IDYLLWILD INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF CINEMA
Terms & Conditions
IIFC is open to U.S. and International films in the following 11 categories:
Feature Films (Over 60 min)
Featurette Films (15 to 60 min)
Short Films (Under 15 min)
Documentaries
International - Feature Films (Over 60 min)
International - Featurette Films (15 to 60 min)
International - Short Films (Under 15 min)
Animations (All lengths)
Music Video (6 minutes maximum)
Informative Short Films
Humanitarian Films (All Lengths)
Entry Requirements and Rules:
1. To be eligible, an entry must have been completed between 2023 and 2025.
*All film entries must be submitted through FilmFreeway to be considered for selection.
2. An entry form must be fully completed and submitted through FilmFreeway with current contact information.
3. Entry Fees must be paid before your project will be considered. You must submit your film to the correct category (please see category guidelines) and pay the submission fees for that category.
4. All entries and supporting materials for all deadlines must arrive on or before September 1, 2025.
5. Non-English language-produced films must be dubbed in English or contain English subtitles.
6. All entry fees are non-refundable.
7. Student Films must include your high school (or lower grade) or college or Film School in the appropriate section of your entry on FilmFreeway.
8. Selected film entries will be notified no later than November 1, 2025, via FilmFreeway and an announcement on our website at idyllwildcinemafest.com.
9. All entrants grant IIFC the right to use an excerpt from the accepted films (not exceeding 3 minutes) for promotional purposes in any media, including the festival website.
10. After the acceptance announcement, a filmmaker registration form will be sent to each filmmaker. Completion and return of this form by December 1, 2025, is mandatory. Filmmakers will not be scheduled into the festival, nor receive film nominations until this form is completed. Filmmakers will be required to give detailed information about cast and key crew nomination category information and contact details.
**Films that have been broadcast on TV or cable, or have had a theatrical or streaming release before IIFC 2026 opening day, are not eligible for competition. Exceptions are Films that have streamed during online festivals or have had special online screenings but ARE NOT currently available to the general public online. Other exceptions may be allowed on a case-by-case basis, at the discretion of the festival director and executive producer.
SUBMISSIONS:
• Films may only be be submitted digitally through Film Freeway. A link and password to a fully finished, full-resolution project must be provided at the time of submission. Links and passwords must remain active until March 8, 2026. (Please visit the HELP section of FilmFreeway for instructions on how to upload your film.)
If you receive notification of acceptance into our festival, you will need to authorize IIFC to download your submission.
• We do not accept unfinished work. What you submit is what will be screened if accepted.
• All Submissions must include a full-resolution digital poster one sheet (PDF) as well as 2 production stills from the film (JPG).
• Deadline fees will be strictly observed. ALL FEES MUST BE PAID before your project will be considered.
• The online submission form must be completed during submission through FilmFreeway. It is your sole responsibility to ensure that your online entry form and required entry materials are properly submitted. IIFC reserves the right to disqualify any submission if improperly submitted.
• Your completed entry and selection automatically allow IIFC full rights and licensing to utilize your project’s title, cast, and crew info, screen grabs, artwork, etc., for promotional uses worldwide.
• Student film entries must include full information about the filmmaker’s educational institute at the time of the project's completion, a copy of the Student's Educational ID, and enrollment verification showing attendance at the Institution at the time of the project's completion.
• Once a project has been chosen as an Official Selection to IIFC 2026, the head of our Festival Screening Committee will inform filmmakers as to when and how their DCP links and/or MP4 files must be provided.
Nominations and Awards:
• Unless IIFC is instructed otherwise, all film entries will be considered for nomination.
• Award winners will be selected from the highest-rated films that went through a panel of judges, including film industry professionals. Winners agree to participate in the publicity for the Festival as well as other promotional events, including the website. The determination of the winners is final.
• AWARD WINNERS MUST BE PRESENT, OR BE REPRESENTED BY A LEGITIMATE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FILM to WIN, i.e. a member of the cast or crew or post-production team. (Your uncle or a random social media contact won't qualify.)
Awards Ceremony Dress Code: We value our awards ceremony photos as a part of IIFC's post-festival social media marketing. For gentlemen, a collared shirt, sport coat and trousers fit the bill. And for ladies, anything chic and elegant is always in style. In general, we recommend anything between smart casual and full on glamour, with a contemporary mountain flair. Remember, pictures last forever, dress accordingly!
Filmmakers:
• Filmmakers attending the festival are responsible for travel, lodging, and all other expenses.
Filmmakers accepted into the IIFC will be entitled to the following:
• Two Filmmaker Badges granting access to
All films, panels, and seminars, apart from fundraising events
Entrance to parties
Entrance to all Industry Networking Events, Etc.
You will have the opportunity to purchase discounted passes and tickets in advance for additional filmmakers, crew, and actors attending the festival with your film.
The number(s), date(s), time(s), and location(s) of the screenings of films are at the discretion of the Festival.
Participation in the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema implies understanding and acceptance of all terms included in this application. By submitting your entry, you acknowledge that you understand and agree to the General Rules, and to the Terms and Conditions listed.
Awards categories are subject to change depending on the number of selected films in a particular genre. The organizers of the festival reserve the right to place films in a category other than that in which it is submitted.
Filmmakers selected to IIFC will have 48 HOURS to remove their film from the festival after the time official selections are announced. After that, your film WILL be screened, EVEN FILMS THAT CLAIM DISTRIBUTOR REQUESTED REMOVAL will be scheduled and screened at IIFC if not pulled within the 48 hours. Exception: A FEE of $500 (USD) will be charged, and must be paid, to the festival organizers before any film will be allowed to exit the festival schedule after said time period.
IIFC does NOT offer full waivers of submission. IIFC does however offer discount codes on occasion, but ONLY through FilmFreeway's "Now Submitting" program. See FilmFreeway for that option.
Producers of projects under Official Selection status that have NOT responded to, nor completed mandatory registration via the official IIFC email questionnaire, or have not reached out to the festival directly by December 15, 2025, requesting an extension of said registration, may be subject to removal from the screening schedule entirely without advanced notice and with a forfeiture of submission fees.
ALL selected films receive ONE FULL SCREENING of their film. PRIME TIME SLOT SCREENINGS are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. This is to ensure that filmmakers who are traveling from out of state or from a foreign nation have autonomy over their screenings and travel schedule. These prime slots are open to all filmmakers at the same price, depending on their film length, to allow time to advertise your screenings and assemble your audience base and procure tickets for individual screenings. The pricing will be emailed to each filmmaker after the official selections have been announced on November 1st, and until all the slots are filled. These are mainly weekend slots and will be available at a much lower cost than it would be to rent a theater for a private screening.
