Submit NOW and receive a 65% discount on submission fees using the discount code of CEIFFDISC2020.

With a look to the future of Independent Film, the Cutting Edge Film Festival has officially opened its call for entries for feature-length and short length films of all genres.

Our Festival is looking for the highest caliber of films that audiences can’t and won’t forget, films created on the cutting edge of imagination, vision, and excitement while incorporating the best filmmaking into the art of the story.

For our 2020 Festival, we shall be accepting all films of all lengths and genres including Documentary, Experimental, Religious/Spiritual, Animation, Comedy, Horror, with Horror sub-genres that include Supernatural, Thrillers, Wicken, Magical, Slashers, Science Fiction, Suspense, Horror Documentary, Horror Animation and all genres of Music Videos and LGBT films for the 2020 Festival.

The Cutting Edge Film Festival sees film as an art form that has the power to bridge cultures and illuminate the universality of the human experience. Our Festival seeks to enrich, to educate, and to entertain the world through the medium of film, and to unveil each Filmmaker’s unique vision as a true masterpiece of craftsmanship and passion.

Our Festival is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization that endeavors to promote the best Filmmakers and their films to an ever-growing worldwide audience as a powerful medium that inspires creativity, encourages introspection, and compels the exploration of the senses, and expands the imagination.

The Cutting Edge Film Festival brings all the new technologies to bear and offers an event for the next step in film Festival evolution. Now in the new millennium of filmmaking, our Festival takes a leap forward and pierces the veil between the worldwide film audience and independent films with a cutting-edge virtual theater that crumbles the boundaries that have in the past limited those who could partake in each Filmmaker’s vision captured on film.

Much like with the digital technology that has swept independent film festivals throughout the world since the early 2000s, for many reasons the virtual theater is quickly becoming the first, best choice for Festivals, and the new home of Independent film screenings worldwide.

The virtual theater is the future of film festivals, as more and more Festivals are now screening films online, and even the big Festivals such as the Sundance Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Festival are moving to online screenings.

Festivals are making the leap to cyber screenings because of many reasons, including that it allows for so much more exposure for the films. It is expected that just like the extinction of the 35mm projectors that were replaced with digital, one day in the not too distant future all film festivals will screen almost exclusively online, with only a few live presentations, if any.

Unlike most other film festivals, ours is different because it offers a unique method of viewing films in an online film festival that is completely secure and safe for a Filmmaker’s project, and even those that provide online Festivals cannot duplicate the safety and security that our virtual theater offers.

Very different from other festivals streaming films online, films in this Festival cannot be downloaded, the films HAVE NO EMBEDDING CODE and our HTML code, if copied and pasted, the films will not play, therefore they CANNOT be placed on other websites.

The only time and place they can be viewed is in our Festival. In short, we have gone to great lengths to set this system up to protect the safety and security of each Filmmaker’s film always keeping the Filmmaker in mind. Basically, it is just as secure as a brick and mortar theater screening, only much better.

The virtual theater system and screening platform is completely secure and can be viewed from any computer, and mobile device.

The Cutting Edge Film Festival is opening the doors and tearing down the walls between independent films, and the audiences who love them so much, allowing the world to share in their power and passion.

Cutting Edge Film Festival awards outstanding Filmmakers and their work with Best of Genre Awards, along with an Audience Award.

Film Selections Will be Announced October 17th, 2020

Our Festival will take place November 6th, 2020, through November 14th, 2020.

Best of Genre Awards, along with an Audience Choice Award

PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW ALL BELOW INSTRUCTIONS

ABSOLUTELY NO INTERNATIONAL CHECKS, INTERNATIONAL POSTAL MONEY ORDERS, PERSONAL CHECKS, WIRE TRANSFERS, OR MONEY GRAMS WILL BE ACCEPTED. For all entries submitted, we will only accept payment for submission fees in the form of CREDIT CARDS and/or ETF TRANSFERS.

Our festival reaches a global echelon interactively online allowing filmmakers and fans worldwide to not only enjoy the films but communicate with each other in real time as though they were together in the same room via online chat and webcams.

Our festival is presented in a video on demand system that will allow users to watch the films while remaining completely safe from download or reproduction.

Films in this festival cannot be downloaded, the films HAVE NO EMBEDDING CODE and our HTML code if copied and pasted, the films will not play, therefore they CANNOT be placed on other websites. The only time and place they can be viewed is in our festival. In short, we have gone to great lengths to set this system up to protect the safety and security of each filmmaker’s film always keeping the filmmaker in mind. Basically, it is just as secure as a brick and mortar theater screening, only much better.

You hear so much about the environment and global warming it got us thinking. When you realize how much power is used during the film fest – electricity for the building, natural gas for heat and the gasoline the people use to get to the fest it left one hell of a carbon footprint. By doing the whole festival online it actually helps cut down on greenhouse gases.

Only one title per entry form. Productions from 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 may be submitted. Do not submit works in progress. All films must be submitted as a .MP4 film file with a total film size no larger than 2GB for consideration.

To ensure that your entry is properly processed, you must fill out the form completely and enclose proper payment.

Presskits should include, colored stills (1920x1080), a complete cast and crew list and a 100-250-word synopsis of the project.

You will be notified by email (email address provided at time of submission) if your film has been selected for consideration.

Films submitted must be no more violent and have no more adult content as that which would be considered as an NC-17 rated motion picture.

NC-17 does not mean “obscene” or “pornographic” in the common or legal meaning of those words, and should not be construed as a negative judgment in any sense.

The rating simply signals that the content is appropriate only for an adult audience. An NC-17 rating can be based on violence, sex, aberrational behavior, drug abuse or any other element that most parents would consider too strong and therefore off-limits for viewing by their children.

If your film meets with this requirement, then we welcome it.

Exhibition entries must be submitted as a .MP4 film file with a total film size no larger than 2GB for consideration.

If DVDs are mailed to our Office, No DVDs will be returned.

All entries must be postmarked no later than the appropriate entry deadline they were submitted under. Additional entry fee will be required if not postmarked by the appropriate deadline. Entries received with incomplete information will not be considered.

Participation in the Cutting Edge Film Festival implies understanding and acceptance of all terms included in this application. All fees must be paid in U.S. Currency

Category Summary:
Narrative Feature = 50+ minutes
Narrative Short = 49 or less minutes
Comedy Feature = 50+ Minutes
Comedy Short = 49 or less minutes
Animation Feature = 50+ Minutes
Animation Short = 49 or less minutes
Documentary Feature = 50+ minutes
Documentary Short = 49 or less minutes
Experimental Feature = 50+ minutes
Experimental Short = 49 or less minutes
Horror Feature = 50+ minutes
Horror Short = 49 or less minutes
Gay/Lesbian Feature = 50+ minutes
Gay/Lesbian Short = 49 or less minutes
Religious/Spiritual Feature = 50+ minutes
Religious/Spiritual Short = 49 or less minutes
Music Videos = 15 or less minutes

PLEASE READ AND FOLLOW ALL BELOW INSTRUCTIONS

ABSOLUTELY NO INTERNATIONAL CHECKS, INTERNATIONAL POSTAL MONEY ORDERS, PERSONAL CHECKS, WIRE TRANSFERS, OR MONEY GRAMS WILL BE ACCEPTED. For all entries submitted, we will only accept payment for submission fees in the form of CREDIT CARDS and/or ETF TRANSFERS.

No Refunds.

Film Selections Will be Announced October 17th, 2020

General. By entering this Contest, entrants agree to abide by the terms of these Official Rules, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to this Contest. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. All taxes (including, without limitation, federal, state, and local taxes) on or connected with any prize (including, without limitation, prizes that are opportunities to make donations to a charitable organization), and the reporting consequences thereof, are the sole and exclusive responsibility of respective winners. Each Winner must, if so requested by Promoter, complete Promoter’s winner verification process and/or execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Liability/Publicity Release within a period of time required by Promoter. All prizes awarded in connection with the Contest are nontransferable and nonendorseable. No substitution of prizes is permitted. The Promoter or Host’s employees or agents or representatives may view all Concepts in the interest of providing technical assistance to Contestants. Technical questions may be referred to Host for assistance at Promoter’s discretion. Dates of official announcements are subject to change. Release, Waiver and Indemnification. BY ENTERING THE CONTEST, ENTRANTS RELEASE AND HOLD THE PROMOTER AND HOST AND ALL OTHER CONTEST ENTITIES HARMLESS FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL LOSSES, DAMAGES, RIGHTS, CLAIMS, AND ACTIONS OF ANY KIND ARISING IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, FROM THE CONTEST OR PARTICIPATION IN ANY CONTEST-RELATED ACTIVITY (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE REMOVAL FROM THE SITE OF, OR DISCONTINUATION OF ACCESS TO, ANY SUBMISSION OR OTHER MATERIAL), OR RESULTING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY FROM ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, USE, OR MISUSE OF ANY PRIZE AWARDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTEST, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION PERSONAL INJURY, DEATH, AND/OR PROPERTY DAMAGE, AS WELL AS CLAIMS BASED ON PUBLICITY RIGHTS, DEFAMATION, AND/OR INVASION OF PRIVACY. Entrant agrees to convey, transfer, and give promoter, host, contest, its parent corporation and subsidiaries, all rights to submitted materials for the purposes of but not limited to screening and fundraising activities and such screening and fundraising activities shall be at the complete and total discretion, consideration, and full and complete authority of the promoter, host, contest, its parent corporation and subsidiaries in perpetuity. You grant us a nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual, and irrevocable right to copy, transmit, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, and display any information, data, Work, or any other information associated with your Work (collectively the “Submitted Materials”) you submit to us via the Services in any media or format. Your use of the Services does not grant us ownership of your Work. As between you and us, you retain ownership of your Work.
If selected, entrants agree and understand, that their film shall screen in either or both, our live festival event and/or our online festival event that utilizes our virtual theater platform. Entrants also understand that through the virtual theater platform films cannot be copied, downloaded, or reproduced by any virtual theater attendee, nor can the html code of any film be used in or on any other site, and that each and every film is completely secure and safe from theft due to the technology of the virtual theater that is unique to our system and is unlike any other utilized by any online festival throughout the world.
THE PROMOTER, THE HOST AND CONTEST ENTITIES DO NOT NOW AND SHALL NOT HAVE IN THE FUTURE ANY DUTY OR LIABILITY, DIRECT OR INDIRECT, VICARIOUS, CONTRIBUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, WITH RESPECT TO THE INFRINGEMENT OR PROTECTION OF AN ENTRANT’S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS, IF ANY, RESPECT TO ANY SUBMISSION OR CONCEPT, REVIEWS, MATERIAL, VIDEO AND/OR OTHER MATERIALS PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTEST. BY ENTERING THE CONTEST, ENTRANTS RELEASE, WAIVE ANY CLAIMS WITH REGARD TO, AND HOLD HARMLESS THE PROMOTER, THE HOST AND THE CONTEST ENTITIES FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL CLAIMS OF ANY KIND THAT ARE OR COULD BE ASSERTED WITH RESPECT TO ANY MATTER RELATING TO THE CONTEST. ENTRANTS FURTHER AGREE TO INDEMNIFY. DEFEND AND HOLD THE PROMOTER, HOST AND ALL OTHER CONTEST ENTITIES HARMLESS FROM ANY AND ALL DAMAGES, LIABILITIES, FEES AND COST INCURRED IN DEFENDING AGAINST ANY THIRD PARTY CLAIMS OR THREATS OF CLAIMS ASSERTED AGAINST PROMOTER, HOST AND/OR OTHER CONTEST ENTITIES ARISING FROM ANY ENTRANT’S PARTICIPATION IN OR CONDUCT ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONTEST. Entrant agrees to convey, transfer, and give promoter, host, and contest all rights to submitted materials for the purposes of but not limited to fundraising activities and such fundraising activities shall be at the complete and total discretion, consideration, and full and complete authority of the promoter, host, and contest in perpetuity.
Force Majeure. Nonperformance of any party shall be excused to the extent that performance is rendered impossible by strike, fire, flood, earthquakes, war, governmental acts or orders or restrictions, or any other reason where failure to perform is beyond the reasonable control, and not caused by the negligence of, the nonperforming party. Governing Law and Waiver of Damages. The Contest and these Official Rules are governed by and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the United States of America, without regards to its principles of conflicts of law. For any dispute not subject to arbitration according to Section 4(g) above, entrant agrees to personal jurisdiction by the federal, state and local courts of competent jurisdiction within the United States of America, and waives any jurisdictional, venue, or inconvenient forum objections to such courts. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and hereby irrevocably waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys’ fees, other than participant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., costs associated with participating in the Contest), and entrant further irrevocably waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased. Privacy. Information submitted in connection with the Contest will be treated in accordance with these Official Rules and the Site’s Privacy Policy, provided that in the event of any conflict between these Official Rules and such Privacy Policy, the terms and conditions of these Official Rules shall prevail. All Contestants and Team Members hereby acknowledge and agree that Promoter will have access to some or all of their personally identifiable information, including but not limited to registration information collected by the Host.

Not following the guidelines, rules, regulations, or eligibility may be cause for disqualification.

General. By entering this Contest, entrants agree to abide by the terms of these Official Rules, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to this Contest. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. All taxes (including, without limitation, federal, state, and local taxes) on or connected with any prize (including, without limitation, prizes that are opportunities to make donations to a charitable organization), and the reporting consequences thereof, are the sole and exclusive responsibility of respective winners. Each Winner must, if so requested by Promoter, complete Promoter’s winner verification process and/or execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Liability/Publicity Release within a period of time required by Promoter. All prizes awarded in connection with the Contest are nontransferable and nonendorseable. No substitution of prizes is permitted. The Promoter or Host’s employees or agents or representatives may view all Concepts in the interest of providing technical assistance to Contestants. Technical questions may be referred to Host for assistance at Promoter’s discretion. Dates of official announcements are subject to change. Release, Waiver and Indemnification. BY ENTERING THE CONTEST, ENTRANTS RELEASE AND HOLD THE PROMOTER AND HOST AND ALL OTHER CONTEST ENTITIES HARMLESS FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL LOSSES, DAMAGES, RIGHTS, CLAIMS, AND ACTIONS OF ANY KIND ARISING IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, FROM THE CONTEST OR PARTICIPATION IN ANY CONTEST-RELATED ACTIVITY (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE REMOVAL FROM THE SITE OF, OR DISCONTINUATION OF ACCESS TO, ANY SUBMISSION OR OTHER MATERIAL), OR RESULTING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY FROM ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, USE, OR MISUSE OF ANY PRIZE AWARDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTEST, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION PERSONAL INJURY, DEATH, AND/OR PROPERTY DAMAGE, AS WELL AS CLAIMS BASED ON PUBLICITY RIGHTS, DEFAMATION, AND/OR INVASION OF PRIVACY. Entrant agrees to convey, transfer, and give promoter, host, contest, its parent corporation and subsidiaries, all rights to submitted materials for the purposes of but not limited to screening and fundraising activities and such screening and fundraising activities shall be at the complete and total discretion, consideration, and full and complete authority of the promoter, host, contest, its parent corporation and subsidiaries in perpetuity. You grant us a nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual, and irrevocable right to copy, transmit, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, and display any information, data, Work, or any other information associated with your Work (collectively the “Submitted Materials”) you submit to us via the Services in any media or format. Your use of the Services does not grant us ownership of your Work. As between you and us, you retain ownership of your Work.
If selected, entrants agree and understand, that their film shall screen in either or both, our live festival event and/or our online festival event that utilizes our virtual theater platform. Entrants also understand that through the virtual theater platform films cannot be copied, downloaded, or reproduced by any virtual theater attendee, nor can the html code of any film be used in or on any other site, and that each and every film is completely secure and safe from theft due to the technology of the virtual theater that is unique to our system and is unlike any other utilized by any online festival throughout the world.
THE PROMOTER, THE HOST AND CONTEST ENTITIES DO NOT NOW AND SHALL NOT HAVE IN THE FUTURE ANY DUTY OR LIABILITY, DIRECT OR INDIRECT, VICARIOUS, CONTRIBUTORY, OR OTHERWISE, WITH RESPECT TO THE INFRINGEMENT OR PROTECTION OF AN ENTRANT’S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS, IF ANY, RESPECT TO ANY SUBMISSION OR CONCEPT, REVIEWS, MATERIAL, VIDEO AND/OR OTHER MATERIALS PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTEST. BY ENTERING THE CONTEST, ENTRANTS RELEASE, WAIVE ANY CLAIMS WITH REGARD TO, AND HOLD HARMLESS THE PROMOTER, THE HOST AND THE CONTEST ENTITIES FROM AND AGAINST ANY AND ALL CLAIMS OF ANY KIND THAT ARE OR COULD BE ASSERTED WITH RESPECT TO ANY MATTER RELATING TO THE CONTEST. ENTRANTS FURTHER AGREE TO INDEMNIFY. DEFEND AND HOLD THE PROMOTER, HOST AND ALL OTHER CONTEST ENTITIES HARMLESS FROM ANY AND ALL DAMAGES, LIABILITIES, FEES AND COST INCURRED IN DEFENDING AGAINST ANY THIRD PARTY CLAIMS OR THREATS OF CLAIMS ASSERTED AGAINST PROMOTER, HOST AND/OR OTHER CONTEST ENTITIES ARISING FROM ANY ENTRANT’S PARTICIPATION IN OR CONDUCT ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONTEST. Entrant agrees to convey, transfer, and give promoter, host, and contest all rights to submitted materials for the purposes of but not limited to fundraising activities and such fundraising activities shall be at the complete and total discretion, consideration, and full and complete authority of the promoter, host, and contest in perpetuity.
Force Majeure. Nonperformance of any party shall be excused to the extent that performance is rendered impossible by strike, fire, flood, earthquakes, war, governmental acts or orders or restrictions, or any other reason where failure to perform is beyond the reasonable control, and not caused by the negligence of, the nonperforming party. Governing Law and Waiver of Damages. The Contest and these Official Rules are governed by and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the United States of America, without regards to its principles of conflicts of law. For any dispute not subject to arbitration according to Section 4(g) above, entrant agrees to personal jurisdiction by the federal, state and local courts of competent jurisdiction within the United States of America, and waives any jurisdictional, venue, or inconvenient forum objections to such courts. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and hereby irrevocably waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys’ fees, other than participant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., costs associated with participating in the Contest), and entrant further irrevocably waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased. Privacy. Information submitted in connection with the Contest will be treated in accordance with these Official Rules and the Site’s Privacy Policy, provided that in the event of any conflict between these Official Rules and such Privacy Policy, the terms and conditions of these Official Rules shall prevail. All Contestants and Team Members hereby acknowledge and agree that Promoter will have access to some or all of their personally identifiable information, including but not limited to registration information collected by the Host.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • We appreciate the wonderful reception received by 2020 Cutting Edge Film Festival, especially as newbies in the indie industry. Highly recommend this festival!

    February 2021
  • Walter Haussner

    This was a wonderful festival and the staff made every effort to make the online experience a good one. Great communication from people who really care. I was honored to have Eadie selected as Best Religious/Spiritual.

    January 2021
  • Great festival, unfortunate that it was only online. Only criticism would be the laurels they give out are very small file sizes. Which makes them hard to use to promote.

    December 2020
  • Awesome all around! I'm so happy to have been selected!

    November 2020
  • Thanks to all at Cutting Edge, I'm thrilled that THE WEB OPERA was an official selection and screened virtually as part of this years Festival - thanks all -

    November 2020
    Logo
    Response from festival:

    Thank you!