HOW WILL FILMS BE SUBMITTED?
All films must be submitted online via FilmFreeway. No other form of submission will be accepted.
If your film is selected for the festival, you will be asked to supply a digital file of your film promptly. If you do not deliver the video file by the designated time, your film could be disqualified from the festival.
If your project included a large group, please designate one (1) person to submit your project ... and only one (preferably the director, producer, or crew member most able to attend). If you are a faculty member submitting a film for your students, please clearly identify that in your film’s submission along with how to contact those filmmakers.
Multiple submissions of the same project will not receive multiple opportunities to participate.
All submitted films should be 15 minutes or shorter including credits. Anything longer will be disqualified.
High School entries are produced by filmmakers between the ages of 14 and 19-years-old who completed their project while not currently enrolled in an institution of higher education. If a filmmaker is currently home schooled, they can compete here. If a student completed a project in May as a high school student but is currently attending college, they can submit that project in a High School category.
Any student who completed a project while enrolled in an institution of higher education should compete in the College/University Student category.
Preference will be given to films in each category that were created in Illinois, but the festival also welcomes entries from around the world.
Films must be appropriate to screen for a general audience and refrain from content that might warrant a PG-13 rating, such as foul language, excessive violence and sexual situations.
Filmmakers are responsible for all copyright clearances and releases for actors/performers' likenesses.
Winners chosen in each category will receive a "best of" award for their films.
Participants are strongly encouraged to attend. After each film block, the filmmakers will be invited to the stage for a Q&A session with the audience.
DOES IT MATTER WHEN I MADE MY PROJECT?
Films that have been completed since April 2022 will be considered for inclusion in the Foxtail Film Festival.
DOES IT MATTER WHEN I SUBMIT MY PROJECT?
We have a rolling submission deadline. Projects submitted before December 31, 2023 will receive the Early Bird submission discount. The Regular Deadline is January 26, 2024 and our Late Submission Deadline is March 08, 2024, where fees are greatly increased.
WHAT DO I NEED TO SUBMIT?
Just submit your information and video link now via FilmFreeway. If your film is accepted, we will request a digital copy of your film as well as other marketing materials.
Do not submit those additional materials until requested.
Entries selected for the 2024 Festival will be asked to submit an exhibition video of the film in the proper file format (H.264). Failure to comply with technical specifications or by the requested date may result in the removal of the film from Festival competition.
Selected films will be screened in-person at the beautiful and historic Normal Theater. After films are accepted, Foxtail Film Festival (FFF) reserves the right to screen them outside of the festival for class demonstrations, or promotion via our social media channels.
CAN I SUBMIT A ROUGH DRAFT?
We will only look at your film one time. If you submit a Rough Draft, that is the version that we review to include in our festival. It is probable that we will not screen your film immediately after you submit it, allowing for updates to the online file.
WHO ARE YOUR SCREENERS?
Illinois State University students enrolled in a Film Festival Management and Curation course will be screening all entries. Faculty members in Mass Media, Theater, Art, and Anthropology will pre-screen entries for adherence to rules/categories. Faculty and other film/media professionals will ultimately approve all festival selections.
HOW MANY FILMS CAN I SUBMIT?
You can submit one film per submission fee, but you can submit as many films as you wish as long as you pay the fee.
HOW WILL I KNOW IF I AM ACCEPTED?
We will notify filmmakers through FilmFreeway. We will also post accepted films on our Social Media pages. We will alert all filmmakers by March 29, 2024 if they are accepted.
WHAT GENRES DO YOU ACCEPT?
NARRATIVE - any scripted film with live actors regardless of genre (comedy, drama, horror, etc.).
DOCUMENTARY - any non fiction story using real people as subjects. Re-enacted scenes using actors are permissible if used sparingly in conjunction with the actual subjects.
ANIMATION/EXPERIMENTAL - any film using primarily traditional or digital animation techniques. Live action elements are permitted as long as the animation drives the work (e.g., music videos, experimental films, etc.).
DO YOU TAKE AWAY MY RIGHTS AS A FILMMAKER?
No. Filmmakers own all rights to submitted films.
However, by submitting you agree to allow the Foxtail Film Festival to use your film in its entirety both for educational and promotional purposes in our classrooms and on our social media channels.
