SonderBlu Film Festival

Submitting to The SonderBlu Film Festival

At SonderBlu we are committed to helping filmmakers bring their work to engaged and enthusiastic audiences. Our Festival is focused on helping filmmakers get their films seen, Therefore, we aim to make it as easy as possible for filmmakers to submit to our festival.
We keep our submission fees and ticket prices low for filmmakers and audience members. Filmmakers selected to participate in the festival may have the opportunity to participate in screener forums to discuss their film or be a part of our discussion panels.
If you are submitting multiple films, email submit@SonderBlu.com to be considered for a fee reduction.

Rules and Guidelines
The SonderBlu Film Festival is committed to providing a venue, an audience, and a community for the wide array of short and feature length films that are under-served by conventional commercial distributors and industry festivals. We want films that tell us about where and how you live. We seek independent movies with original ideas and quality production value.

FESTIVAL SUBMISSION CATEGORIES
All filmmakers are welcomed to submit their works to the festival. We also strongly encourage women, veterans, people with disabilities, people of color, and LGBTQ filmmakers to submit their work too.
We show films of all genres, formats, and lengths, as long as they’re daring, creative, and unique. We are always looking for films that break down boundaries or feature innovation, personal, and eccentric or hilarious takes on old forms. Films can be from any genre and in any format. We love animation, satire, fiction comedies and dramas, experimental and abstract films, personal and political documentaries
If you have any questions regarding submissions, please email submit@sonderblu.com

Previews & Entry Form
● All submissions not made through FilmFreeway must include our Submission Form.
● Submissions must be in English or have English subtitles and there must be a preview AND screening copy available in English or with English subtitles, excepting music videos and films without dialogue.
● SonderBlu Film Festival will only accept submissions via FilmFreeway or on our platform.
● Feel free to send along any additional press material, cast and crew bios, or any other information about your film.

Screening Rights
● Should your work be selected to be part of the SonderBlu Film Festival, SonderBlu reserves the right to screen your film at any screening throughout the season.
● Titles will be screens in New York City and Virtually
● After the season, SonderBlu Film Festival shall not screen any submitted films without the expressed consent from the filmmaker.
● If your film is accepted, SonderBlu generally screens digital files.
● If your film is accepted, we will get a screening copy from you.
● By submitting your work you are stating you have all the licensing rights associated with the movie
● Should Covid-19 require us to cancel our NYC Screening, we’ll still present work on our digital platform

Fees and Notification
● All submission fees must be paid in U.S. currency. If you are submitting a film from outside the U.S., please pay with a credit card online
● The submission fee can be paid via the SonderBlu Submission Form or FilmFreeway.
● The submission fee need only be paid once per title. Contact us if you have multiple titles to potentially reduce the fee at submit@sonderblu.com.
● Filmmakers selected for the festival will receive a free VIP pass for the entire festival. We couldn’t have our festival without filmmakers, and even though we can’t show all of your films, we hope you can participate in the festival even if your film isn’t accepted. All submissions will be notified of their status by August 15th. Please do not contact us to find out whether or not your film has been received. We do not have a large enough staff to respond to such inquiries.

The Festival
The SonderBlu Film Festival is hosting its first annual event during the summer of 2021. Filmmakers will have their work screened in New York City and virtually to an international audience. Filmmakers will enjoy networking opportunities and the global presence of their work during the festival.

Covid-19
We understand the impact that Covid-19 has had on your ability to showcase your work at festivals. We have organized our festival so we can address restrictions as they present themselves. We can host the festival virtually and in New York City, this includes panel and creator discussions.

Curating our Programs
Every single film will be watched and appraised by our screening committee! While our primary goal is to showcase the best new movies we can find, we also believe our mission entails more than just “choosing great cinema.” We believe it is our responsibility to present works in exciting and innovative ways so we can reach the widest audiences possible and maximize the impact of each film in our festival.
That is why we choose to show films in locations throughout New York City that will enhance the movie experience and foster engagement between our panels, filmmakers, and the attending audience. Our goal is the make the entire festival an experience, rather than a series of viewings.
We also work hard to program our films in such a way that the selections complement each other. We curate around themes, moods, regions, and genres. SonderBlu believes that strategically programming complimentary films together adds to the impact of all the individual works and that a carefully curated show can bring out subtle resonances in even the most textured and accomplished films.