International Ocean Film Festival

FILMMAKER PERKS:
If your film is selected to be a part of the 2026 IOFF, you will receive a variety of perks as follows;
• Access for you and one guest to the Opening Night Reception, all screenings, panel discussions, workshops and Wrap Party (includes other events as they come online)
• Discounted or complimentary hotel lodging with our hotel sponsor, subject to availability
• Opportunities to engage with the press and media
• Opportunity to engage in a Q&A session with the audience each time your film is screened
• Potential for your film to be selected for the IOFF Traveling Program

PROMOTIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
By submitting your films to the IOFF, you hereby grant permission for IOFF to use it for the following purposes:

Stills: Still images from the films will be used on the website, printed materials, banners, and other promotional materials. Please submit one high-resolution headshot of the filmmaker in JPG format.

Clips: Clips of submitted films may be used to promote IOFF by appearing on the IOFF website, in the IOFF trailer, possible partnership websites, third-party advertising sponsors (i.e., television spots, newspaper print, magazine ads, etc.)

Trailer: IOFF may request a short trailer for films over 10 minutes to use for promotional purposes.

Interim Screenings: In addition to possibly being screened at IOFF during the stated festival dates, accepted films may be screened throughout the year for promotional purposes, as a separate screening in cooperation with other IOFF partnership organizations, and at the IOFF Traveling Program.

GENERAL RULES and TERMS AND CONDITIONS
• All submissions must be ocean themed.
• All works must be in English or have English subtitles. Entries can be any genre – documentary, narrative fiction, or animation – and can be submitted by professional or amateur filmmakers.
• We have limited program slots for films longer than 60 minutes, but all submissions of this length and longer will be taken into consideration.
• For films with a TRT of 60 to 90 minutes we select the most qualified films. If you have a shorter version, we encourage submitting it as well, to increase its chances of selection.
• Film must be completed by the deadline date in which they are being submitted. Works in progress will not be accepted, and edits to films after they have been submitted will not be allowed.
• More than one film may be submitted, but a separate entry fee must be paid for each.
• IOFF does not pay screening fees or shipping fees in order to screen a film, nor does IOFF underwrite production costs (duplication, subtitling, etc.).
• Upon completion of the Festival selection process, we will attempt to contact the Applicant using the contact information provided on the submission form to notify the Applicant of the Film’s acceptance status. It is the sole responsibility of the Applicant to ensure that the contact information provided on the submission form is correct throughout the entirety of the selection period.
• IOFF is under no obligation to provide to the Applicant or any other representative of the Film any comments or feedback regarding the submitted Film should it not be accepted for exhibition at the Festival.
• Every submitted film is evaluated on its merits and how it meets the criteria for our festival. The fact that it is or has been available on Youtube or Vimeo or has had limited distribution at selected theaters or has been shown on TV is considered in our evaluation but is not a reason for rejecting the film. We prefer films made within the past year or two but an older film that deals with an unusual subject or has historical importance or has not been shown theatrically for several decades might also be considered for the festival. Each film is unique and will be evaluated as such.
• All filmmakers will be required to sign a Filmmaker Licensing Agreement granting IOFF permission to use their film as part of the film festival. You can view a sample of this agreement form at www.intloceanfilmfest.org/film-submissions.
• All Official Selections will be required to submit a film with closed captions.
• VR Submission requirements:
Film Type: 360 or VR video (monoscopic or stereoscopic, MP4 or MOV
Narrative documentary with a maximum total running time of 10 minutes
Must be viewable in standalone VR headsets (MetaQuest 3)
File size under 10 GB
Subtitles (.srt or .vrt) if not in English
Films completed after January 2024 are eligible.