FILMS
A screening committee will evaluate and select films to be presented at the Footcandle Film Festival. An estimated 30 to 40 films (a combination of feature-length and short films) will be selected for invitation to screen during the festival weekend.
In the weeks leading up to the festival weekend, a jury will view and select the Festival winners (in the categories of Best Narrative Feature, Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Feature, Best Documentary Short, and Best International Film). The awards will be announced at the end of the festival on Sunday night. The five Audience Favorite awards will be decided by audience voting throughout the festival weekend and also announced at the closing ceremony.
Criteria for Submission:
• All entries must be postmarked no later than May 30th, 2026 for submission.
• All submissions must have been completed after January 1, 2023.
• All films must be in English or have English subtitles. Non-subtitled or dubbed foreign language films will not be considered.
• All clearances must be obtained for exhibition.
• Entries should be submitted through FilmFreeway (online submission). If any reason prohibits a filmmaker from using the online service, a DVD or BluRay can be mailed to the Film Society with a label indicating the title and running time.
• Only the Producer, Director, Screenwriter or someone closely connected to the film may complete the application. Schools may submit films on behalf of student filmmakers.
Filmmakers whose films are accepted for competition will be notified by email by approximately July 20th, 2026.
SCREENWRITING
Writers of any age may enter provided that contest entry by minors is not prohibited by law in your local jurisdiction.
All scripts must be submitted in English. Our Judges cannot evaluate screenplays written in foreign languages.
Writers who reside in countries other than the United States are welcome to enter the contest; however, all scripts must be submitted in English and entry fees must be paid in U.S. dollars.
Accepted submissions are completed feature-length screenplays ONLY. No concepts or treatments.
Script documents should be submitted in PDF format only.
Pages must be numbered. Before you submit your script, please check to make sure there are no missing or duplicated pages.
Include a standard title page, listing the title of your script, the name of the author(s), mailing address, telephone number, and email address. This is for our administrative purposes only.
Please do not enclose synopses, casting suggestions, letters, resumes, or photos with your submission.
Entries must be original screenplays. Novels and stage plays are not eligible.
Scripts must be the original work of the author(s) and may not be encumbered by any third party. Scripts that have been sold, produced, or are currently under option are not eligible.
Adaptations of books, plays, or other source material written by another author are eligible for submission. We accept no liability for scripts that have been adapted from third party authors' work that may infringe intellectual property rights. It is the responsibility of the writer(s) to acquire rights to any adapted work prior to any public dissemination. Scripts adapted from your own books, plays, or another source material is eligible as well.
Entries must be transmitted electronically on or before midnight Eastern Time on the posted and publicized entry deadlines in order to qualify for that entry rate.
Once a script has been entered in the competition, under no circumstances will we accept substitutions of new drafts or corrected pages.
Judges, administrators, and independent contractors who work for the Footcandle Film Festival are not eligible to enter the competition, nor are their spouses or other immediate family members.
If chosen as the winner of the Footcandle Screenwriting Competition the author will be invited to appear to accept their award at the festival closing ceremony.
