Just Be You Performing Arts Youth Film Festival

The Just Be You Performing Arts Youth Film & Theater Festival Submission Guidelines and Rules are as follows:

• All works submitted must have a story line that is relevant to youth and appropriate for an audience under the age of 18. This includes the title of your project. It must be appropriate for an audience under the age of 18 in order to be considered. These guidelines must also be respected:

*No profanity. *No nudity. *No drugs. *No alcohol. *No guns. *No sexually explicit content. *No racial slurs/hate speech

There are no exceptions to this guideline. Filmmakers who violate these guidelines will be immediately disqualified.

• Guidelines and rules must be followed exactly in order for your project to be accepted for review. Failure to do so will result in automatic disqualification. Your film will be listed as "not selected" if we do not deem it to qualify for consideration.
• If accepted into the Just Be You Performing Arts Youth Film & Theater Festival, Entrant agrees and accepts to be fully responsible to cover all cost associated to delivery an HD digital video file of the Entry by electronic file transfer or on a physical digital storage device.
• If accepted into the Just Be You Performing Arts Youth Film & Theater Festival, Entrant agrees and accepts to be fully responsible to cover all cost associated with providing the festival with the following promotional materials; such as, high resolution stills, production credits, director’s biography, promotional poster, and press reviews.
* If selected into the festival as a finalist, the filmmaker is completely responsible for any and all transportation/travel/lodging expenses. If filmmaker is unable to attend in person their film will not be screened at the festival, but will instead be listed on our website. Only film finalist who are able to attend the festival will have their films screened live at the event.
• Once selected, entries may not be withdrawn from participation in the Just Be You Performing Arts Youth Film & Theater Festival.
• Short-films must have a run time of 2 to 10 minutes. Filmmaker must submit a cover letter that includes your age and a brief detail of your career experience. Cover letter should indicate why you feel your film is a good fit for our festival. Year’s of experience as a filmmaker is limited to 4 year’s or less.
* Must send a digital copy of the film in MOV. or MP4 format for screening purposes. If using Vimeo it must have a setting to permit downloading. Entrants may submit their Entry via FilmFreeway; or via email to us at: justbeyoufestival@gmail.com, using a file transfer website such as DropBox or WeTransfer. Please be sure to set the expiration date for downloading your film to at least 90 days after submitting.
* Excepting films in English and foreign language. If foreign language there must be English subtitles or dubbed in English. All international/foreign submissions (outside of the United States) MUST BE SUBMITTED IN NTSC FORMAT (National Television System Committee) (not PAL). There are NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS REQUIREMENT.
* Foreign/International films that do not have subtitles will immediately be disqualified and labeled as "not selected".
• Short-documentaries must have a run time of 2 to 10 minutes. Filmmaker must submit a cover letter includes your age and a brief detail of your career experience. Cover letter should indicate why you feel your documentary is a good fit for our festival. Year’s of experience as a filmmaker is limited to 5 year’s or less. Must send a digital copy of the documentary video, in MOV. or MP4 format for screening purposes. If using Vimeo it must have a setting to permit downloading. Entrants may submit their Entry via FilmFreeway; or via email to us at: justbeyoufestival@gmail.com, using a file transfer website such as DropBox. Excepting documentaries in English and foreign language. If foreign language there must be English subtitles or dubbed in English. All international/foreign submissions (outside of the United States) MUST BE SUBMITTED IN NTSC FORMAT (National Television System Committee) (not PAL). There are NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS REQUIREMENT.
• Animation and live action must have a run time of 2 to 10 minutes. Filmmaker must submit a cover letter that includes your age and a brief detail of your career experience. Cover letter should indicate why you feel your animated or live action project is a good fit for our festival. Year’s of experience as a filmmaker is limited to 4 year’s or less. Must send a digital copy in MOV. or MP4 format for screening purposes. If using Vimeo it must have a setting to permit downloading. Entrants may submit their Entry via FilmFreeway; or via email to us at: justbeyoufestival@gmail.com, using a file transfer website such as DropBox or WeTransfer. Please be sure to set the expiration date for downloading your film to at least 90 days after submitting. Excepting animation and live action projects in English and foreign language. If foreign language there must be English subtitles or dubbed in English. All international/foreign submissions (outside of the United States) MUST BE SUBMITTED IN NTSC FORMAT (National Television System Committee) (not PAL). There are NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS REQUIREMENT.
* Foreign/International films that do not have subtitles will immediately be disqualified and labeled as "not selected".
• Music videos must have a run time not to exceed 4 minutes. Dance films will be considered as music videos. Filmmaker must use original music that he/she created or has license/permission to use in the video. Filmmaker must submit a cover letter that includes your age and a brief detail of your career experience. Cover letter should indicate why you feel your music video is a good fit for our festival. Year’s of experience as a filmmaker is limited to 4 year’s or less. Must send a digital copy in MOV. or MP4 format for screening purposes. If using Vimeo it must have a setting to permit downloading. Entrants may submit their Entry via FilmFreeway; or via email to us at: justbeyoufestival@gmail.com, using a file transfer website such as DropBox or WeTransfer. Please be sure to set the expiration date for downloading your film to at least 90 days after submitting. Excepting projects in English and foreign language. If foreign language there must be English subtitles or dubbed in English. All international/foreign submissions (outside of the United States) MUST BE SUBMITTED IN NTSC FORMAT (National Television System Committee) (not PAL). There are NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS REQUIREMENT.
* Foreign/International films that do not have subtitles will immediately be disqualified and labeled as "not selected".
• Short-play scripts must have an on-stage performance run time maximum of 10 minutes. Stage play performance can also be in the form of a monologue or choreopoem. Playwright must be based in New Jersey, U.S.A.; and must submit a cover letter that includes your age and a brief detail of your career experience. Cover letter should indicate why you feel your play is a good fit for our festival. Cover letter must indicate rather the play is in production or nonproduction. Year’s of experience is limited to 4 year’s or less. Playwright must also submit the full script not to exceed 15 pages (not including the cover page). Playwright’s last name and the play’s title should be printed on the upper right corner of each page. Each page must be numbered. Entrants may submit their Entry via FilmFreeway; or via email to us at: justbeyoufestival@gmail.com, using a file transfer website such as DropBox, or as a PDF file attachment, or WeTransfer. Please be sure to set the expiration date for downloading your film to at least 90 days after submitting. All international/foreign submissions (outside of the United States) MUST BE SUBMITTED IN NTSC FORMAT (National Television System Committee) (not PAL). There are NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS REQUIREMENT.
* Youth Photographers may follow the same instructions as filmmakers/playwrights to submit their works. Must submit at least 3 photographs taken by you; the photographer.
* Dance video submissions may follow the same instructions as filmmakers, and must be based in New Jersey, U.S.A.
*Actors/Actresses may follow the same instructions as filmmakers and see the submission tab for complete instructions
*Comedians may follow the same instructions as filmmakers and see the submission tab for complete instructions

• We gladly accept submissions from all over the world.
• We especially encourage submissions from: New Jersey filmmakers/playwrights, minorities/people of color, African-Americans, grade school students, youth in the foster care system, churches with a youth ministry, female filmmakers. Filmmakers with disabilities.
• Entrant hereby irrevocably grants the Just Be You Performing Arts Youth Film & Theater Festival the following rights with respect to the Entry on a “free-use” “free-to-use” “no-fee” basis: the right to exhibit the Entry publicly one or multiple times during the Just Be You Performing Arts Youth Film & Theater Festival event.
• If accepted into the festival Entrant shall receive notification in writing; via email, along with any additional guidelines for the presenting of their work during the festival; which shall include a liability, media release, code of conduct, and reproduction agreement. Failure to comply with any of the guidelines herein will result in immediate disqualification.
• Entries will not be returned.
• This festival is for independent filmmakers/playwrights/photographers.
• Projects submitted to the festival must have been completed after January 1, 2019.
* No submission fees will be waived.
* Submission fee for Adult Filmmakers/Playwrights/Actors/Actresses/Comedians (18 years-old and up) is $18 due at time of submission.
* There is no submission fee for youth filmmakers (ages 5 to 17 year's-old). Proof of age is required at time of submission. Along with submission filmmaker's parent/guardian/teacher/mentor must upload a current copy of the filmmaker's student ID. There is no exceptions to this. Proof of age for all youth filmmakers is required.
• If you have questions about the submission process you may contact us via email at: jusbeyoufestival@gmail.com. Please include your name and the words “JBY Festival Submission Inquiry” in the subject line of the email. We will respond to your inquire as quickly as possible. Inquires requesting fees to be waived will not be responded to.
* If you project is labeled as "not selected" into the festival we are unable to respond to any inquires therein.
• By submitting an Entry to the Just Be You Performing Arts Youth Film & Theater Festival, you attest and certify that all information provided is accurate and complete, that you have the authority/authorization to submit said Entry for consideration, and that you have read, understand, and agree to all terms of Entry.