Fisheye Film Festival is a diverse film festival based in Buckinghamshire (England) – in an area that boasts one of the UK's great production studios at Pinewood, some exciting new studios in development, and the National Film & Television School.

Now heading into our 8th festival in 2024 (and 7th edition of running this international competition), we aim to create a buzz around local, national and international filmmaking, introducing new films and new talent to audiences in our region and beyond.

We encourage audiences and filmmakers alike to come together to “experience the bigger picture” – the fisheye concept of 360 degree vision, bringing the wider view into focus (hence the name of the festival!).

In April 2023, we held a seven-day virtual festival and two days of live screenings. We showed several features and many short film showcases live & online and held virtual discussion panels as well as in person Q&A sessions.

The hybrid festival worked well in 2023, and so we plan to continue to deliver both online and in person events for 2024.

We would like as many filmmakers as possible to join in our festival, taking part in both online discussions as well as in person events. We are interested in meeting you, and hearing about your story and your career path.

Please note, if you do not wish your film to be screened to the public online as part of the film festival, you can submit to the THEATRICAL ONLY screening category. Otherwise, your film may be both shown in theatre and securely screened online; screening details will be confirmed if your film is selected. Films are geo-blocked to the UK only region for online screenings via Eventive and their usual security methods.

Please note - 100% of our competition film selections are sourced from submissions!

We continually seek what's excellent, interesting and different in our art-form and support and encourage that kind of filmmaking. We are looking toward a healthy, creative and diverse future industry. So send us your best!

We want to see ALL manner of films, not just those with named actors or crew; we’ve screened no budget films alongside big budget, we don’t discriminate, so long as there’s a great story and the films are well made!

Fisheye is a celebration of filmmaking in all forms, and we want to encourage filmmakers and audiences to join us in 2024 for what promises to be our most exciting festival to date!

We are looking for:

• FEATURE FILMS (narrative / genre / documentary) between 60-120
minutes in length
• SHORT FILMS (narrative / genre / documentary) less than 20
minutes in length
• MICRO SHORT FILMS (narrative / genre / documentary) less than 4
minutes in length
• SHORT EXPERIMENTAL / NON-NARRATIVE (e.g. silent films, dance,
music videos) less than 15 minutes in length

Films must have been completed NO EARLIER THAN 1 AUGUST 2022

WHAT YOU CAN SUBMIT: We have a number of CATEGORIES for you to enter –please read carefully and ensure you submit to the right one!

SHORT FILM CATEGORIES

We have special categories for:

• SHORT FILMS by filmmakers AGED 22 or UNDER at time of
completion of the film (narrative / genre / documentary)

• SHORT FILMS (narrative; any genre) must be 20 minutes
or less in length

• SHORT FILMS (documentary) must be 20 minutes or less in length

• MICRO SHORT films (narrative fiction (all genres); documentary;
artistic) must be 4 minutes or less in length

• SHORT GENRE films (Horror, Comedy, Sci Fi, Thriller, Fantasy, etc.)
must be 20 minutes or less in length

• SHORT EXPERIMENTAL / NON-NARRATIVE (e.g. silent films,
dance, music videos) must be 15 minutes or less in length

• SHOW OFF YOUR SHORTS! (films eligible from any of the above
categories and you PRESENT YOUR FILM IN PERSON).

This option is OPEN TO ALL TYPES OF SHORT FILM. This is a very popular category, but PLEASE, only submit here if you can GUARANTEE your attendance at the festival!
We believe that film festivals are about sharing experiences and so have the 'Show Off Your Shorts!' category specifically designed for filmmakers who are definitely able to attend the festival (if selected) to present their films and talk about their work in a sociable environment. Films submitted to this category are judged as part of the competition as a whole.

• SHORT FILMS by LOCAL filmmakers residing in Buckinghamshire
& surrounding counties (films eligible from any of the above short film
categories). Attending filmmakers given priority for theatrical screenings.

FEATURE FILM CATEGORIES

• Feature films (narrative; any genre), must be 60-120 minutes in length

• Feature films (documentary), must be 60-120 minutes in length

Again, we ask you, PLEASE ENSURE you submit to the appropriate category. Thanks!

More information on the festival & events (as well as previous award winner information) will become available nearer the time at www.fisheyefilmfest.uk

*photo credits: https://neilmarshment.co.uk*


2023 awards presented in the following categories (subject to change at the festivals discretion):

• Best Short Film of the Festival
• Best UK Short Film
• Best International Short Film
• Best Feature Film
• Best Short Genre Film
• Best Director
• Best Short Documentary
• Best Micro Short Film
• Best Short Film by a Filmmaker Aged 22 or Under
• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Best Production Design
• Best Costume Design
• Best Hair & Makeup Design
• Best Sound Design
• Best Music
• Best Cinematography
• Best Short Animation
• Best Editing
• Best Screenplay

For a list of previous winners, please visit our website – and, please note, we do not present cash awards/prizes!

Unless otherwise agreed by the Festival in writing, awards will be given to any attending cast/crew members on behalf of their films!

Please note that we do not pay screening fees under any circumstances, and we’re unable to pay any filmmaker borne costs for attendance (travel or accommodation).

The Fisheye Film Festival ("the Festival” or FFF)
The Fisheye Film Festival 2024 shall be referred to as FFF2024 in this document.

GOLD members attract a discount to the fees per the tab on the right hand side.
Entry fees are per film and are non-refundable. The Festival reserves the right to disqualify a submission, without refund of any kind, if eligibility requirements are not met including if eligibility status changes post-submission.

ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for consideration, you must fully comply with these Entry terms and conditions, including all deadlines, film length, entry material and other requirements.
• Please read the full terms and conditions before submitting your film 
• Films must have been completed NO EARLIER THAN 1 AUGUST 2022 
• No films longer than 20 minutes for shorts; no longer than 15 minutes for
experimental films 
• Feature films must be no shorter than 60 minutes and no longer than 120 minutes.  
• All films to be made available in screening format as specified by venue if selected 
(i.e. BluRay, DCP, DVD, MP4) 
• Films not to have been available to general public prior to festival i.e. YouTube/Vimeo (other festival screenings are permitted!) 
• Films not to have distribution deals or VOD placement prior to festival unless release falls after festival dates 
• Films to be sent via FilmFreeway with a secure screening link and must be downloadable 
• Films not in English must be submitted with English subtitles 
• Films submitted to the 'Show Off Your Shorts' and the LOCAL SHORT FILM category MUST have a filmmaker in attendance on the screening dates, no exceptions! These categories are specifically for filmmakers who want to come and talk about their films! 
• Filmmakers submitting to the Under 22 category must have been under the age of 22 at the date of completion listed for your film. 
• Filmmakers may submit more than 1 film, but a separate submission fee must be paid for each film 
• We do not pay screening fees under any circumstances!

TERMS:
By submitting to the Fisheye Film Festival through FilmFreeway, you are stating that you are the owner of your entry and it is your original work. While we understand that you retain all rights to ownership of the work, you hereby give the Fisheye Film Festival permission to feature, advertise, display, in whole or in part, the work titled and described herein, for festival purposes including promotion in future years.
You also understand that your entry is valid only upon completion of the following conditions: (1) receipt of a copy of the work, (2) the processing of the entry fee by the festival organization, and (3) when the work is found to be original and owned by you or those you represent and eligible for the category submitted to.
It is your sole responsibility to ensure that your online entry form is properly submitted. You may email the Festival at fisheyefilmfest@gmail.com to confirm submission. It is also your responsibility to ensure the streaming link is functional and the link and password submitted are accurate. In the unlikely event of a password change or link change you must email the Festival immediately with that change so we may update your record. If the Festival is not notified of the change and the link is found to be inactive or the password to be incorrect the Festival will send an email to the submitter’s address on file to follow up. If a response with the correct information is not received within forty-eight (48) hours, the submission may be deemed ineligible.
The password protected link must be active at least through to May 1st, 2024, and all entries MUST be received by the Festival no later than the applicable deadlines referenced above. The Festival reserves the right to disqualify any submission, without refund of any kind, if it is not completed in accordance with these Entry Rules and Regulations.
Each work is judged solely on its own merits.
NB – please submit your film to the category which you think suits best from the list above.

RULES:
1. Please select only ONE SUBMISSION CATEGORY per project. Projects submitted in multiple categories could be subject to disqualification.
2. All films MUST BE submitted via ONLINE screener (Vimeo and YouTube preferred, but not required) through FilmFreeway. NO PHYSICAL DVD’s/Blu-Rays accepted for submission. Film must be downloadable links.
3. Film must have been completed NO EARLIER THAN 1 AUGUST 2022.
4. NO Premiere Status required, but it will be taken into consideration.
5. Films can have a distribution deal (provided release date is after the festival), but should not be available Online (VOD, NetFlix, etc.) prior to the festival dates.
6. Films not in the English language MUST be submitted with English subtitles.
7. Maximum run time of 20 minutes for all short films (including credits) except experimental / non-narrative films which are limited to 15 minutes.. For feature films, minimum run time of 60 minutes, maximum run time of 120 minutes including credits).
8. All submitted films must be COMPLETE. We do not accept Work-In-Progress submissions.
9. Films eligible for the Micro-Short awards shall not exceed 4 minutes run time (including credits).
10. Whilst not imperative, all filmmakers chosen to screen in the festival are politely requested to attend themselves in person or online where possible. We believe Film Festivals are as much about meeting your audience and fellow filmmakers as they are about screening your work! For films submitted in the Show Off Your Shorts and LOCAL filmmakers category, filmmakers must guarantee their attendance at the festival to be eligible for selection. We will organise opportunities for filmmakers to meet at online events (Q&A’s)
11. All films selected for screening must be made available (at filmmakers’ cost) on the cinema’s preferred screening method (which may be physical DCP, MP4, Blu Ray or DVD – to be confirmed nearer the event). Cost for shipping (both to AND from the festival) must be covered by the filmmakers.
12. Fisheye Film Festival is not liable for any damage or loss suffered during shipping, previewing, or screening. Any physical materials received by the Festival will not be returned unless paid for by the filmmakers.
13. Your digital signature on the entry form authorises us to use, without limitation, excerpts from your film for marketing purposes on television, in advertising, promotional items and/or news and other programs now and in perpetuity.
14. If your film is selected for screening at the festival, you will be asked to immediately forward: stills, a poster image, and an online trailer, as well as a screening copy, certain key cast & crew info and other materials/information as requested. In addition, we will ask the lead filmmaker to submit a personal profile for our programme and collaborate in the marketing of their film's screening at the festival.
15. Any requests for submission fee waivers will be ignored. Sorry, but we mean it. We rely on submission fees to cover the expenses of the festival, which is staffed entirely by volunteers.
16. Entrants are responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses, royalties, release forms, clearances, permits necessary to present their work. Fisheye Film Festival is not responsible for any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, or royalty infringement related to the work.
17. Fisheye Film Festival reserves the right to make any necessary changes in festival scheduling. All submitting filmmakers will be notified of any regulation or date changes that affect them. Any changes to regulations after a submitter has already submitted will not apply to them.
18. Selected entries will be notified in mid January 2024.

INVITED WORKS/SELECTED FILMS
Festival programmers select and invite all films to be presented at the FFF2024, with Premiere status considered. Invited filmmakers will be notified by email or phone via the information provided. 
Make sure to update the Festival with new contact information or any other festival invitations prior to the FFF2024 at fisheyefilmfest@gmail.com

IF YOUR WORK IS SELECTED
If your work is selected, you agree in advance (via your submission) that:
(i) You accept responsibility for obtaining any and all clearances necessary to exhibit your film at FFF 2024; 
(ii) You warrant that you have the rights necessary to exhibit your film at FFF 2024; 
(iii) You indemnify and hold harmless Fisheye Film festival, its affiliates, and subsidiaries and any of their respective directors, officers, employees, and representatives against any claim arising out of exhibition of your film at FFF 2024. 
(iv) You will not withdraw your film from the festival under any circumstances. FFF2024 will screen your film if it is selected!
You must deliver to the address designated by the Festival;
(i) one (1) exhibition copy (technical specifications must be confirmed by the Festival in advance) of the invited work; and 
(ii) additional exhibition copies, if requested by the Festival (to allow for multiple screenings at more than one venue / juror screenings). We recommend you ship all exhibition copies via courier in order to permit the tracking of your film once it leaves your hands.
The required exhibition formats and delivery date deadlines will be confirmed by the Festival after invitations have been extended and confirmed. Please check in with the Festival staff before creating your Festival exhibition copy or copies to ensure the format and technical specifications are correct. DCP for features may be will be required for cinema screening, this will be confirmed at a later stage.
You must provide all press and publication material as requested upon selection.
You must provide at least one (1) DVD copy or downloadable link of the final, completed film for Festival archives and internal purposes.

FESTIVAL SECTIONS SERIES / PROGRAMMES
Films invited to participate in the FFF 2024 will be shown in the section, series or programme determined most appropriate by Festival programmers, at their sole discretion.

Legal:

I, an authorised representative of the project being submitted (the "Film"), acknowledge and agree as follows in connection with the Film's submittal for consideration for the Fisheye Film Festival (the “Festival”): I am duly authorised, on my own behalf and on behalf of all other persons or entities who have any ownership rights or interests to exhibit this Film at the Festival, (b) exhibition of the Film at the Festival will not violate any law or any right or consent of any person or entity; and (c) the Film is not subject to any litigation, arbitration, or other adversarial claim or proceeding, nor is the Film the subject of any threat of litigation, arbitration, or other adverse claim or proceeding. I further represent and warrant, on behalf of myself and the Film’s Owners, that the exhibition of the Film at the Festival will not violate or infringe any copyright, patent, privacy right, publicity right, trademark, service mark or any other personal or property right of any person or entity, and that the Film does not constitute or include a defamation of any person or entity. I have paid and will pay in full all license fees, clearance fees, and other obligations, of any kind, arising from or associated with the exhibition of the Film at or in connection with the Festival. I warrant and agree, on behalf of myself and each of the Film’s Owners, that the Film is being submitted to the Festival voluntarily and without promise or inducement, and that the submission of the Film neither imposes nor creates any obligation or responsibility on the part of the Festival to accept the Film for the Festival, to exhibit the Film at the Festival, or to return the Film to me or others. I further agree, on my own behalf and on behalf of the Film’s Owners, that I and the Film’s Owners, in submitting the Film for consideration, are waiving and relinquishing any right to assert any claim or commence any proceeding against the Festival, based upon, arising out of or otherwise relating to the submission, exhibition, or failure to exhibit the Film. In the event that the Film is accepted by the Festival, I hereby grant, on behalf of myself and each of the Film’s Owners, each of the following rights to the Festival without reservations, conditions or qualifications: (a) the right to use footage, stills and/or titles, and information from or relating to the Film for promotional purposes; and (b) the right to issue and authorize publicity concerning the filmmakers and the Film and to use all associated names, likenesses and biographical information. I also agree to provide contact information for the director and producer(s) of the Film and to grant the Festival the right to provide this information to film industry organizations sponsoring Festival events at its discretion. I represent that I am 18 years of age or older, or that, if I am younger than the legal age to enter into contracts in my state, I have provided the Festival with a written consent from my parent or legal guardian.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Matthew Bartlett

    Lovely festival. Very friendly. Some excellent films screened. Thanks for having us.

    May 2023
  • Silvia Bertocchi

    We were not able to attend the 2023 Fish Eye film festival. Our short , Film Rosa, was awarded "Best Experimental short Film." Thank you so much! The communication from the festival staff was outstanding and the event appears well-organized. I wish we could have experienced the festival first hand! Another year! Congratulations to everyone who took part in the festival and to all the award winners.

    May 2023
  • Dan McGowan

    Really friendly festival, with great communication and selection of films. A really broad mix of styles and genres, and a very positive, welcoming outlook. Also nice to win an award! Thanks!

    May 2023
  • Matias Quetglas

    Wonderful Festival with a wonderful team!

    May 2023
    Fisheyetrans
    Response from festival:

    Thank you Matias!

  • Great festival! Really solid communication, and great promotion of the festival ahead of the events! Also happy to see such an eclectic selection of films!

    April 2023
    Fisheyetrans
    Response from festival:

    Thanks Adam for your kind words!