The Accolade Global Film Competition

*************** CELEBRATING 20 YEARS! ***************

THE ORIGINAL AND THE BEST - 20 years! Accolade is the perfect predictor of future success of your film!

UNIQUE! IMDb Qualified! From Oscar-winners to Fresh New Talent. MovieMaker Magazine named The Accolade Global Film Competition among the TOP 25 FESTIVALS worth the entry fee!

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Special Promotion
25% Discount and ONE FREE additional Category per submission!
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Here is how you do it!!!!!

** FOR THE DISCOUNT:

Use code ACCOLADEIS20 at checkout to receive 25% off each category purchased.

** FOR THE ONE FREE ADDITIONAL CATEGORY

1. Once your entry is processed, your FilmFreeway status will change to “Selected” and you will receive an auto response from FilmFreeway. A few days after that you will receive an email from info@AccoladeCompetition.org explaining the next steps

2. That email will have a link to all of the available categories so you can see your options. You get ONE additional category free of charge per entry, to be used for this submission only. Follow the directions in that email to receive your free category.

3. If you would like MORE categories - you may purchase others through the link in that email, just use the easy to follow instructions in that email

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IMPORTANT!!!!!!
None of this will be possible unless you receive that email. Make sure you add info@AccoladeCompetition.org to your safe senders list right away!

(Especially you Gmail users!)
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Accolade is the original, top-tier, internationally respected global virtual online competition - recognizing film, TV and media professionals who demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and story telling since 2003! There have been many imitators – but only ONE Accolade and the prestige is known throughout the industry.

*By participating in Accolade you do NOT lose your "premiere" status as only the judges see the film.

ABOUT:

IMDb Qualified!

Accolade is unique and the industry leader of virtual film competitions. Attracting both powerhouse companies as well as talented new filmmakers, it is an unparalleled, truly international awards competition, not a traditional film festival – which allows filmmakers from around the world to enter their films in this prestigious competition.

Established in 2003, Accolade gives talented directors, producers, actors, creative teams the positive exposure they deserve. It discovers and honors the achievements of filmmakers who produce high quality projects. The Accolade promotes award winners through press releases to over 100,000 filmmakers and industry contacts through FilmFestivals.com.

The Accolade is a also great predictor of future success. Our talented award winners have gone on to win Oscars, Emmys, Tellys and other awards.

Above all, we truly value and honor our filmmaking family.

BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING:

• PROMOTIONAL LAURELS – Give your film opening and your promotional graphics that wow factor!
• PEER REVIEW – Our judges are Emmy, Telly and award-winning filmmakers who understand both filmmaking craft and what audiences want.
• PRESS RELEASE – CUSTOM for you! – Winners receive a fill-in-the-blanks Press Release to promote your win and tips for using it. We've done the heavy lifting - just fill it in and send to media outlets suitable for your work!
• SOCIAL MEDIA PUSH – Accolade announces award winners on Facebook and Twitter and winners are encouraged to share and re-Tweet those posts. Winners are also sent to a data base of 100,000 industry pros through our partner FilmFestivals.com.

FEATURES OF ACCOLADE GLOBAL FILM COMPETITION:

• PRESTIGIOUS – In winning an Accolade award you join the ranks of high-profile winners like Oscar-winner Malcolm Clarke (chosen by Accolade before the Academy), Disney’s Dave Bossert, industry icon Ron Howard – and many more famous (and soon to be famous!) filmmakers.
• TELLING – Our talented filmmakers have gone on to win Oscars, Emmys & Tellys.
• SOCIAL CONSCIENCE – Accolade grants an annual Humanitarian Award and celebrates work by women filmmakers, LGTBQ+, disability issues, social justice, humanity, animal welfare and environmental issues.

WHY ACCOLADE?

• CAREER ENHANCING – Accolade attracts extraordinary work from filmmakers at all levels of experience - from talented first timers to industry heavyweights like Ridley Scott, Oscar-winner Jeff Bridges, Discovery Channel and others. Everyone benefits from the publicity of a win and from professional peer feedback!
• UNIQUE – A truly international awards competition, attracting global participation. 70 countries and counting!
• INDUSTRY STANDARD – Accolade is IMDb qualified! Listing your award on your IMDb page is invaluable for your projects and future endeavors.

WHAT KIND OF MEDIA:

The Accolade is an excellent venue for feature films, short films, Indie films, documentaries, new and experimental media, television pilot programs, animation, educational programs, remixes & mashups, movie trailers, music videos, webisodes and tube length works.

JUDGING:

No Politics! Fair judging for all entries from Oscar winners to fresh new talent!

We believe that in any competition there are many entries deserving of recognition beyond the "Best of Show". For that reason we have an exceptional model that allows winners to be recognized with different levels of awards. (like Gold, silver, etc)

Each year Accolade receives thousands of entries. As there are a fluid number of entries into each category on any particular judging season - entries are not judged against one another - each film is judged on its own merits using a high standard of qualifications and are scored accordingly.

The judging takes place by in-house staff and a committee of industry professionals including Emmy, Telly and Communicator award nominees and recipients.

Judges score entries on a performance scale and winning entries are recognized and awarded as Award of Excellence Special Mention, Award of Excellence, Award of Merit Special Mention , Award of Merit, Award of Recognition or no award. Only a single Best of Show is selected each season.

Best of Show honors are granted to the top scoring entry for each season. Awards of Excellence Special Mention are the top 10. Awards of Excellence are granted to entries with truly exceptional filmmaking. Notable artistic and technical productions are recognized at the Award of Merit award level and Award of Recognition recognizes achievement in a specific category of entry .

No fixed number of awards are granted at any level but rather fluctuate based on the total number of entries received for each competition deadline.

*** Only judges will see your film. There is no public screening - so Accolade will not interfere with your plans for a public premiere! ***

Notification

Each individual submission will receive two confirmation emails. One from FilmFreeway confirming your entry through their system and one directly from the Accolade Global Film Competition team with additional details.

After judging is completed, winners in all categories will be notified of their award immediately following the submission of the judge’s findings to the Accolade staff. Submissions that were not awarded will be notified after the judging process. All award winners are also provided the opportunity to acquire statuettes and other keepsakes to commemorate their achievement.

Humanitarian Award

Accolade is a competition with a conscience. Each year the Accolade Global Film Competition grants its annual Humanitarian Award for dedicated service to Social Justice, Animal Welfare, Political, Environmental, Wellness, or Conscious Awareness issues. Films meeting these criteria and recognized at the Award of Excellence level can be nominated for the Humanitarian Award by any of the judges. All nominated films are then reviewed at the end of each year and awards granted. Each year the judges will select one Grand Prize winner and award Outstanding Achievement and Award of Distinction to all deserving films.

Rules / Eligibility

1. Submissions in other than English must be subtitled.

2. Multiple entries are allowed from a filmmaker and each entry may be entered in multiple categories.

3. Online screeners preferred. If you choose not to upload your project to FilmFreeway’s site, please provide an online link to your submission and be sure to include the password in an email correspondence sent directly to Accolade. If you choose to send a DVD screener please format it in NTSC, label the cover with the FilmFreeway Tracking ID, film title, filmmaker name and telephone number, and forward it to Accolade’s mailing address.

4. Accolade does not download data or accept Dropbox submissions. Please only send links to your media hosted on 3rd party servers such as Vimeo or YouTube.

5. Written comments describing entries are beneficial.

6. DVD Entries will not be returned.

7. All films submitted under a “Student Fee” category will be listed as a (Student) on all materials including social media and press releases. Student I.D. required.

Statuettes

The Accolade Competition statuette is exceptional in the industry and is a work of art. Plated with 24k gold, the beautiful fifteen inch tall statuette is manufactured by the company that makes the worlds’ most prestigious and celebrated awards, the Oscar, Clio, and IndieFEST.

Sister Competitions

The Accolade Global Film Competition’s sister competitions are the Best Shorts Competition (www.BestShorts.net) honoring the best of short films, the Impact DOCS Awards (www.ImpactDOCSAwards.com) serving documentary filmmakers and spreading their messages around the globe, and the IndieFEST Film Awards (www.TheIndieFEST.com) which celebrates outstanding independent films. All four competitions share administrative offices but have independent judging and judging results from one competition will not influence the outcome of the other.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Karina Loerchner

    I'm not sure where to begin with this festival. First off, it is an honor to have my film 'Nix's Symphony' win Special Mention and Best Original Score awards, especially as a high-school filmmaker! This festival promotes winning films on their websites in a professional manner. Communications has been second-to-none, and they provide printable and online certificates, laurels, and winner's letter. I will definitely enter my next film as well. Highly recommend this festival!

    March 2024
  • Thank you AGFC for the recognition. Admire your very professional approach and efficient communication.
    Highly recommend this festival to all independent film makers.

    March 2024
  • karin ochsner

    The participation in this festival has been very rewarding and positive. Outstanding and immediate communication! Thanks!

    March 2024
  • Thank you Accolade Global Film festival team for awarding our documentary movie "The Path Full Of Stars" .Very good experience and communication. Highly recommended

    March 2024
  • Carlos Serrano

    Accolade Global Film Competition: Elevating Artistic Talent and Vindicating Creative Choices
    Transitioning from a corporate career to film composition later in life was a bold move requiring investment in time and money to obtain a Masters of Music in Film Scoring from a prestigious school. Thankfully, the Accolade Global Film Competition provided the perfect platform for my artistic journey. Their professional venue not only recognized my value but also provided vindication for the risk my filmmaker took when hiring me as her composer. This festival celebrates diversity and unconventional paths to success, offering structured support and invaluable networking. In short, it's a must for any artist seeking recognition and growth in the industry.

    March 2024