Brunswick Underground Film Festival (or BUFF, for short) is a film festival as you've never seen it before: four days of high-quality, forward-thinking, underground, cult, schlock and trash cinema in the heart of Brunswick West, spanning the main hall in Estonian House, next door's Static Vision HQ, and a Pink Flamingo Cinema pop-up space (below SV HQ).

Films screen simultaneously across our three venues, in discrete blocks, so festivalgoers can pack the most into their movie-going day, and we endeavour to keep festival pass and individual ticket prices as low as possible to keep the festival accessible to all.

In this spirit, we try to be cool to filmmakers as well - head below to learn more about the festival, and to our rules and terms for transparent info on screening fees, where your submission $$$ go etc.

~

What Kinds of Movies Are We Looking For?

~

From our manifesto: Underground is a malleable term. It can be defined by industrial proximity, cultural position, politics, resources, budget, attitude. For BUFF, the underground is an inclusive umbrella for no-budget wonders, the outsider manifestos, the righteous pleas for a better world, the classics of radical cinema history, and even studio movies with the right transgressive energy. In short: the down and dirty.

We are looking for no-budget or low-budget projects of all genres. We value big swings, formal experimentation, radical politics, righteous transgression, and productive provocation. Here, cheapness is a virtue!

We are looking for both shorts (under 40 minutes) and features (over 40 minutes).

Our programmers are not required to read submission cover letters and other supporting materials, but we encourage you to submit them in case they want to learn more about you and your work.

For this edition, only films produced by Australian-based filmmakers will be considered.

Take a look at last year’s program: https://letterboxd.com/lucindajane/list/brunswick-underground-film-festival-buff/

Awards & Prizes

At BUFF, we don't believe in prizes (all our films rock!); we may introduce some sort of audience/supporter-voted thing but tba at this stage.

Rules & Terms

~

ELIGIBILITY

~

For this edition, only films produced by Australian-based filmmakers will be considered.

We consider films in any language. If your film is not in English, make sure it has English subtitles where necessary. We recommend that all submitted films regardless of language have subtitles for accessibility reasons.

We consider works in progress only if the completed film will be submitted to the festival two months prior to festival. Please include a title card describing what is unfinished at the beginning of the submission screener.

We consider films regardless of their premiere status. Even if your film has already premiered at another festival, whether it screened at a physical venue or online, it’s still eligible for consideration.

We consider films regardless of their completion date. You can submit any film no matter when it was made.

Features available online for free or purchase in Australia four weeks prior to, during, or within one week after BUFF are not eligible for submission consideration.

Short films selected by BUFF will show preference for work not available online prior to BUFF’s festival dates. Films that will be available online prior may still submit, but entrants should mention any availability in their submission materials and understand that this availability will be taken into consideration during the programming process.

Festival alums: We are always happy to waive the entry fees to consider your new films. Please reach out to Kai at kai@buff.film directly before submitting to request a waiver code.

~

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

~

Secure online screeners via FilmFreeway are the only method of submission.

We will contact entrants if there's anything wrong with the submission. If this occurs, you will need to fix the submission issue by the requested deadline, otherwise we can't guarantee that your film will be watched in time.

We don't provide refunds for festival entries unless the entrant is accepted.

Entrants can update their screener by uploading a new video file provided your original link url does not change. The link must stay the same after you have submitted your entry. If it is replaced, programmers will lose access to your screener and it may not be watched in time for consideration.

Entrants will be notified of selection results by the end of April.

~

IF ACCEPTED

~

Accepted filmmakers will be notified via email. Filmmakers must confirm their participation by the given deadline.

Accepted filmmakers must be the authors of their submitted work and be ready to sign an agreement stating that they own all rights to their film and its components ahead of screening at BUFF.

If accepted, entrants are responsible for delivering their festival exhibition copy, trailer, screener link, press stills and press-kit by THREE WEEKS OUT

If accepted, filmmakers agree to stills or 1–30 second clips of their films to be used for promotional purposes.

If accepted, entrants are responsible for sending us a screenable copy of their film online. We accept mp4 or mov files (unlocked DCP in a pinch).

In terms of file delivery, we're good with any sort of link (ftp, Google Drive, Aspera, etc) you can provide, or we can organise an upload portal/ftp server for if needed.

If your film is subtitled, please send us a file with the subtitles burned in.

If accepted, filmmakers are welcome to attend the festival and participate in a live Q&A if they so desire. We sadly cannot cover travel expenses, but we’ll give you a good time (see Screening Fees below).

~

SCREENING FEES

~

If your film is accepted, we will compensate you! We prefer Bank Transfer, but we can also do PayPal.

Feature: $100 AUD + Full Festival Pass + Submission Refund

Short: Festival 5 Pass + Free entry to your Shorts Program + Submission Refund

If your film is accepted and sells really well, we may add another session to our schedule. If we do so, we will provide you with another screening fee.

Screening fees will be paid within two weeks of festival closing.

~

FAQs

~

Do other festivals provide submissions feedback? Almost never. It’s a lot of work!

Where does my submission fee go? BUFF is primarily a volunteer-run festival (at least for now), and fees help us compensate our programmers a little bit for their otherwise unpaid time. Film Freeway also takes 12% of the fees.

How many slots are you looking to fill with submissions? We are currently aiming for 1–2 shorts packages and 3–4 features. Those numbers are subject to change.

How do you feel about the use of AI-generated imagery? Do what you feel you must, but we won’t accept slop. Please let us know if your work contains AI-generated imagery in your cover letter; it will affect our decision.

Do you accept films with sexually explicit content? Yes we do.

~

ANY MORE QUESTIONS?

~

Email submissions@buff.film and we’ll do our best to help.