Final announcement for the Annual Awards of the Maple Summit Film Festival will be made online or at a physical event on Sunday, October 7, 2023.
1. 2023 Submission Deadlines
Submissions will be accepted from 1 January 2023 to 30 June 2023. The early bird deadline is 24 February 2023; the regular deadline is 28 April 2023; the late deadline is 30 June 2023. All submissions, regardless of how early they are submitted, will be judged equally.
2. Submission Format
- Films must be submitted via password protected online screeners ONLY.
- We do not accept films sent over by DVD.
- We do not accept subsequent cuts or more complete versions of submitted films, therefore changing or updating the originally submitted link is not accepted.
- Only one version of the film will be reviewed by programmers.
3. Submission Eligibility
- All submissions must have been completed after 1 January 2021.
- Films with distribution, which have not had a theatrical and/or day-and-date release are accepted.
4. Premiere Status
- There is no premiere policy for MicroShorts, Short Narrative, Feature Narrative, or Conservation Documentary.
- Submitted films may have screened at other Festivals, both physically and online.
5. Submission Fee
- All submissions for Maple Summit Film Festival are to be paid through FilmFreeway platform.
- The submission fee is non-refundable.
- Maple Summit Film Festival retains the right to issue fee waivers at their discretion.
6. Selection of Films
Submissions are reviewed and selected under criteria, including but not limited to:
- Quality of narrative and production values.
- Craftsmanship.
- Independent nature of the production.
7. Notification
- Maple Summit Film Festival endeavors to announce "Official Selections" within 30 days of the late deadline.
- "Finalist" selection will be completed by and announced within 21 days of the "Official Selection" notification, and all "Finalist" filmmakers will be informed in writing of their status.
- Announcements regarding either the online awards announcement or a physical festival event will be made no later than 08 September 2023.
All finalist films' online screeners must be made available for the duration of the festival (January 1- October 10, 2023).
