The John Houston Allen Awards

This year we will only accept entries through FilmFreeway.com. Please ensure you read our Rules and Regulations prior to submitting.
CONTEST RULES & REGULATIONS
1) Entries should not exceed 10 minutes in duration including all titles and credits.
2) Only films completed on or after December 31, 2016 are eligible for entry into the 2018 competitions.
3) Films or shorts previously aired on AIB Network are not eligible.
4) The film must be in English. If the film is not in English, then it must have hard coded English subtitles.
5) AIB Network reserves the right to refuse to screen any submission deemed by the Network to be inappropriate in keeping with AIB policies and content restrictions. Should you wish to question AIB about their decision, you may contact us by email at allenawards@aibtv.com.
6) All submissions are screened and evaluated by the AIB Network Selection Committee. Their reports are final and confidential. All films received which meet our criteria, will be judged to eligibility and further consideration to receive the Mind/Body/Spirit Award. The committee reserves the right to disqualify any project due to poor quality, incompleteness, poor taste, inappropriateness of content, or concerns regarding copyright infringement in the original work. Submitters will be advised via email and the shortlist will also be announced on our website and on our Facebook page in the second week of April. The winning films in each category will then be chosen from this shortlist and announced at our awards show on the evening of Tuesday, April 19, 2018.
7) In the event of a film being withdrawn, AIB will not be liable to refund the fee or return the materials entered.
8) AIB will determine the date and time when submissions will be screened. AIB cannot be held accountable for changes to the schedule after the line-up is announced.
9) A fee is required upon submission. For payment structures, see elsewhere on FilmFreeway site. Please ensure your film is ready to send to us at the time of entry.
10) One entry fee per category. The same film cannot be entered into one or more categories.
11) Exclusively the participant shall pay all fees in relation to the uploading or transportation of submissions from their place of origin through FilmFreeway.com. The Network will not be responsible for the cost of receiving any additional materials i.e. DVDs, posters, photos, etc.
12) If music or additional film material used in your film is not original, then permission from source must be obtained and submitted with the project. The responsibility for this rests entirely with the filmmaker. Failure to obtain clearance could result in your film being withdrawn from the contest. In this event, AIB will not be liable to refund the fee or return the materials entered.
13) The submission of a film to AIB Network will be considered to be an acknowledgement of the contest rules.
14) Entrants should UPLOAD their film to FilmFreeway.com on the day that the entry form is completed. Please include your press kit including still photos. Do NOT send any originals or self-address stamped envelope as we will NOT return any of this collateral. Please write a 10-15 word (ONLY) synopsis for use in our awards show program – should your film be selected. WE WOULD LIKE TO ENSURE THAT THE JUDGES VIEW YOUR FILM IN THE HIGHEST QUALITY POSSIBLE SO WILL ONLY ACCEPT FINAL CUTS. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR FILM IS READY AT THE TIME OF ENTRY.
15) AIB Network will contact you, if there are any problems with your film. Once downloaded by us, your film will be loaded onto our network server.
16) Please do not send DVD’s or copies of your film directly to us unless requested to do so. At the time of submission, we will only accept your entry if your film is uploaded to FilmFreeway.com.
17) AIB will attempt to resolve any technical matter related to submission. For more information and queries contact allenawards@aibtv.com.
18) Once we have received your Film, Photo(s), Fee and Form you will receive an email confirming your entry is ‘In Consideration’. Please note that unless we receive ALL these items your entry is NOT confirmed.
19) All queries (technical and non-technical) relating to your submission should be sent to allenawards@aibtv.com.

FILM SUBMISSIONS FAQs
If you have any questions that are not answered here or in our submission Rules & Terms, please email us at allenawards@aibtv.com.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
How do I submit?
You can submit to us through FilmFreeway. If you are new to the platform, your first step will be to create an account and then to create a “project” for your submission. Please refer to FilmFreeway for help on how to submit. Please do not email us your projects. We cannot consider any project that has not been officially submitted through FilmFreeway.
We suggest that you use a permanent member of the project to submit (preferably the director or a producer). Please use an email address/phone number that is checked regularly in case we need to get in touch with you throughout the submission process. If there is an issue with your submission and we are unable to get in touch with anyone by our final submission deadline, we will be forced to disqualify your submission (without refund of submission fees).
I don’t like online submissions, can I submit via paper?
No. We do not accept project submissions that do not go through FilmFreeway. It is difficult to keep track of projects that are not within our system, and when there’s no electronic record of a submission, it makes addressing problems (i.e. a project was submitted, but the DVD didn’t arrive, a main contact has to be changed, etc.) troublesome.
When are your deadlines?
We have three deadlines throughout our submission process: Early Bird Deadline (February 14), Regular Deadline (March 14), and Extended Deadline (March 31). After March 31, all submissions are closed.
Is there a difference if I submit early?
Yes. The main difference is that submission fees are cheaper. Submitting early won’t increase your chances of getting accepted, but it will increase your chances of a well-rested selection committee member watching your project. But ultimately, all submissions are evaluated equally, and we will program projects that are submitted all throughout the submission period.
What are your submission fees?
You can find a full list of submission fees at FilmFreeway.
Can I have a waiver?
The AIB Network rarely grants waivers. The only guaranteed exceptions are for participants from countries in which international sanctions prevent them from paying a fee. If this applies to you, please email us at allenawards@aibtv.com.
Any other waivers are granted solely at the discretion of the AIB Network Selection Committee, are often by invitation only, and are typically granted for works that fit specific genre or community-based program needs.
But I’m a struggling independent artist who spent all of my money making my project!
We get it, really we do. But the reality is that the majority of participants that submit to us are independent artists with not a lot of money to spend. It wouldn’t be fair for us to waive fees for some and not others.

A submission fee guarantees your work is properly viewed and considered, and neither submission fees nor waivers guarantee acceptance.

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QUESTIONS ABOUT SUBMITTING
What do I need to submit my project?
Each submission must be accompanied by a submission fee paid in full and a playable screener to be considered.
How do I know you received my submission?
In your FilmFreeway account, you'll see a message indicating that your project satisfies all requirements and is “In Consideration”. If you see a yellow or red circle next to your submission, you’ve partially satisfied the requirements. We have either not received your screener and/or payment, there is an issue with the screener, the project was submitted to the wrong category, or there’s been an upload error with FilmFreeway.
If your project has not been listed “In Consideration” within 7 business days, please contact us as soon as possible so we can look into it.
Do you accept rough cuts/works-in-progress?
No. We do not accept rough cuts/works-in-progress.
Can we get the copy of our project back?
No. We do not return copies of submitted projects. Please do not send us any originals, and don’t send a self-addressed stamped envelope with your submission.
How many projects can I submit?
You can submit as many projects as you would like as long as they are all eligible to screen at the 2018 Allen Awards. However, you must pay a separate submission fee for each category. We do not offer bulk discounts.
When will participants be notified of the final decisions for the 2018 Allen Awards?
Final notifications are scheduled to take place no later than March 31, 2018. Some participants may receive notification sooner than this but if you haven't heard from us yet, you're still in the running.
How will we be notified*?
Accepted projects will receive an invitation letter by email. Projects not accepted will also be notified by email by the notification deadline. Please make sure the email address associated with your submission remains active throughout the submission process. Your status of Accepted/Not Accepted will also be reflected in FilmFreeway by the notification date.
Note: Email filters have a hard time with addresses that start with info@, mail@, admin@, etc. If you’re using one of these email addresses, it’s more likely your notification email may not arrive. We also suggest using an email address that someone checks daily.
*Notification dates are subject to change; please check the contest page via www.FilmFreeway.com every few weeks for updates. We strive to notify all submitters via email when a change will be made.
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QUESTIONS ABOUT AIB NETWORK’S PROGRAMMING
What genres do you accept?
We accept a wide range of projects including experimental, puppetry, animation and sci-fi. We do ask that projects refrain from: overt sexual acts, glorification of violence, attacks against other religions, slanderous comments about other people, and/or vulgarity.
Okay, but what kind of projects do you play?
EVERYTHING! AIB is interested in showcasing diverse creative expression with the criteria exceptions identified above.
Will you take a look at my project and tell me if I should submit to you?
Sorry, but no. We cannot review any projects that have not been officially submitted to us. We have to dedicate our time to watching the projects that have been officially submitted (and paid their submission fee).
How long can projects be?
We consider a project up to 10 minutes in length.
Is there a discount for student work?
Sorry, but no. There is not a discount for student work.
Do you program international projects?
Yes, we love international projects!
Do you prefer project with stars?
No. We prefer great and interesting stories. If a star happens to show up in a really great project, cool. But it’s not a requirement.
Have you programmed projects that are available online?
Yes.
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QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SCREENING/JUDGING PROCESS
How are projects scored?
Each project is watched and evaluated across several different criteria. Selection Committee members are asked a series of questions about each project, working to determine whether or not the project is a good fit.
Can I find out how my project is doing once I’ve submitted?
Sorry, but no. Please don’t call or email us asking for updates on your project.
Who makes final selections?
Final selections are made by the Selection Committee.
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