Privacy Policy
1- Who We Are
The African International Short Film Market (AISFM) is the data controller for the AISFM Digital Platform. As the premier marketplace for African short films, we are committed to protecting your privacy and safeguarding your personal information. If you have any questions about this privacy policy or our data practices, you can contact us at:
African International Short Film Market
[Physical Address]
Email: privacy@aisfm.co
Phone: [Phone Number]
Our Data Protection Officer can be reached at dpo@aisfm.org.
2- What Information Do We Collect
We collect personal information when you register on our platform, submit films, participate in events, or interact with our services. The specific types of information we collect include:
Account Information:
- Full name
- Email address
- Phone number
- Professional title and company
- Country of residence/operation
- Profile photo (optional)
- Biography and professional information
Filmmaker-Specific Information:
- Film credits and history
- Portfolio materials
- Professional qualifications
- Bank details (for payment processing)
Buyer/Distributor-Specific Information:
- Company information
- Purchasing history
- Content preferences
- Market interests
Technical Information:
- IP address
- Device information
- Browsing activity on our platform
- Login information and activity logs
We may also collect information from third parties such as film festivals, industry databases, and professional references to verify credentials and enhance your profile on our platform.
3- How Do We Use Personal Information
We use your personal information for the following purposes:
Platform Operation and Service Delivery:
- Creating and managing user accounts
- Facilitating film submissions and marketplace transactions
- Processing payments and managing financial transactions
- Providing access to the viewing room and other platform features
Personalization and User Experience:
- Customizing content recommendations based on your interests and profile
- Tailoring the platform experience to your preferences
- Remembering your settings and choices
Communication and Marketing:
- Sending essential service updates and notifications
- Providing information about upcoming events, workshops, and opportunities
- Sharing relevant industry news and opportunities
- Conducting surveys to improve our services
Business Development and Platform Improvement:
- Analyzing usage patterns to enhance platform features
- Conducting research to better understand user needs
- Generating anonymized market insights and reports
- Measuring the effectiveness of our services
Legal Compliance and Security:
- Preventing fraud and unauthorized access
- Complying with legal obligations
- Enforcing our Terms of Use
- Responding to legal requests and protecting our rights
4- What Legal Basis Do We Have For Processing Your Personal Data
We process your personal data on the following legal grounds:
Contractual Necessity: Processing is necessary for the performance of our contract with you when you use our platform, submit films, or engage in marketplace transactions.
Legitimate Interests: We process certain data based on our legitimate business interests, which include:
- Improving and developing our platform and services
- Enhancing security and preventing fraud
- Marketing our services to relevant industry professionals
- Analyzing user behavior to optimize user experience
Consent: We process certain types of data based on your explicit consent, particularly for marketing communications and optional profile enhancements. You can withdraw your consent at any time by updating your communication preferences in your account settings or contacting us directly.
Legal Obligation: We may process your data to comply with legal requirements, such as financial record-keeping and responding to legal requests from authorities.
For any sensitive personal data we collect (which is minimal), we will always obtain your explicit consent unless we are legally required to process such data.
5- When Do We Share Personal Data
We treat your personal information with confidentiality, but may share it in the following circumstances:
With Platform Users: Certain information is shared with other users as essential to the functioning of our marketplace, such as filmmaker profiles being visible to buyers and distributors. You can control the visibility of your profile information in your account settings.
Service Providers: We work with third-party service providers who perform functions on our behalf, including:
- Payment processing services
- Cloud hosting providers
- Analytics services
- Email and communication services
- Event management platforms
All service providers are contractually obligated to use your information solely as necessary to provide services to us and in compliance with applicable data protection laws.
Business Transfers: If AISFM is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any change in ownership or uses of your personal information.
Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or other legal process, or if we have a good faith belief that such disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.
6- Where Do We Store and Process Personal Data
AISFM primarily stores and processes data within the African continent. However, due to the global nature of our services, your data may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries outside your country of residence, including countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA).
When we transfer personal data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information and comply with applicable data protection laws. These safeguards include:
- Standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission
- Data transfer agreements with recipients of your information
- Selection of partners and service providers who maintain adequate data protection standards
By using our services, you acknowledge that your personal information may be transferred to and processed in countries with different data protection laws than your country of residence.
7- How Do We Secure Personal Data
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:
Technical Safeguards:
- Encryption of sensitive personal data both in transit and at rest
- Secure socket layer (SSL) technology on our website
- Firewall and intrusion detection systems
- Regular security patches and updates to our systems
- Multi-factor authentication for administrative access
Organizational Measures:
- Staff training on data protection and security practices
- Access controls limiting employee access to personal data
- Data protection impact assessments for new processes or technologies
- Regular security audits and vulnerability testing
- Comprehensive incident response procedures
Third-Party Management:
- Due diligence when selecting service providers
- Contractual obligations requiring appropriate security measures
- Regular assessment of third-party compliance
While we implement these security measures, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. We encourage you to help us protect your personal information by selecting strong passwords and keeping your login credentials confidential.
8- How Long Do We Keep Your Personal Data For
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. The specific retention periods vary based on the type of data and its purpose:
Account Information: We retain your account information for the duration of your relationship with AISFM. If you close your account, we will delete or anonymize your account information within 90 days, except where retention is necessary for legal purposes.
Transaction Data: Financial transaction records are retained for 7 years to comply with accounting and tax regulations.
Marketing Preferences: We keep records of your marketing preferences until you opt-out or request deletion.
Usage Data: Platform usage data is typically retained for 24 months for analytical purposes before being aggregated and anonymized.
Film Submission Data: Information related to film submissions is retained for the duration the film is available on our platform, plus 24 months afterward for reference purposes.
When data reaches the end of its retention period, we securely delete electronic records and securely shred any physical documents containing personal information.
9- Your Rights in Relation to Personal Data
Under applicable data protection laws, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:
Right to Access: You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
Right to Rectification: You can request correction of any inaccurate or incomplete information we maintain about you.
Right to Erasure: In certain circumstances, you can request deletion of your personal information (also known as the "right to be forgotten").
Right to Restrict Processing: You can ask us to temporarily or permanently stop processing certain categories of your data.
Right to Data Portability: You can request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format for transfer to another service.
Right to Object: You can object to processing based on legitimate interests, including profiling, and to direct marketing.
Rights Regarding Automated Decision Making: You have the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing, including profiling, that produce legal or similarly significant effects.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@aisfm.org. We will respond to your request within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling your request.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
10- Use of Automated Decision-Making and Profiling
AISFM uses certain automated processes to enhance your experience on our platform:
Content Recommendations: We analyze your viewing history, favorites, and interactions to suggest films and content that may interest you.
Buyer-Filmmaker Matching: Our platform may automatically suggest potential matches between filmmakers and buyers based on stated preferences and previous interactions.
Usage Analysis: We automatically analyze platform usage patterns to improve functionality and user experience.
These automated processes are designed to enhance your experience rather than make significant decisions affecting you. No automated decision-making is used for approval/rejection of accounts or submissions without human review. You can contact us to request human intervention, express your point of view, or contest any automated decision that affects you.
11- How to Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your data protection rights, or have concerns about how your personal information is handled, please contact us through any of the following channels:
Email: privacy@aisfm.co
Data Protection Officer: dpo@aisfm.co
Postal Address: [Physical Address]
Online Form: Available in the "Contact" section of our website
Phone: [Phone Number]
We aim to respond to all inquiries within 30 days.
12- Use of Cookies and Other Technologies
The AISFM Digital Platform uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance user experience and collect information about how our platform is used.
Types of Cookies We Use:
- Essential Cookies: Required for basic platform functionality
- Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences
- Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our platform
- Functionality Cookies: Enable enhanced features and personalization
- Marketing Cookies: Track your activity across websites to deliver relevant advertisements
You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings or our cookie consent tool. Disabling certain cookies may limit your ability to use some platform features.
For detailed information about the specific cookies we use, their purposes, and how to control them, please visit our Cookie Policy.
13- Linking to Other Websites / Third-Party Content
Our platform may contain links to third-party websites, plugins, and applications. Clicking on those links or enabling those connections may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control these third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy statements or practices.
We encourage you to read the privacy policy of every website you visit when leaving our platform. Including links to external sites does not constitute endorsement of the content or practices of those sites.
14- Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make significant changes, we will notify you by posting a prominent notice on our platform or sending you an email notification. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy regularly for any updates.
This Privacy Policy was last updated on 12/04/2025
