IMDb Qualifying
As a dedicated documentary filmmaker, you have an important message: Deliver it to the people that matter! Other fests claim to “invite” distributors to a venue: We Deliver Them To You Directly, guaranteed.

Docs Without Borders Film Festival (DWBFF) is a festival dedicated to DOCUMENTARIES and DOCUDRAMAS ONLY (we are one of the few festivals with a separate category for Docudramas).

-Guaranteed distributor review by Worldwide Motion Pictures Corporation (WWMPC.COM) for features, Adler & Associates for shorts and features, and Cardinal XD, AT NO EXTRA COST TO YOU, for our select few "Best Of Festival" and "Best Of Show’" winners in the 13 Major categories, based on sufficient qualified entries. For this FREE service, DWBFF requires NO CONTRACTS to be signed.
-No need to "hope" that a distributor will see your film at a festival venue: We guarantee our distribution associates will review top winners.
- VIDEO PLAY OPTION: DWBFF, with WRPN.TV Entertainment Network may also offer a unique opportunity to show your film to a worldwide community of video fans from dozens of countries that filmmakers would not usually have access to,

-FREE Early bird entry of any rejected film into DWBFF’s next competition upon completing the suggested corrections outlined in your rejection letter.
-Reduced rates for sub-category submissions (cinematography, editing, original score, research, etc.)
-Unique Documentary Category distinctions: Environmental, Human Spirit, Social Issues, Wildlife, Docudrama shorts, Docudrama features, and many others.
-Rejected films also have the opportunity for Feedback: The one element most festivals ignore.
Instead of paying submission fees and getting nothing in return, EVERYONE who submits to DWBFF will receive one of two benefits: Either 1): your film is already competition caliber and gets accepted as an Official Selection, OR 2): you’ll receive a letter outlining exactly what is keeping it from being accepted. If you can make corrections, you resubmit for FREE.
While most festivals do not explain all the rejections, we strive to help filmmakers improve their festival acceptance rates and marketability.
DWBFF is run as a web-based competition instead of a traditional film festival: 100% of our effort and investment goes into finding a market for you, not into renting theatres unless it is dictated by the distributors to test the market further. New distribution company connections are actively petitioned.

Get your winning scripts submitted to Polaris Pictures, a film finance company.
Polaris does not accept unsolicited submissions.

If your screenplay is rejected, we will tell you the reason (s), and you’ll have a chance to re-submit up to 30 days before the last deadline or the following season for free.

WRPNSC accepts unproduced and produced feature-length screenplays between 70 and 130 pages, unproduced and produced short scripts under 40 pages,

Finally, our (DWBFF's) founders are registered Committee Members for the Universal Film & Festival Organization (UFFO.ORG). The UFFO is a non-profit operating out of the U.K., which exists to "promote the best business practices for film festivals.” This guarantees that your film will benefit from a fair and thorough judging process.

Awards & Prizes

DWBFF, in cooperation with our distribution colleagues, is proud to offer a guaranteed distributor review to the top winners in the 13 major categories at these award levels*:
"Best Of Festival"
"Best Of Show"

*(Please note: If there is insufficient competition within any category, DOFIFF reserves the right to withdraw a "Best Of" presentation in that category.)

Other award levels include:
"Award Of Outstanding Excellence"
"Award Of Excellence"
"Award Of Exceptional Merit"
"Award Of Merit"
"Kudos Endeavor Award"

Sub-category awards are available for cinematography, research, original concept, editing, viewer impact, and many others.

Rules & Terms

DWBFF is granted the right to use an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for competition at the Festival for promotional purposes.
Only films submitted into one of the 13 Major categories are eligible for distributor review (films submitted for judging in reduced-rate, production value sub-categories only will not be eligible).
To ensure that each film is studied and rated individually, DWBFF has instituted a system to ensure that entries do not compete against each other but are recognized for their merits. They compete against themselves: each entry is judged on individual merits and scored on an inherent value system. We want to ensure that the judges’ focus is on you when it is your turn to be evaluated, not on all the other films that are on cue: this ensures that they will not have comparisons going on in their minds when they should focus entirely on YOU.
Screening on WRPN.TV is entirely OPTIONAL.

Please note: We DO NOT automatically subscribe you to our mailing list any longer.
Subscribing to our WRPN.tv mail list is highly recommended to ensure you receive award notifications and additional discounts. We are not responsible for winners missing opportunities because of failure to receive or read emails.
subscribe HERE

The individual or corporation submitting the film warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations.
The Competition reserves the right to refuse entries, and there are no waivers.
DVDs will not be returned.
Submissions other than English must be subtitled, dubbed, or include an English transcript.
DWBFF reserves the right to withdraw a "Best Of" presentation if there is insufficient competition within any category.
Filmmakers who enter only discounted sub-categories, but no major categories, are not eligible for the "Best Of Show" award.

Judges score on a performance scale, and winning entries are recognized and awarded not only for the Best of Festival and Best Of Show but also for two Awards of Excellence levels, two Awards of Merit levels, a Kudos Endeavor Award, or no award.
Best of Show honors are granted to the top scoring entry/entries for each season; Awards of excellence are granted to entries with truly exceptional artistic and technical achievements, and notable achievements are recognized at the Award of Merit and 'Kudos' award levels.
The number of awards granted at any level will fluctuate based on the total number of entries received for each competition deadline. Just as entering major categories does not ensure selection or award, entering sub-categories also does not ensure selection or award; Filmmakers who enter sub-categories only (without entering a major category) may be rejected if the judges do not feel the submitted sub-category is of merit, even if the film itself is of merit and could have been award-worthy. Conversely, films may also receive awards for sub-categories written by the judges, even if the filmmaker did not submit for them.
The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless DOCS WITHOUT BORDERS FILM FESTIVAL, WRPN.TV, and ROMAN PICTURES from and against 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 any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

156 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Louisa Sharamatyan

    Dear Docs Without Borders Film Festival team,

    You are one of the best film festivals we have taken part in.

    Our team would like to thank you for the excellent organization of the festival, as well as all the members of the jury, thanks to whose decision our film "The American Good Samaritans" won award .

    I wish all of you a all the best for the festival and in your personal life.

    Best,
    Manvel Saribekyan, Film Producer.

    January 2023
    Helpful
  • Richard Van Kleeck

    This is a very well curated film festival that cares about film makers.

    November 2022
    Helpful
  • Lisa Gerstner

    Great festival! Thanks for the Award of Merit for the Earl Biss Documentary. Grateful for the recognition!

    October 2022
    Helpful
  • Peter Tompkins

    A wonderful time. Very honored to have been part of this festival and to have won in my category. Thank you.

    September 2022
    Helpful
  • Terrance Afer-Anderson

    I have worked in the healthcare arena for many years and having previously written, produced and directed pubic service announcements as 30 to 60 second short films (microfilms), with a definitive beginning, middle and end, "The Black Walnut" is my first feature-length film. To be honored with an Award of Merit from the Docs Without Borders Film Festival has proved a stellar affirmation that I should continue doing this important work. I am immensely gratified and, though a writer, find it difficult to find the words that adequately define the full measure of my appreciation. Thank You!

    September 2022
    Helpful