Our mission at Montana’s Northwest 360 Winter Fest is to curate and celebrate the art of storytelling through cinema providing a dynamic platform for diverse voices, emerging talents, and established filmmakers.

Unlike other film festivals, NW 360 Winter Fest will work with filmmakers who want to explore opportunities to showcase their product for commercial releases, who have made their films with budgets of $10 million and up and independent films with a budget of $10 million and under.

We will also serve as an alternative distribution channel for non-commercial films and offer a communal, shared, and unique experience for all audiences. We will provide a platform for all filmmakers regardless of budget.

There will be both Jury Awards (for films over $10M budget) and Audience Awards (for films of any budget). There will be cash prizes in multiple categories (TBA) for films in the "Under $10M" budget category.

Our jury will include:

Freida Lee Mock - Academy Award and Emmy Award winner Freida Lee Mock is a director, writer and producer of feature length and short form theatrical documentary films. Her 5 Academy Award nominations include the winner Maya Lin: A Strong Vision, a feature film about creativity and the designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Her other Oscar nominees are Rose Kennedy, a Life to Remember; SING! about a world renowned children’s choir; Never Give UP about the conductor and holocaust survivor Dr. Herbert Zipper; and To Live or Let Die, a story about medical ethics in an ICU for new born babies.

Matt Dearborn - Matt has developed and sold original pilot ideas to every major network in Hollywood including: Netflix, Sony, Amazon, FOX, HBO, NBC and CBS. He has garnered 3 Emmy nominations and a BAFTA Award for Outstanding International Series for creating Even Stevens (Disney.) Other accolades include the NAACP Image Award and the prestigious Environment Media Award. Matt is directing The Game Plan (Netflix) beginning in March 2025.

Alison Foreman - Alison Foreman is a Features Writer at IndieWire covering and critiquing TV, film, and trends in Hollywood. Foreman describes herself as a journalist with a passion for blood, spectacle, and basic human decency. She's also the midnight movie maven behind IndieWire After Dark, offering fringe cinema selections for the streaming age every Friday night.

Ted Schilowitz – Entertainment Industry executive who brings insights on the cutting edge of innovation and disruption in a fun and disarming fashion. He brings a unique spin on technology and its relation to humanity and is a Variety Hall of Fame Member.

Submitted films must have been completed within the last 2 years (prior to the 2025 festival dates) to be eligible for entry and have not had a public screening in the state of Montana previously.

Films MAY have distribution and still be considered for inclusion but should not be scheduled to begin any theatrical run before the festival dates (January 9-16, 2025). Premier status is not required but is encouraged whenever possible. Films with a scheduled VOD & SVOD are eligible to be screened as long as that run does not overlap with the festival's dates.

Films must be in English or have English subtitles
Films may be submitted in any film or video format
Online screeners are preferred
Some screenings of films MAY be possible DCP in 2025
2 copies of all accepted films must be delivered as an MP4, Blu-Ray and/or DVD in NTSC formats

JUDGING FOR ENTRY & AWARDS
All submitted films will be reviewed by multiple members of a screening committee. Committee members and the festival director will determine the final accepted films to screen at the festival. Entrants will be notified by email as to the status of the entry if accepted or not. Awards will be determined following audience balloting and announced at the conclusion of the festival.

Any submitted DVDs, stills, press kits and posters will not be returned after judging or presentation at the festival (if selected).

An entry fee is due for each submission. This fee covers the administrative and handling costs and is non-refundable. Make a check or money order payable to: North By Northwest Winter Fest.

All entry materials, fees, and publicity materials must be received by the final deadline of October 18, 2024.

MARKETING/PR MATERIALS
Entrants are advised to submit publicity materials along with their film (press kits, posters and publicity photos) as this facilitates the publicizing of your entry if accepted. Press materials can be submitted in an electronic format (photos should be 300dpi).

SHIPPING INSTRUCTIONS
Clearly identify the title of the film on the mailing package. Finalists are responsible for arrangements and the cost of shipping the exhibition film to the festival by December 16, 2024.

RETURN SHIPPING OF ENTRY
We will cover the cost of return shipping within the United States only. The festival does NOT pay for the cost of shipping to international locations. Work screened at the festival will be shipped within 21 days of the close of the film festival unless other arrangements have been made.

LOSS & DAMAGE
Care will be taken to protect entries while they are in the possession of the festival. However, if loss or damage occurs, the festival cannot accept or assume responsibility.

AGREEMENT
Entry into the festival constitutes agreement with all festival rules and guidelines and implies permission to exhibit work during the festival up to 2 times. Submission of an entry gives the festival permission to screen portions of any accepted work for promotional purposes on local television.

For further information contact the Programming Director.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking

  • First, the people of Butte, MT, are amazing. Second, the team behind this festival is even better. They are filmmakers who truly love film and those who create them.

    That said, as a first-year festival, there were bound to be some growing pains. While I had a great experience overall, there were a few disappointments from a filmmaker’s perspective. My film was scheduled for a less-than-ideal time—Monday at 6 PM—in a small makeshift theater. However, participating in the panel discussions made the trip worthwhile.

    One issue worth noting: The festival originally announced that it would present awards in various categories, including films with budgets over and under $10 million. Unfortunately, no awards were given, and there was no communication with filmmakers about why. It simply didn’t happen.

    I mention this as constructive feedback for future Butte MT festivals because, despite these hiccups, the people running it were truly fantastic. With a little more organization and communication, this festival has the potential to grow into something truly special.

    January 2025