LGBTQ Unbordered International Film Festival

### Submission Requirements

**Language:** Non-English submissions must include subtitles or dubbing.

**Authorization:** The individual or corporation submitting warrants they are authorized to submit the film for screening and understand and accept all festival requirements and regulations.

**Entry Acceptance:** The competition reserves the right to refuse entries without waivers.

**Materials:** DVDs will not be returned.

### Promotional Rights

By submitting, you grant LGBTQ-Unbordered rights to use excerpts from any film submitted and accepted for competition for promotional purposes. Clips from winning entries may be streamed on the LGBTQ-U website and WRPN.TV.

### Official Selection Process

**What "Official Selection" Means:** When you receive an official selection notification, it means your film, screenplay, or novel has passed through the stringent acceptance process (by the selection judges) and is now ready to go before the awarding judges. **It does not mean your film will be screened.**

**Official Selection Listing:** Your film name appears on the Official Selection list only if you have submitted the entire film to one of the 20 Major (full-price) categories. Films submitted for judging in reduced-rate production value subcategories only will not be listed.

### Category Submission Guidelines

**Award Allocation:** The number of awards granted at any level fluctuates based on the total number of entries received for each competition deadline.

**Major & Subcategory Entries:** Just as entering major categories does not ensure selection or award, entering subcategories also does not ensure selection or award. Filmmakers who enter subcategories only (without entering a major category) may be rejected if judges do not feel the submitted subcategory is of merit, even if the film itself is of merit and could have been award-worthy. Conversely, films may also receive awards in subcategories selected by the judges, even if the filmmaker did not submit to those categories.

**Subcategory Limitation:** Winning an award in a subcategory does not qualify for live screening or distributor submission.

### Independent Merit-Based Evaluation

LGBTQ-U has established a system in which entries are judged on their merits, ensuring each film is evaluated and rated independently. They compete against themselves—each entry is scored according to an inherent value system.

When it is your turn to be evaluated, the judge's focus is on your film rather than on all the other films in the queue, which ensures they are not thinking about comparisons when they should be thinking about you.

**Judging Scale:** Judges score on a performance scale, and winning entries are recognized and awarded Best of Festival, Best of Show, two Awards of Excellence levels, two Awards of Merit levels, a Kudos Award, or no award.

**Award Distribution:**
- **Best of Festival & Best of Show:** Top-scoring entry or entries each season
- **Awards of Excellence:** Exceptional artistic and technical achievements
- **Awards of Merit & Kudos:** Notable achievements
- **No Award:** Some entries may not reach the award threshold

### Feedback & Resubmission

**Rejection Rate:** Our rejection rate is 20%. However, we give those rejected pointers on what needs fixing, and they can resubmit for free the following season.

### Live Screening Protocol

**Best of Festival winners only** are screened theatrically. Once you receive an award notification, Best of Festival winners will be invited to screen at our live screening event and optionally on WRPN.tv.

**Purpose:** Our screening event is designed to collect audience reactions that distributors use to inform their decisions. We don't conduct after-screening networking parties or seminars. Audience video interviews may be conducted and shown on WRPN.tv.

**Technical Requirements:** Winners must provide screening-quality materials and submit all required deliverables by the deadline.

**Screening Cancellation Rights:**
- Viewer turnout is subject to factors beyond our control and independent of the theater's or our festival's marketing initiatives. If a screening fails to attract attendees, we reserve the right to cancel that showing.
- If a Best of Festival winner chooses not to screen live, fails to send required materials, or doesn't respond to requests, we reserve the right to cancel the live screening. However, the award winner will retain their award.

The festival reserves the right to modify program dates and times.

### Refund Policy

- **Before Official Selection:** Full refund upon withdrawal
- **After Official Selection:** No refunds issued

### Professional Judging

All judges (selection through awarding phases) are compensated professionals. We do not use unpaid volunteers.

### Communication & Notifications

**Subscribe to the WRPN.tv mailing list** to ensure receipt of award notifications and exclusive discounts. We are not responsible for missed opportunities due to unread or undelivered emails.

### Indemnification

The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless LGBTQ Unbordered International Film Festival, WRPN.TV, and ROMAN PICTURES from all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including attorney's fees and court costs) which may be incurred by any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to submitted materials.