Rules
By entering the Santa Monica Film Festival, you agree to comply with all rules, guidelines, and terms outlined below.
LEGAL ELIGIBILITY AND LIABILITY
• Films with any known or potential legal issues are not eligible for submission or participation in the festival.
• By submitting a film, the filmmaker represents and warrants that they are the rightful owner of the film or have obtained all necessary rights, licenses, permissions, and clearances required for exhibition of the film and all of its components. This includes, but is not limited to, story rights, music rights, archival footage, images, performances, trademarks, and all intellectual property contained within the film.
• The filmmaker further represents and warrants that the film does not infringe upon or violate any copyright, trademark, contract, publicity right, privacy right, or other legal right of any person or entity, and that all required releases and permissions have been secured.
• Any actual, threatened, or potential legal claim, dispute, or challenge associated with a submitted film—including but not limited to copyright disputes, ownership conflicts, contractual disputes, defamation claims, or rights clearances—may result in immediate disqualification or removal from the festival, at the sole discretion of the Santa Monica Film Festival, whether discovered before or after acceptance.
• By submitting a film, the filmmaker agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Santa Monica Film Festival, its organizers, directors, staff, programmers, volunteers, sponsors, partners, venues, and affiliates from and against any and all claims, damages, liabilities, losses, judgments, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees) arising from or related to the submission, exhibition, promotion, or distribution of the film.
• The Santa Monica Film Festival assumes no responsibility or liability for the content of submitted films.
• By submitting a film, filmmakers irrevocably waive any and all rights to seek damages, compensation, injunctive relief, or any other legal remedy against the Santa Monica Film Festival and its affiliates, for any reason related to the submission, selection, rejection, exhibition, scheduling, or promotion of the film, in perpetuity.
• The Santa Monica Film Festival reserves the right to disqualify, refuse, or withdraw any submission at any time if these terms are violated or if legal concerns arise.
CONTENT RESPONSIBILITY
• The submitting filmmaker is solely responsible for the content of their film.
• The Santa Monica Film Festival does not endorse, verify, or assume responsibility for any statements, representations, depictions, or claims made within submitted films.
• The festival reserves the right to decline or remove any film that it determines, in its sole discretion, to be unlawful, defamatory, infringing, or otherwise inappropriate for exhibition.
NON-REFUNDABLE SUBMISSION / NO OBLIGATION TO SCREEN
• All submission fees are non-refundable, regardless of whether the film is selected for the festival.
• Submission of a film does not guarantee acceptance or screening at the Santa Monica Film Festival.
• The Santa Monica Film Festival is under no obligation to screen any submitted film, even if the submission meets all eligibility requirements.
PROMOTIONAL USE RIGHTS
• By submitting a film, the filmmaker grants the Santa Monica Film Festival the non-exclusive right to use film stills, posters, trailers, press materials, and up to three (3) minutes of footage from the film for promotional, marketing, press, educational, and archival purposes.
• These materials may be used in festival programs, websites, social media, press coverage, advertising, and promotional campaigns without additional compensation to the filmmaker.
• Promotional use may occur before, during, and after the festival in connection with promoting the Santa Monica Film Festival and its activities.
FORCE MAJEURE
• The Santa Monica Film Festival shall not be held liable for any failure or delay in performance resulting from events beyond its reasonable control. These events may include, but are not limited to, acts of God, natural disasters, public health emergencies, government restrictions, venue closures, labor disputes, technical failures, or other unforeseen circumstances.
• In the event such circumstances occur, the festival reserves the right to modify screening formats, reschedule events, transition to online programming, or cancel the event without liability.
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
• Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to participation in the Santa Monica Film Festival shall be resolved exclusively through binding arbitration.
• Arbitration shall take place in Los Angeles County, California and shall be conducted in accordance with the rules of a recognized arbitration authority.
• By submitting a film, the filmmaker waives the right to pursue claims in court or participate in class-action lawsuits against the Santa Monica Film Festival.
• The arbitrator’s decision shall be final and binding on all parties.
