Austin After Dark Film Festival

All films are eligible, regardless if they have distribution or not. All films are eligible even if they have been accepted to other film festivals. All films and videos are eligible, regardless of when or where they were produced. Even if your film or documentary series is publicly available on YouTube or Vimeo, it is still eligible for submission.

The submission fee does not include an event ticket fee if selected. Submission fees and event ticket fees are separate. There are no filmmaker passes.

The judges read and rate scripts for this specific competition only. Submitting to this film festival does not affect the ownership or copyright of your screenplay or teleplay.

DCP Screening Format and Requirements (for film and video submissions, not screenplays)

Our film festival screens films in a commercial theater that requires the DCP (Digital Cinema Package) format. Please note:

DCP is not required for submission or evaluation. You can submit your film in any standard video format for review.
DCP is only required if your film is selected for screening. If selected, you must provide a working DCP file to ensure smooth playback in the theater.

To handle DCP files efficiently and reliably, we partner with AutoDCP.com for quality control and delivery. Here's how it works for selected filmmakers:

We will provide you with a Dropbox link to upload your DCP file directly to AutoDCP.com.
AutoDCP.com collects the files, checks them for integrity (to confirm they're complete and error-free), and tests playability.
They also generate a projection report that includes key details like frame rate, file size, runtime, and other relevant information to support the screening.

Costs and Trial
AutoDCP.com charges a fee of $10 for their e-delivery service.
First-time users get a 7-day free trial, which you can cancel after your file is delivered.

Why We Use This Process
Sending DCP files via email, shared links, or other methods often leads to issues like incomplete downloads, untested files that may not play correctly, or other workflow problems. Using AutoDCP.com ensures everything is verified and ready for the theater, avoiding last-minute surprises.

Encoding Your DCP
You do not need to use AutoDCP.com for encoding your film into DCP format, only for e-delivery and quality checks.
Free or built-in options for DCP encoding include:
DCP-o-matic (free software available at https://dcpomatic.com/).
Adobe Premiere Pro.
DaVinci Resolve Studio.
Converting your video to DCP is your responsibility as the filmmaker, and any associated costs are not covered by the festival.

If you are not comfortable with these requirements, including providing a working DCP if selected and using AutoDCP.com for e-delivery, please do not submit your film to this event. We want to ensure a positive experience for everyone involved. By submitting, you acknowledge that you understand and accept these conditions.