Borderlines Film Festival is the UK's largest rural film festival based in Herefordshire and Shropshire. In 2017 the festival will screen our largest number of film titles from across the globe; with nearly 100 titles to choose from, audiences can enjoy this fantastic opportunity to see the best films and re-releases at venues spread throughout Herefordshire, Shropshire and the Welsh border.

A quarter of the films in the programme are screening before going on general release. Our closing weekend features the Festival of British Cinema at Hay and we are delighted to welcome director Terence Davies and cinematographer Billy Williams as guests.

Awards & Prizes

Best Short Film Award for Breakthrough Talent: Borderlines Film Festival, the UK's largest rural film festival based in Herefordshire and Shropshire, will be celebrating its 15th anniversary in 2017. In collaboration with Rural Media, the festival will offer a new platform for first-time and emerging film-makers.

We’re on the lookout for new film-makers…the deadline for submissions is 16th December so you’ll need to get your skates on!

All the finalists will have their films screened at the festival, which takes place from the 24th February to the 12th of March 2017, as part of a ‘celebration of young talent’ event. A panel of film industry professionals will select the winner, who will receive £500 in prize money.

We love film in all its glorious forms, from animation to drama, gritty documentaries to experimental hybrid work. The films should be no longer than 15 minutes (including credits) and although the film-maker must be UK based, as long as English subtitles are used, the films can be in any language. We are after current material so your film needs to have been made between August 2015 and the submission date.

Rules & Terms

ELIGIBILITY

1. The competition is open to professional and amateur film-makers with a UK
postcode.
2. Filmmakers must be between the ages of 16-25 as of the submission deadline -16th
December 2016.
3. The festival is open to short films of all production techniques, including
animation, documentary, drama, experimental or artist film and hybrid work from
low to high budgets.
4. The running time limit for the film is 15 minutes including credits.
5. Films made in languages other than English are eligible to enter but they must
have English subtitles and must have been made by a UK based filmmaker (With a
UK postcode).

SUBMISSIONS
6. Entries should be submitted by the individual film-maker, i.e. Producer or Director.
7. Borderlines Film Festival and Rural Media reserve the right to reject incomplete
entries.
8. Entries are £25 per film and fees are non-refundable.
9. For initial submission, films should be sent either via a password protected link, a
file transfer service such as WeTransfer or via a hard drive to the Rural Media
offices. (Rural Media, 25 Packers House, West Street, Hereford, HR4 0BX).
10. Materials will not be returned unless submitters provide an adequately marked
and stamped SAE.
11. The three finalists will be posted a hard drive to transfer their film onto and post
back to Rural Media in order to prepare the film for screening.
12. Advertising is not permitted on the screening versions.
13. It is the sole responsibility of the entrants to clear for public screening any and all
copyrighted material included in the film. This includes music, stock footage and
any other elements with an existing copyright.
14. Entries to the competition automatically grant permission for images and sound to
be used for promotion purposes for the Festival and the Award in all media
worldwide. This includes up to 3 minutes of each production free of charge.
15. It is the responsibility of entrants to ensure the safe delivery of their materials and
to insure them against loss and damage.
THE AWARD
16. A prize of £500 will be awarded to the film judged to the best by the Jury, but the
Festival reserves the right to split the award in exceptional circumstances.
17. The pre-selection panel, consisting of film professionals will make the initial
selection for films screened in competition and a Jury will decide the final awards.
If there should be any conflict of interest, members of the pre-selection panel
and/or Jury will remove themselves for the purposes of selection of films with
which they are associated.
18. The Jury’s decision will be final.

Submission into the competition implies full acceptance of the terms and conditions
guidelines.