Visit Film School Shorts: http://blogs.kqed.org/filmschoolshorts/

FILM SCHOOL SHORTS is a national half-hour weekly series that showcases short student films from across the country. Each week, viewers can watch well-crafted films with high production values, strong dialogue and riveting drama. Grouped together around a central theme or topic, and featuring production values that rival their indie film counterparts, KQED is proud to present award winning entertainment to a national audience. Featured are the best short films from major institutions like NYU, Columbia University, UCLA, USC and University of Texas that have wowed audiences at Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Telluride and SXSW.

Each film has been personally selected to deliver an experience that will make viewers laugh, gasp and empathize, sometimes in the same breath.

Watch Our Award-Winning Student Films: https://vimeo.com/channels/filmschoolshorts

SELECTION CRITERIA
Our taste is eclectic: Film School Shorts seeks films that cover a broad range of topics, filmmaking styles and genres. Comedies, dramas, character studies, science fiction/fantasy, thrillers and sociopolitical films are all welcome. We look for well-executed films with compelling characters, pleasing and/or interesting aesthetics and well-crafted stories. Our Vimeo channel will give you a sense of our expectations.

ELIGIBILITY
U.S Film School Students Only: Films must have been made by students at film schools in the United States. That said, the films do not have to be shot in the U.S. and foreign students at U.S. film schools are eligible, as are students at U.S. schools with campuses abroad. The filmmaker may have already graduated, as long as the film was made while s/he was a student.

Fiction, Documentary & Animation: We primarily focus on animated and live-action fiction, but we are open to reviewing documentary works for the future.

Independents Only: Filmmakers must have artistic, editorial and budgetary control of their projects and must own the copyright.

Completed Works: Submitted works must be completed films. Please note that filmmakers must be able to commit to broadcasting their films within 2 to 6 months of being accepted to the series.

Rights, Releases and Insurance: Filmmaker will be solely responsible to obtain, at filmmaker’s expense, all rights, clearances, and releases with respect to all creative elements, appearances and third party materials contained in the film before applying to Film School Shorts. In addition, all music, photos, and acquired footage must be licensed before applying. Proof of releases and licenses may be required.

Length: Films we are seeking are generally in the 1 to 15 minute range, but we will consider films as long as 25 minutes. Filmmakers must be willing to have their films edited for time constraints and for public television content standards.

License Fee: A license fee will be negotiated prior to contract.

Format: Our general standard for acceptance is broadcast quality, HD 1920×1080. (Selected films must be submitted on HDCam tape or QuickTime file via FTP or hard drive. Avid DNxHD or Apple ProRes codecs preferred.)

Funding: All projects must comply with PBS’ funding and underwriting guidelines, which can be found at: http://www.pbs.org/about/producing-pbs/proposal-process/guidelines/

Fees/Rights: Filmmakers are required to grant KQED U.S. public television broadcast and streaming rights. All third-party material included in the films (archival footage, newspaper or magazine headlines/articles, music, photographs, etc.) must be cleared for these same rights. Additional terms and details will be discussed upon acceptance and contract.

Deadline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

Submission Fee: None!

For more information:
Subscribe to our Vimeo Channel: http://www.vimeo.com/channels/filmschoolshorts

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FilmSchoolShorts

Follow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/FilmSchoolShort

Learn more on our Website: http://www.kqed.org/fss

Film School Shorts is a production of KQED.