Tallgrass Film Festival

- A KANSAS PREMIERE IS REQUIRED FOR FEATURE FILMS, IF YOUR FILM PLAYS IN ANY KANSAS FILM FESTIVAL PRIOR TO OCTOBER 24TH, 2024, YOUR FILM IS AUTOMATICALLY DISQUALIFIED FROM CONSIDERATION.

-Films screened in the USA before January 2023 cannot be considered in competition categories.

- There is no need to submit to a second category as programmers will reach out regarding additional categories as needed. Please do not waste your money.

-The final competition section will be determined by the festival, this will be indicated in the invitation email from the festival. Some films *may* be invited to compete in more than one category.

- World and US Premieres are not required; however, premiere status may be one factor in determining a film's inclusion in the Festival.

- The Festival does not screen films available commercially on VOD at the time of the festival. However, the festival reserves the right to make exceptions to this rule.

-Electronic press kit only, please.

- The festival will consider works-in-progress, films with temporary soundtracks, and digital outputs. Filmmakers must deliver the final cut BEFORE the extended deadline in order for the submission to be considered.

-Films with missing/broken links will be marked as incomplete, then disqualified after 2 weeks if no response is given after a request for an updated file is sent.

- Emerging Filmmaker films MUST be works written, directed, and shot by high school-age students – 18-YEARS OLD AND YOUNGER. This category is not for university or college filmmakers. Emerging filmmakers must submit a copy of his/her valid high school identification (student id, school record, passport, driver's license, or official identification that includes date of birth) to be eligible for this category.

- To receive fee waivers for Kansas filmmakers, Kansas filmmakers must submit a valid Kansas address, connection, and identification. Kansas Filmmaker films are eligible for festival prizes if the film is accepted as an “in competition” screening in the festival.

For films submitted using the "Student Fee" a valid copy of a school ID is necessary to qualify for the reduced fee, failure to include a valid student ID will result in the submission being considered incomplete.

– – – SCREENING/PRESENTATION TERMS OF AGREEMENT – – –

- Final exhibition media MUST include open captioning for exhibition (yes, even non-dialogue films). If selected for exhibition financial assistance may be available for caption creation.

- All films in a language other than English must be subtitled in English for festival presentation.

Tallgrass Film Festival is granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes.

The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations. If the film is selected for exhibition, it may be made available online via our virtual festival platform with a ticket-split agreement with the filmmaker.

The individual or corporation submitting the film shall indemnify and hold harmless Tallgrass Film Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees and costs of the court) that may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.

Should your film be accepted, we ask permission to keep a copy of the film for our festival library. This request is voluntary and is not conditional. The copy of the film in the TFF library will not be used for profit. Should we consider re-screening the film for a public paid event, we will notify individuals or corporations representing the film for permission and conditions.

Withdrawal after acceptance into the festival may mean incurred costs that we will pass onto you.

WAIVER POLICY: Please do not* contact us requesting waivers or reduced submission fees. As a nonprofit organization, our annual operations and the process of viewing the volume of submissions we receive are very costly. We strive to keep our fees as reasonable as possible, and encourage all applicants to take advantage of our early and official deadlines to save on submission fees.

*If your film comes from a country that is affected by financial sanctions by the US Government, we can consider your request.

All rules are subject to discretion by the festival.