Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival

Submission Requirements:

Submission fees are non-refundable. We are sensitive to this issue and keep our fees low. They offset a portion of our administrative costs in bringing you and your audience together.

Passwords must not be changed until the Festival closes all in-person and streamed programs.
We do not accept rough cuts, subsequent cuts or more complete versions of submitted films, therefore changing or updating the originally submitted link is not permitted.

Each accepted film may be screened more than once during the Festival. Programming is at the discretion of SDFF.

Films of any completion date are eligible for submission. However, accepted films must not have been shown commercially anywhere in Northern California* within 60 days prior to the festival.
*Excludes films curated for special programs

Exhibition Formats:
SDFF has multiple screening venues in Sebastopol. Some require DCP; others do not use DCPs . You will be informed of the required screening format when the program is locked.

Foreign language films must be made available with English subtitles.

By entering your film, you agree to provide compatible exhibition format(s) at least 40 days before the start date of the festival to give SDFF print traffic manager time to QC your doc.
Before sending your media, please verify that your film plays correctly. Do not include menus, trailers and other special features.

Most films can be delivered via digital transfer. You can also ship your film file to us on hard drive/flash drive. SDFF will not pay shipping costs to or from the festival. If you want any materials returned or shipped on to another address, please provide postage with your addressed shipping container. The title of your film must be on all shipping materials.

Communication:

Each entry needs to include the following contact information:
➦ Director: Full name, email address, phone number, postal mailing address
➦ Rights Holder [if different]: company name; contact name, email address, phone number, postal mailing address
➦ Distributor Contact: company name, contact name, email address, department, phone number, postal mailing address.

You are responsible for updating SDFF directly regarding any change to your contact information and ensuring that emails from programming@sebastopolfilm.org or FilmFreeway are not blocked by spam filters.

Deadlines:
All deadlines are firm.

Filmmaker Agreement to Terms of Entry:
By submitting this documentary, Filmmakers understand that they agree to the following:

Filmmakers have ownership or control of the copyright and are duly authorized to submit this film to Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival 2023.

Should ownership or rights to my film change, this agreement to screen at the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival 2023, will be honored, upheld and not be infringed.

If accepted, Filmmakers will not withdraw the film(s) from SDFF 2023. Upon selection for screening at SDFF 2023 up to two minutes of footage from each film and materials accompanying selected entry(ies) may be used for promotional purposes.

NOTIFICATION DATE: November 17, 2022
EVENT DATES:
March 16 – 19, 2023 In-Person Theatrical Screenings
March 20 - 26, 2023 Streamed Selections from Theatrical Program