Entry Period: 1 March 2017 – 30 June 2017
Event Date: Monday, 23 October 2017
Event Location: SMPTE 2017 Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition (Hollywood, CA)
Guidelines:
• There are 7 categories available to Students to submit a film. An additional category, AUDIENCE AWARD, will be voted on and awarded the night of the Festival.
• Please submit your film for ONE CATEGORY ONLY. If your film qualifies for multiple categories, please select the one that is most appropriate.
• All submissions must meet the time limit requirement in order to qualify. Any submissions that exceed the maximum run-time will be immediately disqualified.
• In addition to the submitted film, all narrative film entries, except the VR category, must be accompanied with either 1) a behind the scenes video demonstration of how the technology was used and enhanced the production of the film (not to exceed 2 minutes) or 2) a short written description of the technology usage and enhancement, in 300 words or less.
• Travel to the Festival for the Official Selections or Winners will not be provided by SMPTE or HPA. However, certain SMPTE Sections may provide travel scholarships. For more details, please contact your local SMPTE Section.
SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival Official Rules
OPEN TO STUDENTS WHO WERE ENROLLED AT AN ACCREDITED COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY – IN THE US OR THE EQUIVALENT LEVEL OF STUDY IN ANOTHER COUNTRY - FILM SCHOOL OR HIGH SCHOOL/SECONDARY SCHOOL DURING THE MAKING OF THE SUBMITTED STUDENT FILM.
By entering the SMPTE-HPA Student Film Festival (“Competition”), entrants accept and agree to be bound by these Official Rules. Any violation of these rules may, at Sponsor’s discretion, result in disqualification. All decisions of the judges regarding this Competition are final and binding in all respects. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) and the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) is referred to in these rules as the “Sponsor.”
1. COMPETITION PERIOD. Competition begins 1 March 2017 and ends 11:59 p.m. EDT 27 June 2017 (“COMPETITION PERIOD”). Online entries must be received by the end of the Competition Period.
2. ELIGIBILITY.
The entry must: (a.) include the title of an original video, (b.) the filmmaker’s name and contact information, (c.) have been created prior to 27 June 2017, (d.) be within time length of the prescribed category, including opening and/or closing credits, (e.) only use authorized rights cleared content, including, without limitation, music, images, film clips, and other intellectual property. Please see our resources tab for more information. (f.) only contain images or likenesses of any individuals who have provided their express authorization or whose parents or guardians have provided express authorization if such individuals are under the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence, (g.) be appropriate for viewing by the general public (appropriateness will be determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion), (h.) non-English films must have English subtitles at the time submitted, (i.) the filmmaker must be, and/or must have been enrolled in an accredited college or university, film school, or high school/secondary school in the US or the equivalent level of study in other country while he/she made the submitted movie, (j.) be originally authored or the entrant must have written permission to use copyright protected material and (k.) submitted entry has not been submitted to the Competition previously. All text, images, videos, and other content and materials submitted by entrants, including without limitation, the items described in subsections (a) – (l) above, shall be referred to hereafter as the “Submission.”
Additionally, each Submission in one of the narrative categories, except the VR category, must be accompanied with either 1) a behind the scenes video demonstration of how the technology was used and enhanced the production of the film (not to exceed 2 minutes) or 2) a short written description of the technology usage and enhancement, in 300 words or less.
Entrant represents and warrants that Submission is the original work of entrant, it has not been copied from others, and it does not violate the rights of any other person or entity. Entrant further represents and warrants that the Submission adheres to the fundamental spirit of the Competition and does not contain any defamatory, obscene, or any unlawful matter.
If selected as potential finalists, entrants shall be required to complete a release confirming the consent, release, and grant of rights set forth in Section 6. The Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any entry at its sole discretion.
3. HOW TO ENTER. In order to enter this Competition, entrants must upload their content using https://filmfreeway.com/festival/SMPTEFilmFestival. Entrants must read and agree to all rules and regulations, submit the required information including a link to the video.
Due to the emerging nature of VR technology, further submission requirements will be forthcoming.
4. FINALIST SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION. There will be two rounds of judging. A panel of judges consisting of industry executives will conduct the preliminary and final review and select films that will be presented at the Competition. In the preliminary and final rounds, judges will review and score the Submissions according to the following criteria: (1.) Creativity in expression of the theme, (2.) Originality of the Submission, and (3.) Technical quality of the final video product.
Nominees will be notified via email. If any such entrant: (i) cannot be contacted; (ii) does not respond within five (5) days from the date the Sponsor first tries to notify her/him; (iii) fails to return all releases and other requested documents, such entrants will be eliminated from the Competition. Sponsor, in its sole discretion, will select finalists for exhibition at the Competition.
5. PRIZE DESCRIPTION. Winners will receive an award and/or certificate celebrating their achievement and the films may be featured on SMPTE-HPA website and social media pages.
Finalists and all entrants are invited to attend the event on Monday, 23 October 2017 in Hollywood, CA. Note: SMPTE-HPA will NOT pay for travel, accommodations, or any other expenses. There may be possible travel subsidies provided by individual SMPTE Sections or Student Chapters, however it is at the sole discretion of the individual Section or Chapter. The home offices of SMPTE and/or HPA will not be responsible.
6. OWNERSHIP AND LICENSE. Ownership in any Submission shall remain the property of the entrant. I hereby grant, on behalf of myself and each of the Film’s Owners, each of the following rights to the Sponsor without reservations, conditions or qualifications: (a) the right to use footage, stills and/or titles, and information from or relating to the Film for promotional purposes; and (b) the right to issue and authorize publicity concerning the filmmakers and the Film and to use all associated names, likenesses and biographical information.
7. PARTICIPATING ENTITIES. This Competition is administered by Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), 3 Barker Ave Floor 5, White Plains, NY 10601 and Hollywood Professional Association (HPA), 846 S. Broadway, Suite 601, Los Angeles, CA 90014.
