Sleepy Hollow International Film Festival

ELIGIBILITY:
Films must have been finished after January 1, 2019
Screenplays must be longer than 70 pages, but no longer than 135 pages.
Screenplays can be of any genre, but the submission must have at the very least—a hint of the unknown, supernatural, sci-fi or the fantastic within. Please make sure your screenplay’s cover page has the following information – Title, writer(s) and writer’s contact info, including address, e-mail and phone number.
Screenplays are to be submitted through our festival listing at FilmFreeway in pdf format only. No hard copy paper script submissions will be accepted. Include part of the script's title and writer(s) last name(s) in the file name.
Winning SHIFF screenplay submissions will be notified no later than September 14, 2020.
PREMIERE:
Premiere status is a factor in considering a film’s inclusion in Sleepy Hollow International Film Festival (SHIFF). Films (features and shorts) must be one of the following: A world, U.S., New York State, or a Westchester County, NY premiere.
Films (features and shorts) may not have had any kind of public or festival exhibition within the borders of Westchester County, NY, prior to SHIFF. Films (features and shorts) must have had no previous commercial exhibition or release in the US—This includes theatrical, television, streaming, VOD, internet, home video or otherwise.
CATEGORY:
Films (features and shorts) can be of any genre, but the submission must have, at the very least—a hint of the unknown, supernatural, sci-fi or the fantastic within. If the feature or short is a documentary, then the subject(s) explored must have at least a tangential connection to the same.
FORMAT:
Short films must be at least 2 minutes long, but no longer than 20 minutes.
Feature films must be no shorter than 75 minutes, but no longer than 180 minutes.
Non-English Language Films (features and shorts) must be subtitled in English for exhibition at SHIFF.
Film submissions may be rough cuts, or works in progress, but only if the completed film will be available to the festival no later than September 30, 2020. Films must be submitted as Blu-Rays or DCPs.
Film submissions selected for Sleepy Hollow International Film Festival (SHIFF) will be notified no later than September 14, 2020.
SUBMISSIONS: Films and screenplays may only be submitted to SHIFF through FilmFreeway.

LOCAL STUDENTS SHORT FILM COMPETITION
Open to all Sleepy Hollow, NY area (Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Ossining, Irvington, NY) High School, Middle School and Elementary students from grades 1 through 12, the 2020 SHIFF Student Shorts Competition is primed to have the next generation of Hudson Valley storytellers tap into the unknown by creating their own short film, the winner of which will be showcased at a special screening at the Sleepy Hollow International Film Festival. Local student short film submissions are free.
ELIGIBILITY:
The competition is open to all Sleepy Hollow, NY area (Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Ossining, or Irvington) students from grades 1 through 12, and are due by midnight, September 4, 2020. Students will be judged in three separate categories—high school, middle school and elementary—allowing for winners in each, all which will be shown at the festival. A grand festival winner will be chosen among the winners. There is no cost for submission. Students under 18 will need permission from a parent or guardian to submit their film.
Participation in the competition constitutes entrants’ full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of the rules and the decisions of SHIFF, which are final and binding. Winning a prize shall be contingent upon complying with the rules and fulfilling competition requirements of film submission. SHIFF reserves the right to disqualify any entrant who fails to comply with all official rules.
CATEGORIES:
Films can be of any genre—horror, comedy, drama, etc.—but the submission must in some way touch on the unknown, supernatural, sci-fi or the fantastic, and/or be connected in some way to the historic Hudson Valley.
FORMAT:
Entrants may submit a film of 2 to 20 minutes. SHIFF will accept and consider short animated films. The minimum length for animated submissions is 1 minute. Films must be submitted as Blu-Rays or DCPs.
PERFORMERS:
Participants performing in the film submissions must comprise at least 50% residents of Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Ossining, or Irvington, NY.
PRIZES:
The main Competition winner will receive the “Legend in the Making Award,” receive a $250 cash prize, and have his or her film screened at the Sleepy Hollow International Film Festival’s main venue, the historic Tarrytown Music Hall sometime during Oct 17 or 18, 2020. If students choose to submit an entry together, only one prize will be awarded to the group as a whole if selected as winner.
Judges will monitor adherence to these submission rules, including compliance with film length, category, etc. Films will be judged by the SHIFF board and local participants based upon quality and content of the film and its ability to uphold the artistic inspiration and achievement set in place by Washington Irving and his immortal classics.
SUBMISSION:
Enter in one of the local student short categories (elementary, middle or high school) through SHIFF's FilmFreeway page. There is a limit of one (1) entry per person or per group. Any additional entries will be void.
Entrants agree that the winning entry can be used for future promotion and events held by SHIFF and on SHIFF’s website.

OVERALL FESTIVAL NOTICES:
Entry fees are in U.S. Dollars, for each film and are non-refundable. SHIFF reserves the right to disqualify any submission, without refund of any kind, if eligibility requirements are not met including if eligibility status changes post-submission.
All entries that are selected into SHIFF grant SHIFF the right to use any footage from the screener and all submitted publicity photos, key art and any other materials sent to us pertaining to this entry for SHIFF’s promotional purposes, without limitations.
All DCP's and Blu-rays are to be retrieved after the screening and signed for by the filmmaker. If you attend SHIFF and don’t collect your DCP and Blu-ray, you will be responsible for the shipping costs.

SUBMITTER'S AGREEMENT:
I, the undersigned, represent and warrant that I have full legal right and authority to submit the heretofore mentioned film/video and/or screenplay project for consideration by SHIFF, and that all necessary consents, licensing and approvals have been obtained with respect thereto. I agree to hold SHIFF and its sponsors harmless in any and all matters pertaining to the consents, licenses, and approvals of heretofore film/video and/or screenplay project. I understand that my submission is in no way a guarantee of acceptance or nomination into and at SHIFF. No one from SHIFF or its sponsors has guaranteed me admission into the festival. I, the undersigned, have read the terms and conditions appearing herein, and agree, without exception, to all the terms and conditions stated.
For more info, visit www.SleepyHollowFilmFest.com