Global Drone Film/Photography Festival (GDFF) is dedicated to educating audiences and empowering filmmakers and photographers around the globe to tell their stories. The purpose of this Festival is to educate the public about the many positive and beneficial ways drones are used to better society. GDFF has 6 divisions with multiple categories: Youth, Women, Schools, Adults, Communities, and Unmanned Systems. GDFF accepts short films and stills. Photos and Films are just one-way society uses Drones/UAV’s.
Don’t forget your canvas can be Land, Air, Sea or Under the Sea! Reveal to the world that odd, interesting, and unusual are the norm.

Festival participation is open to anyone in the world with a special division for youth. With low entry fees and enthusiastic esteemed judges, this is the one Festival where you can "Let Your Inner Light Shine". Winning selections will be awarded prizes. Selected submissions will be screened in Atlanta Georgia and online. Our first screening is slated to held at Atlanta’s Phillips Arena.

Festival Theme: Let Your Inner Light Shine…The World is Your Canvas!

Rules & Terms

The following types of devices can be used in this festival.
A Drone or Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle (UAV– a multirotor that takes aerial photography or cinematography:
A unmanned vehicle system (UVS) has a special division.
Traditional camera device

Winning selections will be awarded prizes. Selected submissions will be screened in Atlanta Georgia and online. Our first screening, is slated to be held at Atlanta’s Phillips Arena. Awards will include cash and prizes.

Rules for Submissions using a Drone or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV):
Aerial films submissions must adhere to the run times included in each category (run times includes title and credits), of which 50% or more must be shot using a drone or UAV. All "Dronies" (Drone Selfies) entries must be less than 1 minute in length (including title and credits). All entries must be through FilmFreeway.com unless otherwise stated by festival director. By entering your film for consideration for the 2016 Global Drone/UAV Photography/Film Festival (GDFF), you authorize that your work is cleared for festival exhibition and accept full legal responsibility for the intellectual property therein. Entry into the festival constitutes permission to exhibit your work at the 2016 Global Drone Film Festival (GDFF) events.

Rules for Youth/student Submissions:
For youth/student submissions, categories are divided into Aerial and Traditional camera/video camera. We want to encourage young artist to share their artistic eye and maybe next year you will branch over and use a drone/Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle (UAV)

SELECTION & NOTIFICATION:
A select group of film & television professionals and drone cinematographers will make up the festival jury. Preliminary Festival selections will be announced on or around October 18, 2016 and second round will be announced November 25, 2016. All entrants must be posted via the internet on FilmFreeway via www.GlobalDroneFilmFestival.org and notified by email. The festival does not pay rental fees for submitted work. If selected, exhibition format digital files may be requested from the filmmaker.
We are accepting short film and stills submissions in various categories. The festival will screen finalist and winning films in Atlanta, Georgia, December 2, 2016.

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED

Your submitted film must adhere to the run times included in each category (run times includes title and credits). Story telling Drone Selfies entries must be less than 1 minute in length (including title and credits) or specified time of the category.
Primarily, we’re looking for films/stills that tell a story. Judges highly favor submissions that reflect a good story and are creative.

How to Submit:
The Global Drone Film Festival (GDFF) accepts online entries submitted via FilmFreeway, which provides cost-saving, paperless submission to film festivals around the world. Our internet-only submission platform features online applications via a single master entry form, online fee payments, press kits, and the option to use Secure Online Screeners.
This system offers an economical, eco-friendly, and secure alternative to traditional hard-copy DVD submissions. Fill out one master entry form and take advantage of quick entry, extended deadlines, and powerful submission management tools.
Please Note: Only films and stills that are submitted properly will be considered. We will not update a submission with a recent up to date cut. You will have to re-submit.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The Global Drone Film Festival (GDFF) is not responsible for the streaming quality of Secure Online Screeners (including FilmFreeway Screeners).
Once an entry payment has been processed we cannot provide a refund. If a payment is disputed, the account holder may be subject to any fees.
Applicants can use Drone/Multirotoer/UAV/UVS… Youth division has exceptions.
Finalists are responsible for travel costs and expenses when traveling to the festival. No media/film accepted for programming can be pulled from the festival.
GDFF/KDZ does not check to make sure that you have cleared these materials at any point during the application process whether it is music, stock footage, or any other elements that could violate an existing copyright. Quite often, rights holders offer reduced rates for festival films, so you should contact them directly to avoid any possible rights infringements.

Please note, there is a deliverable deadline. If you do not meet that deadline it is possible we will not be able to screen your film. Deliverable are the responsibility of the person submitting.

We reserve the right to make changes as necessary.

Communication:
- We communicate via email
- We will notify you if you are accepted into the festival

IMPORTANT NOTE: The Global Drone Film Festival (GDFF) is not responsible for the streaming quality of Secure Online Screeners.

By entering your film for consideration for the 2016 Global Drone Film Festival (GDFF), you authorize that your work is cleared for festival exhibition and accept full legal responsibility for the intellectual property therein.

Primarily, we’re looking for films/photos that tell a story. Judges highly favor submissions that reflect a good story. All films/photos (national and international must be submitted into one category, however, filmmakers/photographers may submit additional entries with separate forms and entry fees.

NOTE: Film trailers are not eligible for consideration in any category. Narrative and Documentary films/photos produced, financed or initiated by a major film studio or television network are ineligible for completion, but may be considered for a special screening. Films that have screened on network or cable television or distributed to theaters prior to the festival dates are also ineligible for competition.

All entries have specific time limits including titles and credits unless otherwise noted.
Marketing:

Publicity materials provided to GDFF may be used on all GDFF media, including but not limited to websites, videos, blogs, social media, print publications, and signage or other environmental media for educational, informational, marketing, and fundraising purposes pre and post Festival. The publicity materials may be shared with the Festival’s official partner’s pre and post Festival. GDFF has the non¬exclusive right and reserves the right to crop submissions as needed for print and web publications. Due to the intense nature of the publication cycle, we are not able to submit materials to filmmakers or their representatives for approval prior to publication. In addition to the above, following the Festival, publicity materials provided GDFF will be made accessible and online, through the GDFF’s website and other platforms. GDFF website and give express permission to the festival to screen your film publicly at theatrical venues worldwide without monetary compensation. By submitting all materials to GDFF, Filmmaker/Photographer, grants to GDFF an irrevocable nonexclusive worldwide license to use the materials in connection with GDFF as described above.
Filmmaker/Photographer, on his/her own behalf, will indemnify GDFF from and against any claims or damages, including reasonable attorney’s fees incurred as a result of any third party claims. Filmmaker/Photographer has full authority to grant to GDFF the right to exhibit the Film/Photo.

In addition, Filmmaker/Photographer warrants and represents that Filmmaker/Photographer is the owner, or is the authorized representative of the owner, of all copyright and trademark rights in the materials, and that the above uses by GDFF will not infringe the rights of any third parties. Filmmaker/Photographer, on his/her own behalf, will indemnify GDFF from and against any claims or damages, including reasonable attorney’s fees incurred as a result of any third party claims.

VOID WHERE PROHIBITED

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who Can Enter?
Festival participation is open to anyone in the world (students, individuals, organizations including Commercial Drone Operators, and Drone/UAV Organizations, unmanned Vehicle systems). There is a special division for youth.
Youth ages 9-22, must be a Student in a public, private, or home school organization and can only submit in the Student programme.

KDZ is a steadfast Partner In Education (PIE). We encourage schools to submit multiple entries (Photos/films) under the school categories from around the globe. Show your school pride.

Is there a Fee
There are low entry fees so you can Let Your Inner Light Shine as often as you like!

Is there a fee waiver process?
The Global Global Drone/UAV Photography/Film Festival (GDFF) does not waive entry fees. The same rules and entry fees apply to all applicants thus no entry is favored over another.

What are the deadlines?
Preliminary festival selections will be announced on or around October 18, 2016 and second round will be announced around November 25, 2016.

What can I submit?
Submitted films (must adhere to run times posted in each category. Run times includes title and credits) . You may also submit Still Photography.

Do you provide refunds?
Once an entry payment has been processed we cannot provide a refund. If a payment is disputed, the account holder may be subject to any fees.

How to Submit?
The Global Drone/UAV Film Festival (GDFF) accepts online entries submitted via FilmFreeway, which provides cost-saving, paperless submission to film festivals around the world.

How can I edit my submission?
You cannot alter your entries after the payment.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • I have exactly the same question with Richard Brooks, even if they made my short "Official Selection", I send an email if they want a better file for screening and never answered.

    May 2017
  • Richard Brooks

    After submitting my film I didn't hear anything back from them, the festival came and went without so much as a peep from the organizers...did it even happen?

    May 2017