Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival

We don't have a ton of rules. There is no date-of-completion requirement. If you want to enter film school work from 20 years ago, we're not going to stop you. Films entered in earlier Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festivals are not eligible.

IOWA CONNECTION
The big rule that's unique to our event, is that the entry must have an IOWA CONNECTION. That could be a crew or cast member who lived, worked or went to school in Iowa; a film that was produced, at least in part, in Iowa; or a story featuring an Iowa subject or Iowan (present or former, real or fictional). If you don't think your film qualifies, ask around...you just might have an Iowan on set!

HOBBYIST VS. PROFESSIONAL
We define Hobbyist filmmakers as those who earn less than 50% of their income from filmmaking and/or media production activities. This includes film, commercial production, event videography, TV news, production academia and other occupations that would indicate a filmmaker's experience and/or training in production, and/or provide access to professional equipment, talent, facilities, etc. Films submitted by Hobbyist filmmakers, but with professional key crew members (director, DP, editor, producer) must be entered as Professional. The Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival reserves the right to reassign entries to more appropriate categories, if deemed necessary. Filmmakers will be notified in the event of a change.

Selected entries may have clips and/or stills used for promotional purposes for the current year and future editions.

NECESSARY LEGALESE
Copyright law requires the entrant have written permission from the owner of any material protected by copyright which is used within this entry. Copyrighted material may include, but is not limited to, film/video clips, logos, photos, artwork, music and dialogue that has been previously published.
The Entrant acknowledges as follows:
The Entrant has read, understood, and complied with all eligibility requirements of the Festival.
The Entrant agrees to allow The Festival to use its Entry and any accompanying materials for The Festival’s promotional campaign. The Entrant has secured all necessary rights and permissions for the Entry to be exhibited at The Festival, and for any images provided to The Festival for publicity purposes. The Entrant will indemnify and hold harmless The Festival, Collins Road Theatres, and their agents and assigns from any claims or losses that result from Entrant’s failure to obtain necessary right or permissions, including attorney’s fees incurred by the indemnified parties. The Entrant with, at its own expense, defend and indemnify each of the foregoing entities or persons from and against all actions; proceedings, claims, demands, damages, costs, and expenses (whether by settlement or award of damages made against the indemnified parties by a final judicial judgment or otherwise) by or due to any third party with respect to the infringement or alleged infringement of any patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret, or other proprietary right which may be involved in the creation, use, exhibition or publicity of the Entrant’s Entry. The Entrant holds The Festival, Collins Road Theatres, and their agents harmless from any damage to or loss of the Entry en route or otherwise during the course of The Festival’s possession of The Entry. For full effect, record a voice actor reading the above paragraph, and see how far you can speed it up before it's unintelligible.