FILM SUBMISSION INFORMATION:
By submitting to Kerry International Film Festival, you are agreeing to a possible online and/or physical screening of your work. The programming team will discuss this in more detail nearer to the event. Refunds will not be issued if you do not wish to screen the film online.
At the time of submission, entrants must disclose the extent to which AI has been used during the course of pre-production and production of their entry.
Each submission must be accompanied by a HIGH RES STILL IMAGE (not a poster image) and a 15 WORD SYNOPSIS. Please include a cover note if possible. We are keen to know more about you and your film.
Please submit to ONE category ONLY per film. If you wish us to note an additional category for your film, please use the cover note section to tell us!
For the Kerry Connection programme we would like to clearly know about the Kerry link to your film. What is your link to the Kingdom? Was your film made in Kerry? The more information, the better.
Please let us know if your film has an original score (add a note in the cover letter) as we have an award for Best Original Score.
Withdrawal will only be refunded if requested within two weeks from being submitted.
Students, please submit to the student category for all genres of film.
KIFF only accepts short films of NO LONGER than 30 minutes. (Including titles & credits)
Feature Films must be 55 minutes or over.
Films not in the English language must have subtitles.
The selection and scheduling of all films screened at KIFF 2024 is entirely at the discretion of the Festival Director and the Judging Panel.
Due to the large amount of submissions received, KIFF cannot enter into any discussion regarding films that are not selected for the 2025 edition of the festival. The festival is unable to send personal emails regarding films that are not selected and notification regarding the status of selection will be made via FilmFreeway notification.
Selected films will be announced on the KIFF website and in the media.
Short Film Screening Files: (Once Selected)
If selected the festival will request a ProRes 422 or ProRes LT Quicktime file with the following specifications only:
Frame size - 1920 x 1080
Frame rate - 24fps or 25fps
Audio 48khz 24bit stereo or 5.1
or
A H.264 file with the following specifications:
Frame size - 1920 x 1080
Frame rate - 24fps or 25fps
Bit rate - 12000kbps to 35000kbps.
Audio 48khz 24bit stereo
If selected, any web links used to transfer accepted formats should remain active until we have confirmed that we have downloaded and tested the film. Alternative versions will be required where it is evident that the technical requirements are not being met.
Please watch the file of your film IN FULL before sending to us. Our DCP technician will not be able to check your file for errors. Failure to adhere to the technical requirements may result in films not being screened.
Screening format for FEATURE FILMS will be DCP only and must be provided by the APPLICANT if selected.
KIFF will liaise with the filmmaker regarding screening formats after final decisions have been taken. Please check the email you submit your film with regularly. This is the method we will use to contact you. If there is no response to our emails, KIFF reserve the right to withdraw selection.
Images and press packs will be requested upon selection. These will be used for promotional purposes not limited to press, online media, television, radio and any other media platform.
Television and Internet broadcasting: Taking part in KIFF implies allowing broadcasting on Irish and foreign televisions and on the Internet (extracts limited to and not exceeding 1 min) for the purpose of promoting the festival.
KIFF does not pay screening fees for submitted work.
We request that applicants submit to Kerry International Film Festival only through the FilmFreeway portal. We do not accept DVDs, online links by email or social media messages etc. The festival has a small seasonal staff and we are not in a position to accept submissions in any other way. This allows our judging panel to view and select films in a fair manner.
All the films are watched by the panel and the judges make the final decision. There is no audience award at Kerry International Film Festival.
If entering your film to KIFF you must have the authority and licence for any music soundtrack on/in your film. You and/or the artists who own the music and/or their representatives waive rights to claim royalties from KIFF for screening selected films.
On submitting to the festival the applicant understands that he/she/they has a legal right to submit the film including ensuring all clearances have been obtained. By submitting to the festival the applicant agrees to the rules and terms.
**SHORT FILM SCREENWRITING COMPETITION 2025**
Submission Rules:
All scripts to be submitted in English or Irish, maximum 15 pages, via FilmFreeway only.
Must be original work of the author(s) and on date of submission must be wholly owned and controlled by author(s).
If the script has been sold, currently under option, is being produced, or is in any other way encumbered by a third party on the date of submission, the script is not eligible. If a script is optioned, sold or produced after it has been entered, it is eligible
Only original screenplays are eligible. Novels, short stories, stage plays, treatments and spec scripts for other media are not accepted.
Adaptations of books, plays or any other source materials written by another author are not eligible under any circumstances. A script adapted from your own book, play or other source material is eligible if you have retained all rights to the property.
Once a script has been entered into the completion, under no circumstances will substitutions of new draft or corrected pages be accepted. Revised drafts must be entered as a new submission.
Author(s) to be 18 years or older on date of submission.
Decisions of the Judges are final and may not be disputed.
Only the selected finalists will be individually notified and a list will be on the website and social media platforms We regret we are unable to provide individual feedback on your submission.
SCREENWRITING AWARD WINNERS:
-Winner Trophy
-Access All Areas Pass to the 2026 Kerry International Film Festival Screenings
-Mentoring Opportunities with Industry Professionals
-A rehearsed reading of the script (covid permitting)
