**PLEASE NOTE: ANY FILMS THAT PREMIERED AT FESTIVALS PRIOR TO OCTOBER 29, 2023 ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR MFF 2024**
Entry Rules and Regulations
1. Objectives: The Montclair Film Festival, a non-profit organization, connects global filmmakers with audiences in a diverse, culturally vibrant community by presenting films and year-round programs that engage, entertain and educate through the power of visual storytelling.
2. Dates: The 13th Annual Montclair Film Festival will be October 18th- October 27th, 2024.
Programs: Films will be considered for inclusion in the following programmatic categories
World Cinema (International)
Short (40 min or under)
Documentary Feature
Narrative Feature
New Jersey Filmmakers
4. Competitions:
Audience Awards
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature
Audience Award for Best Documentary
Audience Award for Best In World Cinema
Audience Award for Best Short
Jury Prizes
Best Narrative Feature Competition
Best Documentary Feature Competition
Best New Jersey Feature Competition
Mark Urman Award For Fiction Filmmaking
Best Narrative Short
Best Documentary Short
Best New Jersey Short
5. Submission Guidelines
A. Submission Formats: For programming consideration, the festival accepts FilmFreeway screeners, or Vimeo links for the complete film. The Festival will not consider trailers for selection purposes.
Eligibility Requirements: To be eligible for consideration, all films must meet the following requirements:
i. be available to screen by October 18, 2024. Filmmakers must provide the Montclair Film Festival with a clean, clear print for projection. Filmmakers must provide the film for presentation in DCP at the Festival’s sole discretion. PLEASE NOTE: Due to the digital transition of our screening locations, we are unable to show Film or Tape formats.
ii. not have been commercially screened in the US, or available for video or internet distribution prior to October 18, 2024.
iii. be in their original language with English subtitles when applicable.
iv. MFF strongly encourages all titles to have the option of Closed Captioning, and to provide Audio Description audio tracks for viewers with vision loss, sensory processing disabilities, and neurodivergent disabilities.
v. have completed production within the last year.
vi. have not premiered at festivals PRIOR to October 27, 2023.
vii. films previously submitted to the Festival and not programmed will only be considered for the 2024 Festival if they meet all the other eligibility requirements as outlined here, and only if it has changed significantly from the previous version submitted.
Deadlines: Early submission is strongly encouraged with reduced entry fees until May 24, 2024. Final submission deadline is July 19, 2024. The Festival is not obliged to view entries submitted after that date.
D. Entry Fee Schedule:
All entry fees must accompany your submission for consideration in the Festival.
Feature Films (40 minutes and above, fiction or non-fiction)
Deadline for all Entries Before May 24, 2024
$45.00
Deadline for all Entries From May 25, 2025- June 21, 2024
$50.00
Late Deadline for all Entries, July 19, 2024
$55.00
Short Films (40 minutes or less)
Deadline for all Entries Before May 24, 2024
$35.00
Deadline for all Entries From May 25, 2024- June 21, 2024
$40.00
Late Deadline for all Entries, July 19, 2024
$50.00
Student Films (with photocopy of current student ID)
Deadline for all Entries Before May 24, 2024
$30.00
Deadline for all Entries From May 25, 2024- June 21, 2024
$35.00
Late Deadline for all Entries, July 19, 2024
$45.00
Selections: Films will be selected and entrants will be notified prior to September 20, 2024.
H. Requirements for Selected Films:
Once an entry has been reviewed and selected for the festival, a preliminary notification letter will be issued by email. All selected applicants will be notified by September 20, 2024. Upon notification, the Montclair Film Festival may request additional press kits and press screening cassettes for each film, sent to the Festival via priority mail, complete with Electronic Press Kits and any additional promotional and marketing items needed.
Any unused press materials may be picked up at the press office at the conclusion of the Festival. Posters must remain displayed through the end of the day Saturday, October 27, 2024. All unclaimed materials will be disposed of immediately upon conclusion of the Festival.
Promotional Usage: Participants agree that all materials related to their film may be published in the Festival Preview Guide, Commemorative Program Book, Website, Ticketing system, and other promotional materials or property and in all media. Posters and images of the film may be used independently as well as in combination with images from other films to promote the film and the Montclair Film Festival.
J. Clearances: If selected for screening, all commercial/private property including trademark and/or copyrighted materials shown and recorded in the project must come with authorized permission for screening. The filmmaker remains entirely liable for any claims that may occur in result of screening the film.
K Print Liability: The Montclair Film Festival holds no responsibility for prints damaged upon arrival and may reject or replace the film in the Festival if this requirement is not met. The Festival will insure the safety of film prints only from the time of delivery to the Festival through the time the print is delivered to a shipping agent for return. In case of loss or damage to a print, the Festival must receive notification and independent verification immediately. The Festival’s obligation is limited to compensating the producer only for the cost of replacing the damaged reel(s).
Print Shipping:
Selected film prints must be received by PREPAID courier no later than 10 days prior to first screening date unless pre-approved by the Montclair Film Festival.
Prints must be clearly marked with the film’s title, the sender’s return address.
Prints will be returned to the Submission Contact within 10 days after the close of the Festival unless pre-arranged with the Montclair Film Festival prior to September 30, 2024.
Please clearly indicate on all waybills that transportation and customs charges will be billed to the sender. For custom’s purposes please indicate under declaration “Goods on loan for cultural and educational purposes only. No Commercial Value.” And indicate fair market value not to exceed U.S. $20 for video cassettes and U.S. $500 for feature length film prints.
Please request/obtain confirmation of delivery through the courier tracking service.
For more information please refer to the Festival website at www.montclairfilm.org or contact the Programmer at:
Montclair Film Festival
Attn: PROGRAMMING
41 Watchung Plaza, #345
Montclair, NJ 07042
programming@montclairfilm.org
973-783-6433
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
By submitting this film, I understand that I am agreeing to the following:
• I have the legal right to represent and to submit this film to Montclair Film Festival ("MFF") and to the best of my knowledge, all statements on this document are true;
• There is no action, suit, claim or proceeding pending, affecting or, to the best of my knowledge, threatened against this film or its producers in connection with this film;
• Music and any other third party material clearances and all copyright clearances are my sole responsibility. MFF will not be held responsible for any legal disputes regarding the exhibition of this film. Noncompliance may affect, delay, and/or disqualify my entry.
• If this film is selected for screening at MFF, I grant MFF the right to screen this film at the Festival;
• I understand and agree that my film entry, if selected for MFF, may be used for promotional purposes for MFF and/or its partners; and I grant MFF and its partners the rights to use footage (not to exceed 5 minutes), stills and/or titles and information from the film for such promotional purposes;
• Should this film win any award, I am authorized and/or empowered by all parties legally representing this film entry to receive all cash prizes and awards and to distribute them appropriately;
• I fully indemnify and hold MFF and each of its respective officers, directors, employees, agents, affiliates, contractors, sponsors, licensees and assigns harmless from and against any and all claims, damages, liabilities, costs and expenses in connection with my film, including:
o reasonable attorneys’ fees and other expenses of defense arising from or in connection with any breach of any of the foregoing agreements, representations or warranties or from or in connection with any litigation or any claim or proceeding commenced by a third party alleging or arising from libel, slander, defamation, invasion of privacy, infringement, unauthorized use or any other right of such third party or wrongful conduct
o damage to or loss of the film print or videotapes en route to or from MFF or during the course of MFF's possession of the entry;
o and any claims which may arise in connection with my film.
IF SELECTED:
If your film is selected to screen in MFF, you will need to provide the following:
o Projection print or video by required deadline. Filmmaker is responsible for the delivery costs of the print shipment to the festival, including any applicable customs fees. MFF will return the print to the supplier or to the next destination as indicated by the supplier at the festival's conclusion. The festival does not provide extra insurance for originals or masters.
o Press kits, trailers, promotional materials and additional screeners for preview;
o Screener copies for MFF press liaison (optional)
Please do not send these materials until your film is selected for the program. The festival reserves the right to complete any information not supplied by the filmmaker from whatever source available and will not be responsible if incorrect information is entered.
Note: MFF has the right to change any information contained in this document (including Festival dates, venues, events, awards and eligibility requirements) without further notice.
