# An IMDb Qualifying Festival

## Celebrating Earth's Stories Through Cinema

Welcome to the Nature Without Borders International Film Festival, dedicated to films and documentaries that explore our natural world, environmental challenges, wildlife conservation, and humanity's relationship with the planet. NWBIFF is part of the acclaimed WRPN festival network, alongside Documentaries Without Borders and Depth of Field International Film Festival—a FilmFreeway "Top 100 Reviewed" festival alumnus.

## Our Commitment to Filmmaker Success

The WRPN festival network has facilitated distribution agreements for hundreds of independent filmmakers worldwide. Through strategic partnerships with established global distributors, we've created pathways that transform festival recognition into tangible career opportunities. NWBIFF operates within this proven framework, offering top award winners exclusive access to our distributor network.

## The Feedback Advantage

Most festivals operate as gatekeepers. We operate as mentors.

**Every submission receives actionable value:**
- **Competition-ready work** advances to Official Selection
- **Films with potential** receive specific, constructive feedback explaining what adjustments would strengthen your work—plus complimentary resubmission after revisions, either before the current deadline or in the next season

This unique approach not only improves your film's prospects with NWBIFF but enhances its competitiveness across the festival circuit and marketplace.

## Distribution Pathways

**Best of Festival winners** gain exclusive introduction to our distributor review group, including:
- Worldwide Motion Pictures Corporation
- Adler & Associates
- Cardinal XD
- CCS Releasing
- Polaris Pictures (Rhodium Screenplay winners—a film finance company)

*Important: These distributors operate independently. We facilitate qualified introductions for our highest honor recipients; distribution decisions remain solely with each company.*

## Award Recognition Levels

Films are evaluated on individual merit using a performance-based scoring system:
- **Best of Festival** - The highest honor (qualifies for distributor review)
- **Best of Show** - Top-scoring entries by genre and region
- **Award of Outstanding Excellence**
- **Award of Excellence**
- **Award of Exceptional Merit**
- **Award of Merit**
- **Kudos Endeavor Award**

Films may also earn recognition in technical subcategories (cinematography, editing, score, sound design, etc.), though subcategory honors do not qualify for distributor submission or live screening.

## Screening Experience

**Best of Festival winners** are invited to screen at our live event in Rehoboth Beach, DE. These theatrical presentations serve a strategic purpose: capturing genuine audience reactions that distributors consider when evaluating market potential. Our events focus on film presentation and audience engagement rather than networking socials.

Audience response may be documented through video interviews featured on WRPN.tv, extending your film's visibility to viewers across 80+ countries.

**Attendance Notice:** Screening attendance varies regardless of promotional efforts. Management reserves the right to cancel individual screenings that fail to draw sufficient audience.

Winners must provide screening-quality files (DCP preferred) and meet all technical requirements. The festival retains the right to adjust scheduling as needed.

## Global Exposure Platform

Award-winning films may be featured on WRPN.tv Entertainment Network, our streaming platform serving an international audience that most independent filmmakers cannot reach independently. This provides ongoing visibility beyond the festival season.

## Professional Standards

- **Industry Affiliation:** WRPN.tv is a Film Festival Alliance member, and our founders serve on committees for the Universal Film and Festival Organization (UFFO.ORG)
- **Paid Judging Panel:** All selection and awarding judges are compensated professionals
- **Diverse Categories:** Major competition divisions plus specialized subcategories tailored to nature and environmental filmmaking

We accept films from all nations. Non-English submissions require subtitles or dubbing.

Awards & Prizes

### Distribution Opportunity

**Best of Festival winners** receive guaranteed review by our exclusive distributor partners:
- Worldwide Motion Pictures Corporation
- Adler & Associates
- Cardinal XD
- CCS Releasing

**Rhodium Screenplay Award winners** receive submission access to Polaris Pictures, a film finance company.

*Distributors operate independently and make all final decisions regarding representation.*

### Award Categories

**Top Honors:**
- **Best of Festival** - Selected from Best of Show winners across all genres and origins (qualifies for distributor review and live screening)
- **Best of Show** - Awarded by genre and region: BOS Documentary (Domestic), BOS Documentary (Foreign), BOS Narrative (Domestic), etc.
- **Award of Outstanding Excellence**

**Recognition Levels:**
- Award of Excellence
- Award of Exceptional Merit
- Jury's Choice Award
- Award of Merit
- Kudos Endeavor Award

*The festival reserves the right to withdraw a "Best Of" presentation if competition within a category is insufficient.*

### Technical Achievement Awards

Films may receive subcategory recognition for:
- Cinematography
- Score
- Original Concept
- Direction
- Visual/Special Effects
- Acting
- Writing
- Editing
- And more!

*Subcategory awards do not qualify for live screening or distributor review.*

### Live Screening & Exposure

**Theatrical Presentation:** Best of Festival winners screen at our Rehoboth Beach, DE venue. These events capture audience reactions that inform distributor evaluations—not networking functions. Audience video interviews may be featured on WRPN.tv.

**WRPN.tv Streaming:** Award-winning films may receive extended exposure on our Entertainment Network, reaching viewers in 80+ countries.

### Filmmaker Development

**Rejected submissions** receive detailed feedback identifying specific improvements needed, plus **free resubmission** after revisions—valid through the current season or into the next.

### Professional Standards

NWBIFF founders serve as Committee Members of the Universal Film and Festival Organization (UFFO.ORG), a U.K.-based nonprofit dedicated to festival industry best practices.

Award certificates available for purchase (optional).

Rules & Terms

### Submission Requirements & Eligibility

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

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

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

### Promotional Rights

By submitting, you grant NWBIFF rights to use excerpts from accepted competition films for promotional purposes. Clips from winning entries may be streamed on NWBIFF.COM and WRPN.TV.

### Category Submission Guidelines

**Official Selection Listing:** Your film appears on the Official Selection list only when submitted to a main (full-price) category. Films entered solely into reduced-rate production value subcategories will not be publicly listed.

**Subcategory Judging:** Entry into subcategories does not guarantee selection or award. Films submitted exclusively to subcategories (without a major category entry) risk rejection if judges find the specific subcategory submission lacking merit, regardless of overall film quality. Judges may also award subcategory honors you didn't enter if they identify exceptional technical achievement.

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

### Independent Evaluation Method

NWBIFF employs an individual merit-based judging system. Entries are evaluated independently rather than compared against one another. Each film receives focused attention when it's under review, scored according to performance criteria rather than relative ranking.

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

### Live Screening Protocol

**Best of Festival winners only** are screened theatrically. These events capture audience reactions for distributor consideration—not networking opportunities. Audience video interviews may be conducted and featured on WRPN.tv.

**Technical Requirements:** Winners must provide DCP format for screening and submit all required materials by deadline.

**Screening Cancellation Rights:**
- Theater attendance is unpredictable and beyond our control, despite marketing campaigns from both the venue and our festival. We retain the right to cancel screenings that do not draw an audience.
- If a Best of Festival winner declines to screen, fails to submit required materials, or doesn't respond to requests, we may cancel the live screening while the award itself remains valid.

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 and 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

Submitters must indemnify and hold harmless the Nature Without Borders International Film Festival, WRPN.TV, and ROMAN PICTURES from all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including attorney's fees and court costs) arising from copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, or loss/damage to submitted materials.
69 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Daniel Sullivan

    My film Koholā about the Maui fires ave the Whale migration was my first film . Having it receive The Award of Excellence was such an honor . Nature Without Borders has been so supportive . Mahalo !

    August 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Congratulations on receiving the Award of Excellence for Koholā! That is such an incredible achievement, especially for your first film.

    I must also highlight the outstanding cinematography and narration in your film. They truly enhance the storytelling and bring the beauty of nature to life, making it an even more impactful experience.

    Your passion for highlighting important issues like the Maui fires and whale migration truly shines through your work. Mahalo for your dedication to storytelling that connects us to nature!

    Looking forward to seeing more of your inspiring projects in the future!

  • Terry Podnar

    The festival is well-organized with great communication. It's always a terrific experience. I'm extremely honored my screenplay, Feral Mountains, was chosen as the Platinum Award Winner. Keep up your fantastic work!

    July 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Dear Terry,

    Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience at the festival. Congratulations again on winning the Platinum Award for Feral Mountains—it's truly well-deserved! Our judges consistently enjoy your work, and we look forward to seeing more of your screenplays in the future. Please know that we are here to support you in any way we can.

  • troy henriksen

    Just an honer to be recognized by such a festival with so much integrity and humane ideals. Thank you!

    July 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you very much, we appreciate it.

  • Light Streams

    STAY AWAY FROM THIS MONEY GRAB, SCAMMING “FESTIVAL”
    Very promising and encouraging words in the festival’s description - you submit and you quickly get selected. Then… comes the notification day and you find out that you won something - you are very excited and you go to the listed link for downloading the winner certificate:
    “We've made it easier to order your certificate. Just choose the type: soft ($65.00), hard ($85.00), curved frame ($180.00) or flat frame ($200.00)”
    They made it easier for us huh??
    Is this a joke? Beside the fact that for better results you are advised to select a main category and pay for it from $65 up to $85 (depending on the submission period) and $40 / subcategory - which is NOT CHEAP - in any cases, then if you want a certificate- it’s - spending money part 2.
    I asked for a certificate discount; I was given a maximum 15% off - that brings the certificate final cost to $55. “You can still download the laurel for free.” - concluded the director.
    I looked over the reviews and discovered there were other filmmakers complaining about the same thing - the greed for money didn’t allow this guy to care about reviews. He arrogantly replied to the negative reviews claiming that the certificates’ prices are clearly marked on the festival’s page. I checked that personally, concluded he lied and screen recorded for evidence.

    I told about it to a friend who is professional and works in the film industry; he replied: it’s a great business for them, I wonder how can they have the guts to ask money for certificates.
    Then new thoughts come into your mind. Do I really need a certification from a “festival” run by such kind of people? Does their certification have any value? “Nature without borders” is just a pretty name, but it’s primarily about making its director richer, art appreciation and promotion are left somewhere behind.
    ONCE PEOPLE FIGURE OUT A FESTIVAL’S GOAL IS TO CHARGE AND OVERCHARGE, IT’S EASY TO CONCLUDE THAT THE FESTIVAL’S EVALUATION STANDARDS, SELECTIONS AND FINAL RESULTS BECOME QUESTIONABLE AND SO THE FESTIVAL’S VALUE DROPS UNDER THE POINT WHERE EVEN WINNING DOESN’T HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANCE ANYMORE.
    Opportunities? For the submitter to waste money and for the festival’s director to get richer. This process involves a lot of lies covered in nice words and promises and a lot of useless hopes.
    If you made the mistake of submitting another project (or the same project) to a “festival” directed by the same person, you suddenly start to feel very sorry- you ask for a refund, and the answer that you get is: “we need to pay for the people involved in the selection process and since the project was already selected, according to our policy, we cannot refund you! Cheers!” And then you understand why the selection took place so quickly.
    Then you feel stupid and frustrated and you say whatever is left for you to do: “I will try with FilmFreeway and write a review”. “You are trying to blackmail us into refunding you with the review” is what Carlos Etzio replies. So if you say what you are going to do - it is blackmail - another “STAY AWAY” sign. For me it’s clear now (a bit too late) but I want you to see this sign before making the same mistakes I did.

    “Nature without borders” would do great in a TOP GREED FESTIVALS along with the rest of the so called “festivals” directed by Carlos Etzio- they would all be in the first 13 positions.

    Here is a list of ALL so called “festivals” - same director behind the scenes:

    * The Depth of Field International Film Festival.
    * Docs Without Borders Film Festival.
    * WRPN Short, Tight, and Loose Film Festival.
    * WRPN Global Webisode Competition.
    * WRPN Women's International Film Festival.
    * Nature Without Borders International Film Festival.
    * LGBTQ-Unbordered International Film Festival.
    * So You Think You Can Direct/Act.
    * WRPN Screenplay Competition.
    * Hispanic International Film Festival
    * Sci-Fi/Horror International Film Festival
    * Religion Faith International Film Festival
    * Bollywood USA International Film Festival

    July 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    I’m trying to decide what you are most incensed about. Is it that our selection process is efficient? (We do try to stay on top of this, because with 13 festivals--as you so kindly pointed out--it is easy to fall behind.) Or is it that we charge for certificates? Or is it because you didn’t read the information provided on our website and then felt foolish?

    After wading through your review, here’s what it looks like to me: You wanted to order a certificate but were unhappy with the cost, so you asked for a discount. You were offered a 15% discount, which you felt was not sufficient. When told that was the best we could do, you dangled the carrot of having a lot of other submissions you were planning to make. When that did not work to increase the discount, you threatened to write a bad review. Let me ask you something—if our festivals are so horrible and are just “money grab scams,” why were you planning on submitting more entries?  Was it because our reviews are overwhelmingly great? Or because we are one of the few festivals that offer a legitimate path to a distributor?

    You asked the question, “Do I really need a certification…?” Obviously, the answer is no. You are not required to order a certificate; it is completely optional. But if you do wish to order one, you do not get to dictate the price. You chose not to accept the discount offered and instead decided to retaliate by leaving a bad review that sounds more like a temper tantrum than a legitimate complaint. This is our business, and we get to determine the pricing and the discounts offered. As a customer, you certainly have the right to decline to buy the product at that price. Spewing anger and hate because you didn’t get your way is just childish.

    Judith Roman, Partner

  • Thanadol Chuashuwongse

    I am so honored to be a part of this wonderful festival. Thank you.

    June 2025
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    You are very welcome.