Bleeding Tree International Film Festival

Submissions to the Bleeding Tree International Film Festival must complete in one delivery: (a) the applicable entry fee on FilmFreeway; and (b) the submission as an upload to FilmFreeway. Multiple entries require multiple submission packages. All submissions are subject to these guidelines and rules.

Films should be edited/rendered in the Rec. 709 colour space and saved as H.264 or H.265 mov or MP4 files. Film submissions must be provided as a digital file downloadable via FilmFreeway or Vimeo/Youtube (please test before sending). We do not accept physical review or exhibition copies (i.e., DVDs).

Submitters whose films have been selected for screening have the option of rendering final exhibition copies of their work in DCP, if they wish (saves us a lot of time AND you have full control over the audience viewing experience).

All films must be in the described dark drama or related genres, such as horror, fantasy, thriller, experimental, animation, underground, science fiction, etc. where the story's protagonist is his or her own problem/nightmare/predicament.

All films must be a music video, or a narrative short or feature-length film to be eligible for judging and awards.

Bleeding Tree International Film Festival reserves the right to change submission categories. Eligibility and category determinations, along with prize awards, are the sole discretion of the festival’s adjudicators.

By submitting, filmmakers agree that: they hold the Bleeding Tree International Film Festival and its owners, management, juries, subsidiaries, agents, sponsors, affiliates, and etc. harmless from any and all claims of liability resulting from their entry; they certify that they have full rights to the use of the music in the entered work; they give permission to the festival and its representatives to use stills, titles, copy, and/or information from the film for promotional purposes; they give permission for the Bleeding Tree International Film Festival to screen the film as part of the festival for which it was submitted; and if selected, they will provide the festival with a digital copy of their film's movie poster (in vertical format) for use on the festival website.

We accept screening trailers and promotional films in the dark drama category; however, these forms are not eligible for prizes, even if screened during the festival.

All non-English films must have English subtitles already baked into your video submission.
Submission fees are non-refundable.

The film must have been made within the last five years (after May 1, 2020).
Filmmakers may submit up to three different films.

Content rules: Hate rhetoric pertaining to gender, race or religion will automatically disqualify the submitted film. Sexually explicit/pornographic content will automatically disqualify the submitted film.

Films are screened at the festival based on their final judging scores. Not all submitted films will be played at the festival. However, pending permission from filmmakers, submitted films may later be seen on the Bleeding Tree website and/or through theatrical exhibition elsewhere in the Kootenay region of British Columbia. Unless otherwise instructed by filmmakers,

Officially Selected Film submissions must be provided ASAP as a digital file download via WeTransfer/FilmFreeway/Vimeo/Youtube, etc. – please test before sending!