FESTIVAL PROCEDURE
• Each film submission will be pre-screened by Cinéfest Sudbury's programming team to determine which films will be screened during the festival
SUBMISSION FORMAT
• For programming consideration, Cinéfest Sudbury accepts video links only (please read through the eligibility requirements below)
ELIGIBILITY AND SELECTION
• Films are selected on the basis of achievement in form and content
• Films must have been completed in the current OR previous calendar year (2024 or 2025)
• Films that have been previously submitted, but were not programmed, are permitted to re-submit
• For submission purposes only, films may be a work-in-progress
• Submissions that have been made available widely to the public over the internet (YouTube, iTunes, Vimeo, etc.) and/or television, or that have screened within a 350 km radius of the City of Greater Sudbury, are not eligible—filmmakers are encouraged to contact the festival if they are unsure if this eligibility rule applies to them
• The in-theatre festival presentation format is DCP (jpeg2000mxf)
• All selected films must be ready for presentation and made available to screen no later than September 1, 2025
• Films must be in their original language with English subtitles (if necessary)
• All available press materials must be sent to Cinéfest Sudbury upon notification of selection
• If the film was shot in part or in whole in Northern Ontario, and/or if a member of the cast and/or crew resides in or is from Northern Ontario, please provide information relating to the location and duration of the shoot, and/or the name of the person residing in or from Northern Ontario, as well as their role within the production
AWARDS PROGRAM
• All submitted films that meet the eligibility requirements outlined by Cinéfest Sudbury, and have been chosen as an Official Selection, will be automatically entered for awards consideration
• Each category will be judged by a preselected film industry jury (this excludes the Audience Choice Awards, which are determined solely by popular vote from the general public in attendance)
• Submitted films which meet the eligibility requirements for multiple categories will be considered for each of its eligible awards, excluding films that are selected as recipients of the Outstanding Canadian Feature Film Award and Outstanding International Feature Film Award, which will be removed from further consideration in all other categories
• Recipients of each category will receive a cash prize and the official title of their award for the respective year of the festival
• Films must be over 70 minutes in length to qualify as a feature film
• Both narrative and documentary films are eligible in all categories
• Points system determined by Cinéfest Sudbury will be used to determine both Canadian and international eligibility
• Cinéfest Sudbury reserves the right to modify the awards program, its categories, and cash prize amounts at any given time
SCHEDULING
• Upon acceptance into the festival, the scheduling of screening dates, times, and locations is the sole responsibility of festival organizers
PRINT LIABILITY
• Cinéfest Sudbury assumes responsibility for the print from the time of delivery to the time at which a print is rendered to a shipping agent
• In the instance of a lost or damaged DCP while in the possession of festival organizers, Cinéfest Sudbury will compensate only for the cost of creating a new DCP
RELEASE
• For promotional purposes, Cinéfest Sudbury is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the festival
• The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening and understands/accepts these requirements and regulations
• The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless Cinéfest Sudbury from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including, but not limited to, attorney’s fees and costs of the court), which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of/damage to the screening films entered
