All eligible films submitted will be considered for screening, and for any award they fulfill the eligibility conditions for.
Films will be submitted through FilmFreeway. Films will be shortlisted by the Festival Selection Committee and submitted to the short film Competition Jury for final judging.
Please ensure the following are provided as part of all submissions in FilmFreeway:
● A cover letter - optional (we would like you to introduce yourself including brief history of film’s distribution and screening history, if applicable. Please note any students or crew from under-represented communities, or if you are a regional entrant).
● Name and address of director and producer
● Name and address of production company (if applicable)
● Film Details
o Category
o Title of film
o Title of film in original language if foreign
o Logline
o Synopsis of the film - short (50 words)
o Synopsis of the film - long (150 words)
● Tech Specs
o Country of origin
o Date made
o Format
o Duration
o Aspect Ratio
o Sound
o Screener Link and Password
● Cast & Crew Details
o Full cast and credits list - optional (however please specify women and gender diverse practitioners and cast or practitioners from under-represented communities)
o Director’s or Producer’s Statement
o Director’s Biography (under 150 words) - optional
o Director’s Filmography - optional
● Promotional Materials
o 3 different stills from the film (preferably 300 dpi High Resolution)
o Poster, Flyer, or Key Artwork (if available)
o EPK (if available)
Note: Secure online screener is the preferred method of submission (h.264 or .mov)
Eligibility
● WIFT V-FEST 2021 is accepting all fiction and non-fiction short film genres no longer than 15 minutes (including credits).
● Films must have been completed after 1 January 2017.
● The regular deadline for entries is Midnight, 5 January 2021.
● The extended deadline for entries is Midnight, 25 January 2021.
● No rough cuts or works in progress.
● Films should be subtitled in English if they feature substantial dialogue in another language.
● To be eligible, two key creative roles in the production are required to be filled by women or gender-diverse crew or principal cast. Key Creative roles include Producer, Director, Writer, Cinematographer, Sound Designer/Composer, Editor, (or Animator if the work is at least 50% animation).
● For entry into the student category, you must currently be studying an accredited screen, film or media production degree at a public or private high school, tafe, college, or university or have graduated one of these programmes in the last 12 months. The film submitted should have been made as a part of your studies. This will be indicated in your cover letter.
● Failure to meet all eligibility criteria will result in your entry not being considered.
CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
By submitting your film (‘the Film’) through FilmFreeway to WIFT V-FEST Film Festival, you agree:
1. All information submitted through FilmFreeway or through other correspondence with WIFT V-FEST is true and accurate.
2. You own the rights or have permission from the rights holders to use all vision, sound, music and images in the Film, as necessary to submit the Film to WIFT V-FEST, and for the Film to screen at WIFT V-FEST if it is selected.
3. You indemnify WIFT V-FEST and WIFT Australia against any and all legal claims arising from the content of the Film, including but not limited to the infringement of copyright and intellectual property, libel, defamation, invasion of privacy and breach of contract.
4. You will advise WIFT V-FEST if, having submitted the film, you become aware of any potential claims against the Film.
5. WIFT V-FEST reserves the right to withdraw a film from the competition if it deems the above conditions have not been met.
6. WIFT V-FEST will not accept physical format screeners. Please submit online screener links only, through FilmFreeway.
7. Submission fees are paid in USD through FilmFreeway.
8. Submission fees are discounted for WIFT members - Please email wift.vfest@wiftaustralia.org.au for a special Member Discount Code.
9. It is the responsibility of the submitter to maintain the screener link and keep any passwords current. If a link cannot be accessed by the Festival programmers following reasonable attempts to contact the submitter, the film will not be considered and the submission fee will not be refunded.
10. It is up to the entrant to read the Terms and Conditions and Eligibility requirements of entry and if at any point a film is no longer eligible, there will be no refund of fees.
11. Fees will not be reimbursed for films not selected for the festival.
12. WIFT V-FEST is unable to extend the deadline and cannot accept requests to waive submission fees.
13. Any costs associated with entering a film are to be paid by the submitter.
14. Entries cannot be withdrawn after 15 February 2020. By submitting your film to the WIFT V-FEST Film Festival for consideration, you acknowledge this condition of entry and waive your right to withdraw your film from the Festival after this date.
15. The producer warrants to the WIFT V-FEST Film Festival that they have obtained all the necessary permissions to enter this film and that the film does not infringe the rights, including copyright, of any third party. This includes use of music and literary material.
16. As part of the online presentation of the event, the WIFT V-FEST Film Festival will be expanding its reach to a national audience. We do advise that all online festival content will be under a strict geo-blocked restriction limited to Australia only.
17. Registration for entry to the film festival warrants WIFT Australia to collect your contact details and add them to our mailing list.
SELECTION AND SCREENING:
● All films will be viewed by Festival Selection Committee for screening within the festival and shortlisting for the competition, with shortlisted films judged by a diverse panel of industry professionals. The process and shortlist will not be made public, and the Festival is unable to discuss the process.
● Applicants will be notified of an outcome by 22 March 2021.
● If the film is selected, the submitter must provide minimum three promotional images from the film (10 x 15cm, 300dpi) for use in the Festival brochure, website, social media and provision to third party media.
● Films selected for screening must be received in an appropriate screening format by 20 March 2021. Materials will be held until the end of the Festival. Appropriate screening formats are h.264, ProRes422 or ProRes422 HQ.
● Winning films may be screened in person at partnering film festivals, pending COVID. A DCP or ProRes422 may be required (at the expense of the finalist).
● If selected as a finalist, the producer grants WIFT V-FEST Film Festival the rights to: (a) Exhibit the film online for the duration of the Festival, in a programmed session available from the WIFT V-FEST Film Festival website and our 3rd party screening platform (ie. Vimeo).
(b) Include a segment of the work in WIFT V-FEST’s promotional material (ie. our promotional video and social media assets).
(c) Exhibit the film as part of a special screening of the finalists’ in a touring package at select film festivals in Australia.
● The selected films will be screened in the Festival, with category winners announced on the closing day, Sunday 28 March 2021.
PRIZES AND SCREENING FEES:
● Prizes are not transferable.
● The names of the winners and their projects will be strictly embargoed until the festival’s public announcement on 28 March 2021.
● WIFT V-FEST will not pay screening fees for submitted short films.
● WIFT V-FEST will provide two complimentary tickets to the screenings of the submitter’s film in the program, and two complimentary tickets to the awards event.
● Travel (if any) and any other costs are the responsibility of the attendees.
