The 3rd Annual MHC Online Film Festival (MHC OFF) is a program of the Mental Health Channel (MHC), a network that creates engaging, enlightening online and broadcast documentaries to help all viewers improve their mental health.

The MHC OFF celebrates and promotes filmmakers who present valuable perspectives on mental health, illness or wellness through exceptional storytelling. All genres are welcome.

Award Winners and Official Selections have the potential to reach millions of viewers, through MHC’s online, broadcast, newsletter and social media platforms, and may be chosen to be included in our PBS broadcast series, Stories of the Mind.

Official Selections will be webcast on MHC for 1 year (from December 1, 2017 to November 30, 2018). Award winners will be webcast for 3 years.

MHC offers 3 cash prizes: 1st place $1000, 2nd place $500, and 3rd place $250.

MHC staff and jurors will choose the 2017 Official Selections, then choose Award Winners from the Selections. However, MHC OFF reserves the right not to present any or all of these awards if we do not receive submissions of sufficient storytelling or production merit.

Requirements for submissions:

- Content related to mental health, illness or wellness that offers a meaningful viewing experience to our audience
- Good storytelling and high production value required
- Short films only – 20 minutes or less
- All styles welcome: Documentary, Narrative, Animated, Experimental, or Music Video
- Films must be submitted online
- Films must have been completed on or after January 1, 2007

Films may have been produced anytime in the last 10 years. Filmmakers may submit multiple entries.

Rules
1. Only works with a maximum running time of 20 minutes or less are eligible.
2. There is no minimum running time.
3. Films must have been completed on or after Jan 1, 2007.
4. All genres are welcome (documentary, narrative, animated, experimental, or music video).
5. Filmmakers may submit multiple entries as long as each film is submitted with its own Entry Form, online screener and paid Entry Fee.
6. Entry Fees for regular entry / student entry are: Early deadline $20 / $15; Regular deadline $25 / $20; Late deadline $30 / $25.
7. Entry Fees are nonrefundable.
8. Entries will not be considered without a paid Entry Fee.
9. No Checks are accepted to pay submission fees. Online payments only, through FilmFreeway.com.
10. Only online submissions are accepted.
11. We accept short films from all regions. Non-English films must have English subtitles.
12. Works-in-progress will not be considered.
13. We accept films shot in any format, however submissions must be provided via online screener.
14. All filmmakers who submit films grant MHC OFF the right to retain a copy of the film as part of our Festival library and for media, promotional and educational purposes.
15. If your film is selected we will ask you to email us still images and press kit, if available.
16. All films chosen as Official Selections will grant MHC OFF the nonexclusive right to screen them online for 12 months without any form compensation beyond the publicity and recognition that that Official Selection provides.
17. Films chosen as Award Winners will grant MHC OFF the nonexclusive right to screen them online for 36 months without any compensation beyond the publicity and recognition that that Award and Official Selection provides.
18. The cash awards that the Award Winners will receive are prizes for exceptional filmmaking. They are not and should not be considered compensation for the rights to webcast or broadcast the associated films.
19. MHC may choose Official Selections or Award Winners to appear in an episode of MHC’s series for PBS broadcast, Stories of the Mind. MHC will contact filmmakers for their approval before including films in a broadcast episode. MHC provides this series to PBS affiliates free of charge, and to produce the series is extremely expensive. Therefore, we cannot offer compensation to filmmakers for inclusion in the series, beyond the significant publicity and recognition that such inclusion provides.
20. All films chosen as Official Selections and Award Winners will grant MHC OFF the rights to use clips/trailer for promotional purposes.
21. For a complete list of rights granted to the Festival related to the screening and promotion of Official Selections, see the Terms and Conditions.
22. Award Winners and Official Selections will be notified on or before December 1, 2017.
23. MHC reserves the right to decline naming Official Selections and Award Winners in the event that we do not receive enough submissions meeting our standards of storytelling or production value.

Terms & Conditions:
I understand and accept the Submission Requirements.

I warrant that I am authorized to commit the film for screening.

I warrant that I have signed releases from any people appearing in my film, and have the authority to use any copyrighted materials that appear in my film, including but not limited to music, images or footage.

If my film is chosen as an Official Selection, I hereby grant the MHC Online Film Festival (the Festival), the Mental Health Channel (MHC), and its funders, creators, distributors, production companies and assigns, the rights to:

Webcast my film on mentalhealthchannel.tv and host it on Vimeo, Youtube, or any other hosting platform they deem appropriate for 12 months (36 months for Award Winners), without any monetary compensation. During that time, I further grant the above entities the rights to:

- Promote, link to and embed my film in the Mental Health Channel’s web and social media platforms and any other platforms they so desire

- Allow Mental Health Channel viewers to embed and link to my film from other websites and in other forms of web and social media outreach

- Affix to the head and tail of my film bumpers, not to exceed 6 seconds each, that announce my film as a Mental Health Channel Online Film Festival Official Selection or Award Winner, potentially including a link after the end credits to mentalhealthchannel.tv, and a logo bug in the corner of the frame throughout.

- Use an excerpt from my film not to exceed 30 seconds for a Festival trailer and/or other promotional purposes to promote the Festival and/or MHC, in perpetuity and universally.

- Release, publicize and promote my name, image or likeness in association with my film.

I will indemnify and hold harmless the Mental Health Channel, the MHC Online Film Festival, its creators, production companies, funders and assigns, from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, defamation or publicity related to the presentation, distribution or promotion of my film.

I understand that the Mental Health Channel, its creators, production companies and associates, are constantly creating and producing films, and may have films in existence or in development for future production that may include ideas, images, themes, stories, treatments, interviewees or characters that appear in my film, or otherwise bear a strong resemblance to my film in some other way. I hereby agree that I am not entitled to any compensation in any form based on any similarities of such film content to my film, whether real or perceived.

I am at least 18 years of age, have read and understand the foregoing Terms and Conditions, and am competent to execute this agreement.