GENERAL RULES
1. The GIDC only accepts short films. Short films must be between 3 and 30 minutes; no more, no less.
2. GIDC accepts short films of any genre that provoke and inspire social change. This includes experimental short films. This does not include commercials, infomercials, trailers, music videos, web series, episodic documentary series, or Virtual Reality (VR).
3. Submissions are accepted via FilmFreeway only.
4. Filmmakers will be notified no later than May 1st of their submission status.
5. Short films in a foreign language must have English subtitles or English dubbing.
6. There is no premiere requirement for short films. (Films played in other festivals are eligible for consideration). We ask that the short film is not shown online during the coming weeks of the film festival in August.
7. More than one entry may be submitted. Each entry must be accompanied by an official entry form and entry fee.
8. Previously submitted films will not be accepted, unless the film has undergone significant content changes (60% or more) and meets all other submission requirements. Permission to re-apply is required. Please email info@giffdc.org.
9. Due to the high volume of submissions, we cannot accept rough cuts or works-in-progress to avoid confusion on our staff in the programming department. When applying, please make sure to submit the final version of the short film via FilmFreeway.
10. The entry fee is non-refundable. We only accept short films between 3 and 30 minutes.
11. Due to the number of submissions, GIDC cannot provide feedback on entries.
12. All film entries selected for the festival grant Global Impact Film Festival (GIDC) the rights to use provided stills, footage, clips, trailers and information from the film for promotional purposes only.
13. All short films submitted must be free from any legal disputes and the filmmaker must have cleared all rights for music and exhibition.
14. GIDC reserves the right to change any information contained in this document (including Festival dates, venues, events, awards and eligibility requirements) without further notice.
15. All film entries must fill out the entire FilmFreeway submission criteria in order to be considered. That includes attaching posters, synopsis, bios, film stills and more.
TERMS
All short films must be uploaded via the Secure Online Screener function on FilmFreeway. Film completed prior to January 2016 are not eligible for consideration for the 2020 edition of the film festival. Short films do not have any premiere requirements. US and International do not forfeit their eligibility for submission to the festival if they were pervasively released theatrically or via any home video platform, broadcast or streamed on television or the internet, or screened at any number of film festivals in the world. Films that have been submitted for Festival consideration in previous years are eligible for resubmission for 2020 Festival consideration, but only if the film has been changed significantly since the previous year it was submitted. GIDC reserves the right to determine a previously submitted Film's eligibility, without refund of any or all submission fees the film as compared with the previously submitted version. It is the sole responsibility of the Applicant to secure authorization and permission from the copyright owner(s) of any and all copyrighted content or materials included within the submitted film. GIDC will not be held responsible for any unauthorized inclusion of any copyrighted content or materials within or relating to the submitted film, including any content or materials that are or may become the basis for any third party claims for copyright infringement. GIDC reserves the right to disqualify, without refund of any or all submission fees previously collected from the applicant, any film with any unauthorized inclusion of copyrights content or materials. Applicants submitting Films that contain significant non-English spoken dialogue must provide on-screen English subtitles. If accepted, applicants must send in the film digitally for exhibition, no exceptions. Films submitted and digitally sent to the festival if accepted is ONLY for the use of the exhibition of the film for the fourth annual Global Impact Film Festival.
