The Pop Up Film Festival (PUFF) is a venue that diverges from the seemingly dominant goal of showing the 'best of the best' films. We're all about showing films that are good enough. They tell a unique story, capture the imagination and talk to us in ways that are just far enough outside the mainstream to wake us up.

As the Covid 19 pandemic continues to impact people, we will be mindful of events and scheduling. Please keep in mind that are proposed schedules for screenings are fluid at best.

PUFF is all about community support, so the venue will change to whatever facility is available and looking for exposure. Our first festival was held in a coffee shop owned by a young couple that is trying to make their way in the world, so we give them a chance to increase traffic and highlight their unique product line of organic coffee and tea. We usually hold a PUFF once a month. Festival times will be around 90 to 120 minutes, so we' focus on short films. Ones that are under 20 minutes.

And, speaking of community support, we're not in this for money, fame, ego or bragging rights. We're doing this for fun. With that in mind there are no charges for submitting films, no charges for attending the festival and no processes for eliciting outside financial support. Just a couple of folks with a really big screen and projector that travels well.

Well, you're probably asking yourself "Self, will my film fit with PUFF?" That's a great question. We live in a small town 50 miles west of the middle of nowhere in Western Montana. It just so happens it's something of a small resort community and it also happens to be on a Native American Reservation. We have two seasons, winter and backhoe season. With that said, there's a really wide variety of personalities, beliefs and tastes that come and go. We're hoping that your film will challenge us, entertain us, amuse us or twist our brains just a bit. Try not to have too much violence, gore, laugh tracks, sexually explicit or abusive/divisive content and we'll be just fine. Creativity is king for PUFF. SciFi is great as are parodies, satires, nature romps or social/societal explorations of existential angst. And, please don't plaster us with dozens of submissions. I you submit more than two films we'll just move on to other film makers.

Awards & Prizes

Since we're a no budget operation prizes are sorta not workable in a traditional sense. What we can offer you is feedback. PUFF will not have a panel of judges that screens and rates the films for awards. We're going to leave feedback up to the audience. Each attendee will get a form with ratings that will be a little different than other festivals. Instead of 1st, 2nd, 3rd we'll have a categories something like...
- That really made me think
- I laughed so hard milk squirted out my nose
- Well, now that was weird
- EA Poe would have loved that
- ...I think you get the picture...

The feedback will be qualitative with things like 'what I really liked' or ' ouch, that hurt'. Feedback will change by festival depending upon the content we get. Written feedback about your film will only be sent to you, provided you give us your email address. And, we won't share your email with anyone else. We won't share feedback with other film makers. And, this will happen every month as films are screened, so no EOY ceremony.

Rules & Terms

We'll take films from anywhere, but they need to either have an English soundtrack or English subtitles. Are you from Montanaland? Well, then move to the front of the line! If you submit more than two films, well you'll move to the end of the line. Don't submit a dozen films!

Films need to be 20 minutes or less, with preference given to those under 10 minutes. Why? Because PUFF is about 90 minutes and we want to have enough time for the audience to discuss the merits of each film.

Films can be 720p or 1080p. MP4 or MOV are preferred. We want digital only submissions that can be easily downloaded or transferred to us.

You as an applicant submitting the film agree that you have just, full and rightful ownership to all submitted content including music.

It is the sole responsibility of the Film Applicant to clear all content of the Film from any and all actual or potential legal claims and issues, including, without limitation, claims based upon theories of libel, defamation, invasion of privacy, violation of rights of publicity, theft of trade secrets, breach of confidence, breach of confidential relationship, and breach of express or implied contract (“Third Party Claim(s)”). PUFF expressly disavows any responsibility for, and will not be held responsible for, any unauthorized inclusion of any content or materials within or relating to the submitted Film that are or may be the basis for any Third Party Claims based upon any of the foregoing legal theories or others. PUFF reserves the right to disqualify any film that is or may become the subject of any Third Party Claims. In the event that any Third Party Claim(s) shall be asserted by any person or entity, Applicant shall fully indemnify and defend PUFF and its representatives and affiliates from any liability in connection therewith and from any and all fees and expenses, including but not limited to attorney's fees, that each of any of them may incur in connection therewith.
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