Please read the rules thoroughly before entering. Thank you.
Films must have been made after January 1st 2021.
BVIFF only accepts short films of NO LONGER than 30 minutes. (Including titles & credits)
Filmmakers must be over 18 years old.
We do not accept Student Films.
(We define a student film as a film made by a student in full-time education and/or a film made through, or with the support of, an educational body, ie. anything in the third-level education sector consisting of universities, institutes of technology, and colleges of education.)
By submitting to BVIFF 2023 you are agreeing to a physical screening of your work. The programming team will discuss this in more detail closer to the event.
Each submission must be accompanied by a HIGH RES STILL IMAGE, A POSTER (if one exists) a LOGLINE and a SHORT SYNOPSIS. If your film is selected we may also request a HEADSHOT of the director and actors and short bios for each. Please include a cover note if possible. We are keen to know more about you and your film.
For the Made in the Boyne Valley programme your film must have been made in the Boyne Valley Region, and the filmmaker must be from the Boyne Valley region. It is not required that the filmmaker be resident in the Boyne Valley.
Withdrawal will only be refunded if requested within in two weeks from being submitted.
At the moment submissions are not open to student filmmakers in full-time or part-time education, or to filmmakers under 18.
Films not in the English language must have English subtitles.
The selection and scheduling of all films screened at BVIFF 2023 is entirely at the discretion of the Festival Directors and the Judging Panels.
Due to the large amount of submissions received and limited resources BVIFF cannot enter into any discussion regarding films that are not selected. The festival is unable to send personal emails regarding films that are not selected and notification regarding the status of selection will be made via FilmFreeway notification. We appreciate your understanding on this.
Selected films will be announced on the BVIFF website and in the media.
Short Film Screening Files (Once Selected):
If selected the festival will request
A H.264 file with the following specifications:
Frame size - 1920 x 1080
Frame rate - 24fps or 25fps
Bit rate - 12000kbps to 35000kbps.
Audio 48khz 24bit stereo
or
a ProRes 422 or ProRes LT Quicktime file with the following specifications only:
Frame size - 1920 x 1080
Frame rate - 24fps or 25fps
Audio 48khz 24bit stereo or 5.1
If selected, any web links used to transfer accepted formats should remain active until we have confirmed that we have downloaded and tested the film. Alternative versions will be required where it is evident that the technical requirements are not being met.
Please watch the file of your film IN FULL before sending to us. Our technician will not be able to check your file for errors. Failure to adhere to the technical requirements may result in films not being screened.
BVIFF will liaise with the filmmaker regarding screening formats after final decisions have been made. Please check the email you submit your film with regularly. This is the method we will use to contact you. If there is no response to our emails, BVIFF reserve the right to withdraw selection.
Images and press packs will be requested upon selection. These will be used for promotional purposes not limited to press, online media, television, radio and any other media platform.
Television and Internet broadcasting: Taking part in BVIFF implies allowing broadcasting on Irish and foreign televisions and on the Internet (extracts limited to and not exceeding 1 min) for the purpose of promoting the festival.
BVIFF does not pay screening fees for submitted work.
We request that applicants submit to Boyne Valley International Film Festival only through the FilmFreeway portal. *(The Short Film Bursary is not included on this platform). We do not accept DVDs, online links by email or social media messages etc. The festival has a small seasonal staff and we are not in a position to accept submissions in any other way. This allows our judging panel to view and select films in a fair manner and insures that nothing is overlooked.
All the films are viewed by the panel of industry professionals and the judges make the final decision.
If entering your film to BVIFF you must have the authority and licence for any music soundtrack on/in your film. You and/or the artists who own the music and/or their representatives waive rights to claim royalties from BVIFF for screening selected films.
Bullying and harassment toward filmmakers, audience members, volunteers, press, industry professionals, staff, board members, and beyond, including demeaning, discriminatory or harassing behaviour or speech, including but not limited to personal insults, sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ageist or ableist language or any language that insults or demeans the characteristics of any person will not be tolerated by the festival on any level.
At Boyne Valley International Film Festival, we appreciate, respect, and honor the vibrant diversity and viewpoints of our world community of guests and staff and hold steadfast in a commitment to freedom of creative expression. We encourage the open exchange of ideas and perspectives in a mutually respectful environment that provides guests and staff with a safe and enjoyable experience while attending our film festivals and events.
We ask that everyone—artists, audiences, volunteers, press, industry, staff, board members, and beyond—maintain an environment that is welcoming to all.
On submitting to the festival the applicant understands that he/she/they has a legal right to submit the film including ensuring all clearances have been obtained. By submitting to the festival the applicant agrees to the rules and terms.
