We are so excited to share the good news with you: RSAI is organizing its first film festival! If you are a Regional Science enthusiast, join the “Space Odyssey International Film Festival” and share your passion to our discipline. Choose one of the four awards categories to address to a wide audience of non-specialists different aspects of Regional Science:
My research in Regional Science: Let us learn about your research! You could focus on the results of a specific paper, your thesis or dissertation, or even an ongoing research project or idea. Why not telling us about your preferred method and how you use it to understand regional science topics? It is your call!
What is Regional Science?: Can you answer this question by explaining to a broader audience what Regional Science is about? Or do you prefer addressing it to an initiated community? In any case, there are many people eager to learn what we do. Let them know!
Regional Science applications in the Global South: Spatial, interregional, and regional analytic approaches can be used and, if necessary, adapted, to realize much more probing attacks on regional and spatial problems in the developing world. Can you share specific case studies and/or applications of Regional Science methods to countries/regions in the Global South?
Regional Science sections and centers around the globe: Are you a proud member of a national section? Are you part of a research group engaged in the field of Regional Science? Why don’t you share the information about your section or research center? We bet many people in our community would benefit from that!
Below you can find the rules for participation in the film festival “Space Odyssey” and all the details about registration, requirements, participation and awards. For any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Awards categories: (i) My research in Regional Science; (ii) What is Regional Science?; (iii) Regional Science applications in the Global South; (iv) Regional Science sections and centers around the globe
My research in Regional Science: Let us learn about your research! You could focus on the results of a specific paper, your thesis or dissertation, or even an ongoing research project or idea. Why not telling us about your preferred method and how you use it to understand regional science topics? It is your call!
What is Regional Science?: Can you answer this question by explaining to a broader audience what Regional Science is about? Or do you prefer addressing it to an initiated community? In any case, there are many people eager to learn what we do. Let them know!
Regional Science applications in the Global South: Spatial, interregional, and regional analytic approaches can be used and, if necessary, adapted, to realize much more probing attacks on regional and spatial problems in the developing world. Can you share specific case studies and/or applications of Regional Science methods to countries/regions in the Global South?
Regional Science sections and centers around the globe: Are you a proud member of a national section? Are you part of a research group engaged in the field of Regional Science? Why don’t you share the information about your section or research center? We bet many people in our community would benefit from that!
Rules
- PURPOSE OF THE FILM FESTIVAL
“Space Odyssey” is the first International Film Festival organized by the Regional Science International Association (RSAI), which asks all participants to tell creatively their research, discovery, or new ideas related to the field of regional science.
The participants shall create a film of a maximum duration of 4 minutes and 55 seconds. All audiovisual techniques are accepted: from cartoon to keep/stop motion, from an amateur film (shot with the phone) to a professional movie.
The submission of the films starts on 15 February 2022 and ends at midnight on 15 June 2022. From 15 April 2022, in chronological order, the films will be uploaded to the platform channel “Space Odyssey - RSAI” before verification by the Organizing Committee.
- WHO CAN PARTICIPATE
The film festival is open to students, graduates, researchers, professionals, and regional science enthusiasts of all ages, who may participate individually or in groups. All participants more than 35 years old must be members in good standing of one of the RSAI national associations. Those willing to participate that are not yet members can join RSAI through its universal membership (please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). No membership requirement applies for participants less than 35 years old.
Each participant makes the RSAI and all those who help organize and conduct this competition festival, free from any liability, civil or criminal, related to the video film production and publishing. Each participant responds directly to any claim or request for damages by third parties concerning production, publishing, or distributing the video film.
By participating in the competition and submitting the videofilm, each participant confirms full and unconditional legal and material ownership of the same and the ownership of all the relevant authorizations given by all persons who, for whatever reason, are portrayed in the film clips.
- TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION
Each participant can submit only one film. Participants must submit their films through the online registration platform (available soon), by midnight on 15 June 2022, CET. Primary and secondary school students and university and graduate students will have to declare their status in the registration form. The films published on the platform channel will be introduced and closed with an image of the festival, which will contain the logos of RSAI and its supranationals, and any sponsors.
By 15 July 2022, the selected finalist films will be announced for evaluation by the public. The Panel of Judges (see point 7), after verification of the voting process, will award the prizes during the Award Ceremony at the 61st ERSA Congress in Pecs, Hungary, 23-26 August 2022.
- FILM REQUIREMENTS
The films will be used on the internet or in other public screenings and events, and it is advised to submit an HD version (1920x1080).
Films will adopt an aspect ratio 16:9. Allowed formats are: .MOV, .MPEG4, .MP4, .AVI, .WMV; Admitted Frame rate: 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, o 60; Audio codec: AAC-LC. The recommended video BitRate is 12 Mbps; The recommended audio BitRate is 384 Kbps.
The films can be submitted in any language. English captions must be provided in all films.
- AWARDS
All prizes are awarded to the film independently from the number of authors. The prize for the best films Space Odyssey 2022, in each category, consists of US$ 500. In addition to the money prizes, there is a two-year free annual membership to RSAI (for all winning authors) and a congress fee waiver (one by winning film) to be used in 2023 for one of the RSAI congresses organized by one of its supranationals (NARSC, ERSA, PRSCO, LARSA). The possible mentions do not include a money prize.
- DISCLAIMERS
Films that are found not eligible to be published or for which the authors have misconduct will be excluded or removed from the dedicated channel at any time.
Whenever the film on the paltform channel receives comments containing abusive or discriminatory content or which may offend or damage the reputation of others, the comments will be removed and blocked.
At any time, without that participants can make any claim, demand, or compensation, the RSAI reserves the right:
- not to proceed with the awarding of prizes in case no film is considered suitable or appropriate to the criteria;
- to proceed or not to proceed with the award if there is only one film in the competition;
- to suspend the contest or not to award any prize.
- THE EVALUATION PROCEDURE, THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE, AND THE PANEL OF JUDGES
The evaluation procedure for awarding the prizes involves three stages: the first by the Organizing Committee, the second by the general public, and the third by a Panel of Judges. The members of these boards will not receive any remuneration for their activities.
All films will be evaluated for conformity to the festival requirements and suitability for online publication at the sole discretion of the Organizing Committee. Participants will be informed by email about the main steps of the video management: reception, non-conformity to requirements, requests for modifications/supplements.
In addition, the Organizing Committee will verify the absence of abusive or discriminatory content or that may offend or harm the reputation of others; irrelevant to the subject of the Video Film Festival (off-topic); promotion or supporting illegal activities or any form of crime; defamation or threats.
It will also verify the absence of personal attacks of any kind or any direct or indirect abusive comments directed at any ethnic group, political or religious minorities or specific or able to harm in any way the rights of every single individual; as well as the absence of details in the promotion of products or services, sexual content or sexual content links, trade promotion, and comments that present sensitive data in violation of the Privacy Act.
The Panel of Judges will validate the conformity of the voting process, confirming the selected films by the general public in each category and award the prizes.
During the Award Ceremony, the audience will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite candidate among the four winning films. The votes will be computed together with online votes to select the Jury Prize. The winner will receive an additional certificate.
- USE RIGHTS
Participation in the Film festival implies the transfer of usage rights of the RSAI for any online and offline promotional purposes, including events, exhibitions, and conferences, related to the theme of regional science.
More specifically, the transfer of use and property rights involves the authorization to use the audiovisual material produced and involves the grant of a license, unlimited in time in favor of the RSAI, the product material and is inclusive, but not limited to, the following rights and powers: the right of publication, the right of reproduction and with any audiovisual support, correct transcription, editing, adaptation, processing and/or reduction, the right of communication and distribution to the public or in spheres and spaces open to the public non-profit, the right to publish in electronic format via the public network, the institutional intranets and social networks.
The Film Festival participants guarantee as of now:
- audiovisual footage are originals and copyright free and/or legally bought materials, images, and sounds, for which participants have acquired all editorial rights, relieving as of now the RSAI from any claim made by third parties;
- the audiovisuals created will not include any audio or visual element that has an advertising nature, according to current regulations, or otherwise unlawful under applicable regulations;
- for individuals, possibly represented, and/or portrayed and/or interviewed in the audiovisual coverage will grant the right of exploitation of their image free of charge, assuming that the RSAI guarantee as of now that by that the use of their image rights will not result in injury or harm to the honor, reputation, and dignity of the person portrayed;
- for individuals under age, possibly represented, and/or portrayed and/or interviewed in the audiovisual footage, participants will ensure the acquisition of consent from the parent or legal tutor, be it a natural or legal person, assuming that the right of exploitation of' picture of the child will be free of charge and that as of now the RSAI guarantee that the use of image rights will not result in injury or harm to the honor, reputation, and dignity of the child;
- when submitting the audiovisual footage participants have been obtained by all subjects eventually recovered and/or present in the filming, all permissions, and clearances necessary and to be able to provide at the request of the RSAI the relevant proof documents no later than ten days from the request also made by email.
The films will not be returned and will be made available, in full or in part, by citing the authors as promotional materials of regional science culture and projections in the RSAI supranational and national sections, events fairs, and conferences.