Veterans Film Festival is a robust forum for active duty, Veterans, and civilian filmmakers to express their creativity and to share their stories, which in turn helps further healing and brings greater awareness to the public on the challenges our nation’s Veterans face. The festival spotlights active duty, Veterans, and civilian filmmakers addressing issues about Veterans and military-related topics.

2023 Award Winners!

Best Under 10 Award:
- Invisible Wounds: The Story of Matthew Fast
Directed By: Jon Michael Shink, Michael Skinner

Best Music Video:
-Dear Mom - Official Music Video
Directed By: Christopher Martini

Runner-Up Animation:
-Robot Tank 17 Pentalogy
Directed By: Brian Larrimer

Best Animation :
- Checked Bags
Directed By:Mark Cline

Runner-Up Narrative Short:
- Flashback
Directed By: Diana Lyn Martinez

Best Narrative Short:
- True Valor
Directed By: Juan Manuel Lama

Runner-Up Documentary Short:
- Wheels of Thunder: Stories of Community and Courage
Directed By: Alex Turley

Best Documentary Short:
- The Volunteer
Directed By: David Brodie

Runner-Up Documentary Feature:
- Westermann: Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Was an Idea
Directed By: Leslie Buchbinder

Best Documentary Feature:
-I Wanted To Be A Man With A Gun: Three American Soldiers In World War II
Directed By: William Farley

Honor Award:
-Skip Liberty: Shooting in Vietnam
Directed By: Tommy Dilger

Best In Show:
- The Volunteer
Directed By: David Brodie

Best In Show - This award is chosen from the pool of winners in each respective category.

Best Under 10 - Best film under 10 minutes.

Honor Award - Chosen by the judges for a film that's award worthy and has an exceptional concept.

Veterans Film Festival Participation Agreement

FESTIVAL PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT - SUPPLEMENTAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS TO GENERAL TERMS OF SERVICE

FESTIVAL

This Festival Participation Agreement – Supplemental Terms and Conditions to General Terms of Service (“Agreement”) sets forth the terms and conditions which govern (“you,” “Festival,” or “your”) use of the Sites (as defined in the Agreement) and the Festival Services defined and described herein. Capitalized terms not defined in the body of this Agreement shall have the same definition as prescribed in the TOS. By accepting the Agreement or using the Sites or Festival Services (as such terms are defined in Section 1 below), you agree (a) to the terms and conditions of the Agreement, (b) to abide by all guidelines and rules posted on the Sites, and (c) that this Agreement is hereby incorporated into and made part of the TOS. We may supplement the Agreement by posting or distributing guidelines or rules applicable to Festival Services within the Sites or through other documentation, including the Payment Policy, Schedule of Fees, Refund Policy, Tracking Policy, and Privacy Policy.

BY CHECKING THE “I AGREE” BOX, OR BY CONTINUING TO USE THE FESTIVAL SERVICES (AS DEFINED IN SECTION 1 BELOW) FOLLOWING OUR POSTING OF REVISED AGREEMENT ON THE WEBSITE, YOU (A) AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THIS AGREEMENT; (B) ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT YOU HAVE INDEPENDENTLY EVALUATED THE FITNESS OF USING THE FESTIVAL SERVICES DESCRIBED IN THE AGREEMENT AND ARE NOT RELYING ON ANY REPRESENTATION, GUARANTEE, OR STATEMENT OTHER THAN AS EXPRESSLY outlined in THIS AGREEMENT; AND (C) HEREBY REPRESENT AND WARRANT THAT YOU ARE LAWFULLY ABLE TO ENTER INTO CONTRACTS (E.G., YOU ARE NOT A MINOR) AND THAT YOU ARE AND WILL REMAIN IN COMPLIANCE WITH THIS AGREEMENT. Also, IF THIS AGREEMENT IS BEING AGREED TO BY A COMPANY OR OTHER LEGAL ENTITY, THEN THE PERSON AGREEING TO THIS AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF THAT COMPANY OR ENTITY HEREBY REPRESENTS AND WARRANTS THAT HE OR SHE IS AUTHORIZED AND LAWFULLY ABLE TO BIND THAT COMPANY OR ENTITY TO THIS AGREEMENT.

Specific Rights and Obligations of Parties.
According to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, Festival may use an online system for (a) posting listings (“Listing(s)”) for third parties (“Entrants”) to enter Submissions (as defined below) to the Festival for the Competitions (as defined below), (b) processing and accepting Works, payments (as applicable), and other associated information or data (collectively defined as “Submissions”) submitted by Entrants for entry into any event(s) owned, branded, operated, or sponsored by the Festival and referenced in the applicable Listing (“Competition”), and (c) other marketing/advertising/promotional services and products, as applicable, to you (all the services described in this sentence are collectively defined as the “Festival Services”). The Festival Services may be made available to Festivals via www. sfveteransfilmfestival, or any other web site owned and/or operated (in whole or in part) by SFVFF or one of its affiliates, or any successor or replacement web sites to any of the aforementioned websites (individually and collectively such parties and their successors are “SFVFF” and the referenced websites and its successors are the “VFF Sites”). The parties agree certain Festivals that do not use VFF online submission system for Festival Services (as described in paragraph 16 below) will not be bound by paragraphs 1, 10, or 11 of this Agreement.

Use of Marks.
You grant to VFF a non-exclusive, worldwide, fully paid-up, license to use and display your trade names, logos, and trademarks ("Festival Marks") that you upload to the VFF Sites or provide via the Festival Services to promote the Competition or our affiliation with you. You agree to use the VFF logos in their original, unmodified form to solicit Submissions for your Competition and promote yourself in connection with your Competition and accordance with VFF Trademark Guidelines.

Public Statements.
The parties agree VFF may use the Festival’s name and trademarks for the purpose of making public statements such as press releases and issuing marketing materials, provided that VFF adheres to reasonable standards for making such statements. Except to promote and publicize that your Competition uses the Festival Services, you may not issue a press release or make any public statement concerning VFF or any of its Affiliates, this Agreement or its terms, or the relationship between you and VFF under this Agreement. For reference, festivals may use the following language in public statements and press releases to promote the Festival Services: Festival is launching submissions on SFVFF, the premier submission service for film festivals and filmmakers.

No Assignment of Intellectual Property Rights.
Except as expressly provided otherwise in this Agreement, each party's Intellectual Property is and shall remain the sole property of that party.

Competition Information.
In connection with your use of the Festival Services, you ensure that (a) all the data and information posted to your Festival Services account and your Listing, and any other data or information requested by VFF, are accurate and will be updated accordingly on a timely basis, (b) all the information pertaining to the Competition’s rules, regulations, restrictions, descriptions, contact information, instructions for Entrants, Submission requirements, fees, discounts, deadlines, and dates displayed in the Listing and Competition’s VFF marketing materials are entirely accurate and consistent with such information published about your Competition on any other media or outlet which you use to solicit Submissions for your Competition, including the information you post on your own website and Submission-related materials (e.g., the Submission fees for Competitions advertised on your own website must be consistent with the fee schedule applied to Entrants of such Competitions through the Festival Services), and (c) you will comply with all tax-related requirements, including regulations which require you to provide your tax identity or to file additional paperwork.
If information related to your Competition referenced in your Listing needs to be materially updated or changed prior to the end date of the Competition, you must either (a) update your Listing on your own; provided that you must notify VFF in writing (email will be sufficient) prior to making any material changes to your Competition, or (b) notify VFF (email will be sufficient) to update your Listing on your behalf before making such changes to your own website, promotional materials, and any other media or outlet which you use to solicit Submissions for your Competition. The following are examples of what may constitute material changes to your Competition: (m) any modifications that may impact your Entrants or VFF or cause an abnormally high number of support inquiries to VFF, (n) changes to Submission requirements, (o) changes to location or venue (or cancellation thereof) for the Competition, (p) date changes to the Competition, and (q) changes to prizes or awards offered (or elimination thereof) in connection with the Competition.

Festival’s Obligations.
Festival acknowledges and agrees it will fully comply with all its obligations and restrictions in connection with its use of the VFF Sites and Festivals Services, including the following:
You agree to fulfill and abide by any obligations for the Competition you outlined in the Listing, e.g., watch all Submissions submitted and received by you via the Festival Services and/or present awards/hold a public viewing of winning Submissions.
During the applicable Competition’s Submission entry period, link(s) to the VFF submission form must be placed prominently (as prominent or more as any alternative methods of entry for Submissions, if applicable) on any media or outlet which you use to solicit Submissions for your Competition separate from the Festival Services, e.g., on your own website(s), entry forms and any related announcements during your Competition’s Submission entry period.
During the applicable Competition’s Submission entry period, you agree that you will promote your VFF call for entries on your websites, promotional materials, and social media outlets as prominently as any alternative methods of entry for Submissions, if applicable.
You agree it’s your sole responsibility to track and log all Submissions and associated materials, including the actual Submission entry fee payment received, (collectively defined as “Submissions Materials”) that you receive as part of a Submission via the Festival Services. You must acknowledge to Entrants and VFF the receipt of Submission Materials through the Festival Services’ tracking tool as described in our Tracking Policy. You agree any false reporting of received Submissions Materials will constitute a material breach of this Agreement. After the completion of your Competition, the Submissions that you received via the Festival Services will be archived in the Festival Services’ systems and you will no longer have the ability to track or receive Submissions through such systems for such completed Competition.
Before the activation of your Festival Services account, you agree you will submit for VFF's review and approval (such approval will be provided to you in the sole discretion of VFF) all terms or conditions that you separately require an Entrant to agree to in connection with your Competition.
In the event VFF has a reasonable belief that the Festival is committing any fraudulent or negligent acts in connection with its use of the Festival Services, including Festival fraudulently collects Submission entry fees, breach of the Tracking Policy, fails to review any Submissions, or fails to present awards/hold a public viewing of winning Submissions, then VFF may require Festival to resolve such concerns to the reasonable satisfaction of VFF. If Festival fails to resolve such concerns to the reasonable satisfaction of VFF, then VFF reserves the right to immediately terminate Festival’s use and access to the Festival Services without any obligation to refund any monies to such Festival as contemplated by our Refund Policy.
You agree to notify all Entrants of your Competition’s final judgment or awards for Submissions through the Festival Services notification tool. This notification is accomplished by posting the final judging status to all Entrants whose Work is tracked blue In Consideration (per the Tracking Policy) on or before your deadline to notify Entrants of the final acceptance status of their Submission for the Competition (generally referenced as “Notification Date” in the Listings).
If your Listing indicates that you will offer any prizes and/or awards to Entrants in connection with the Competition, such prizes and/or awards must be delivered to the applicable Entrants no later than sixty days from the completion of your Competition or Submission deadline, as applicable. You agree to furnish to VFF any proof of delivered awards or prizes in connection with the Competition as requested by VFF.
If you fail to fulfill your obligations for the Competition, then you agree that you will (i) notify VFF before notifying Entrants of such failure, (ii) as contemplated by our Refund Policy, you will directly refund (or work with VFF in its discretion) to facilitate such refund to Entrants the full amount paid by each Entrant of the Submissions, and (iii) forfeit any marketing fees charged. If VFF, in its sole discretion, chooses to help you facilitate/process the refunds to Entrants described in this subsection (j), then VFF will have the right to deduct or charge any transactional fee and commission (as described in the Refund Policy) owed to VFF from such refund.
If the Festival has received a sufficient number of Submissions to fill the available number of Submission screening/selection slots for such Competition prior to the deadline of the Submission entry period, then Festival agrees to end its Submission entry period (online and offline as applicable) at such time for the Competition.
If the Festival uses the Festival Service’s messaging system to directly communicate with the Entrants, the Festival agrees to limit its use of the messaging system for communications regarding the Entrant’s Submission for the Competition.
You agree to instruct all Entrants to contact VFF Support if they need assistance with uploading Submissions to the Festival Services or generally need assistance from VFF.

Uptime for Festival Services.
VFF attempts to make its Festival Services operational and available to our customers 99% of the calendar year. VFF disclaims any responsibility and liability for downtime for its Festival Services due to one or more of the following reasons: system bandwidth is not stable, VFF ISP has lost its connection, server and software upgrades, acts of nature, war or terrorism, phone company outages or periodic planned upgrades and outages, unauthorized attacks or usage. We will use commercially reasonable efforts to get the Festival Services back on-line.

Maintaining Security.
VFF uses secure logins to ensure the privacy of the VFF sites. You are responsible for ensuring the security of your username and password. Each person who may access your Festival Services account must have their own unique username and password. You agree that any person to whom you provide your login and password is authorized to update your information and contract for services on the VFF Sites. If you lose control over your username and password, you agree to notify us immediately.

Payment of Fees.
The parties acknowledge and agree to the Payment Policy, Schedule of Fees, Tracking Policy, and Refund Policy will govern both parties' payment and other associated obligations in connection with the Festival Services.

Disclaimer of Warranties; Limitation of Liability.
NEITHER PARTY SHALL OWE ANY LIABILITY TO THE OTHER PARTY ARISING UNDER THIS AGREEMENT FOR ANY INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOSS OF PROFIT OR BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH HEREIN, NEITHER PARTY MAKES (AND WE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF TITLE, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NON-INFRINGEMENT AND ANY WARRANTIES ARISING FROM ANY COURSE OF PERFORMANCE, COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE, concerning ANY INFORMATION, DATA, CONTENT, PRODUCTS, FESTIVAL SERVICE OR OTHER ITEMS PROVIDED OR MADE AVAILABLE HEREUNDER. IF YOU (A) OBTAIN ANY SUBMISSIONS FOR YOUR COMPETITION THROUGH YOUR USE OF THE WEBSITE OR SERVICES, YOU DO SO AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION AND RISK AND YOU ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE TO YOU, OR ANY OTHER ADVERSE CONSEQUENCE THAT RESULTS FROM SUCH ACTIONS. WE DO NOT MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION, WARRANTY, OR ASSURANCE CONCERNING ANY MINIMUM OR MAXIMUM NUMBER OF USERS LIKELY TO ACCESS THE VFF SITES OR YOUR LISTING. LIABILITY FOR ANY DIRECT DAMAGES TO YOU AS A RESULT OF PERFORMANCE OR NON-PERFORMANCE UNDER THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE LIMITED IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES TO AN AMOUNT NO GREATER THAN ONE THOUSAND U.S. DOLLARS ($1,000.00).

Termination.
Upon any termination or expiration of this Agreement, all rights and obligations of the parties will terminate, except that the rights and obligations of the parties under Sections 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, and 16 together with any accrued but unpaid payment obligations under this Agreement, will survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement. No termination or expiration of this Agreement will relieve either party for any liability for any breach of, or liability accruing under, this Agreement prior to termination or expiration.

Account Management.
We reserve certain rights in connection with your use of your VFF or Festival Services account, including the following:
All Festivals are required to submit to an interview process before the Festival’s activation and use of the Festival Services to allow VFF to determine, in its sole discretion, whether you can fulfill all the requirements and obligations in connection with the Festival Services, this Agreement, or the Competition. VFF reserves the right to limit and restrict the types of Competitions that may use the Festival Services and refuse service to any Festival at any time. Your Festival Services account, your Competition, and the content of your Listing are subject to the review and approval of VFF.
If we are unable to reach you, via the contact information provided via your VFF account, within ten business days of our first contact attempt, we may, in our sole discretion, suspend, modify, or terminate your VFF account privileges and access to the Festival Services, and exercise our rights as described in the Refund Policy.

Free Listing.
VFF may, in its sole discretion, provide you a free Listing option for your Competition which does not include the use of our Festival Services. VFF at its sole discretion reserves the right not to show such free Listing in our search engine if we deem the Listing to be incomplete, misleading, or does not fall within the standard generally understood definition of a film festival, or if such Listing becomes outdated.

Your Purchase and Use of the Festival Services.
Your acceptance of this Agreement does not obligate you to purchase or use the Festival Services or other marketing packages we may make available to you; provided, however, you are responsible for any other expenses you incur at the time you activate your Festival Services account. VFF, in its sole discretion, may limit the number of VFF accounts you or your organization may request to activate and access the Festival Services. As described in the Schedule of Fees, you may be subject to change fees if you change or cancel any marketing packages you purchase.

Privacy Policy
You agree any information, data, and Submission, as applicable, that you receive from Entrants via the Festival Services will be collected, used, and disclosed by you consistent with VFF’s Privacy Policy. Please see our Privacy Policy for further information.

Miscellaneous
The TOS and this Agreement constitute the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Festival Services, superseding any prior agreements between you and us. The terms of the Agreement will control in the event of any conflict between a provision contained in this Agreement and any provision of the TOS.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Very grateful to have part of this experience. Tyler was very kind and considerate. But they are a wrk in progress. I expect big things from them in the future!

    December 2023
  • I recommend this festival for any film that meets the criteria for entry, and especially films made by military veterans. It's real. The communication is great. Tyler did an outstanding job with the 2023 Veterans Film Festival.

    November 2023
  • So thankful for the opportunity to screen our film at the Veterans Film Festival. We had great interaction with the festival organizers, and even though we were not in attendance, we were always up to date on changes due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the festival's control.

    We received judge's reviews of our project, and the feedback is an amazing tool for us to continue our path in filmmaking. Great format with lots of key points and an extensive "review" of our short film.

    We highly recommend submitting to the Veterans Film Festival, especially if your project involves military themes.

    November 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Juan, Thank you so much for your review and your submission! It was a fantastic film, and we hope a wider audience is able to see your film!

  • Robert Darwell

    I really appreciated the judging feedback that I received from the Festival. The organizers were warm and gracious. I am proud that "Black Uniform" was selected to be included in The Veterans Film Festival. Thank you!

    November 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Robert, Black Uniform was a powerful and important film, that I hope more and more people can see and we are thankful that you were able to also be at the screening of the film. Its always great to hear from the filmmaker!

  • Shannon Book

    I just want to say thank you all very much for allowing my music video for Dear Mom to be a part of your film festival and voting it as an award winner!!! As a veteran it means a great deal to me to even be considered!!! God Bless!!!

    October 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Shannon, we appreciate your submission. The song was the soundtrack to the festival this year and congratulations on your award!