A. Certification of Film Entrant:
i. I, the undersigned, acknowledge and agree as follows:
ii. I have read, understand and fully comply with all submission eligibility
information, Submission Guidelines, Terms and Conditions of Entry and Entry Eligibility requirements;
iii. To the best of my knowledge, all of the statements in this document are true;
iv. The production (“Production”), which also shall be understood as my (feature, short, documentary, or other media) I am submitting as my entry is not subject to any litigation nor is threatened by any litigation;
v. I am duly authorized to submit this Production to the competition;
vi. I hold the Florida Surf Film Festival (FSFF) harmless from any damage to the print(s) or tape(s) or media en route or otherwise during the course of the festivals;
vii. I hold the Florida Surf Film Festival (FSFF), its management, juries, subsidiaries, agents, sponsors, affiliates, and etc. harmless from any and all claims of liability resulting from my entry.
viii. I certify that I have full rights to the use of the music in the Production.
ix. I give permission for the FSFF to use excerpts of up to three minutes of the Production for promotional purposes, unless otherwise noted in attached writing;
x. I give permission for the FSFF to use stills, titles, copy, and/or information from the Production for promotional purposes.
xi. I give permission for the FSFF to screen the Production at the FSFF event as well as at ancillary Festival presentations, programs, and/or events.
xii. I own or have authorization to all necessary copyrights and licenses; (If requested) will be able to provide model/actor release verification if requested; will be able to provide music, product and other copyright licensing verification if requested. As the Submitter/Producer, I agree to take on all copyright liability in regard to submitted film.
xiii. I give my permission for the FSFF to share my film and contact information with FSFF festival partners unless I specify otherwise.
xiv. Entry does not guarantee acceptance into FSFF festival or other FSFF events.
B. Film Submissions
i. SUBMISSION FORMAT: All Festival submissions should be sent through a private video server, password-protected (Vimeo, Dropbox, etc.).
ii. SUBMISSION LENGTH AND GENRE: The FSFF is open genre; meaning we accept all forms and genres that would be deemed within a G, PG, PG-13, R, or NC-17 rating by FSFF staff. We do not accept pornographic entertainment.
(1) Short form submissions are those under thirty (30) minutes.
(2) Long form (feature length) submissions are those thirty (30) minutes and over in length.
iii. Submissions WILL NOT be returned, if physically mailed.
iv. MULTIPLE ENTRIES are allowed; however, a separate entry form shall be submitted for each.
v. PRODUCER / FILMMAKER / COPYRIGHTS: Submitter (filmmaker or producer) will be referred to as “Producer or Submitter”. Producer must own all copyrights; must be able to provide model/actor release verification if requested; must be able to provide music, product and other copyright licensing verification, if requested. Producer agrees to take on all copyright
liability in regard to submitted film.
vi. SUBMISSION DEADLINES: Submissions with postmarks prior to and after these will not qualify for entry into the festival.
vii. ENTRY FEES: Entry is free.
viii. ORIGINATING FORMAT: Film and Digital originating formats are accepted for submission.
ix. PRESENTATION FORMAT: If accepted into the Florida Surf Film Festival, producers must be able to provide MPEG-4 (.mp4) multi-media container format, preferably in 1080p resolution in stereo.
x. DATE OF COMPLETION: Submission should have been completed after January 1, 2019.
xi. PREMIERE/DISTRIBUTION STATUS: We accept submissions that have premiered elsewhere; submissions may have distribution agreements already in place. However, TV, theatrical, video, cable, pay-per- view, other festival, or other distribution outlets that run concurrently or in the same month of the festival may not be eligible for screening. Decisions made at FSFF discretion.
xii. LOSS OR DAMAGE: Every precaution will be taken to prevent or loss or damage to materials while in the possession of the festival. However, Producer agrees to release the FSFF from responsibility should any materials be damaged while in transit to or from, or while in the possession of the FSFF.
xiii. ROUGH CUTS AND INCOMPLETE PROJECTS: Always try to send the best representation of your project. Rough cuts can be entered in contest, but must be completed and received no later than one month before screening date, if chosen as an Official Selection. Entries not completed and received one month before the screening date of the festival year will lose eligibility for awards and screenings.
xiv. FSFF MARKETING: By submitting, Producer is consenting for use and copying of accepted projects for the purpose of promoting the Florida Surf Film Festival and future festivals. Producer is giving FSFF permission to use up to three minutes of submission to promote the festival.
xv. FSFF JURY AND MEDIA COPIES: If selected as an Official Selection, Producer hereby gives the FSFF the right to upload the film to the FSFF secure screening panel website to make submission available to FSFF jury members and to media.
xvi. FSFF EXHIBITION AND SCREENING: By submitting, if chosen as an official selection, Producer is hereby granting permission for the FSFF to exhibit Producer’s submission in the FSFF event.
xvii. THE SHORT VIDEO COLLECTION: Short filmmakers awarded have the option for inclusion in the annual FSFF Short Film Collection, if produced. By agreeing to inclusion, Producer maintains copyright ownership, but allows FSFF to distribute the Production in the annual FSFF Short Film Collection. Selected films are selected at the discretion of the FSFF staff. Distribution in the short film collection is done so with permission of the Producer, and the understanding that there will be no compensation to Producers.
xviii. SCREENERS AND JURY: The Florida Surf Film Festival has a panel review of all entries to decide finalists and screenings. Finalists are then judged by a jury of invited industry professionals and FSFF volunteers. All screener and jury decisions are final. Our panel of jurors and our screening committee use a rating system on entries and official selections. They screen many fine films; however, as with all festivals there is limited programming availability. By entering the FSFF and any of its contests, Producers are verifying that you understand entry does not guarantee a screening. Additionally, being chosen as an Official Selection does not guarantee a screening in the theater either. The FSFF may have Official Selections (non-screening) as well as Official Selections (screening). Decisions are final and at the discretion of the FSFF.
C. General Waiver Rules and Guidelines
i. General. By entering this Contest, entrants agree to abide by the terms of these Official Rules, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to this Contest. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. All taxes (including, without limitation, federal, state, and local taxes) on or connected with any prize (including, without limitation, prizes that are opportunities to make donations to a charitable organization), and the reporting consequences thereof, are the sole and exclusive responsibility of respective winners.
ii. All prizes awarded in connection with the Contest are nontransferable and non-endorsable. No substitution of prizes is permitted. Release, Waiver and Indemnification. By entering the contest, entrants release and hold the promoter and host and all other contest entities harmless from and against any and all losses, damages, rights, claims, and actions of any kind arising in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from the contest or participation in any contest-related activity or resulting directly or indirectly from acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize awarded in connection with the contest, including without limitation personal injury, death, and/or property damage, as well as claims based on publicity rights, defamation, and/or invasion of privacy. The promoter, the host and contest entities do not now and shall not have in the future any duty or liability, direct or indirect, vicarious, contributory, or otherwise, with respect to the infringement or protection of an entrant’s intellectual property rights, if any, respect to any submission or concept, reviews, material, video and/or other materials provided in connection with the contest.
iii. By entering the contest, entrants release, waive any claims with regard to, and hold harmless the promoter, the host and the contest entities from and against any and all claims of any kind that are or could be asserted with respect to any matter relating to the contest. Entrants further agree to indemnify, defend and hold the promoter, host and all other contest entities harmless from any and all damages, liabilities, fees and cost incurred in defending against any third party claims or threats of claims asserted against promoter, host and/or other contest entities arising from any entrant’s participation in or conduct associated with the contest.
iv. Nonperformance of any party shall be excused to the extent that performance is rendered impossible by strike, fire, flood, earthquakes, war, governmental acts or orders or restrictions, or any other reason where failure to perform is beyond the reasonable control, and not caused by the negligence of, the nonperforming party.
v. Governing Law and Waiver of Damages. The Contest and these Official Rules are governed by and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Florida, United States of America, without regards to its principles of conflicts of law. For any dispute not subject to arbitration according to the above, entrant agrees to personal jurisdiction by the federal and state courts located in Volusia County, Florida, United States of America, and waives any jurisdictional, venue, or inconvenient forum objections to such courts.
vi. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances will entrant be permitted to obtain awards for, and hereby irrevocably waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys’ fees, other than participant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., costs associated with participating in the Contest), and entrant further irrevocably waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased.
vii. Privacy. Information submitted in connection with the Contest will be treated in accordance with these Official Rules and the Site’s Privacy Policy, provided that in the event of any conflict between these Official Rules and such Privacy Policy, the terms and conditions of these Official Rules shall prevail. All Contestants and Team Members hereby acknowledge and agree that Promoter will have access to some or all of their personally identifiable information, including but not limited to registration information collected by the Host.
