Please view the rules to determine your eligibility and requirements for submission. If you DO NOT fit either of these two categories, your film will be DISQUALIFIED.
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* FILMMAKER ELIGIBILITY: Submitting Filmmakers may fall into either of these two categories:
* CLOSE CIRCLE: UCD STUDENT & RECENT ALUM: Must be a student or recent graduate of UC DAVIS (graduation June 2024 or after).
• Current Students: Submit your film from an @ucdavis.edu email address in order to be considered eligible for this category.
• Recent Alum: List your year of graduation and major in your submission cover letter.
• ENTRY IS FREE FOR QUALIFIED UCD STUDENTS & Alums from '24 and '25 WITH THE CODE: 26in25ffUCD. Please be sure to use the code if you are eligible - Entry fees cannot be refunded.'
*WIDER NET: Current Students at NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Colleges and Universities (2 or 4 year programs) within 100 miles of UC Davis.
• List your school’s name and year of expected graduation in your submission Cover Letter.
• This category requires an entry fee $10 per film
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Submit your film on filmfreeway.com before 11:59 P.M., May 4, 2026
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* FILM ELIGIBILITY
• FILMS MUST BE DIRECTED by UCD CURRENT STUDENTS and ALUMNI (24/25) and by current students of UNIVERSITIES/ COLLEGES 100 miles or less distance from UCD
• RUNTIME LIMIT: no longer than 8 minutes, 59 seconds including credits. ENTRIES THAT EXCEED THIS RUNTIME WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
• FORMAT FOR SUBMISSION:
--REQUIRED SPECIFICATIONS:
• Filetype: .mov or .mp4
• Resolution: 1920x1080
• Codec: Apple ProRes 422 or .H264
• Aspect ratio: 16:9/ widescreen or 4:3
• Frame rate: 24 (23.976) or 30 (29.97) frames per second - consistent with acquisition format
• MAKE YOUR FILM ENTRY DOWNLOADABLE - Entering with "download by request" may delay our ability to consider or include your film in our program.
• Do not submit a Youtube, Vimeo, or other Online Link
• INCLUDE CREDITS on your film AND IN YOUR FilmFreeway LISTING. For award consideration purposes, please make it obvious to our jury who is responsible for major roles that are part of your film, such as featured actors and on-screen participants, cinematography; sound recording, mixing and design; original score; art direction/ production design; costume design, animation, etc. - as is appropriate to your film
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PLEASE SELECT THE CORRECT CATEGORY FOR YOUR ENTRY AND PLEASE DO NOT ENTER THIS FESTIVAL IF YOU DO NOT MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS.
NO ONE WILL BE TURNED AWAY FOR LACK OF FUNDS. IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD THE ENTRY FEE PLEASE EMAIL filmfestatucd@gmail.com to request a fee waiver.
If you have any questions about whether your film qualifies for the festival, please email filmfestatucd@gmail.com
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*ADDITIONAL MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR SUBMISSION:
• SYNOPSIS (1-3 sentences describing your film story) and
• ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT MATERIALS: Your entry MUST include the following three elements:
--Production Photos (1-3 images from the film that can be used for promotion)
--Director / Writer Headshot (image of director)
--Director / Writer Biography (paragraph description of director)
(It is mandatory to fill out all the credits options for your film on FilmFreeway. A lack of credit and EPK promo material detail may limit our ability to promote or even accept your film.)
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Question and Answer Section
Q: Can I submit a FINE CUT rather than a FINAL CUT of my film? (I can have the final cut ready in time for the festival but not the May 4th deadline).
A: "CLOSE CIRCLE" Submitters, ie Current UCD Students ONLY may submit a Fine Cut that is close to Final IF YOU CAN GUARANTEE A FINAL COPY OF YOUR FILM WILL BE UPLOADED BY MAY 18 TO FilmFreeway. Please note that selection and jury awards will use your May 4 submission for consideration for the festival program and awards, i.e. the jury will not be able to review your final cut for award consideration, but will attempt to include it in our screening program if your film is selected. PLEASE NOTE YOUR FILM'S STATUS (FINE CUT AND COMMITMENT TO SUBMIT FINAL CUT BY 5/18 IN BOTH YOUR COVER LETTER AND YOUR FILM SYNOPSIS. PLEASE DESCRIBE FOR THE JUDGES WHAT WILL CHANGE IN YOUR FINAL CUT (ie "my final film will have new music and improved sound quality." or "A new scene will be added at minute 4 in which ... [fill in here]. happens"]
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Information on Copyrights, Performer Agreements and Other legal Permissions:
Copyright and permissions relating to filmmaking is complicated and should be something you think about from pre- to post-production. The UC Davis Film Festival is a 'public performance' under US copyright law, and you must have copyright licenses and other permissions in place before you submit your film for consideration. By submitting your film you are promising that you have obtained all necessary copyright licenses and other permissions from participants in the film and for all music or third party content (such as clips from other films, copyrighted music), as well as location permits and other required documents. Please note that you are financially responsible for any legal problems that arise from not having done so or not doing it properly.
Here are some guidelines for current and future productions:
Obtain (a) written agreement(s) with the scriptwriter(s), songwriter(s), producer(s), director(s), camera operator(s), editor(s) and anyone else who is making a creative contribution, as they could own part of the copyright if you don’t and therefore control what you can do with it.
Second, make sure you have written permission from the property owner of any location you use to film.
Third, you should obtain a performer agreement from every actor or musician who performs. (Sample: http://media.breakdownexpress.com/attachment/2011/9/1046333230108.pdf)
Fourth, if there is any pre-existing content in the film such as film clips, artwork on the walls, or preexisting music, you need written permission of the copyright owner to include that content.
Music licensing can be complicated and expensive. One easy solution is to use original music written and performed for the film using the performer agreement above. There are also some online resources for music which copyright owners are willing to share at no fee if you don’t have original music. One resource you might consider is SmartSound. http://www.smartsound.com/
Note: You can find sample agreements on the web, and NoloPress publishes “The Copyright Handbook” which has forms. Also, as a member of ASUCD you are entitled to a free legal consultation with an attorney, and you may want to take advantage of that for your film. To make an appointment, contact ASUCD: “ASUCD offers undergraduate students free 30-minute legal consultations with a contracted attorney:"
https://resources.ucdavis.edu/legal
