The Connection Awards is an annual film festival from Circuit Cinema celebrating contemporary arthouse and outstanding independent films. Open to all filmmakers worldwide, the festival aims to provide a platform for emerging and established filmmakers to showcase their work and connect with audiences.

The festival will feature a diverse range of films, from feature-length narratives and documentaries to shorts, experimental films, television, and virtual reality. All films will be selected based on their artistic merit, originality, and potential to engage and inspire audiences.

Selected films may be invited throughout the year to stream on Circuit Cinema for festival attendees on our website and apps for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Android TV.

Award winners will be screened for festival attendees in Los Angeles.

Awards & Prizes

Official selections will be offered a streaming run on Circuit Cinema.

All selected films will be eligible for awards given at the end of the year:
BEST FEATURE
BEST DOCUMENTARY
BEST SHORT FILM
BEST VIRTUAL REALITY FILM
BEST DIRECTOR
BEST SCREENPLAY
BEST ACTOR
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
AUDIENCE AWARD

Rules & Terms

To be eligible, films must have never had streaming distribution anywhere in the world except for online film festivals where screenings were restricted to festival attendees. Films that have ever been posted publicly online or had distribution on television or through a streaming service are not eligible. Ineligible films may be submitted to the "Out of Competition" category.

You must have worldwide streaming rights to the film.

The following image assets are required. Please add them to your FilmFreeway listing as part of your submission:
- Key Art 2x3 - with the film title and no other text
- Key Art 16x9 - with the film title and no other text
- Textless Background 16x9 - with the subject on the right side of the image

English subtitles are required for all films.

All fees are non-refundable.

The judges' decisions are final and feedback may not be given.

By submitting, you acknowledge and agree to the following:
- Circuit Cinema Corporation is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted to the festival for promotional purposes.
- The submitter of the film hereby warrants that they are authorized to commit the film for screening and understand and accept these requirements and regulations.
- The submitter shall indemnify and hold harmless Circuit Cinema Corporation from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses, including but not limited, to attorney's fees and costs of the court), which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the films submitted.
- All the statements and documents provided are authentic and accurate
- I understand that Circuit Cinema Corporation may disqualify and reject any submission that it determines, in its sole and absolute discretion, is not in compliance, in whole or in part, with the mentioned Terms.
- I understand that Circuit Cinema Corporation does not issue any form of refund to any submitted film regardless of circumstance.