyn 10-575, Poland    with the note   “Prison Movie”.

§6

  1. Statutory awards in the Competition are awarded by the Jury of the Festival.
  2. The following awards of The XIII International Film Festival in Olsztyn “Prison Movie” are established as follows:

    GRAND PRIX of the Festival – in the category: professional production – statuette “Good Villain” and the award-kind or cash, handed the author of the film.

    GRAND PRIX of the Festival – in the category: amateur production – statuette “Good Villain” and the award-kind or cash, handed the author of the film.

    Award for Rehabilitation Qualities – statuette “Good Villain” and the award-kind or cash, handed the author of the film.

    Award for Best Reportage – statuette “Good Villain” and the award-kind or cash, handed the author of the film.

    Special Award – Alternative Viewpoint – for the courage of form and content, original message, unique approach, bold, non-schematic approach to the subject of penitentiary activities – a statuette of the “Good Villain” and the award-kind, handed the author of the film.  
  1. The Festival Jury may award a Special Avard – a statuette of the “Good Villain” and a material prize for a film that cannot be awarded with one of regular award and presents extraordinary quality of its form, content or message and Award for Music or Musical Development both include the “Good Villain” statuette and a material prize.
  2. The Festival Jury, in exceptional situations, with the approval of the Festival Director, may waive the award of a regulation prize, in any of the categories listed or may increase the pool of prizes (award a prize not provided for in the Regulations).
  3. Prizes awarded by the Jury of the Festival are awarded to the winners during the Final Gala Festival.

§7

  1. Submitting a film to the Festival constitutes acceptance of these Terms of the Festival.
  2. The Festival Organizing Committee shall decide on all matters not covered by these Regulations. 

Regulations approved by the Organizing Committee of the Festival.
Olsztyn 21.01.2025 r.

The Organizing Committee of the Festival

  1. Mjr Magdalena Socha Dyrektor Festiwalu
  2. Płk Jarosław Stawski Z-ca Dyrektora Okręgowego Służby Więziennej w Olsztynie
  3. Płk Marek Bartnicki Dyrektor Aresztu Śledczego w Olsztynie
  4. Por. Justyna Jachacy-Majewska
  5. Włodzimierz Kobus Dyrektor Artystyczny