Rio Webfest

We are looking for all kinds of audiovisual content for the web.

To be able to compete, a web series, vlog or podcast must have at least two episodes released or ready to be viewed by festival selectors by the time of the submission deadline. There is no duration limit for each episode in the submission and web series that participated in our past editions can also participate this year, since we have a different jury every year.

Creators are welcome to submit as many web series as they want, but each one requires one submission fee.

Any non-English or non-Brazilian Portuguese language web series must have subtitles in English and/or in Brazilian Portuguese available by the time of the submission. If your series is officially selected, YOU MUST PROVIDE English subtitles for the screening copies.

Although there is no duration limit for submitting, the screening time limit for each selected web series is 10 minutes (including credits). You are allowed to either send an shorter episode with a total running time of no more than 10 minutes or and edited reel of two or three episodes, if your chapters are really short.

Music Videos and Dance Videos are also welcome in our festival.

Selected entries are required to provide a high resolution copy of the screening episode(s) encoded in .mp4 or .mov files in 1080p, h264, max 20mbps bitrate, NTSC or PAL. Please double check your screening files before sending.

Regulations and Procedures
1. Rio Web Fest will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on mid November.
2. Submission Deadlines: Submissions are open from February 1st until no later than September 1st. Official selections will be announced in September 30th.
3. Submission Format: For Web Series, a minimum of 2 episodes must be submitted online. For Trailers, Web ads, Music and Dance Videos, just the link for the video will be enough. You can submit on our website your series, trailer, web ad, music or dance video or via FilmFreeway.
4. Submission Eligibility: All projects produced anytime and anywhere in the world with a two episodes minimum for series or one video for the rest are eligible for submission. Web series that participated in our earlier editions are still eligible, since we have different jury every year.
5. Submission Fee: All FilmFreeway submissions for Rio Web Fest must be paid by credit card. The submission fee is non-refundable.
6. Selection of Web Series: Submissions are reviewed and selected under the following criteria: quality of narrative and production, acting, originality, cinematography, sound and other technical categories. Official selections will be informed by email. Nominees should send digital files for screening encoded in .mp4 or .mov files in 1080p, h264, max 10mbps bitrate, NTSC or PAL.
7. Official selections MUST PROVIDE English subtitles for the screening copies, regardless of the original language of your show.
8. Screenings are scheduled during the festival under the criterion of Rio Webfest. Whilst every effort will be made to fulfil the published schedule, we reserve the right to make changes at any time for any reason and we'll not be liable for any costs claimed as a result of a change in scheduling.
9. Filmmakers can submit as many web series as they want.
10. The festival is sovereign in its decisions regarding the distribution of prizes, trophies and laurels and is free to modify them if necessary, for reasons of "force majeure", keeping that resolution always as a last resort, to be used only if all the alternatives are exhausted.
11. Silver Tickets (direct selection for partner festivals) and Golden Tickets (free flight and hotel for partner festivals) are a courtesy exchanged between festivals and, therefore, are the responsibility of the partner festival and not of the Rio Webfest organization. Our team will give the winners' contact details to the partner festival, which will ask for the necessary travel documents (such as passport, tourist visa, etc.). The winners, in turn, have the responsibility to issue these documents, bear the costs not covered inside and outside Brazil (such as food and transfers), and to meet the demands of partner festivals in a timely manner to purchase their flight ticket and accommodation (at least 90 days before the partner festival dates). We cannot be held responsible if a partner festival ceases to exist or cancels the prize on your behalf for any reason.
12. All submitters declare themselves as responsible for the rights of all contents of their episodes in the act of submission. For example, soundtrack, logo and images. In case of the true rights holder inquires about the unauthorised use of his creation, the festival will not be responsible for it.
13. The creator is also responsible for well functioning of the episode links sent to curators during the entire submission period, from the submission date until the official selection.
14. During the awards show, the winner trophies will be given to anyone representing the series, all exceptions must be specifically asked in writing before the festival starts. If you are not present at the awards show, we can still send your trophy by mail afterwards, as long as you can cover the shipping costs.
15. Payment of the submission fee and filling out the submission form does not mean that your web series will be automatically nominated for an award or that you'll be eligible for the pitching sessions. The festival will preselect the series for the awards nominations and preselect projects to participate in the pitching sessions.
16. All CASH PRIZES will be paid only via Paypal account transfer up till one month after the awards show is over. Paypal taxes and fees are also responsibility of the prize winner.
17. If you plan on attending personally to the festival, please note that Brazil requires a TOURIST VISA for citizens of specific countries. Please check out if your country is on the list and how to require your visa at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Brazil#Tourist_visa.
18. Please arrive early to ensure your ticket purchase because all spaces are subject to stocking.
19. By submitting to RIOWF, you hereby agree to the use your image and small excerpts of your work to promote the festival in trailers, teasers and live coverage of the festival on live streaming and social media such as Facebook, Youtube, Twitter and regular television.

Please follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for latest info.