SHORTFEST24 Short Film Festival

SHORTFEST24 ("THE FESTIVAL") TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. SUBMITTING YOUR FILM: Entries are welcome from all countries including Australia. Your film entry should be:

a) submitted in HD (preferably 25 fps).
b) 10 minutes or less, including titles & credits.
c) spoken or subtitled in English
d) any genre except animation or documentary
e) independently produced

Please note: Your film does not have to "premiere" at our festival, and we accept film entries even if they are (previously or currently) viewable on YouTube or other public platforms.

2. ENTRY FEE: The Festival is regulated under Australian law. For the purposes of this Agreement, the meaning of ‘you’ / ‘your film’ / ‘content’ / ‘film entry’ refers to any producers, directors, cast, crew, production team, videos, films, digital media, excerpts, publicity stills & any other relevant information. By paying an entry fee to The Festival, you agree to these rules.

a. Your film must be submitted on Film Freeway.
b. You cannot change your entry after it has been submitted.
c. The Festival as a general policy, cannot waive or refund entry fees.
d. Official Selections will be notified by 1st September 2024.
e. Award winners will be announced on 26 September 2024.
f. Awards for Best Short Film, Best International Short, and Audience Choice will be awarded to the director of each film.
g. Awards with Cash Prizes will be payable to the producer of each film. If there are several producers, the producers must nominate one recipient.

Films by Festival organisers, judges, volunteers and employees are not permitted.

If you are considered to be a minor where you live (generally under 18 years of age) and you submit your content to The Festival, then you are confirming that you've received your parent’s/guardian’s express consent and that your parent/guardian (i) agrees on your behalf to be bound by this agreement; and (ii) is responsible for your film entry.

3. CONTENT REQUIREMENTS
Your film content must meet specifications and requirements relating to formatting, compatibility, operating characteristics and submission, including those of any festival intermediaries, websites, social media sites, cinemas, hardware or software where your content is uploaded, downloaded, published, screened or viewed.

Only films that have, or would likely have, a classification for (G) (PG) (MA or MA 15+) will be considered. Some exceptions may be made at The Festival's discretion, if warranted.

The Festival reserves the right to reject any film that our selectors deem inappropriate or in violation of copyright, trademark or intellectual property rights. If we receive a claim of infringement that satisfies lawful requirements, we may remove content associated with such claims.

In regards to intellectual property, you are fully responsible for the clearance of any music, sound, images or graphics contained in your entry. If any record company or music publisher contacts us about your entry’s music rights, we will refer that company to you so please be sure to obtain all necessary clearances beforehand. The Festival reserves the right, at any time, without notice and without limiting any and all other rights under this Agreement, at law or in equity, to disqualify your entry if it contravenes these requirements on or after the date of submission.

You are solely responsible for the content you submit (and any consequences thereof) made under your name, user name, e-mail address, password, and your registration or profile information. We are not responsible for late, damaged, misdirected, unusable, unacceptable or unreadable content.

4. DISPUTES
If you believe any actions taken by The Festival are unlawful or in breach of these terms and conditions, or believe that any content exhibited by The Festival violates your rights or the rights of another party, you can email The Festival at shortfest24@gmail.com

5. RIGHTS GRANTED TO THE FESTIVAL
The rights described in this agreement are granted to commence immediately upon submission of your film and shall continue indefinitely. You grant The Festival the right to view your content for judging and to publicly exhibit your film if selected. This also includes publishing the film to online festival media sites and webpages. Please note The Festival holds non-exclusive rights to your film and therefore you are permitted to have your film entered into other festivals while it is an entrant in The Festival. The Festival has the right to include your film or parts of your film in promotional activities. This may include but is not limited to showreels and advertisements promoting The Festival in screenings, campaigns, presentations, interviews and product pitches. This does not imply that The Festival agrees with any views expressed by you or your film. You may contact The Festival at shortfest24@gmail.com at anytime to request the withdrawal of your entry, whereupon we will remove your content from festival media sites and all associated distribution within 5 business days.

6. OWNERSHIP
The Festival does not claim any ownership rights of the content that you submit to us. You retain all rights, title and interest in your film, including but not limited to any associated intellectual property and proprietary rights existing anywhere in the world. Likewise, you acquire no ownership, proprietary or other rights, title or interest in or to The Festival, its websites or social media sites, or any software or other information or materials we provide or make available to you.

You must own the rights to the content you submit and and the right to grant all of the authorisations, rights and licenses described in this Agreement. If you do not exclusively own these rights, you must have all necessary authorisations, permissions, approvals, consents, rights and licenses from the owner(s) to enter into this Agreement, and to comply with their obligations.

7. INDEMNIFICATION
Your use of festival media sites or software is at your own risk. The Festival will not be liable for any malfunctions, loss of data, damage to hardware, programs or devices resulting from use of any software or interaction with festival media sites on your part. It is recommended that you use your own programs and firewalls to scan all software and prevent intrusion, viruses, other malicious code.

Your indemnification obligations under the "Terms of Use" include any third party claims arising from, or caused by, your content, the submission of your content, The Festival’s use of your content (consistent with rights granted by this agreement) and/or any use you may make of the service, or venue, or facility.

8. DISCLAIMERS AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
The Festival disclaims all liability for any use not specifically authorised, or in violation of this agreement, or the laws or regulations that may apply to you in any jurisdiction or country. The festival expressly disclaims all liability for any and all damages, whether direct, consequential, special, indirect, exemplary or punitive damages, howsoever arising or caused, whether foreseeable or not, regardless of the form of action or the basis or characterisation of the claim and even if advised of the possibility of damages.

9. OFFICIAL SELECTION & AWARDS
A film entry does not guarantee official selection by The Festival. The Festival will announce its official selections and you will be notified of the outcome of your entry. Official selection does not necessarily guarantee that your film is a finalist.
The Festival judges will view all Official Selections to decide the top 10 Finalists. The Finalists will be screened at our Cinema Festival, and the Festival Judges will decide the winners of each category. Audience members will determine the Audience Choice Award.

The Cinema Festival may be live-streamed on our festival media sites, subject to demand, and tickets will be separately available for purchase to the virtual and cinema festivals. Entry fees and festival tickets are not refundable or transferrable.

10. GENERAL
The Festival makes this agreement in good faith. The Festival reserves the right to exclude your film without notice if your content contravenes any of the terms and conditions. If your film is selected but unable to be publicly or virtually screened for reasons beyond our control or due to any unforeseen circumstances which prevent or prohibit The Festival from proceeding, then you agree to accept this at your own risk. The Festival will not be liable in such cases and we may also terminate this Agreement.

This Agreement, together with any Terms of Use by associated third parties, is the entire agreement between you and The Festival and supersedes all other prior or inconsistent agreements. Nothing in this agreement is intended to contradict any consumer laws or statutory regulations.