• All entries must be submitted via FilmFreeway.
• Works in progress are not accepted.
• Films must be completed after January 1, 2025
• To qualify for entry, the Director and most team members must be registered in a high school in Central Ontario at the time of submission.
• Non-English submissions must include English subtitles.
• Your short film must be filmed in high resolution - 1920x1080 (1080p)
• The decision of the Judges and Selection Committee is final.
Terms and Conditions:
By submitting to the COYSFF, you agree to allow your film (hereafter known as the "Work") to be screened during the festival duration, at no charge to the festival. If there are to be any additional screenings, we will come to a mutual agreement between the filmmaker and the festival.
All Works selected by the COYSFF will be asked to provide promotional materials, but we ask that no promotional materials be sent until selected and notified.
By submitting to the COYSFF the entrant admits and acknowledges copyright ownership of the Work. Further, the entrant admits and acknowledges that the necessary permissions have been obtained for any copyrighted material used in the Work (e.g. music).
By submitting your Work, the entrant hereby grants the COYSFF the following: non-exclusive, irrevocable rights to use and display the names, voices, photographs, likenesses and biographies of the entrant for use in advertising, publicizing and promoting the Work in any media.
The entrant understands and acknowledges that, if under 18 years of age, a parent or guardian must agree to the terms of the Filmmaker/Guardian Release on your behalf.
The COYSFF reserves the right to disqualify any submission at any time if there is any question of ownership, copyright infringement, or any sign of disrespect (in any form of media) to the festival or its representatives. The COYSFF and Barrie Film Festival will not be held responsible for any inclusion of uncleared materials in your film. (e.g. copyrighted music used without permission.)
Entrants may be subscribed to the COYSFF newsletter of which they may opt out at any time.
Works that are posted publicly on YouTube or other public video sites cannot be screened in the COYSFF competition. We ask that works submitted not screen publicly in Ontario between August 15 and November 15 outside of the COYSFF, Barrie Film Festival, and OYFF, and that they not be posted publicly online during that time.
Films that are official selections are not permitted to withdraw from the festival after August 30. COYSFF and the Barrie Film Festival reserves the right to update or modify these terms and policies without prior notice.
We ask that entrants NOT USE SCHOOL EMAIL ACCOUNTS when submitting their Works. (Most communications with official selections occur during the summer period).
Content considerations - when you’re submitting your film, please also keep in mind our wide and varied audience. Although every film will be evaluated and considered individually, certain content may make it ineligible to screen:
• Underage or excessive drinking
• Illegal drug use
• Extreme violence
• Excessive coarse language
• Extreme flashing lights
* Every film will be considered on an individual basis, but ultimately the eligibility of the submitted films will be up to the discretion of the festival.
This regional festival is hosted and organized by the Barrie Film Festival and is an affiliated film festival with the Ontario Youth Film Festival (OYFF) and our festival partners to cover the various regions of Ontario. Together we work to celebrate, inspire and nurture the development of young aspiring filmmakers in Ontario, Canada.
***REGIONS FOR ELIGIBILITY for OYFF***
NORTHERN ONTARIO (Thunder Bay, Sault St Marie, Sudbury, North Bay) - Cinéfest Sudbury's CTV Best in Shorts Competition: https://cinefest.com/ctv_best_in_shorts
CENTRAL ONTARIO (Barrie, Orillia, Collingwood, Mississauga, Alliston, Parry Sound, Bracebridge, Haliburton, Lindsay, New Market, Aurora, Richmond Hill, Brampton, Toronto/GTA, Ajax, Oshawa, Whitby, Milton, Oakville, Burlington) - our Central Ontario Youth Shorts Film Festival: https://filmfreeway.com/CentralOntarioYouthShortFilmFestival
SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO (Owen Sound, Goderich, Kitchener, London, Hamilton, Niagara, Sarnia, Chatham, Windsor) - Forest City Youth Film Festival: https://filmfreeway.com/ForestCityYouthFilmFestival-1
EASTERN ONTARIO (Pembrook, Ottawa, Cornwall, Brockville, Peterborough, Kingston, Belleville) - MyView Youth Film Festival: https://myviewfilmfest.ca/submit-now/
