Students from Chapel Hill High School, East Chapel Hill High School, Carrboro High School, and Wake County high schools may submit films. The films are all original and all made on a budget of no more than $50. The top 24 films are selected by the Cinema Paradiso Film Club at East Chapel Hill High School. Then, we host the film festival on 30 April 2015 in the East Chapel Hill High School auditorium. The festival is open to the entire community. We suggest donations of $7 per person. All films are due by 5:00 p.m. on 8 April 2015. When you submit your film, please include the following information: either at the beginning or the end, a slide showing credits for all people involved in the creation of the film, which high school you are from (if you are making between two or more of the high schools, please note that), a paper copy of the credits (it must include the full names, ages and schools of everyone involved in the film creation as you would like them to be featured in the program. If you are creating your film through an organization, club or class and would like that to be included in the program, please include this information as well), an accurate and detailed budget, showing all expenses associated with the film (regarding materials you already own, these must be included, but the cost need not be listed if it cannot be found), a signed consent form for each member of the film team listed in the credits, one cover sheet for the film [this should include the title of the film, the length of the film (mm:ss) and the name and contact information of one person who can be responsible for the submission (phone, email, and home address)], a $5 submission fee (cash, please! We can return a receipt if needed). Once we receive your submission and all submission components, we will contact you to confirm that we can access your film. We will also contact you if we are missing part of your submission. Films must be on flash drives. The may be submitted in one of two ways, in an envelope containing all materials (please do not send portions of the materials separately): by mail received by the deadline: Cinema Paradiso Film Club, c/o East Chapel Hill High School, 500 Weaver Dairy Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27517 or delivered by hand to the front desk at East Chapel Hill clearly labelled as being for the Cinema Paradiso Film Club (please note that we will not be the only ones to handle this disc, so package it safely). Technical difficulties we experience with viewing your film are your responsibility. If you would like to ensure that we can view your film properly, please send your film early. Any genre of film is acceptable and encouraged, within reason. Films must be produced, filmed, directed, and edited by high school students who live in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City school district or Wake County schools. Films must be 5-10 minutes long. Shorter films will not be accepted. Films that go slightly below or over the time limit (within 30 seconds) are fine. All films must meet the MPAA guidelines for PG-13 rating or lower, as detailed below. Violence cannot be excessively rough, graphic or persistent, and must have a relevant purpose in the plot or context of the movie. Language: many not use the work "f--k" or the phrase "g-- --mn." Err on side of high caution with slurs. Note: while the rule above is absolute, we may also disqualify films that have excessive amounts of profanity. Drug use: while drugs may be mentioned, drug use may not be shown. In some respects, since this is a school-produced event, our standards will differ here slightly from typical PG-13 standards - films may not glorify the use of drugs, alcohol or cigarettes excessively. Sexual content: No nudity (especially due to the fact that this event will be hosted by a school). All films must be sensitive and inclusive of the diverse populations at ECHHS, CHHS, and CHS. Racially charged and/or racist comments or plot lines will not be tolerated. The selection board reserves the right to disqualify submitted films for violation of these guidelines. If an instance is ambiguous, borderline, or a minor scenario, we will contact you to propose a chance to modify the film to omit violating content. Films representing any viewpoint are welcomed and encouraged, and this will not be a factor in film selection unless the content is extremely offensive or hateful.
The selection board reserves the right to disqualify submitted films for violation of these guidelines. If an instance is ambiguous, on the borderline or very minor we will contact you to discuss the possibility of modifying the film.
If you have any questions about these guidelines, please email use at cinemaparadiso2015@gmail.com. Additionally, you may submit your film via a YouTube link sent to that email address at least two weeks before the deadline with the subject line "Review for appropriate content" to receive approval of the content in your film or details about specific content issues. Mailed submissions for content review will not be accepted.
