Deadlines:
Entries must be received by the following dates for consideration:
- Early: May 15, 2020; entry fee: $25
- Regular: June 15, 2020; entry fee: $25
- Late: July 15, 2020; entry fee: $25
*Students benefit from a $10 discount.
Entry requirements:
• One (1) DVD of your short film or a downloadable file.
• A signed copy of the entry form. A signature of a parent or legal guardian, along with a contestant’s signature, must be included if the contestant is under 18 years of age.
• Entry fee.
Mailed entries should be sent to:
Shervin Abachi, Director, FOLCS International Short Film Competition
Forum on Life, Culture & Society
c/o Touro College
500 7th Ave, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10018
Online entries may be submitted via FilmFreeway or to shorts@folcs.org
Runtime:
Films must run 20 minutes or less. There is no minimum runtime requirement.
Format:
Entries may be submitted by mailing a DVD or online video via file-sharing system (Dropbox, Vimeo, WeTransfer, etc.).
• Video resolution should be a minimum of 720x480. You may be required to supply a higher resolution if your entry is chosen as a finalist.
• Entries submitted online must be downloadable. Please send the link to shervin.abachi@folcs.org, along with log-in information.
• Preferred formatting is .mp4 or .mov – if submitting via DVD, please include a downloadable .mov or .mp4 file on the disc. DVDs should be NTSC Region 0 or 1.
• VHS, non-standard DVDs (i.e., no Blu-Ray), and other formats (mini DV, Beta, etc.) will not be accepted.
Works in progress:
Works in progress will only be accepted if substantially complete (i.e., edit locked, but needs color correction or sound mixing).
• If submitting a work in progress, please make note of what elements are incomplete.
• Please submit as completed work as possible, as only the first version of the film submitted will be considered for judging purposes.
Films must be in English or subtitled in English.
Stock Footage:
Contestants are responsible for securing full license, authorization, and release for stock video, photos, illustrations, animation, music and/or sounds.
• The Forum on Law, Culture & Society [hereinafter “FOLCS”], and
their affiliates, representatives, employees, agents and/or volunteers are not responsible for any liability incurred by any Contestant who fails to obtain the correct authorization, releases, and/or licenses in the making of his or her film. By entering the FOLCS International Short Film Competition, Contestant agrees that he or she will not hold FOLCS, their affiliates, or any of their representatives, employees, agents and/ or volunteers liable for any unauthorized use of the stock material.
Copyright:
Commercial, broadcast and copyrighted videos, photos, illustrations, animation, music and/or sounds may not be used without authorization and release from the copyright holder for full and uncompensated use in the video for purposes of the FOLCS International Short Film Competition, broadcast at the FOLCS Film Series and/or FOLCS events, for dissemination on the FOLCS website and/or related sites.
• Please be aware this can include the use of brand names, logos, slogans, etc.
• FOLCS, their affiliates, representatives, employees, agents and/ or volunteers are not responsible for any liability incurred by any Contestant who does not obtain the correct authorization, releases, and/or licenses. By entering the FOLCS International Short Film Competition, Contestants agree that they will not hold FOLCS, their affiliates, or any of their representatives, employees, agents and/or volunteers liable for copyright or trademark infringement caused by the Contestant or his or her film.
Other releases:
Contestants are responsible for securing necessary releases from actors and other individuals involved in the making of the film.
• FOLCS, their affiliates, representatives, employees, agents and/or volunteers are not responsible for any liability incurred by any Contestant who fails to obtain the correct authorization and releases. By entering the FOLCS International Short Film Competition, Contestants agree that they will not hold FOLCS and its affiliates, or any of their representatives, employees, agents and/or volunteers liable for the failure to obtain any necessary releases.
Any taxes incurred from prize winnings are the responsibility of the winner.
Films should not contain nudity, excessive or glamorized violence, excessive or glamorized drug use, or excessive strong language.
Contestants retain the ownership rights to their films but grant a non-exclusive license to FOLCS and their representatives, employees, and agents that would permit the use of the films in perpetuity without additional compensation. Use of films may include, but is not limited to: use in whole or in part to promote/advertise FOLCS, the FOLCS International Short Film Competition, and/or the FOLCS Film Series; screenings of shorts, in whole or in part at FOLCS events; and for use on the Forum’s website.
Contestants chosen as winners agree that their name, photo, video, likeness and/or voice may be used for promotional/ advertising purposes by FOLCS and/or their representatives, employees, agents, and volunteers for no additional compensation.
By entering the Competition, the Contestant certifies that his/her short is an original work and that he/she is the legal owner of the submitted short film.
Films and/or Contestants that do not abide by the Submission Rules will be disqualified without notification.
DVDs and other entry materials will not be returned. FOLCS and its affiliates are not responsible for any loss of DVDs nor damaged DVDs. Entry fees will not be reimbursed for lost, damaged, or disqualified DVDs.
The determination of the judges shall be final.
FOLCS reserves the right to change submission rules and categories at its discretion.
By signing the entry form, or entering the competition through any and all online platforms like FilmFreeway, contestants and/or parents and/or legal guardians agree to be bound by these Submission Rules.
