Films will be judged and selected based on their narrative quality. SciFi features can be any film set in another world, reality or time. Action Films, Comedies, Horror, and Dramas can all be science fiction if the setting or story lines have a particular SciFi bent. Want to know what SciFi is? Check out our SciFi Checklist by founder Bears Rebecca Fonte: http://www.otherworldsaustin.com/what-is-scifi/. Horror films aim to create a sense of distress, panic, alarm, and dread for the audience. They can be unsettling either through what is portrayed on screen, or the thoughts they provoke inside the viewer, preying on our worst fears and nightmares. Documentaries and animation will be accepted in either genre as long as the films are story-based and not experimental or facts-and-figures types of filmmaking and would be of interest to genre fans (we've played docs every year). Music Videos will be acceptable if they tell a cohesive story (think "Take On Me" by A-ha). A Fan Film is any short or feature based on pre-existing characters or properties (that the filmmaker does not own). Common examples might utilize characters or worlds from Star Wars, Star Trek, the Marvel Universe or even Flash Gordon. Other examples of fan films are ‘lost’ Twilight Zone episodes (done entirely in the style of the original series), fake commercials or trailers for films that based on pre-existing characters or properties that do not exist, mash-ups of characters from different universes, or using new audio or new video in sync with existing video or audio for new effect. The rule is creativity – what can a fan do to make a new work out of something they don’t own, without hope of making a penny? Films can be one-minute or feature length and of any production quality, we are looking to reward ingenuity, not your ability to buy an authentic stormtrooper costume. Features must be 41 minutes or longer, Shorts 40 minutes or shorter. Fan Films can be any length.
See our website at www.OtherWorldsFilmFestival.com/submissions for our Film FAQ.
SECURE ONLINE SCREENERS
OtherWorlds is a green festival. Features, Shorts and Fan Films must be submitted as an online screener. You may use the FilmFreeway system or Vimeo, although Vimeo is preferred because it allows for streaming to giant television sets through things like Roku or Amazon Fire. Please check your upload and make sure that it plays properly, has sound and (if foreign) English subtitles. Other Worlds is not responsible for the streaming quality of the film file uploaded by the filmmaker. If your entry is unable to be watched by our programmers due to issues with your upload, your film may be disqualified and no refund will be made.
Features, Shorts, and Fan Films must be available to screen as a digital file. If you are unable or unwilling to provide us your film as a digital file, DO NOT SUBMIT your film.
If a film was submitted to prior Other Worlds, we are happy to reconsider it for 2022, but only recommend re-submission if significant changes have been made. Films must be available for screening during Other Worlds, December 2022.
PREMIERE STATUS
Films must be AUSTIN PREMIERES. Just to be clear, your film cannot have screened at any other Austin-based festival and remain eligible for Other Worlds. This includes Austin Revolution, Austin Lift-Off, Austin Spotlight, Austin Indie, Austin Comedy, Austin Micro, Austin After Dark, Austin Under the Stars, Ethereal or any other festival that screens in Austin. Also always be sure the Austin festival you submit to screens in an actual theater on a weekend and its run by people who actually live in Austin and can get an audience in to see your film. Once Austin became the coolest place in the US, festivals started popping up every other week here. Some are run by Los Angelenos and screen films on Tuesday evening for audiences of 3 unsuspecting filmmakers. Other than Austin, no other premiere status is required. Quality of filmmaking equal, some preference will be given to World, US or Texas Premieres.
Short films and Fan films available publicly online WILL be eligible for the festival, but Feature films WILL NOT. Feature films that are available publicly online, have appeared on US network/cable television, or available for VOD/download/purchase WILL NOT be eligible for screening at the festival.
SCREENING FEES
Other Worlds does not pay screening fees under any circumstance. By submitting your film, you are agreeing to screen your film without a screening fee or any other compensation if selected.
COMPETITION CERTIFICATION I/We have read all of the Other Worlds (a.k.a. Festival or OW) rules. I/We understand and have complied with these rules. I/We warrant the submission of my/our original work and there are no disputes regarding the ownership of the submission, or if a Fan Film, my/our original take on pre-existing characters with no desire to supersede applicable copyright law. I/We also warrant the submitted material does not defame or invade the rights of any person living or dead and I/we fully indemnify the Festival against any claim made for such violations of law. To the best of my/our knowledge, all of the statements herein are true and correct. I/We understand that failure to adhere to the Festival rules will result in disqualification and forfeiture of entry fee. I/We agree to hold Other Worlds harmless from and defend them against all claims, demands, losses, damages, judgments, liabilities, and expenses (including attorney’s fees) arising out of or in connection with any and all claims of third parties, whether or not groundless, based on any film submitted to the Festival. Once an entry payment has been processed we cannot provide a refund. If a payment is disputed, the account holder may be subject to any fees.
PLEASE NOTE: Other Worlds does NOT waive entry fees. We are a small festival and entry fees are the primary source of income for the running of the festival. Some films may be invited to submit to OW by the Artistic Director after screening at a major festival. This will be on a case-by-case basis and will be initiated by OW. Please do not email us and ask for a waiver. We understand the financial constraint of filmmaking and costs of submitting to festivals and have kept our fees low in order to allow the most number of submissions as possible. We hope you can find it in your budget to submit your film.
RETURNS & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: All entries will be acknowledged by email or through the FilmFreeway communication system.
SCREENWRITING CONTEST
Other Worlds Film Fest does not offer waivers under any circumstances. Our fees simply pay for the awards and the costs of running the contest (not even). We understand the financial hardship of being a screenwriter and costs of submitting to competitions and have kept our fees low in order to allow the most number of entries as possible. We hope you can find it in your budget to submit your screenplay.
All entries will receive feedback on their scripts at the conclusion of the Other Worlds Film Festival, if desired. All feedback will be distributed by March of the following year at the latest.
Scripts must not have been produced, optioned or sold prior to December, 2022.
All entrants certify to the originality of the entered script, or in the case of Specs, the originality of their handling of the material. Entrants warrant there are no disputes regarding the ownership of the submission and that the submitted material does not defame or invade the rights of any person living or dead. Entrants fully indemnify Other Worlds Film Festival and its agents against any claim made for such violations of law.
In the event of shared authorship, all writers will share prize money equally. It will be up to primary entrant to communicate all notices and divide all prize money with the other writers.
Entrants may submit more than one screenplay/teleplay in any chosen category, as well as enter different scripts in different categories. Each script entry requires a separate application and fee. All entries and payment must be made through the Festival Freeway website, no cash or check payment will be accepted.
Once an entry has been made, we cannot provide a refund. If a payment is disputed, the account holder may be subject to any fees.
All scripts will be judged as entered, no revisions will be accepted.
All scripts must be entered as .pdfs. No physical copies.
All scripts must be in English.
No supplementary material should be sent. No show bibles, treatments, or reality show formats will be accepted for the Teleplay competition.
Consulting can only be done on winning scripts. No substitutions.
By entering the script in the competition, the entrant is agreeing to all rules and regulations of the competition. Entrant agrees to hold Other Worlds Film Festival and its agents harmless from and defend them against all claims, demands, losses, damages, judgments, liabilities, and expenses (including attorney’s fees) arising out of or in connection with any and all claims of third parties, whether or not groundless, based on any script.
Entrant gives Other Worlds Film Festival the non-revokable right to use your name and the script title, synopsis, and short excerpt (no longer than 10 pages) in our marketing materials in perpetuity.
Please register your script. Although this is not a requirement, it is highly suggested. The only true protection for a writer in any dispute is a proper registration with the US Copyright Office, this is in addition to any registration with the WGA West or WGA East.
All decisions of the festival and its agents are final.
About feedback:
Written feedback will be provided to every entrant of the competition, if desired, which we believe is the least a screenwriting competition can do to certify your script was read with precision and professional concern.
Feedback will be in the form of a scored, seven criteria breakdown with one to two sentences provided in each heading. Please note, this feedback is part of the judging process and is not necessarily written with the writer in mind. Your entry fee pays for the logistics of the competition. The feedback is provided to you as a bonus.
Writers will not be able to contact the judges or ‘argue’ against their feedback.
Scripts may receive overwhelmingly positive feedback and yet still not place in the competition, this usually means the script was eliminated in later rounds of the competition. Additional feedback may be provided to the writer, by a second judge, and this feedback may be shorter than the primary feedback, although this is not guaranteed. The Competition reserves the right to provide only the initial judge’s feedback.
The primary purpose of the competition is to identify and celebrate the top scripts in each category, not to be a source for script notes. We do not offer ‘upper levels’ of judge’s notes for higher fees. If looking for more detailed feedback, we highly suggest seeking out a respected script consultant.
