Submissions open for films and screenplays in any genre. Submissions are evaluated on their own merit rather than compared to others in the same genre.

ALL SUBMISSIONS RECEIVE FEEDBACK!

All submissions will receive the first round score card that shows the rating on a scale of 1-10. Submissions are judged on various aspects such as Plot, Characters, Dialogue, etc... You will also get a short note from the evaluation judge.

For those who desire much more in-depth critique on their films or screenplays, we also offer a Comprehensive Notes option in our submissions. Comprehensive Notes are generally done by a professional outside of the regular jury pool and are between 1-3 pages depending on the length of the project. These notes will not include a lengthy synopsis of your submission that eats up page space. (We think it’s safe to assume that you already know the story). Instead, they will focus in on any trouble areas, make suggestions on anything that may be able to be corrected in post (yeah… we know how that sounds!) and also give a general critique.

NO RELEASE, PRODUCED, OR WRITTEN-BY DATE RESTRICTIONS!

We know it can be tough to get honest feedback on scripts and films, which is why we don’t have any restrictions on films that have been self-distributed and released on YouTube, Amazon, Vimeo, etc… There are also no restrictions on when the film was made or the screenplay was written.

Winning projects will NOT be shown online to the public. We only list the project titles and associated names on our website.

ALL SUBMISSIONS:
All submitted projects will receive the first round score card along with a short note given by the initial judge.

OFFICIAL SELECTIONS:
Since Siren by the Sea has postponed all live events due to health concerns with COVID-19 in Florida, the Official Selections are recognized as submissions that have passed the first round of judging. They will receive custom Official Selection laurels.

CATEGORY AWARDS:
Winners in the following categories* will receive digital laurels.

BEST FEATURE FILM
BEST SHORT FILM
BEST FEATURE SCREENPLAY
BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY

OVER-ALL WINNER AWARDS ("BEST IN SHOW"):
Winners for the over-all Best Screenplay and Best Film are determined as being the top-rated project from all submitted films and screenplays, regardless of length. These "Best in Show" Winners will receive both digital laurels and physical trophies. (Trophies are mailed to recipients free of charge.)

* If there are not enough entries for a proper competition in any of the film or screenplay categories, the submissions will be pooled together since all projects are judged on their own merit regardless of length for awards.

Please read all of the policies and rules below. Submissions that do not follow these rules will be disqualified, so please ask any questions before submitting.

All completed submissions will receive the initial scorecard with the star-rating score for various aspects and any corresponding short notes at the end of the judging period before winners are announced. These are sent electronically, so please make sure that your email address on FilmFreeway is correct. (NOTE: Any submissions that are withdrawn will not be eligible for scorecard and/or feedback.)

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GENERAL RULES:

All entries must be in English (or have English subtitles).

There are no "created by" time frame restrictions on films or screenplays.

There are no premiere or release restrictions on films. However, all screenplays must be un-produced and not under option at the time of the competition.

Submissions from previous years are accepted, as long as they did not win. Previous winners may enter a different project.

No works-in-progress will be accepted.

All submissions must be original works, no adaptations unless adapted from the film-maker’s own original story/novel or from a work that is the public domain.

Films may not include real violence toward humans or animals.

No pornography.

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SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

In the spirit of fairness to all, we do not offer student discounts or hardship waivers for the submission fees.

FILMS - Only a director or producer may submit a film. The director/producer with the submission of the film affirms that he/she has all the copyrights of audio, video, images and music of the film or rights to the story and he/she remains responsible before the law.

SCREENPLAYS - Only the writer may submit. In the case of multiple writers, only one need to submit but all authors must be credited on the entry. The writer with the submission of the screenplay affirms that he/she has all the rights to the story and he/she remains responsible before the law.

Multiple submissions are accepted, but each must be submitted with a separate fee. There are no discounts for multiple submissions.

Submissions are evaluated by a panel of compensated judges and are scored on their own merit. The jury decisions regarding the winners are final and may not be disputed.

Submissions that include Comprehensive Notes understand that this critique service is done by a compensated professional in the industry and that the results from this service may not be disputed or refunded. The notes are designed to focus in on any problem areas of a project in order to help the submitter, and anything pointed out should not be taken personally. These notes are not shared with the competition jury.

All entries must be sent via FilmFreeway. Please DO NOT send DVDs, BluRays, or any downloadable files to us directly.

Submission fees must be in U.S. dollars. These fees are non-refundable, even in the case of disqualification or withdrawal of an entry. There are no exceptions to this policy. Films that do not follow the rules will be disqualified, so please ask any questions before submitting.

You agree to indemnify and hold us harmless from any claim made by you or any third party due to or arising out of project(s) you submit to this contest. You understand that there are thousands of writers and film-makers and the similarities in story, plot, characters, etc... of two or more films are certainly a possibility. The contest directors and judges will not knowingly share your submission with any third party without your permission.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Russell Emanuel

    Great film festival that treated us well! Thank you so much!

    February 2023
  • Kipp Howard

    Great! Will submit again! Highly recommend!

    February 2023
  • Crystal Thomas

    I am so honored that my short screenplay, Kidz At Play, was chosen as an award winner! The communication has been fantastic, and the feedback invaluable. Thank you!

    August 2022
  • Siren by The Sea, thanks for the Official Selection. Timely Communication and creating a quality festival at an affordable price!

    August 2022
  • Thank you very much for choosing our film " Mad Scientist". We highly recommend this film festival to every filmmaker fellow! The judges will give feedback and comment which is very valuable for the filmmakers! We definitely will submit more work in the future.

    August 2022