CAFF Film Challenges

***DUE TO THE NATURE OF THESE CHALLENGES BY SUBMITTING YOU ARE REGISTERING FOR YOUR CHALLENGE. YOUR ACTUAL SUBMISSION WON'T BE CREATED YET. ***
When you submit/register you will need to do the following:
1 create a new folder for the project tentatively name it "CAFF2021"
2. Tentatively name the Film CAFF 2021
3. leave the rest blank, hit submit then pay the fee
4. During the Challenge once the project is done rename the folder with the film title and submit a new "updated" version of your film.

CELL PHONE CHALLENGE:
1) Youth Cell Phone Challenge: Applicants must be between the age of 12 and 17 as of July 31, 2021. The film must have been written, filmed, and edited by the youth filmmakers. Parents and assisting adults can help hold equipment and with the submission process. The films must be rated G. There is mandatory behind the scenes footage.
2) Applicants for the Adult Cell Phone Film Challenge must be 18 years of age or older by August 3, 2021. All films must be rated PG.
3) All films submitted should be submitted in a smart phone or tablet. Films that include footage from an SLR camera will not be accepted.
4) Films should be filmed and edited to a recommended 1080 HD. The length of the films must be between 5-10 minutes, including title page and credits.
5) Films must have been produced between June 20, 2021 and July 31, 2021.
6) No animation will be accepted or use of in-camera apps to alter the images will be allowed.
7) No logos or brand names should be visible in the film.
8) All participants, as well as their crew and cast must sign releases for their product to be aired on Telus Optik Television and CAFF Film Festival.
9) Groups submitting a single submission will share any prize monies won.
10) Submissions must be submitted through FilmFreeway in an approved format.
11) Submission fee is Non-refundable.
12) Participants must reside in Alberta
13) All films submitted to the festival are seen and scored by multiple judges. All films that have a high rating average go on to final deliberations.
Film Submissions are non-returnable for any reason.
On August 7, the awards will be juried. The process for calculating the winners is:

1 - The films/videos are shown to the judges.
2 - The judges mark the ballots rating the films and other appropriate categories from 1 to 10, 10 being the best.
3 - All the scores are totaled and then divided by the number of ballots.
4 - Highest score wins.
5 - The decision of the festival is final.

CAFF 48 HOUR FILM CHALLENGE

These rules apply to each participating group/production team.
The CAFF 48 Hour Film Challenge Organizers may add to or amend these rules at any time prior to the beginning of the Official Time Period.
Below are the Filmmaking Rules. 

A. Times: August 6th 7pm to August 8th 7pm. Subject will be revealed at 5:30pm on August 6th.

B. Creative Process
All creativity must take place during the Official Time Period. Any creative work in advance of the competition weekend is prohibited. Creative work includes, but is not limited to:
-Writing the script
-Rehearsing
-Costume/Set Design
-Shooting
-Editing
-Sound Design
-Rendering
-Outputting to tape or other media

C. Preparation
The only work to begin prior to the Official Time Period is:
-Organizing Crew
-Organizing Cast
-Securing Equipment
-Scouting/Securing Locations

D. Footage
All footage must be shot within the Official Time Period of the project.
No stock footage or footage shot or created at another time may be used.
Animation and special effects are permitted, but must be created during the Official Time Period. (Note: Stock footage is permissible as part of a post-production effect or on a background monitor, i.e., a television, as long as the team has rights to the stock footage and the stock footage is placed over or under footage that is shot within the Official Time Period. Allowable stock footage includes bullets, fires, explosions, green screen backgrounds, etc., but stock footage of people or other performers is not allowed.)
Still photographs are permitted, provided that the team has the rights to them. The photos do not need to be created during the Official Time Period; however, stills created outside of the Official Time Period may not be used in sequence to create the illusion of motion.

E. Kickoff Event
Each participating team must have a representative at the official Kickoff Event of the 48 Hour Film Project.
At the event, each group must submit a complete Team Leader's Agreement, signed by its team leader. A team may not participate without submitting this agreement.
Each group will choose the genre of its film in a random drawing.

F. Required Elements
Each participating group will be assigned required elements that must appear in its film, such as a genre, a character, a prop and/or a line of dialogue.
-The required Character must be seen on-screen and it must be clear--either directly shown or by context--who the required character is.
-The required Prop must be seen on-screen.
-The required Line of Dialogue must be used verbatim. It may be spoken, sung and/or written. It may be in any language, though if it is unclear that it is the required Line, there must be a translation.
-To qualify as an Official Entry, each group's film must be in the genre it selects and must contain all required elements within the official time limit and prior to the credits.

G. Volunteers
All cast and crew must be volunteers.

H. Animal Safety
Animal safety, like cast and crew safety, is an important part of 48 Hour Filmmaking. Films that result in the death or mutilation of an animal will be disqualified.

I. Cameras
Any type of video or film camera may be used. There is no limit to the number of cameras.

J. Music Rights
Participating groups are encouraged to work with a composer and/or musicians to write and record music for the films. It is permissible for a participating group to use pre-recorded music; however the participating group must have the rights to any music used in its film and must provide releases for all music used. As with music, pre-recorded sound effects are allowed, but you must have rights to use them. Note: Song parodies (i.e., use of identifiable pre-existing compositions with new or altered lyrics or music) may not be included in the film without a signed release from the composition's rights holder. This rule applies without regard to whether the song parody arguably constitutes "fair use" under US or international copyright law.

K. Total Running Time
The finished film must be a minimum of 4 minutes in duration, and a maximum of 7 minutes in duration—not including end credits. In other words, the official running time begins after the required CAFF slates and ends prior to the end credits. The required slates and the end credits do not count towards the minimum time of 4 minutes. The film story may not be longer than 7 minutes.

L. Credits
Pre-film Required Slates
Before the finished film begins, the media should have...
-5 seconds of black
-A title card with: team name, title, genre, city, and date
-The official CAFF animated opening -OR- a title card with: This film was made for the CAFF 48 Hour Film Challenge 2018
-2 seconds of black
Your film follows this.
Opening Credits
After the 2 seconds of black, some films start with opening credits. These are not encouraged, but if you use them, opening credits are considered to be part of the film, and therefore count against the seven minute maximum. Additionally, if your film has opening credits other than simply the film's title (for example, the names of directors, actors, etc.), you must include one of the following:
-the text YOUR TEAM NAME presents immediately followed by a CAFF 48 Hour Film Challenge Project or
-the text a CAFF 48 Hour Film Project immediately following the title of your film
*Note: a CAFF 48 Hour Film Challenge Project may be entirely lowercase (i.e., a caff 48 hour film project).
End Credits
Credits at the end of each film are limited to a maximum of 60 seconds. The 60 seconds is considered additional to the length of the film, as stated above. (That is, a film may be 7 minutes long, with an additional 60 seconds of credits, for a total running time of 8 minutes.)
The end credits must include the words: This film was made for the CAFF 48 Hour Film Challenge Project. www.cafilmfestival.ca
Slates And Credits After The Competition
For any future screenings, online or otherwise, films should retain the pre-film title card that says: This film was made for the CAFF 48 Hour Film Challenge 2018. www.cafilmfestival.ca

N. Required Media Formats
For complete submission requirements, check the CAFF website. If your film does not conform to the submission requirements, it may be disqualified. Also, if your film cannot be viewed on CAFF equipment, it may be disqualified.
Unless otherwise instructed on the CAFF website, your film must be submitted on one of the following media:
-(preferred) a self-contained 1080p H.264 .mp4 file with no proprietary codecs on a USB flash drive
-a self-contained 1080p Quicktime file with no proprietary codecs on a USB flash drive

O. Submission Notes
-We recommend that each team submit two copies of the final film.
-We recommend that you make sound levels relatively even throughout your film. (If your film has uneven sound or sound that peaks, it may be modified to protect the playback equipment.)
-Projection specs vary from projector to projector and are beyond the control of CAFF. If your film is very dark, it may be difficult to see in the theater.
-All films received on the evening of the deadline (on-time and late) may be screened, presuming they meet the eligibility requirements.

P. Production Documents
Each team must secure releases for talent, crew, music and locations (and any other applicable releases), which must be turned in to the project organizers with the finished film/video. The film/video will not be screened before the 48 Hour Film Project Organizers receive the signed releases.
-Release forms can be found on the CAFF website.

Q. Certification Statement
The Entrant must submit a Certification Statement with his/her completed Entry, certifying adherence to all Official Rules.

R. Eligibility
To be eligible for the Project, Entries must be the original work of the Entrant; must not infringe third-party's rights; must be suitable for publication (i.e., may not be obscene or indecent); must not contain obscene or pornographic material; may not contain defamatory statements about any person, company, organization or entity; may not invade privacy or other rights of any person, company or entity; may not in any other way violate applicable laws and regulations; and may not contain any copyrighted elements (other than as owned by the Entrant and/or CAFF). Entries containing prohibited or inappropriate content as determined by CAFF, in its sole discretion, to be inappropriate will be disqualified. CAFF reserves the right to make the final determination as to which Entries are eligible. CAFF also reserves the right to refuse to screen a film or to make an announcement at the screening regarding the content of the film.

S. No Pre-Screening Distribution
The Entrant should not distribute their entry/video in any way prior to it receiving its official CAFF premiere screening. This includes uploading the video to any website or screening the film for groups of anyone other than the team. The Entrant is encouraged to make a trailer of their film and distribute that instead. This trailer should be no longer than 48 seconds.

T. Official Film Entry
To be certified as an Official Film Entry, each participating group's film/video production must follow all rules herein. The CAFF 48 Hour Film Challenge Organizers reserve the right to screen only certified Official Film Entries.

U. Entries Not Returned
No Entries (media or documents) will be returned.

V. Disqualification
CAFF and Project Parties may, in their sole discretion, disqualify Entries deemed to be inappropriate or otherwise non-compliant.

W. Official CAFF 48 Hour Film Challenge Winner
All certified "Official Film Entries" are eligible to compete for the title of "Best Film" of the CAFF 48 Hour Film Challenge and respective cash prizes.