Copper Mountain Film Festival

General Eligibility:

Submissions must be accompanied by the applicable submission fee PER ENTRY and a completed online entry form. All films must be in English or have English subtitles at the time submitted. Short film submissions must be under a total run-time of 40 minutes. Feature film submissions must be over a total run-time of 60 minutes.

Films must be submitted as an online streaming video via FilmFreeway, a password-protected streaming URL, or on DVD (please test before sending).

In the event of a password change or link change after submitting, you must email coppermtnfilmfestival@gmail.com immediately with that change so we may update your record. If the Festival is not notified of the change and the link is found to be inactive or the password to be incorrect, the submission may be deemed ineligible.

CMFF screens films as digital files during the Festival and does NOT screen films on Blu-Ray, HD-CAM, or DCP. If you are unable or unwilling to provide us your film as a digital file for exhibition, DO NOT SUBMIT your film.

Films must have been completed after March 1, 2018. Films must be available for screening during the Copper Mountain Film Festival, June 2019.

Films that have been submitted to CMFF in previous years are ineligible to be resubmitted.

Films with US distribution (obtained prior to being selected for CMFF screening) or films produced, financed or initiated by a major film studio or television network are ineligible for competition, but may be considered for a special screening. Films that have screened on US network or cable television or distributed to theaters prior to the festival dates are also ineligible for competition.

Short films that are publicly available online prior to the Festival may be considered for exhibition during the Festival, but will be ineligible for Jury Awards. We prefer that shorts not be publicly available online.

Private invite-only screenings (for instance for cast and crew or donors) do not affect a film’s eligibility.

CMFF reserves the right in its sole discretion to reject or disqualify any ineligible entries, without a refund.

Films that are selected to screen at the Festival may not necessarily be selected to be “in competition” for awards purposes. Notifications regarding potential selection for competition status possibly may occur subsequent to notifications of acceptance for exhibition.

Originality and Permissions; INDEMNITY:

Films must be the original work of the applicants. If a film is based upon another person’s life or upon a book or other underlying work, applicant(s) must secure any necessary rights to make such adaptations. However, it is not necessary to submit the adaptation rights agreements to the Festival. Neither the Festival nor its jurists investigates or attests to the authenticity of an applicant’s statement of authorship or rights secured. By entering the competition, you represent that you have secured all necessary rights.

Applicants are solely responsible for obtaining all necessary rights and permissions for third-party materials included in their films, including but not limited to music, trademarks, logos, copyrights, and other intellectual property rights. CMFF expressly disclaims all liability or responsibility for any violations of the foregoing.

Additional Information:

We strongly encourage filmmakers to submit their film only after it is fully finished and will judge each submission as a completed work, whether it is or not. Once a film is entered, we will not update the submission with a more recent cut. That said, because CMFF's focus is on story, minor technical changes will not affect the final decision of any film. Should the film be accepted to play during the Festival, the filmmaker will have the opportunity to supply the Festival with their most recent version.

Copper Mountain Film Festival reserves the right to switch the entry category or otherwise assign a category to fit programming needs and interests, and films will not be penalized for the original submission selection.

Once an entry payment has been received we cannot provide a refund. If a payment is disputed by an entrant for any reason, the entrant may be subject to any transaction fees or similar amounts incurred by CMFF in connection with the dispute.

You MUST include your physical address either in your entry or in your cover letter. Please do not submit a film without giving us your address, which we need for our records.
Payments made with a check are subject to our Bounced Check Policy: If we receive a returned check from our bank for a payment you made, you will be invoiced for the original amount of the check plus a $25 bounced check fee. The payment of the invoiced amount will be due within 30 days of invoice date. We will not re-submit the original check, nor will we accept another check for repayment. Repayment must be made by money order or cashier’s check.

Please include in your cover letter if your film was SHOT IN COLORADO (include locations) or made by COLORADO FILMMAKERS. We don’t want to miss your film.

Selected Films and Winners:

CMFF has no obligation (other than as stated in these rules or on our website) to disclose any of the following information: i) identities of screeners or judges; ii) notes, feedback, or information relating to the submitted project; and/or iii) details regarding the submission review or selection process.

CMFF explicitly disclaims any liability or responsibility for any comments, notes, or opinions expressed about a submission, whether by CMFF or by its volunteers.

Winners will be announced at the conclusion of the festival in 2019. The judges’ decision is final.

If applicable, winners receiving cash prizes are solely responsible for payment of all applicable local, state, and federal taxes.

RETURNS & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:

DVDs and press materials will not be returned under any circumstances. Include a self-addressed, stamped postcard for each submission if you wish acknowledgment of the receipt of your entry.

COMPETITION CERTIFICATION:

I/We have read all of the rules, understand, and have complied with these rules.

I/We warrant the submission of my/our original work and that there are no disputes regarding the ownership of the submission.

I/We also warrant the submitted material does not defame or invade the rights of any person living or dead.

To the best of my/our knowledge, all the statements herein are true and correct.

I/We understand that failure to adhere to the competition rules and regulations will result in disqualification and forfeiture of entry fee.

I/We acknowledge that once an entry payment has been processed, CMFF will not provide a refund.

No revisions of materials will be accepted once entry has been submitted.

BY SUBMITTING THE MATERIAL, I/WE HEREBY AGREES TO INDEMNIFY, HOLD HARMLESS, AND DEFEND THE FESTIVAL, ITS EMPLOYEES, DIRECTORS, REPRESENTATIVES, AND AFFILIATES FROM ALL LIABILITY, CLAIMS, AND DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE SUBMISSION AND FROM ANY FEES AND EXPENSES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO REASONABLE ATTORNEYS’ FEES, THAT ANY OF THEM MAY INCUR IN CONNECTION THEREWITH.