At the Oil Valley Film Festival, our mission is to bring the voices and films of new and established filmmakers to the heart of Venango County, an area underrepresented in the world of film.

Located in Oil City, Pennsylvania, and nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains, attending the Oil Valley Film Festival will grant you the experience of watching engaging cinema within an intimate community with a rich history.

Awards & Prizes

All films selected are eligible for awards. The following awards will be granted for outstanding achievement: ("Actor" designates both male and female actors)

FILM COMPETITION AWARDS:

Jury Prizes:

- Best Actor, Feature
- Best Actor, Short
- Best Supporting Actor, Feature
- Best Supporting Actor, Short
- Best Cinematography, Feature - Narrative
- Best Cinematography, Short - Narrative
- Best Director, Feature - Narrative
- Best Director, Short - Narrative
- Best Editing, Feature - Narrative
- Best Editing, Short - Narrative
- Best Picture, Feature - Narrative & Documentary
- Best Picture, Short - Narrative & Documentary

Audience Awards:

- Favorite Feature Film
- Favorite Short Film
- Favorite Web / New Media Episode

SCREENPLAY COMPETITION AWARDS:

- Outstanding Achievement in Screenwriting, Feature
- Outstanding Achievement in Screenwriting, Short
- Outstanding Achievement in Screenwriting, Hour-long Pilot Teleplay

Winners of the 2025 Screenwriting categories will receive:

A 4-month InkTip Pro Membership ($130 value). As an InkTip Pro Member, thousands of filmmakers can find and read your scripts, and you'll be able to pitch directly to production companies every week. With over 3,000 options and 400 movies made, InkTip is the place for independent film.

Rules & Terms

DISCLAIMER: The personal views of judges affiliated with the Oil Valley Film Festival do not reflect the view of the festival itself, and in no way are those outside views, posted, written, or spoken, the responsibility of the Oil Valley Film Festival.

BASIC SUBMISSION RULES

- No Waivers or Discounts on Submissions.

- Films must be completed before submitting. No "works in progress" accepted.

- Films and scripts submitted must not have been completed before January 1 of the previous year. (THIS IS WAIVED IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.)

- Online screeners are accepted for submission, but are not exclusive. If submitting an online screener that is password protected, please include password with submission.

- Films that are available online for free, or available for purchase (VOD, YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, etc...) or have screened theatrically (via traditional distribution) in New York or Los Angeles are not eligible for the festival.

- No premiere status is needed, but it is encouraged.

- If accepted, all screening films must be available via digital copy.

- All films not in English must be subtitled in English.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The Oil Valley Film Festival is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes. The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations. The Oil Valley Film Festival reserves the right to refuse entries. The individuals and corporations who submit shall indemnify and hold harmless the Oil Valley Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.
24 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Harry Waldman

    Thanks for selecting “Bay For Blood” as a Finalist for Best Short Screenplay at your festival! The communication was clear and concise and I had a very good experience overall.

    January 2025
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    Response from festival:

    Harry, thank you for the kind words! We appreciate you being a part of the festival this year as a screenwriter! Keep up the great work!

  • Mark Solter

    The cast and crew of ‘Everyone Writes Memoir’ are honored to have been a part of this year’s Oil Valley Film Festival. We treasure their support and dedication, to not only our film, but to the international community of independent cinema. An exceptional experience!

    January 2025
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    Response from festival:

    Mark, thank you! We appreciate you being a part of this year's festival.

  • Paper Horse Pictures

    Participating in the Oil Valley Film Festival was a great experience. Although we couldn’t attend due to scheduling conflicts, we were thoroughly impressed by the festival’s outstanding support and commitment to both the films and filmmakers. Their professionalism really made an impact.

    January 2025
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    Response from festival:

    Parker, thank you for the kind words! They mean so much. It was such a pleasure having you as part of the festival this year.

  • In Digital

    Great festival. The awards were well deserved

    September 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much!

  • Carlos Antonio Leon

    Thank you so much for having us! We truly enjoyed the fest and all the people that make it possible. Thank you hid the award too!! Looking forward for more in the future!!! Great event!!! Congrats!

    September 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Carlos, thank you for your wonderful performance and for you and Bob making the trip to Pennsylvania from Miami for the event. It's always so wonderful to have filmmakers and actors here to represent their projects and interact with our audience. Bravo on a wonderful film. We look forward to seeing your upcoming work!