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Woodengate International Film Festival is based in the beautiful Maramures County, a place full of culture and where century-old traditions are still part of daily life.
WGIFF is an online film festival with live screenings whose aim is to showcase and promote the work of short film enthusiasts,emerging and established filmmakers from all over the world and help them receive recognition.
The festival runs in 2 semesters, selections being made every 6 months. We accept short films of every genre. Films entered in multiple categories are eligible to win several awards.
Screenings will take place in various locations of the Maramures County such as Baia Mare - Candidate City For The European Capital Of Culture 2021 , Sighetul Marmatiei and other pittoresque places located in the Maramures.
You are entitled to a maximum amount of two entries during a festival semester (6 months) and the entry will be considered eligible in the next semester only if the film was not awarded in the previous edition. The prize money comes only with the Best Film Award and the winner won't be able to present his/her beautiful film in our next festival semester. In order to consider an Award Category eligible, we require an amount of minimum 5 official selections per category.Entry fee is not refundable.
We only accept short films (any genre, maximum 35 minutes of length).
Producing a high quality video is critical to ensure a good viewing experience.Only films in HD standard are accepted.
Only digital submissions via FilmFreeway are accepted,hardcopy submissions are not eligible.
Every film must come with English subtitles (with an exception for films where English is the main language spoken).
The winner of Best Short Film and all other awards will get an official printable award certificate. The number of awards given every season varies based on the submissions we receive. In order to consider an Award Category eligible, we require an amount of minimum 5 official selections per category. There will be 5 Nominations for the ‘BEST SHORT FILM’ Award, and three for each ‘Category’/’Individual’ award.Winning films are announced on our website and our social media page.
By submitting your film to our festival you agree that your piece of work can be embedded on our website. The filmmaker/institution submitting the film must own the rights to do so and is responsible for the content they provide. By submitting, the filmmaker allows Woodengate IFF to create a page for their film without infringing copyright of any kind of form.
The northwestern Romanian region of Maramures is home to many villages where century-old traditions are still part of daily life. The inhabitants of this area have preserved, to an amazing extent, the rural culture and crafts of their Dacian ancestors.
Maramures villages are distinguished by their unique wooden churches with tall spires and shingled roofs. Woodlands still account for more than four-fifths of the land surface of Maramures. It is, therefore, understandable, that wood has long been - and continues to be - the way of expression for the region's artisans. Elaborate woodcarvings decorate the houses eaves, entryways and windows. The local handiwork is also seen in the hand-woven carpets and intricate embroidery that adorns folk dresses still worn by the locals.
The local craftsmanship can be best observed in the monumental Maramures gates, guarding the entry to the houses. Supported by three columns, they feature traditional ornamental motifs, including the sun and the twisted rope - both symbols of life and continuity. Some of the most beautiful wooden gates are found in the villages of Vadu Izei, Desesti, Giulesti, Budesti, Sarbi, Barsana and Oncesti. The villages of Barsana and Oncesti have, perhaps, the greatest number of impressive gates.
As it has for hundreds of years, social life in Maramures continues to revolve around the village church. The Wooden Churches of Maramures- in Surdesti, Plopis, Rogoz, Ieud, Poeinile Izei, Barsana, Budesti and Desesti - have been recognized by UNESCO as some of the most important sites of world heritage. Unique in shape and ornamentation, they are defined by high roofs and tall, narrow, pointed steeples, often collectively described as 'the Gothic style of Maramures.'
The primary wood material used by the artisans who built them was local oak, which has survived the elements with sturdy elegance until today. The interior walls of the churches were painted by local artists, with biblical scenes often juxtaposed against the familiar landscape of the village.
Do you have any questions about the our festival? Feel free to get in touch with us!