WriterDirector.com Film Festival Rules and Conditions
Note: By submitting your entry to the WriterDirector.com Film Festival, you agree to all terms and conditions as set forth herein.
ELIGIBILITY:
Films and videos created by a single writer/director will be considered for festival consideration. Writing/directing teams are eligible provided the credits of the film clearly indicate all team members as both the writers and directors.
The Festival reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any film. For the calendar year 2000, any film or video previously produced is eligible. After 2001, films produced in the preceding two years will be eligible.
Festival entries may have been produced on any format of film or video. Winners may be asked to submit a copy on Beta, S-VHS, miniDV or DVD for broadcast on the Film Festival television show.
DEADLINES:
The WriterDirector.com Film Festival is an ongoing, quarterly festival. New winners are announced every Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. Year-end winners are chosen from among the seasonal winners and finalists.
All films submitted will be entered into the quarterly contest active at the time of entry. Deadlines roughly correspond to the seasonal changes.
- The Winter festival winners will be chosen from among all entries received between September 21 and December 20th.
- The Spring festival winners will be chosen from among all entries received between December 21 and March 20th.
- The Summer festival winners will be chosen from among all entries received between March 21 and June 20th.
- The Fall festival winners will be chosen from among all entries received between June 21 and September 20th.
FEES:
- Features (all works longer than 60 minutes): $30
- Featurettes (all works between 15 and 59 minutes): $20
- Shorts (all works less than 15 minutes): $15
All fees must be submitted in U.S. dollars by check or money order. Checks returned by the bank for any reason will incur an additional $25 fee.
CRITERIA:
Films and videos submitted to the Festival will be judged on their artistic merits, regardless of form or type. Whether the film is narrative or documentary or avant-garde, live-action or animation, film or video is not relevant to the competition, as the form should be a manifestation of the function of the writer/director's vision.
The main aspect to be judged will be the extent to which the completed project displays the vision and moviemaking capabilities of the writer/director. International entries are eligible, provided the film is in English, with English subtitles, or, in the filmmaker's opinion, does not need translation to English (e.g. no dialogue or limited dialogue).
Seasonal Winners will be chosen in each of the three length categories:
- Feature
- Featurette
- Short
Up to three Merit Awards may also be presented each season in the following categories:
- Narrative Feature
- Narrative Featurette
- Narrative Short
- Documentary Feature
- Documentary Featurette
- Documentary Short
- Animated Film/Video
- Experimental Film/Video
- Music Video
PRIZES:
The three seasonal winners will receive the following:
- Winner award recognition certificate.
- Broadcast, in whole or in part, on the WriterDirector.com Film Festival television show (broadcast markets currently being negotiated). The filmmakers may also be invited to appear on the show to discuss their work.
- Display of film and filmmaker information, including a short clip, on the WriterDirector.com website.
- Listing in the WriterDirector.com electronic newsletter to be sent to film/television industry professionals, including studios, production companies and talent agencies.
- Other prizes as available by the festival.
The Merit Award winners will receive the following:
- Merit Award certificate.
- Broadcast on the WriterDirector.com Film Festival television show as time permits.
- Display of film information, including one still image, on the WriterDirector.com website.
- Listing in WriterDirector.com electronic newsletter.
JUDGING:
WriterDirector.com will screen all submissions; first, for eligibility, then for artistic merit.
Up to five finalists in each length category will be chosen as seasonal finalists. Each season, finalists from the features, featurettes and shorts categories will be presented to a panel of industry professionals for final judging of winners and merit awards.
The decisions of the judges is final.
ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
Filmmaker/entrant warrants that he/she has secured all rights and copyrights to the submitted entry and all elements within such entry (e.g. music clearance, talent and location releases, etc.) Entrant agrees to hold WriterDirector.com harmless from any claims arising out of the submission, promotion or broadcast of the entry.
Do NOT submit your entry if it cannot legally be broadcast on U.S. television or shown in digital format online. Submission explicitly grants WriterDirector.com the right to broadcast, on U.S. television or online, any entry for the sole purposes of promoting winners, finalists and entrants to the festival, and/or to promote the festival itself.
Submission to the WriterDirector.com Film Festival does not assign any rights of ownership or distribution to WriterDirector.com, notwithstanding the right of promotion of the entry online and/or broadcast on U.S. television as part of showing the winners, merit award winners and/or entrants on the Film Festival website and television show. No additional compensation shall be granted to the entrant -- or to any talent or copyright owners within the entry -- should the entry be chosen to be broadcast on the WriterDirector.com Film Festival television show or online.
Entrant may withdraw their entry from festival consideration by submitting a request in writing to WriterDirector.com. Entry fees will not be refunded. If the entry has already been chosen and/or promoted as a winner or finalist, such status shall not be rescinded or removed.
WriterDirector.com reserves the right to change or amend these terms and conditions as deemed necessary.
By submitting your entry to the WriterDirector.com Film Festival, you agree to the terms and conditions above. Entry Form.
Questions may be addressed to festival@writerdirector.com. No phone calls please.