The Cans Film Festival is a unique DIY "open-projector"-style event meant to give filmmakers another opportunity to show their work and to connect with each other and their local community -- through can and bottle recycling deposits!

The State of Michigan is proud to be one of the few States with a Can and Bottle deposit system in which Michiganders pay 10 cents upfront for every can and bottle they purchase and can redeem the 10 cents by recycling them at almost every grocery store across the State.

In a spirit of Great Lakes pride, the price of admission to the festival is simply a donation of cans or bottles. At the end of the night, audiences vote for their favorite film of the evening, with all the proceeds going directly to the top three!

Celebrating Michigan’s Filmmakers
Our festival is dedicated to showcasing the diverse range of short films created right here in Michigan by Michiganders. We invite local filmmakers to submit their short films of 15 minutes or less (NOTE: we do prefer shorter runtimes -- they tend to just be better films), across any genre or subject matter. Not only will selected films be screened to an enthusiastic audience of film lovers and fellow artists, but the money from the cans and bottle deposits go on to directly support the filmmakers of the evening!

Get Involved
We invite all Michigan filmmakers, film enthusiasts, and environmentally conscious community members to participate in this exciting event. Submit your short film, donate your cans and bottles, and join us for an evening of locally made films and community spirit. Together, we can celebrate local talent, support our artists, and contribute to a greener future!

Awards & Prizes

Ranked Choice Audience Vote:
At the end of the night, all audience members rate each film on their ballots, and based on the results, the can and bottle deposit proceeds will be split among the top three films. It's a unique way to directly support your local filmmakers.

Also, we highly encourage audiences to TIP YOUR FILMMAKERS!

Rules & Terms

OVERVIEW: While there is no limitation on film category or subject matter, submissions must conform to these guidelines:

• Up to 15 minutes runtime.
• Must be related to the state of Michigan (e.g., by content, location, the film creators/crew, etc.) Please note this in your cover letter or other submission material.
• You may submit more than one film to this event, but we will only pick one film per filmmaker (producer or director) to screen at any one event.

All submissions will be reviewed and curated by the Cans Film Festival Board. If accepted, you must supply a presentation copy of your film.

RULES & TERMS FOR ENTRIES

DEFINITIONS
As used herein, the term ENTRY includes a film, an animation, a television (TV) pilot, a documentary, a web series of any type or kind, and/or a music video, stills, and combinations thereof.

CFF means Cans Film Festival.

GENERAL RULES
1. Film ENTRIES must be submitted online via FilmFreeway.com
2. Each ENTRY will only be considered for CFF screenings hosted after the corresponding deadline on FilmFreeway.
3. All ENTRIES must be in English, subtitled, or dubbed into English.
4. All authors and/or owners of the ENTRIES including the films selected for screening at the festival grant CFF a nonexclusive, global, royalty free right and license to use stills and excerpts of up to two minutes long for promotional purposes, online, at CFF exhibitions, or at any exhibition promoting the CFF. The authors and owners also grant to CFF a nonexclusive, global, royalty free license and right to publicly display the films selected for screening.
5. Exceptions to the festival regulations must be authorized by the Festival Director of the CFF.
6. Multiple entries are permissible, but each entry must be made separately via FilmFreeway.
7. Submissions sent as hard copies or regular mail will not be accepted or returned.
8. All fees are nonrefundable.
9. CFF reserves, in its sole discretion, the right to refuse to consider any submission. In the event CFF refuses to consider a submission no fees and no entry fees will not be returned or refunded.
10. Film ENTRIES may be screened more than once at CFF or at any future CFF event.
11. CFF retains rights to screen all ENTRIES at any future CFF event without compensation to the authors and owners without needing permission from the authors and owners.
12. All authors and all owners of the ENTRIES including film submissions waive the right to collect any screening fees from CFF and waive the right to collect any other fees associated therewith.

TERMS & CONDITIONS
I/We wish to have our film/animation/documentary/music video/ entry(ies), collectively referred to ENTRIES included in the CFF. If more than one (1) party signs this agreement as submitter, then reference to “I”, “me”, “my” throughout this agreement shall apply to each party; jointly and separately.

RIGHT TO USE EXCERPTS FOR PROMOTIONAL PURPOSES
I hereby do grant CFF, its festival director and producers a nonexclusive, global, royalty free license and rights to use stills and excerpts of any ENTRY up to two minutes long for promotional purposes, including but not limited to online, podcasts, CFF trailers, CFF website or CFF sponsor websites, screening at CFF exhibitions, or at any exhibition promoting the CFF, and grant to CFF a nonexclusive, global, royalty free license and rights to show for promotional purposes on television, on the CFF website, twitter, and Facebook page, on sponsors’ websites, print and digital promotional material, press releases, etc., excerpts from the ENTRY and/or stills submitted by me with this application. No more than two minutes or up to the length of the trailer submitted by the filmmakers may be used.

SCREENING RIGHTS
I hereby do grant CFF, its festival director and producers a nonexclusive, global, royalty free license and permission to use my entire ENTRY for public screening at CFF film festival and CFF events, including third party organizations, entities or persons producing an official CFF screening or event, without having to compensate me, and without having obtain any consent from me, and without having to advise me.

VIRTUAL CFF EVENTS
I hereby do grant CFF, its festival director and producers a nonexclusive, global, royalty-free license and permission to use my entire ENTRY for CFF virtual screening events, including online streaming my ENTRY at CFF virtual events. (A virtual event, also known as an online event, virtual conference or livestream experience, is an event that involves people interacting in an online environment on the web, rather than meeting in a physical location).

PROMOTIONAL USES
CFF may use excerpts from the ENTRY (limited to two minutes) to create promotional trailers and ads for CFF, which may appear online, on television or at screening events. I waive any and all rights to compensation for and use by CFF of the ENTRY for these promotional purposes.

OWNERSHIP OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
All intellectual property ownership of all ENTRY remains with the personnel who contributed to the ENTRY. I still retain the right to sell, distribute, and exhibit my ENTRY elsewhere, including but not limited to other festivals and broadcast outlets. I own the intellectual property rights to all material submitted with application and that will be viewed at CFF.

PERPETUITY
The nonexclusive, global, royalty free licensing and permission to use my entire ENTRY (as described in this agreement) exists in perpetuity. In the event that I sell my intellectual property rights in the ENTRY to another entity, I sell the rights to said intellectual property encumbered with this nonexclusive, global, royalty free license to the ENTRY. Thus, CFF will still have the right to use my ENTRY even if I sell the intellectual property rights to another entity.

I understand that CFF, its producers and sponsors are relying on this release and accordingly, I hereby irrevocably waive any and all rights to seek or obtain any injunction or other equitable relief against CFF, its officers, agencies, employees and sponsors.
I warrant that the use of the rights granted here and of any material supplied by me/us will not violate the rights of any third party. I agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless CFF, its officers, agencies, employees, and sponsors from any claims by third parties alleging that our content or material infringes on any third party’s rights. This Release and Hold Harmless Agreement shall bind my assigns and any representative.

This contract is the entire agreement between the parties hereto, and replaces and supersedes any prior agreement or understanding, verbal or written, with respect to the subject matter hereof. No amendment, addendum, modification or waiver of this contract or any portion hereof shall be valid unless contained in a writing signed by both parties hereto.

In consideration for this release and in consideration of permitting CFF to use my ENTRY as detailed above, I receive the opportunity to have my ENTRY shown at CFF and any future CFF events. I accept and hereby do acknowledge that there is no promise of payment, in any form for likeness, image, biography, recording, equipment, or for any other contribution to us on this production.

I hereby certify that I am over eighteen years of age and competent to contract in my own name. If I am signing on behalf of an organization, I certify that I have authority to do so and that my signature binds the organization and its performers to all elements of this contract.

I have read the foregoing release and authorization and agreement, before affixing my signature below, and warrant that I fully understand the contents thereof.

I am authorized to sign and give consent for everyone (including but not limited to performers, writers, directors, technical crew, distributors) who contributed to all ENTRY(IES) and all materials submitted with this application to the Better Cities Film Festival.

FAQ:
Q: Do you accept films completed prior to 2024?
A: Yes, we accept all films regardless of date filmed, completed, distributed, etc. Our mission is to give the filmmakers an opportunity to bring their films to life in front of an audience, whether for the first time or the hundredth.

Q: May I submit more than one film?
A: Yes, submit as many as you like! However, we will only select a single film from an individual director at any one event. We encourage filmmakers to submit any film they believe deserves the screentime.

Q: A film I submitted previously was not selected. May I submit it again?
A: Yes! Every event has timing and curation restraints -- so just because it didn't get chosen last time doesn't mean we wouldn't choose it for a future event.

Q: May I submit a rough cut?
A: Yes, but the final version must be uploaded before the final deadline. We try to make accommodations for updated versions, but make no guarantees.

Q: May I submit my film if I am under 18?
A: Yes, if a parent or guardian submits for you.

Q: May I submit if my film has already screened at other festivals or is online?
A: Yes, in fact we'd love to know if it has won other awards!