Wayne State University’s MovingMedia Student Film Festival is entering its 16th year as a showcase celebrating independent work and creativity while promoting a productive encounter of diverse visual approaches. This year MovingMedia is collaborating with Freep Film Festival (March 31-April 3) and the festival’s Academy, a daylong filmmaking workshop (April 1).

This year we are only accepting Narrative and Documentary films from students attending college in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois & Kentucky. Although entry in the festival is open to college students, inclusion is selective, and determined by a panel of qualified judges from our region.

As part of the collaboration with Freep Film Festival, all of the Documentary films entered in the MovingMedia Student Film Festival are eligible for Freep Film Festival’s Student Documentary Competition.

The panel of judges will select ten finalists in the Documentary category and from those ten finalists, a juried winner will be selected as well as an audience award winner chosen by an online public vote via Freep Film Festival’s website. Both the audience award winner and juried winner are eligible for prizes. All finalists will screen as part of a student showcase during Freep Film Festival Academy with the audience award winner screening as part of Freep Film Festival’s opening night event. In addition, finalists receive an all-access pass to all Detroit Film Theatre screenings during Festival weekend and free admission to the Academy. More prizes to be announced shortly.

The narrative films are part of a juried competition, with prizes, open to students from colleges and universities in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois & Kentucky.

Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering more than 380 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 27,000 students. The Department of Communication is a vital division of Wayne State’s College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts and carries on a tradition of leadership in filmmaking practices.

Now in its third year, Freep Film Festival specializes in documentaries – especially those with strong resonance in Detroit and Michigan. In addition to movies, the four-day festival produced by the Detroit Free Press hosts community conversations and other related events, all centered in downtown Detroit, including key venues such as the Fillmore Detroit and the Detroit Film Theatre at the Detroit Institute of Arts. More info at freepfilmfestival.com.

Rules & Terms

Submission Guidelines:

All submissions must be received by 6:00 pm on Sunday, February 21, 2016.

Your project must have been completed between Jan. 1, 2015 – Feb. 21, 2016.

Filmmaker must have been a college a student at the time the film was completed.

We are only accepting Narrative and Documentary films from students attending college in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois & Kentucky.

Maximum length for all projects is 20 minutes.

Films must be available in English or in the original language with English subtitles.

No works-in-progress will be accepted.

More than one entry may be submitted. Each entry must be accompanied by a separate entry form.

A secure online screener must be uploaded to FilmFreeway for judging.

If you submit a documentary film, it is automatically entered into the Freep Film Festival’s Documentary Contest. Your film will be juried publicly online prior to the live screenings during the festival weekend – March 31-April 3, 2016. As such, the filmmaker permits public web viewing of their film.

Entrants are responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses, royalties, release forms, clearances and permits necessary to present their work both live and on the web.

You will receive a confirmation email when we receive your submission. If you do not receive an email, we did not receive your submission.

If you are accepted into the festival, a DVD or Blu-ray screener must be submitted and you will be asked to provide a digital press kit which includes: headshot and brief bio of director, color and/or B&W stills (JPG or TIFF format) from the film, and film synopsis (50 words maximum).

In addition, if your documentary film is selected, you will be asked to provide a .mov for upload for the online audience judging within five days of being informed of your acceptance into the documentary contest.

Films selected for the festival grant MovingMedia Student Film Festival and Freep Film Festival the rights to use footage, stills, titles and information from the film for promotional purposes.

MovingMedia Student Film Festival and Freep Film Festival are not responsible for any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits or royalty infringement related to the work.

All filmmakers will be notified via email regarding their acceptance into the Festival.

Terms and Conditions:

Judging: Festival programmers and judges will determine selections, award categories, and award winners at their sole discretion. All entries are initially reviewed by pre-screening officials. At the discretion of the jury, they will determine the number and length of submissions to be screened taking available screening time into consideration.

Submissions: Entries are submitted online via FilmFreeway.com

Submission Return Procedure: DO NOT SEND ORIGINAL MASTER! If you would like your DVD or BluRay submission returned please include a stamped, insured return package with your submission. MovingMedia will not retain submissions for more than 30 days after the finale of festival event. After 30 days DVD and BluRay submissions will be destroyed.

Shipping Screener Copies: Submissions should be marked "Festival Use Only" with the title of the feature clearly marked. The sender must prepay shipment. To obtain a notification of receipt, please include a self addressed stamped postcard.

Release Forms: It is the responsibility of the filmmaker submitting a film to furnish all required releases. Please ensure that you have all of the necessary releases on file, including actors' and music releases.

Clearances: Submission of this film signifies that the director has obtained any necessary licenses, royalties, release forms, clearances and permits giving broadcast rights permission in regards to all audio and video elements including any non-original aspects of this production. Written documentation may be requested of potential winners. Showcase participants and winners agree to the use of their work in any broadcast, non-broadcast and/or promotional activities related to this festival. MovingMedia Student Film Festival and Freep Film Festival are not responsible for any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits or royalty infringement related to the work.
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