Welcome to the 8th Annual Film Festival for Down East Flick Fest (DEFF) submission process. As always, we will celebrate all the collaborative arts that make filmmaking possible. There will be opportunities to promote your craft, network with working filmmakers, and talk with industry professionals. This year we will extend our on-the-ground footprint but still maintain an online event. (Banner image by Clifton Freeman Cash).

There will be winners in all the categories. The overall winning film, the Best of the Fest, will win a cash prize. We will also award a Community Impact Award (N.C.), a National Community Impact Award (U.S.), and an International Community Impact Award for films that significantly address social justice issues. There will also be a winner of the Unapologetic Award for marginalized groups that produce documentaries and other genres to share their communities' stories.

We are also excited to announce a Poetry/ Spoken Word Films category. This category is for poetic performances of all kinds. These films may include a fusion of literary or spoken word poetry, visual images, and sound to create powerful presentations and interpretations of the poet's intended meaning. We will facilitate a special showing and awards for select films in this category.

The festival is a juried event that is open for both emerging and experienced filmmakers. We are establishing partnership opportunities above and beyond the event itself. More news on that will be forthcoming in the weeks ahead.

Choose one category or genre that best describes your film. Along with our "Kid-Friendly" category, we are also offering a "Family Film" category. Any genre may be submitted in this category except for Animation, which will be judged separately. Be sure to read the description and requirements under these categories before submitting your film. If they do not meet these qualifications, they may be disqualified from the entire festival or placed in a more appropriate category at the judges' discretion.

Filmmakers who identify themselves as High School Students and request a unique code will be judged separately from the regular entries. Fees will be waived for High School filmmakers from North Carolina schools and reduced by one-half for all other High School filmmakers. This is not automatic. The Student Film coordinator will notify all those accepted with this waiver or reduction. See Rules and Terms for specific details on how to submit.

We will announce the details concerning live streaming and seated events closer to the festival dates.

This year the overall winner, The Best of the Fest, will win a total of $500 in cash or prizes. All winning filmmakers will be awarded and highlighted for their outstanding entries, but there will be no losers. All filmmakers will receive notification of the status of their films. In the coming weeks and months, visit our website for more details at www.downeastflickfest.org. Sponsorships that will be available for specific categories will be announced.

By submitting an entry, each entrant warrants and represents that the Entrant owns all rights to the entry he/she is entering into the Down East Flick Fest (DEFF) without limitation including the video or digital recording and the performance contained in each entry. Each entrant further warrants and represents that the entrant has obtained permission from each person who appears in the entry, give the promotional rights to the Project Parties (DEFF) as described in these Official Rules on the website at (www.downeastflickfest.org), and will submit copies of permissions to the DEFF Parties upon request. By submitting an entry, the entrant agrees to the Official Rules, and further agrees to indemnify and hold the Down East Flick Fest, it’s organizers, their respective affiliates, officers, directors, agents, co-branders or other partners, and any independent contractors engaged (collectively, the “DEFF Indemnitees”), harmless from any and all claims, damages, expenses, costs (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) and liabilities (including settlements), brought or asserted by any third party against any of the DEFF Indemnitees due to or arising out of the entrant’s entry materials in Down East Flick Fest including but not limited to Official Screenings, Websites, or any Promotional Materials/Activities or the Entrant’s conduct during and in connection with the festival, including but not limited to trademark, copyright, or other intellectual property rights, right of publicity, right of privacy or defamation. Entrant agrees to release, indemnify and hold harmless DEFF and the DEFF Parties from any and all claims that any advertising, presentation, web content or any other material subsequently produced, presented, and/or prepared by or on behalf of DEFF or the DEFF Parties of any infringement on the rights of Entrant's work as contained in any entry.

Selected filmmakers may expect the following:

1. Filmmakers whose films are accepted for the competition will be notified initially by email via FilmFreeway platform. All the privileges due to filmmakers will be specified in this correspondence.

2. For any face-to-face events, all filmmakers with a film in competition will receive a pass giving free access subject to availability. Passes will not be sent by mail but emailed to the addresses provided with their entries.

3. DEFF will promote the schedule of screenings via media including newspapers, emails, the web, and other media outlets.

DEFF encourages filmmakers to help promote their films by promoting their screening(s) to industry professionals, distributors, the press and the general public. Filmmakers are encouraged to submit links to their own sites that promote their films to DEFF. The inclusion of such links on the DEFF website will be at the discretion of the DEFF organizers.

All entries to the 2022 festival should be submitted with a downloadable link via FilmFreeway at the time of entry or otherwise made available within 7 days of being requested for screening purposes during the festival. For certain situations a hard copy may be requested for your film to be screened.

The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations. The individual or corporation submitting this film additionally grants the Down East Flick Fest the right to one or more public screenings of the entry during the dates of November 21, 2021 through October 22, 2022. Filmmakers will be notified of all screenings of their film via the email provided with their submission. Entries that are not completed or available for screening must pull their entry prior to August 23, or the film will be screened as entered.

The organizers of the Down East Flick Fest Festival reserve the right to decide all questions regarding rules and regulations. Submission of a film constitutes that the filmmaker accepts the rules and regulations set forth herein.

Entries from High School Students will be judged separately from the regular entries if they self identify themselves. Otherwise, they will be judged with the regular entries.
Fees can be waived for High School filmmakers from North Carolina schools and reduced by one/half for all other High School filmmakers. A teacher, school administrator, or parent must submit the film for all students under 18. A pass-code will be sent out for this purpose upon their request. Each student's eligibility must be verified by DEFF representatives.

If you have any questions about rules, terms, or other issues you may email us at info@downeastflickfest.org. Leave your number if you want us to call instead of responding by email.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Nice job. We will submit again.

    November 2022
  • It was great to have another film (or two) in the Down East Flick Fest and fantastic to be walking away with an award the second time around. Many thanks to Phebe and everyone at DEFF!

    November 2021
  • Thank you for selecting my film.
    It's a good festival, I think.
    Thank you a lot.

    November 2021
  • Mark Rose

    Phoebe did a fantastic job communicating all things festival for our first documentary, Alaska Long Hunters. Many thanks and so much appreciate all you folks! Mark Rose

    November 2021
  • Best wishes to your festival!

    November 2021