The SUTTER CREEK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (SCIFF) (formerly Velvet Rope Film Festival), is located 55 minutes east of Sacramento, CA and 2 hours east of San Francisco, and 1 hour and 40 minutes from the world famous, beautiful Lake Tahoe, full of world-class casinos and Las Vegas-style shows. But once in Sutter Creek, you'll never have to leave for excitement and adventure! Sutter Creek is surrounded by beautiful vineyards, caves and gold mines, some more than a mile underground to explore. As a premiere 4-day annual event, the SCIFF showcases cutting edge, as well as contemporary film screenings at the historic SUTTER CREEK THEATRE. You'll love the city’s old west, historical feel and look, with a variety of unexpected venues giving you memories, you'll be sharing for years and years to come.

SCIFF is proud to embrace the reasons Film Festivals were invented, in its meticulous programming guidelines. From cutting edge documentaries to tried-and-true indie films, SCIFF celebrates film on the ‘big screen’ by offering something for everyone. Experience HOLLYWOOD-STYLE EVENTS that pair excellent local wines with your film experience, or the RED CARPET EVENTS, where we welcome celebrities from Hollywood, filmmakers, and world known figures.

Enjoy premieres of INDEPENDENT FILMS – films that you may not have a chance to see anywhere else. Filmmakers from all over the world attend the Festival and offer an intimate, but informative Q & A sessions after the screening of their films.

We at SUTTER CREEK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (formerly Velvet Rope Film Festival) will entertain, educate and inspire film-goers and filmmakers, from around the world.

Sutter Creek International Film Festival - where indie film matters!

Awards we will be presenting for each category at our final night Awards Ceremony:

Awards:
Best Cinematography
Best Editing
Best Score
Best Visual Effects
Best Makeup
Best Young Performer - Male (under 17)
Best Young Performer - Female (Under 17)
Best Lead Actor - Male
Best Lead Actress - Female
Best Supporting Actor - Male
Best Supporting Actress - Female
Best Director
Best Film
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Excellence in Film award:
Angel Salazar

Rising Star award:
Colton Crawford

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Prizes:
Trophies for all winners
Winners of "Best film" awards will receive a theatrical run in Sutter Creek

READ THE FOLLOWING RULES & REGULATIONS CAREFULLY.

Sutter Creek International Film Festival (Formerly Velvet Rope Film Festival)

Rules & Regulations

READ THE FOLLOWING RULES & REGULATIONS CAREFULLY.

The Sutter Creek International Film Festival (hereafter referred to as “SCIFF” or the “Festival” as the context requires) is an annual profit cultural event that takes place in the historical city of Sutter Creek, California.

The Festival has two overriding objectives:

The Festival aims to develop a film culture, creating greater opportunities for filmmakers from around the world to screen their films and develop future film projects.

The Festival aims to celebrate excellence in film cinema and be a destination festival for the international film community to discover a film festival that is truly pushing the true indie art form, the filmmakers vision.

The 2017 SCIFF will present the following sections:

1- Official competitions Programme:

The Official SCIFF Competition: Open to feature and short films by indie filmmakers of all genders and/or nationalities, with a film that showcases the world as they see it, or make it out to be.
The Official SCIFF Student Competition: Open to short films by students of all genders and/or nationalities with a film that showcases the their vision.
The Official International Competition: Open to films by international filmmakers from around the world.

2- Out of Competition Program:

OFFICIAL SCIFF COMPETITION, OFFICIAL SCIFF STUDENT COMPETITION & OFFICIAL INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

The Official SCIFF Competition will present two different categories (A) feature films and, (B) short films.
The Official SCIFF Student Competition will present one category the will cover all projects.
The Official International Competition will present two category, full feature and short films.
The Official SCIFF Women of film Competition will present one category the will cover all projects made by women.
The Official SCIFF LBGT Competition will present one category the will cover all projects that cover this category.
ELIGIBILITY FOR SELECTION:
Official SCIFF Competitions Eligibility

1. Official Program Eligibility

Films should meet all of the following eligibility conditions:

The film must not have been screened in the USA for any audiences before the upcoming edition of SCIFF. With exceptions for films that will not be in competition at the 2017, Sutter Creek Film Festival.
The film submission must be completed and presented to SCIFF prior to August 15, 2017.
The film must not have been broadcasted and/or made available on television, the internet, mobile phones and/or any other public viewing platform now known or thereafter devised before and until the end of the 2017 SCIFF.
All non-English dialogue films must have English subtitles.
SCIFF does not accept work-in-progress, unless it's a student project.
In the event that a film is not selected by SCIFF for the Official Competitions, SCIFF reserves the right to select said film for any of SCIFF’s Official Out of Competition sections.

2. Eligibility by Category:

Official SCIFF Competition for Feature Films: Films must be a work of fiction/non-fiction that equals or exceeds fifty (50) minutes.
Official Competitions for Short Films: Films must be a work of fiction that does not exceed fifty (50) minutes in length.
Selection Programmers & Jury

Selection Programmers:

SCIFF will solely appoint ten Selection Programmers to review submitted feature and short films (the “Selection Programmers”) . The Selection Programmers will decide on the official selection to enter the categories of SCIFF Official Competitions and the Official Out of Competition sections.

SCIFF Jury:

SCIFF will solely appoint four jury members to decide on prize winners for each Official Competition program.

SUBMISSION:

There is an, time sensitive, entry fee to submit a project to SCIFF.

Deadlines:

Entries must be submitted prior to July 15, 2016, by completing the application form at FilmFreeway. There you will be able to give a private screening link or submit One (1) DVD* copy of the film. The film must reach SCIFF before the same date of August 15, 2017. Any submission and/or material received after the above deadline will not be accepted without a waiver.

Submitted Material:

The submitted material consists of:

A private screening link (to be included in your online submission).
OR

One (1) copy of the DVD* of the film (with English subtitles if applicable) and any other additional material available.
If the original version of the film is not in English, the submitted private screening link or DVD must be subtitled in English.

The submitter must label the cover of the DVD, with the Tracking Number given by FilmFreeway. The submitter must ensure that the film title and all other requested information are provided in English.

*Please note that we do not accept Blu-Ray, as a screener.

Submission Shipping:

All shipping costs of the submitted DVD and/or material must be the sole burden of the submitter/sender. For the avoidance of doubt, the Submitted DVD and/or Material will not be returned to the submitter/sender, unless a return envelope, with paid postage is sent along with submitted material. All submissions should be sent directly to the here under address with “For cultural use only” and “Without commercial value” clearly marked on the envelope.

SCIFF

PO Box 71

Hood, CA 95639-0071

Attention: Matthew Silver

RE: [film name], [online submission ID #]

Tel: 916-271-8102

Email: vrff-sub@velvetropesfilmfest.com

Note: remove the P.O. Box number if your courier company will only deliver to a street address.

Storage of Submissions:

SCIFF retains the right to keep all submissions as well as associated materials for its use. SCIFF reserves the right to transfer
submissions to a master hard drive digital library, building a digital reference archive (“SCIFF Permanent Digital Library”). SCIFF will not theatrically screen for commercial purposes any films without the express written consent of the appropriate rights holder(s).

Additional Terms:

For the avoidance of doubt, once a film is selected the submitter will not be able to withdraw. The submitter will not be able to withdraw nor change the Premiere status of the film at any given time before it is screened at SCIFF unless accepted by SCIFF in writing.

To refrain from publicly confirming the film selection at SCIFF prior to SCIFF announcing its final lineup. In the event that the submitter is found to be in violation of any condition of the Rules and Regulations, SCIFF at its sole discretion may choose to cancel and eliminate such film from the selection or the final lineup of the SCIFF film program.

SELECTED FILMS:

The Selection Programmers will at their own discretion select the films.

If a film is selected for the Official Program, SCIFF will send an official selection e-mail approximately 3 weeks from the submission closing date and will advise of further requirements and next steps. If a film has not been selected, SCIFF will inform the submitter by e-mail within one (1) week of the announcement of the final film selection. For the avoidance of doubt, SCIFF will not in any way whatsoever provide any justification and/or comments regarding the reasons for non-selection of a film.

Material:

The final screening copy of the film can only be submitted in one of the following formats: (a) DVD Region 0 - 9, (b) Blu-Ray, © .MOV file.

The screening copy of the film must be received in good condition and SCIFF reserves the right to refuse screening copies if found to be not in good condition and request the submitter to re-submit a new copy. In the event that the submitter fails to submit a screening copy suitable for screening and in good condition, SCIFF reserves the right to cancel the selection of the film without any liability whatsoever.
It is SCIFF's general policy to screen all non-English language films in their original language version with English subtitles. Exceptions to this general rule will be made on a case by case basis in order to meet operational requirements.
Selected films should be submitted with, but not limited to, a high resolution copy of the trailer of the film used for promotional purposes. For the avoidance of doubt, SCIFF shall be entitled without prior notice to use the trailer online and on broadcast TV for periods of time to be solely decided by SCIFF.

Screenings & Scheduling:

Selected films may be screened up to two (2) times to SCIFF’s public audiences. The film may be screened in advance of the Festival an additional time for accredited press and industry members. SCIFF will at its sole discretion decide on the dates and order of the screening(s) of each film.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND UNDERTAKING:

Submission and participation in SCIFF and the Official Program implies acceptance of the Rules and Regulations.

The submitter hereby represents and warrants that he/she holds all rights in and to the film and material and that he/she has the authority and capacity to submit the film and material for SCIFF.

The submitter acknowledges that SCIFF shall not be held liable or responsible in any manner whatsoever for any loss or damage of whatever type or nature incurred as a result of the submission, acceptance and/or screening of the film and/or material.

Furthermore, the submitter undertakes to indemnify and keep SCIFF indemnified against all liabilities, claims, demands, actions, costs, damages or loss arising out of the submission, acceptance and/or screening of the film and/or use or non-use of the material.

The submitter also understands and acknowledges that the SCIFF Submission Form and the present Regulations form are a consolidated and unified document and that therefore the SCIFF Submission Form shall be considered as incorporated herein by reference.

ADDITIONAL TERMS:

Censorship:

No editorial cuts or changes to any film will be made at any time by SCIFF for any reason or under any circumstances.

Anti-Piracy Precautions:

SCIFF undertakes to take all possible anti-piracy precautions. All prints and associated copyrighted materials will be securely stored while on SCIFF premises. Access is limited to SCIFF’s nominated staff only and all movement of films will be strictly monitored. No duplication or loaning is permitted and no prints will ever leave the custody and care of SCIFF or its authorized agents during SCIFF.

Festival Management’s Discretion:
SCIFF will decide in its discretion on all issues and matters not foreseen by these Regulations. SCIFF further retains the right to permit exceptions to the application of these Regulations at any time in its discretion.

Promotional Material:

All SCIFF selected films including Official Competition winners undertake to include, in a clear and visible manner, on the Home Video release of their film (i.e. DVD, Blu-Ray, online availability…) and on any and all promotional material (including but not limited to posters, banners, EPK’s, websites…) a specific logo to be provided by SCIFF.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Mauro Russo Rouge

    thank you for all !!! Fantastic :-)

    October 2017
  • Lisa Michelle

    An intimate and FUN festival that allows time to get to know other filmmakers and writers. Made some wonderful new friends and saw some fantastic films.

    October 2017
  • bristol mac donald

    A great film festival with excellent communication. Highly recommend it.

    October 2017
  • Tom Bhramayana

    I have attended several film festivals and it is obvious that the Sutter Creek Film Festival, although relatively new, is the result of experienced film festival coordinators and programmers who are focused on the indie film makers and their craft. The team and volunteers were hospitable, the awards ceremony was classy and recognized film nominations who excelled among their peers. Everything was great from celebrity guests, film selections for all blocks, and film maker events such as breakfast, after parties, and awards dinner. We are proud to be a part of this soon to be one of the top film festival. Watch out for this one.

    October 2017
  • William Leon

    Excellent communication and organization!! I would definitely recommend this festival to anyone.

    October 2016
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    Response from festival:

    Hi William, thank you for the kind words! We are sorry you were't able to make it this year. We do hope to see you in 2017!