***PLEASE READ: Films must focus one at least one aspect regarding an outdoor sport, expedition or adventure (i.e. mountaineering, climbing, walking, mountain & road biking & others...). Films which do not have at least one of these themes (please see full list below) will not be considered.
UPDATE Aug 2017--Unfortunately we have received a large number of film entries which are completely unrelated to the themes & nature of this festival (i.e. fictional drama pieces or animation films which do not have any relation to outdoor sport or adventure). To discourage this, we have had to put in place a small nominal fee ($1) to make sure film-makers are reading the submission guidelines and are aware of the nature of this festival.
1. We welcome film makers from all backgrounds and nationalities to submit films to the International Film Competition.
2. Films must focus on at least one aspect of either: outdoor sport, mountain life and culture, wilderness or adventure, travelling, taking a journey or expedition, the environment, conservation, climate change and outdoor access. We welcome films which depict any outdoor activity or sport including (but not limited to) all forms of climbing, snowboarding, skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, BASE jumping, kayaking, surfing, BMX-ing, sea kayaking, canoeing.
3. Films shown at our festival are typically documentary based or non-fiction. However fiction based films can be considered if the primary genre is one of the themes covered above. I.e. a fiction film which is set in the wilderness but the main story line is about a murder or a romance, will not be considered because it is not the primary theme of the film itself.
4. Films should ideally have been produced in preceding 12 months prior to the submission deadline in February (although we welcome films which have been produced in the last 4 years which have not been submitted / screened to our festival before)
5. The competition is open to film of all production techniques, including documentary, fiction, and artist film, from low to high budgets. Any film depicting adventure, outdoor sport, the natural environment or an outdoor activity will be considered.
6. All films must be a minimum of 2 minutes in length and preferably produced in 16:9 format with a minimum 1080p quality version available for screening.
7. Films will either be considered in the "shorts" category (i.e. duration under 15 mins) or in the "feature" category (i.e. duration over 15 mins). Films should be no longer than 90 minutes in length.
8. All films will be eligible for all awards except the "Best Film Award", which is for feature length films only. And "Best Short Film" which will is for short films only.
9. Films should be submitted for initial viewing and consideration as a digital file: mpeg, mp4, H-264 or any other suitable high resolution data file which is compatable with VLC player. We do accept submissions via post in the form of a pen drive with the above digital file format or by DVD (PAL or NTSC). Please also ensure that any DVD you send in is either Region 2 (UK) or multi-region encoded so our machines can play them effectively.
10. Films may be submitted by both professional and amateur film makers. There is no entry fee.
11. By submitting your film, you give the right to Aviemore Adventure Festival to show your film at the Festival and use extracts from it in our promotional materials without charge and you give us the copyright holder's permission to do so. We short-list approximately 30 films each year, however we only have six award categories, therefore not all films will be awarded a cash prize. Submission of a film does not guarantee its showing at the Festival.
12. If your film is selected for inclusion at the festival, you will be notified that your film has been short-listed. If you are not notified, we have decided not to include your film at this year's festival. This maybe a reflection of the fact that we have only a limited screening schedule, therefore we cannot screen as many films compared to other festivals. Chosing a short list can be a difficult process and each year we find that many high quality films are not able to be shown simply from a lack of capacity in our programming. We encourage unsuccessful applicants to submit their film to us the following year and we are happy to provide feedback on the film.
13. If your film is selected to be screened at the festival, we will invite you to attend the screening and provide one free full festival pass (or three evening film screening tickets) to the filmmaker / applicant.
14. Unfortunately as we are a non-profit organisation with limited budget, we are not able to offer complementary accommodation or travel expenses for attending the festival. However if you are flying to Inverness airport, we can often arrange transport from there without charge. If you require accommodation for the event, we have local partners who are able to provide us with discounted B&B accommodation in Aviemore during the festival dates. Please contact us to arrange this.
15. Winners in each category will be selected by our judging panel and will be announced at the end of the Festival.
16. The ‘Audience Choice Award’, is voted for by the festival attendees. The winner of this award is announced at the end of the festival.
17. The person completing the submission form must have permission of the filmmaker or distributor (i.e. copyright holder) representing the film to submit the film to the competition.
18. Films in any language other than English must feature subtitles in English unless permission is agreed with the festival director (eg – where language is deemed not to be important).
19. At least one promotional still photograph must be submitted with each film. This may be used for various promotional purposes e.g. brochures, posters, website etc. Photos should be sent by email in JPEG file with a minimum 300dpi resolution.
If you are able to provide a link to a press pack/ movie stills, this would be very much appreciated! We retain the right to use these pictures free of charge in order to promote the upcoming festival. We may also occasionally use a film still on our website for future promotion of the festival. By submitting your film, you agree to us doing so.
20. Films submitted for screening must abide by all copyright laws and regulations. This includes all copyright laws and regulations relating to the soundtrack and any music featured in the film. By entering a film to the festival, the entrant acknowledges that the film may be screened in a public place and that the entrant retains all responsibility and liability for all copyright issues relating to the screening of that film in a public place.
21. The Festival reserves the right to use up to two minutes from each entry submitted for promotional purposes, which could include national TV or radio coverage.
22. Short listed films will only be shown during film screening events during the festival dates. After the selection process and screening at the festival, all copies of the film will be deleted or returned to the film-maker / copyright holder. The festival team will not use your film for any future screenings without your express permission.
