WHY FIRST FRAME INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL?

ALL WINNERS receive continued consultation, our contacts, and support to elevate their current and future projects. Our top prizes will make your dreams come true!

*WINNER OF OUR GRAND PRIZE: First Frame International Film Festival will PRODUCE the winning screenplay for a maximum budget up to $500,000.00 USD. Yes, you’ve read that right. First Frame International Festival wants to turn your screenplay into a major motion picture!

LAST YEAR'S WINNER "WEREWOLF GAME" (in post-production): https://deadline.com/2022/03/lydia-hearst-joins-cast-of-new-social-media-horror-werewolf-game-1234983830/

★ IMDB Qualifying Festival ★

Awards & Prizes

There is only ONE winner per category for each award. Every winner will receive a Laurel and a Personalized Engraved Trophy, in addition to the invaluable rewards, pitches, and prizes described below.

FIRST FRAME INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL COMPETITION AWARDS:

BEST UNPRODUCED FEATURE SCREENPLAY CONCEPT *GRAND PRIZE WINNER*:
First Frame International Film Festival will start by PURCHASING or OPTIONING your screenplay, and produce it for a MAX budget up to $500,000.00 USD. IF your screenplay is a bigger budget, we will OPTION it and do everything in our power to get it produced. However, in any capacity, if we are NOT successful after one-year, the rights to the script will return to the writer(s), and FFIFF will reward you with $2,000.00 USD in cash.

BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE FILM:
The winning film will receive at least one multi-platform DISTRIBUTION DEAL offer, as well as the services provided by www.DevelopYourMovie.com, free of charge, for a future project.

BEST NARRATIVE SHORT FILM:
The winning film will receive the services provided by www.DevelopYourMovie.com, free of charge, for their first (or next) feature film project.

BEST UNPRODUCED FEATURE SCREENPLAY:
The winning writer will receive the services provided by www.DevelopYourMovie.com, free of charge, and Rob Margolies will attach himself as the producer as well as director, if desired. The winning writer also will receive 4 free pitches on virtualpitchfest.com. NOTE: How is this winning script different from the GRAND PRIZE WINNER? This winning script may currently be better overall, however, that does not make it an easier sell, per say. The GRAND PRIZE winning script may not be "as perfect", but it will inevitably show the promise that with a rewrite, its potential could become most valuable in the long run.

BEST UNPRODUCED SHORT SCREENPLAY:
The winning writer will receive the services provided by www.DevelopYourMovie.com, free of charge, and Rob Margolies will attach himself as the producer as well as director if desired. The winner writer also will receive 4 free pitches on virtualpitchfest.com.

BEST ACTOR DEMO REEL (or Audition / Scene under 5 minutes) (All submitters get emailed feedback sent to them within a week! The top 5 nominees will receive at least one meeting with an agent/manager/casting director/or producer, one-on-one)

BEST ACTRESS DEMO REEL (or Audition / Scene under 5 minutes) (All submitters get emailed feedback sent to them within a week! The top 5 nominees will receive at least one meeting with an agent/manager/casting director/or producer, one-on-one)

---
The WINNING FILMMAKERS of the following award categories will receive the services provided by www.DevelopYourMovie.com, free of charge, to help push their current project, or for a future feature film or TV Pilot:

BEST INTERNATIONAL / FOREIGN FEATURE FILM
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE FILM
BEST DRAMATIC FEATURE FILM
BEST COMEDIC FEATURE FILM
BEST HORROR / SCI-FI FEATURE FILM
BEST LGBTQ+ FEATURE FILM
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
BEST ONE-HOUR TV PILOT
BEST HALF-HOUR TV PILOT
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD (the weighted favorite Feature, Short, TV Pilot, or Web Series)

---
BEST PRODUCER (of a Feature, Short, TV Pilot, or Web Series)
BEST DIRECTOR (from a Feature, Short, TV Pilot, or Web Series)
BEST ACTOR (from a Feature, Short, TV Pilot, or Web Series)
BEST ACTRESS (from a Feature, Short, TV Pilot, or Web Series)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR (from a Feature, Short, TV Pilot, or Web Series)
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (from a Feature, Short, TV Pilot, or Web Series)
BEST SCREENWRITER (from a Feature, Short, TV Pilot, or Web Series). (The winner writer also will receive 3 free pitches on virtualpitchfest.com).

---
The WINNING FILMMAKERS of the following awards will receive our consultation and subjective advice, free of charge, for their first (or next) Feature Film or TV Pilot project:

BEST INTERNATIONAL / FOREIGN SHORT FILM
BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILM
BEST DRAMATIC SHORT FILM
BEST COMEDIC SHORT FILM
BEST HORROR / SCI-FI SHORT FILM BEST LGBTQ+ SHORT FILM
BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM BEST WEB SERIES
OTHER GRAND JURY AWARDS & SPECIAL PRIZES WILL ALSO BE GIVEN OUT (TBD)!
______________________________________________________
SCREENPLAY COMPETITION AWARDS:

The WINNING SCREENWRITERS of the following awards will receive our consultation and subjective advice, free of charge, to help build their talent and further their careers. The winner writers also will receive 3 free pitches on virtualpitchfest.com.

BEST DRAMATIC FEATURE SCRIPT
BEST DRAMATIC SHORT SCRIPT
BEST COMEDIC FEATURE SCRIPT
BEST COMEDIC SHORT SCRIPT
BEST HORROR / SCI-FI FEATURE SCRIPT
BEST HORROR / SCI-FI SHORT SCRIPT
BEST LGBTQ+ BEST FEATURE SCRIPT
BEST LGBTQ+ SHORT SCRIPT
BEST ANIMATION SHORT SCRIPT
BEST ANIMATION FEATURE SCRIPT
BEST TV PILOT SCRIPT
BEST WEB SERIES SCRIPT
BEST TREATMENT / PITCH DECK
BEST FILM SCORE

CELEBRITY JUDGES WILL BE CONSULTED FOR EVERY CATEGORY

Rules & Terms

FESTIVAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

Note: Student Filmmakers, to enjoy the discount pricing, a current/valid student ID must be emailed to the festival PRIOR to submitting. If Valid ID is not provided, you will be asked to re-submit as a non-student.

All presentation materials (posters, postcards, goody bag promos) and screening discs, MPEG4s, DCPs for the First Frame International Film Festival must arrive at the FFIFF Offices no later than April 28th, 2023. If screening files and screening discs are not received by this date the film will be pulled and disqualified. NO EXCEPTIONS. It is the submitter's responsibility to ensure the First Frame Film Fest has the REQUIRED screening materials.

ALL ACCEPTED SUBMISSIONS MUST provide MPEG4 film File (due April 28th 2023).
If sending DCP, Please Note that the Theater charges the filmmaker an Ingestion Fee. If sending a DCP we will still require an MPEG4 Film file.
DCPS must be logged out, signed for, and picked up after your screening. WE DO NOT RETURN/SHIP screening materials or promo materials (posters, postcards, goody bag items).

Submissions must be the original work of the entrant(s) and may not be based, in whole or in part, on any other fiction or nonfiction material, published or unpublished, produced or un-produced.

Entries may, however, be adapted from the entrant’s (or entrants’) original work, which should be noted in the logline required on the application form.
Entries lacking a logline on the application form will be disqualified.
If the script is based on a true story, historical or contemporary, the "based on true story/events" should be noted in the logline.

Collaborative work by two writers who share equally in its creation is eligible.
The collaborator’s name must be added during the online application process.
Writer's bio and headshot recommended.

All entries must be received by or before the Extended Deadline.

1. Festival accepts submissions for feature films, foreign films subtitled in English, short films, feature documentaries, short documentaries, animation, TV Pilots, Web Series, music videos, student films, feature-length screenplays, short screenplays, scripts for television/web series.

2. All films must be submitted with an online screener.

3. All feature narrative and feature documentary submissions must be over 60-minutes in length.

4. All short film narrative and short documentary submissions must be under 40-minutes in length.

5. Animation, web series, and student film submissions of all lengths will be considered.

6. Music Videos must be under 8-minutes.

7. All Submission fees are non-refundable.

8. PLEASE NOTE: Due to the current COVID-19 health crisis, festival dates, location and/or format are subject to change.

SCREENPLAY COMPETITION RULES AND REGULATIONS:

1. First Frame International Film Festival Screenplay Competition accepts feature-length screenplays, short screenplays, TV Pilots, and Web Series screenplays. Feature-length screenplays must be a minimum of 60-pages and no longer than 150-pages. TV Pilots must be under 70-pages. Short screenplay and Web Series screenplay submissions must be under 60-pages.

2. Submitted screenplays can not have been optioned, purchased, or otherwise produced at the time of submission.

3. Writers may submit as many screenplays as they’d like to the competition, however each script requires a separate application and payment.

4. All entries must be submitted in English.

5. Submissions must include a title page with the author(s) and any relevant registration or copyright information.

6. Screenplays must be submitted in PDF.

7. All screenplays are considered complete once they are received by First Frame International Film Festival. No revisions or updated copies will be accepted.

8. Submission fees are non-refundable.

9. Please be sure to read all rules and regulations prior to submitting your project.

11 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • kevin short

    This is run by a really good guy, Rob Margolies, and their inaugural year had its problems due to none of their own doing and yet they managed to overcome and produce a first class festival for all who attended. We felt privileged to be a part of it and honoured to receive awards for both Best Feature and Best Horror. Thank you to all at FFIFF.

    May 2022
    Helpful
  • Jeffrey van Davis

    Right at the top I want to say that Jessica and Rob did a great job presenting one of the first LIVE festivals in more than 18 months since the COVID lock down.

    Rob Margolies’ First Frame Int. Film Festival was held under the umbrella of the AOF MegaFest - several festivals under one roof.
    The two directors and founders of AOF, could not be present and manage the event in person due to illness so there was bound to be some gliches in the day to day running of AOF.

    All things considered I thought AOF did a much better job than I would have expected under such circumstances.

    First Frame was under the competent direction of Rob Margolies, in which he isolated his festival from the others by having his own award ceremony independent from the AOF awards event.

    More importantly Rob himself is a talented filmmaker - an award winning writer, producer, director. My experience at First Frame was absolutely first rate. Not because I won an award (although that was definitely the highlight for me), but because of Rob’s positive energy, passion, and commitment to his love of cinema. His seminars at the fest, his willingness to engage anyone and everyone on a personal level, taking time to talk story, character development, and concept, told me much about this young filmmaker. I look forward to being at First Frame next year and wholeheartedly recommend it to others. See you in 2022!

    September 2021
    Helpful
  • Bill Redding

    For me the highlight of the festival was Rob’s seminars. Those informal classes had valuable information, both on Funding and on Concept. The notes I took, I refer to today. Many festivals you attend don’t have people with Rob’s resourceful filmmaking experience. I’m looking very forward to the second First Frame festival.

    September 2021
    Helpful
  • Catherine Dao

    If you're starting out, and want to be a lifetime filmmaker, this festival is your starter festival. Rob and his team put their heart and soul into First Frame International Film Festival. Just the seminars/panels along is good enough reason to start here. So much info are packed into just these funding, advancing and tools of the trade. Bring a pad or cell to take notes. And, if this isn't enough, this festival will also get the winning films distribution and future film gigs and opportunities. For us indie filmmakers, that is rare. When you meet Rob, you will understand that he is the guy that can do what he promises. Thank you team First Frame for all the wonderful opportunities.

    August 2021
    Helpful
  • Bob Celli

    Thrilled to be part of this festival and it's inaugural year. Big shout out to Rob and partners for keeping arts alive in difficult times. They selected a great group of films and it was an honor to screen among them. Thank you to you al for keeping the arts alive having films be seen they way they were intended with audience reaction.

    August 2021
    Helpful