Join our discord!
https://discord.gg/NWvsQp6DeE
The Kinematifest Organizers reserve the right to eliminate, move, or make reasonable alterations to submission if they contradict any festival rules regardless of time period.
By participating in this festival you agree to any rules and guidelines disclosed in the Kinematifest Rule Book 2026.
1. Festival Mission:
Kinematifest is a student initiative created for Webster University students. The Festival is an event designed to promote student work. We want to allow students and the greater community to enjoy art in an all-encompassing virtual event. With independent films and animation, professional speakers, and local companies we will provide a day full of exploration and entertainment in the world of film. The three core outcomes of the festival are competitive success, inspiring creativity, and creating a strong community network.
2. Film Submission:
• Free submission
• Registration period: December 5, 2025 - March 20, 2026
• Submit films and animations through FilmFreeway
• No late submissions will be accepted!
• You must be a Webster University student or a student at Webster within the last year to qualify for this Festival.
• Participants can win in multiple categories but will only be awarded one prize. The remaining prizes will go to the runner-up.
• To make a submission, participants must have had a significant influence in the entire production process of the piece (ex.: director, producer, etc.)
3. Screening Format:
• If selected, filmmaker or animator is required to provide the film in .mp4 or .mov - codec H264 - 1920 x 1080
4. General rules & eligibility criteria:
• The organizers have the right to remove submissions as they deem fit, within reasonable bounds.
• You will be disqualified from the festival if you plagiarize or trace
• No AI in final projects.
• If a film or animation is created in a language other than English, the filmmaker must include English subtitles.
• No premiere status restriction. Films that have been screened previously at other festivals are accepted.
• Participants MUST include trigger warnings when applicable. If organizers find it necessary to add trigger warnings, they will be added.
• Submission must have been created during your time at Webster.
• Alums are only allowed to submit if they have graduated within the last academic year.
• To be eligible for prizes, your short film must be under 15 minutes (including end credits) and without extensive use of copyrighted content. Submissions longer than 15 minutes or that include extensive use of copyrighted content are still eligible for screening but will be ineligible for prizes. Extensive use of copyrighted material will be determined at the discretion of the festival organizers.
• When heavily referencing, adapting, or taking inspiration from someone else’s work, credit must be given BOTH in the submission description AND in the title card, even if the referenced work is from another student.
• One prize per winner.
• Significant changes must be made if you are resubmitting from a previous Kinematifest years (at the discretion of the judges).
• You are allowed to submit films from Webster 48.
• All submissions must be properly credited.
5. Film Categories:
• Documentary - a nonfictional motion picture intended to document reality, primarily for instruction, education, or maintaining a historical record.
• Comedy - Live-action films where the main emphasis is on humor.
• Drama - Live-action films that relies on the emotional and relational development of realistic characters.
• Horror - Live-action films that seeks to elicit fear for entertainment purposes.
• Experimental - Live-action films that rigorously re-evaluate cinematic conventions and explores non-narrative forms and alternatives to traditional narratives or methods of working.
• Music Videos - a videotaped or animated performance of a recorded song, usually accompanied by dancing and visual images interpreting the lyrics.
• Experimental Animation - Animation without a linear narrative.
• Small Crew Animated Shorts - Animated shorts with a narrative story made by up to 5 people.
•Big Crew Animated Shorts - Animated shorts with a narrative story made by 6 people or more.
• Animated Clips - Short clips of animation not attached to a larger story or piece.
6. Award Categories:
• Best of Show
7. Selection Process
Festival Organizers will check submissions for submission requirements.
Outside judges (not affiliated to Webster) will pick the top 3 from each category.
An outside judge will pick a winner from each category.
8. Disclaimer:
• Rules and regulations are subject to change at the festival committee’s discretion
• In the case of submission complications such as inability to view submission films, the festival committee will exercise due diligence to contact the filmmaker, however, the committee is not responsible should there be any unforeseeable errors.
For further information, see the Kinematifest Rule Book:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/104aAjggf6QTo3JPOxiIWrlg-Ht4jXQHwYkogs4FI7vs/edit?usp=sharing
