THIS YEAR'S THEME
River and Riverine Lives
Bengal was known for its abundance of lush, green forests and rivers. The gigantic rivers with the multicolor sail of boats were the central themes of many poems and art in the region. The small villages that were inhabited along the banks of crisscrossing rivers were the picturesque epitome that defined Bengal.
Our culture, folklore and food habits are inextricably linked to our riverine culture. It is the river that brings precious silts from across the globe to make our land one of the most fertile lands in the world. But unfortunately, our economic and socio-political paradigms have devastated this paradise.
Even during independence in 1971, Bangladesh had about 1200 rivers and rivulets. But the sad reality is that most of these rivers have now fallen prey to industrial pollution, illegal encroachments, landfills, drying due to transboundary water issues, etc.
Even the 57 rivers with international transboundary are tottering particularly in the dry seasons. The gigantic rivers such as Turag, Shitalakhya, and Korotoa have turned into small lakes. Bangladesh has turned from “Abde Jannat” (Nation of Paradise) to “Durjog Probon Desh” (nation of calamities).
What is the situation of our rivers today? What is the condition of the people who were historically dependent on rivers?
If the situation of our rivers arouses your creative and intellectual energy and you want to capture the ethereal beauty of our rivers and/or the man-made destruction to the culture, livelihoods, ecosystem due to the destruction of our rivers. This is your chance to exhibit your emotion about rivers through photography, animation, short films, and drawing and get recognized and awarded.
Competition Guidelines
These rules and regulations are meant to ensure fairness, originality, and appropriate content in the Earth 360 contest. Participants should carefully read and adhere to the guidelines provided by the contest organizers.
- Participants must accurately register with their personal information and provide a valid email address and contact number for communication purposes.
- Any content that is deemed offensive, explicit, or inappropriate will be disqualified, with a heavy emphasis on child safeguard and maintaining a safe environment.
- The list of shortlisted participants will be announced through their provided email addresses. It is the responsibility of participants to regularly check their email for updates and notifications.
- Entries must be submitted by the specified deadline.
- Entries will be judged based on creativity, technical skill, execution, and relevance to the theme.
- The list of shortlisted participants will be announced through their provided email addresses. It is the responsibility of participants to regularly check their email for updates and notifications
- Video films must have English subtitle for dialogues in Bangla. Overall ‘audio transcription’ subtitle is encouraged as it enables hearing-impaired people to watch the film.
- In the production and distribution of video films, BYEI has the right to censor or edit any scene or sound deemed inappropriate for its intended audience by blurring or cutting that specific part of the video, provided that such censorship or editing complies with applicable laws and regulations regarding content modification and does not compromise the overall coherence or message of the film.
- If a video film submission features scenes depicting smoking, drinking, or any similar activities, the entrant is required to include a clear disclaimer within the video. This disclaimer should explicitly state that these activities are not endorsed or promoted in any way by the submitted clip and may include information on the potential dangers of such behaviors to human health.
- In video film submissions, explicit content featuring children in nude or semi-nude situations is strictly prohibited. Any such content will result in disqualification.
Disclaimers
- Originality: Participants must confirm that the submitted photos/arts/videos are their own original creations and do not violate any copyrights. All submitted photographs must be original and taken by the participant.
- Ownership: Only independently owned works will be accepted. Submissions must be the sole creation and property of the entrant. Works for hire or videos that are not owned independently will not be considered for the competition.
- Plagiarism: Digital art entries must be the original work of the participant. Plagiarism or the use of AI-generated content will not be tolerated and may result in disqualification.
- Copyright Compliance: It’s the responsibility of participants to obtain the necessary permissions and licenses for any copyrighted materials used in their entris, such as music, images, video clips, archive footage or trademarks.
- Content Guidelines: The participant understands that any submissions must not include digitally generated and/or manipulated photographs/Art, endorsements of products or services, or any obscene, violent, racist, or defamatory content.
- Consent: In cases where an identifiable individual is present in the photograph or film, the participants must confirm they have obtained the necessary consent from the individual for the use, publication, and exhibition of their likeness.
- Primary Selection: All submitted entries will undergo a preliminary screening to ensure that they meet the set guidelines and criteria. The screening process will be assessed by a team of experts against [insert specific criteria], and selected submissions will then be passed on to the jury panel for the final selection of winners.
- Usage Permission: Photographers grant BYEI the right to use, publish, screen and exhibit their submitted photos, with proper attribution, for purposes related to the competition or other promotional activities.
- No Monetary Benefit: While selected photos/arts/videos will gain exposure through public exhibitions, participants should understand that no monetary compensation is provided for participation or display of their work, beyond the prize money awarded to the winners.
- Copyright Ownership: The participants acknowledge that the copyright of the materials submitted for the competition will remain with them as the respective entrant.
- Indemnification: Participants agree to indemnify and hold BYEI and its representatives harmless from any claims, demands, or damages arising out of or in connection with the submitted artwork / photograph / film, including but not limited to claims of copyright infringement, defamation, or violation of privacy rights.
- Disqualification: Participants should be aware that BYEI reserves the right to disqualify entries that violate the competition’s terms and conditions or are considered inappropriate.
- Threshold Number: In the event that a specific category does not receive a threshold number of quality submissions, the organizers reserve the right to withhold any associated award(s) or make adjustments to the published award list. This decision will be made at the sole discretion of the competition organizers and will be based on the overall quality and quantity of submissions in each respective category.
Competition Categories
Let's celebrate our rivers together
