THE SOUTH AFRICAN INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL

Please Note: Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the stipulated deadlines, festival dates and notification dates are subject to change.
1. Submission Deadlines
• Submissions will be accepted from 5 September 2019. The early deadline is December 5, 2019; the regular deadline is May 21, 2020; the late deadline is June 10, 2020; the extended deadline is July 1, 2020. Early entry is encouraged but in no way guarantees acceptance.
2. Submission Format
• Films must be submitted via online screener ONLY. We do not accept films sent over by DVD.
• We do not accept subsequent cuts or more complete versions of submitted films, therefore changing or updating the originally submitted link is not accepted. Only one version of the film will be reviewed by programmers.
3. Submission Eligibility & Premiere Status
• Films completed at any date before 10 April 2020 are eligible.
• SAIFF does not require any premiere status for feature films – although national and world premieres will be given preference.
• There is no premiere policy for short films and music videos.
• Work-in-progress and films with distribution are accepted.
4. Film Classification
• All films screened during the the South African Independent Film Festival receive a blank 18 certificate from the FPB. This means we cannot accept anyone underage during any screening of the Festival. Please take this into account when submitting to the South African Independent Film Festival.
5. Submission Fee
• All submissions for the South African Independent Film Festival are to be paid through FilmFreeway platform. The submission fee is non-refundable.
6. Selection of Films
• Submissions are reviewed and selected under the following criteria:
i. Quality of narrative and production values.
ii. Independent nature of the production.
7. Notification
• The South African Independent Film Festival endeavours to complete all selection procedures by July 14, 2020 and inform all submitting parties, in writing, if their film has been successful or not after that time. Successful submissions will receive information that will include important information on delivering your film to the Festival, press and publicity, guest accreditation, contact information and how to make the most of participating in the Festival.

For selected films ONLY
1. Shipping
• If selected you will receive instructions for delivery of your film.
• If the film is selected for the Festival all shipping and postage costs for DCPs and additional materials sent to and returned from SAIFF must be borne by the submitting party.
• The South African Independent Film Festival will not accept Cash On Delivery shipments.
• The South African Independent Film Festival will not absorb any fees incurred in SA customs.
• All charges must be pre-paid.
2. Festival Screenings
• All foreign language films MUST contain English subtitles files.
• Blu-ray will be used as backup only.
• The South African Independent Film Festival aspires to provide the best quality projection possible but will not be held liable for any failure in the technical quality of the projection, nor will fees be refunded in any such case.
3. Scheduling
• Screenings are scheduled at the discretion of SAIFF. Whilst every effort will be made to adhere to the published schedule, SAIFF reserves the right to make changes at any time for any reason. SAIFF will not be liable for any costs claimed as a result of a change in scheduling.
• No film may be withdrawn from the festival programme after its selection.
4. Promotion
• Selected films must acknowledge that SAIFF reserves the right to promote the films on SAIFF website and social media using both images and video that you provide.
• If shortlisted for an award, the online screeners of the film must be made available for the duration of the festival for all the jury members
5. By accepting your place in the official selection for SAIFF 2020 you
• agree to authorize the SAIFF to host your content for the festival for access by the South African Independent Film Festival attendants on its supported streaming application platforms for the duration of the SAIFF;
• agree that your content will be accessible and viewable by the South African Independent Film Festival’s streaming application users only for the duration of the South African Independent Film Festival and will be accessible via supported streaming devices using secure authentication credentials issued by the South African Independent Film Festival stream device application;
• agree that the scope of availability of the selected submitted content on the South African Independent Film Festival Platform is at the sole discretion of the South African Independent Film Festival with respect to platform channel, region of distribution, content delivery networks, device-specific platform applications, application versions, or specific streaming hardware devices the application platform supports within the period of the film festival;
• agree that your film’s use on the platform is royalty-free within the terms and conditions of this agreement. Copyright owners shall not be entitled to monetary consideration in whole or in part for the use of the film on the South African Independent Film Festival Platform in conjunction with the South African Independent Film Festival within the terms and conditions of this agreement.
• warrant that you have the clear authority to enter this agreement and further represent and warrant that you own all clear right, title, and interest in your submitted film in connection with its use on the South African Independent Film Festival Platform and that there is no infringement of any third-party rights.

Release and waiver

1. We may require that you provide us with photographs or video, or allow us to photograph or video you (the Media Materials), free of charge, to prepare promotional or other material for the purpose of or related to the South African Independent Film Festival, you agree that copyright in the Media Materials is the property of the South African Independent Film Festival.
2. You give us unrestricted and irrevocable right to use and publish the Media Materials or reproductions or adaptations or modifications thereof in all forms and media including print and internet including social media for marketing, advertising or any lawful purpose for or related to the South African Independent Film Festival.
3. You release us from any and all claims, actions, demands, suits, liabilities, damages, expenses and obligations of any kind arising from or related to our use of the Media Materials.

Limitation of liability and indemnity

1. Without excluding, restricting or modifying the rights and remedies to which you may be entitled under law, or our liabilities under those provisions:
a. we are not liable to you for any cost incurred or loss or liability you suffer in any way in relation to the South African Independent Film Festival.
b. we exclude all other implied terms and warranties, whether statutory or otherwise, relating to the South African Independent Film Festival and the subject matter of our agreement with you.
c. we will not be liable to you for indirect and / or consequential loss arising from or connected to our agreement with you in contract, tort, under any statute or otherwise (including, without limitation, for loss of revenue, loss of profits, failure to realize expected profits or savings, loss of intellectual property, breach of confidence or any other commercial or economic loss of any kind) unless such loss arises as a result of our own willful misconduct.
d. our liability to you for loss or damage of any kind arising out of our agreement with you or in connection with the relationship established by it is reduced to the extent (if any) that you cause or contribute to the loss or damage. This reduction applies whether our liability is in contract, tort (including negligence), under any statute or otherwise.
e. our liability to you is limited in all cases to the amount of the application fee you have paid.
2. You indemnify us in relation to any loss caused by:
a. a breach by you of this agreement and these terms and conditions; or
b. any action by a third party against you or us in relation to your use of copyrighted material in relation to the South African Independent Film Festival.