>> >Join ReelHeART For Our Exciting 20th Season! <<<
>> Prizes Include Collectible, Original ART! Mentorships! Sponsor Awards!<<

>> Our Awards Are REAL - And Personalized. Not just a Printed Certificate.
Our Awards Are Voted On By Judges, Programmers + The Viewing Audience.

****ENTRY RULES, TERMS & GUIDELINES****
*ALL FILMS* + *DOCS* + SCREENPLAYS*
*MUST BE A PREMIERE*

This Includes Feedback Festivals, Online Festivals and Award Only Festivals.

Any Film or Screenplay that has been Selected, Awarded, Nominated, Been Given Feedback, Played Online, Seen By Judges and/or in a Live Or Online Screening in and around the Province of Ontario or Quebec and/or has received a Nomination and/or Award BEFORE JULY 2024 will be DISQUALIFIED.

Your FILM CANNOT Play or be Judged by any Contest In ONTARIO or QUEBEC CANADA PRIOR TO JULY 2024. No Feedback. No Awards. No Round Placements. Nothing!

>>>About ReelHeART<<<
Fresh. Indie. Anti-Niche.
We Believe In All Cultures Under One Roof.

ReelHeART International Film and Screenplay Festival is a fully Registered 20+ Year-old Not-For-Profit Arts Organization.

ReelHeART Celebrates the Culture of Film from Around The Block and Around The World, and all Aspects of Indie Filmmaking From Acting, To Script, To Screen.

Each season we hold a Premiere Only, Worldwide, Fiercely Independent Week-long Festival generally during the 1st week of July out of Toronto, Canada.

>>>ReelHeART Plans to Stay Online In 2024<<<
We Reach 99% of Our Filmmakers Around The World On Zoom
Audiences Watch Great Indie Films For FREE During Festival Week
We Built A Proprietary Online Cinema And Lead In The Online Experience
>>>Covid19 Took a Lot From The World For 3 Years
This is the ReelHeART Way of Putting Something Good Back Into The World<<<

>>All Film Premieres, Q&As, Live Script Reads and Workshops Are FREE
>>All Will Take Place Online During Festival Week July 07-13, 2024
>>All Filmmaker Q&As Happen on Zoom Directly AFTER Your Film Premiere
>>All Q&As are Edited and Branded For Your Use or Promotional Materials

>> If we Hold a LIVE 'Brick and Mortar' Event It will be the Final Weekend ONLY<<

ReelHeART is Open Genre. Any Type of Film or Screenplay is Accepted. We are a Premiere Only Competition For Films And Screenplays. Please Make Sure Your film or Screenplay is (in the least) an Ontario and Quebec Premiere. Our Screenplay Competitions are very robust with Short and Feature Scripts as well as TV Pilots, Story Bibles and PitchDecks competing from Around The World Each Year. Each Script Entrant Receives Free and Extensive Feedback.

We are an IMDB Eligible festival. This means Filmmakers will be able to post their Nominations and Wins on their IMDB Profiles.

Category Information
ReelHeART accepts Films, Documentaries, Music Videos, Web Series, Experimental, Animation and Dance and Music Related Films of all genres, countries and film lengths.

All Categories are Competition.

ReelHeART is dedicated to supporting the need for exposure for ALL LEVELS of independent filmmakers around the world. We put emerging and student artists alongside established and master filmmakers in an effort that all filmmakers can be recognized for their art, rather than their credits.

We also have a goal to satisfy and challenge the interests of filmgoers and film supporters, to encourage, reward and celebrate the “Real HeART” and 'Real Guts' of Independent Filmmakers and Screenwriters.

Whether filmmaker, movie-goer, reviewer, screenwriter, media or industry professional, the welcome and networking opportunities you experience at ReelHeART will be talked about from one year to the next!

Filmmaker and Screenwriter Information
ReelHeART International Film Festival is for Films and Screenplays with ‘Real Guts’ and ‘Real Heart’.

We celebrate films that are Original. International. Independent.

Regardless of genre, it’s the story we’re interested in. If your film or documentary has that balance of a terrific story, an interesting vision and solid production standards, then we think an audience should see your film. We’ll do what we can to make that happen.

Any Genre is accepted at ReelHeART: Feature and Short Narratives such as: Drama, Comedy, Black Comedy, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Film Noir, Satire, Mockumentary, Animation, Experimental, Music Videos, as well as Feature and Short Documentary, Profiles, Underground and more.

What kind of film or documentary do you have? Is it a fun film, an outrageous film, a quirky film, an intense film; a film that will rip your heart out or a film that will make your ribs hurt with laughter, a gut wrenching, bittersweet or tragic story? Then ReelHeART is for you…

Screenwriters, we haven’t forgotten about you.

#1: ReelHeART was the 1st Screenwriting competition in the WORLD that offered a Rehearsed Cast-to-Type Live Read for its Top 3 Feature Script Winners. We do that for our Top 3 Short Screenplay Winners and TV Pilots too.

Winners get a semi-staged Live Script Read with Actors that go through an audition process, so they can bring your script to life right in front of your eyes.

#2: Unlike many other Screenwriting Competitions, we do not charge extra for Feedback
#3: We provide AMAZING Industry relevant Coverage and Story Editing FREE!
(Value $7500 Per Entrant)
#4: Amazing things have happened to a large number of our Top 3 Winners. Agent representation, Options at big Hollywood studios like CAA, Paramount, and Disney. And one of our writers even became a jury member for the Golden Globes. Pretty cool huh?

Never entered a film festival before? If you have never entered a competition before for film, documentary or screenplays, ReelHeART should be your first film festival stop.

Local Film Industry pros affectionately refer to us as “The Filmmaker’s Bootcamp” as the only film festival that shows all levels of filmmakers ‘the complete indie package’ on how to hit the ground running with promotion, marketing, networking and how to garner distribution interest. Filmmakers refer to us as “The Filmmaker’s Film Festival”. We are proud to wear both banners. We invite you to find out why…

The experience you gain at ReelHeART along with the networking opportunities and the welcome you’ll receive are among our priorities and quite possibly one of the top film festival events you’ll ever experience.

TYPES OF FILMS AND DOCUMENTARIES ACCEPTED AT ReelHeART:
Absolute film,
Abstract animation,
Actuality film,
Adventure film,
Amateur film,
Animated documentary,
Animated Film,
Anthology film,
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction,
Art film,
Arthouse action film,
Austrian Film,
Australian Film,
B movie,
Backstage musical,
Bad girl movies,
Beach party film,
Biographical film,
Blaxploitation,
Body horror,
Bromantic comedy,
Buddy cop film,
Buddy film,
Camcorder or SmartPhone film,
Cannibal film,
Cartoon,
Chicano film,
Chick flick,
Children's film,
Chopsocky,
Cinéma vérité,
Colonial cinema,
Comedy film,
Comedy of remarriage,
Comedy thriller,
Comedy-drama,
Comic fantasy,
Comic science fiction,
Coming-of-age story,
Commedia sexy all'italiana,
Compilation film,
Composite film,
Conspiracy fiction,
Crime film,
Dance film,
Direct Cinema,
Disaster film,
Docudrama,
Docufiction,
Documentary film,
Drama film,
Educational film,
Epic film,
Erotic thriller,
Ethnofiction,
Ethnographic film,
Euro War,
European art cinema,
Eurospy film,
Experimental film,
Exploitation film,
Fantasy film,
Female buddy film,
Fictional film,
Film à clef,
Film gris,
Film noir,
Florida Western,
Found footage,
French Film,
Genre movie,
Gentleman thief,
German Film,
German underground horror,
Giallo,
Girls with guns,
Gods and demons fiction,
Gross out,
Guerrilla filmmaking,
Guy-cry film,
Heist film,
Heritage film,
Highlight film,
Hip hop film,
Home movies,
Hood film,
Horror comedy,
Horror film,
Independent film,
Industrial video,
Interstitial art,
Japanese film,
Japanese horror,
Jukebox musical,
Korean horror,
Korean melodrama,
Legal drama,
Legal thriller,
LGBTQ Film,
Werewolf fiction,
Mafia comedy,
Magic realism,
Making-of,
Film manifesto,
Martial arts film,
Melodrama,
Message picture,
Metacinema,
Mexican sex comedy,
Mexploitation,
Microcinema,
Midnight movie,
Mob film,
Mockbuster,
Mockumentary,
Monster movie,
Mumblecore,
Musical film,
Musical short,
Musicarello,
Mystery film,
Naturalism,
New Queer Cinema,
Opera film,
Operetta film,
Outlaw biker film,
Ozploitation,
Paracinema,
Parallel Cinema,
Parody film,
Historical period drama,
Poetry film,
Political thriller,
Postmodernist film,
Prison film,
Propaganda film,
Psychological horror,
Psychological thriller,
Pulp noir,
Race film,
Revenge film,
Real time,
Reality film
Remodernist film,
Retrospective,
Road movie,
Romance film,
Romantic comedy film,
Romantic thriller,
Samurai cinema,
Satanic film,
Satire,
Science fiction film,
Screwball comedy film,
Semidocumentary,
Silent film,
Slapstick
Slapstick film,
Slasher film,
Slow cinema + More!!

>> >Join ReelHeART For Our Exciting 20th Season! <<<
>> Prizes Include Collectible, Original ART! Mentorships! Sponsor Awards!<<

>> Our Awards Are REAL + Personalized! Not just a Printed Certificate.
Our Awards Are Voted On By Judges, Programmers + The Viewing Audience.

20+ Years Ago - ReelHeART was the very 1st Festival to issue the “Programmers Pledge”

“We Vow To Watch Every Frame of Your Film from FADE IN to the Closing Credits.”
“We Vow To Read Every Word of Your Screenplay from FADE IN to the The End.”

We are still the ONLY festival in the World that has kept this Pledge. You Pay For Your Entry. We Show Respect to Filmmakers and Screenwriters who choose ReelHeART as part of their Festival Strategy by this Pledge.

We have THIRTY-EIGHT (38) Category Competitions to Choose From

* THIRTY-THREE (33) Film Competitions
* FIVE (5) Screenplay Competitions, Includes One Act Plays
* We Award *BEST* In all Categories of International Film, Canadian Film, LGBTQ Film, Action Film, Comedy Film, Drama Film, Experimental Film, Animated Film, Dance Film, Music Related Film, First Time Filmmakers, Comedy, Drama, Horror, Thriller, SciFi as well as: *Best* Editing, *Best* Sound, *Best* Cinematography, *Best* Actor and *Best* Actress + More!
* Top Prize is the “FOUNDERS AWARD” (‘Best of the Fest’)

For Our Screenplay Entrants

Final Draft: The #1 Selling Screenplay Software Worldwide—Stop Waiting & Start Writing.
Winners will receive Generous Discount Codes and/or Software Licenses at ReelHeART Festival Group's discretion.

InkTip: Where Producers go for Scripts and Writers.
Winners will receive a 4-month InkTip Pro Membership. As an InkTip Pro Member, thousands of filmmakers can find and read your scripts, and you'll be able to pitch directly to production companies every week. With over 3,000 options and 400 movies made, InkTip is the place for independent film.

For Our Film And Documentary Winners

iPitch.TV - Where Hollywood Gets Reel!
Winners Will Receive Coupon Codes that They Can Use to Redeem Their Complimentary Term membership to the IPITCH.TV Film, TV and New Media Marketplace.

At iPitch.tv you can pitch your ideas for original Films, TV, Web/New Media projects, Documentaries, Game Shows, and more. Any type of project that you've developed and would like to pitch to Entertainment Industry Buyers can be listed in our marketplace for consideration.

>>><<<
Fresh. Indie. Anti-Niche.

We Believe in All Cultures Under One Roof...

ReelHeART Festival Group is a fully Registered 20 Year-old Not-For-Profits Arts Organization.

ReelHeART celebrates the Culture of Film and all Aspects of Indie Filmmaking from Acting, to Script, to Screen. ReelHeART is an open genre Competition for Premieres of Film, Documentaries, Screenplays and TV Pilots from the best in Emerging and Master Indie Filmmakers and Screenwriters from Around the Block and Around The World.

Each year we hold Five (5) Premiere Only Competitions for Filmmakers and Screenwriters. Our largest event is the week-long ReelHeART International Film and Screenplay Festival held around the 1st week of July in Toronto, Canada (originally) and now Online with Zoom Q&As, Live Script Reads and 1 Week of FREE  Film Premieres through our Proprietary CineBox to Audiences around the Block and Around The World.

We Also Hold Year-Round Community and Film Related Commemorative Events Online or in Public in Ontario, Canada, the United States and Europe.

****ENTRY RULES, TERMS & GUIDELINES****
*ALL FILMS* + *DOCS* + SCREENPLAYS*
*MUST BE A PREMIERE*

This Includes Feedback Festivals, Online Festivals and Award Only Festivals.

Any Film or Screenplay that has been Selected, Awarded, Nominated, Been Given Feedback, Played Online, Seen By Judges and/or in a Live Or Online Screening in and around the Province of Ontario or Quebec and/or has received a Nomination and/or Award BEFORE JULY 2024 will be DISQUALIFIED.

Your FILM CANNOT Play or be Judged by any Contest In ONTARIO or QUEBEC CANADA PRIOR TO JULY 2024. No Feedback. No Awards. No Round Placements. Nothing!

Any Film or Screenplay that has been Selected, Awarded, Nominated, Been Given Feedback, Played Online, Seen By Judges and/or in a Live Or Online Screening in and around the Province of Ontario or Quebec and/or has received a Nomination and/or Award BEFORE MAY 2024 will be DISQUALIFIED.

Your FILM CANNOT Play or be Judged by any Contest In ONTARIO or QUEBEC CANADA PRIOR TO JULY 2024. No Feedback. No Awards. No Round Placements. Nothing!

>>>>If Your Film is Viewable To The Public and Selected for TBFF, We REQUIRE Your Film be Dark Online From Notification In May until July 15, 2024 in Order To Compete For Awards<<<

>>>Screenwriters - Please Read<<<
Any Screenplay of any kind that has been given a Live Script Read, Nominated For an Award or any Sort of Feedback in and around Toronto and /or the Province of Ontario will be automatically pulled from the current year Competition. No Refunds. No Exceptions.

>If your Screenplay is an Official Selection - You 'MAY' not receive your Coverage until Festival Week is Over. While you may have beaten out many other screenplays to get into the Top 3, your script will not be perfect and it will have notes about Formatting and Other issues that will be suggested to you for a re-write.

>If your Screenplay is NOT an Official Selection - You WILL receive your Coverage BEFORE Festival Week. This happens usually around the end of April for about 1 month via email.

Films in a language other than English must be Subtitled.
All Films must NOT have Public Viewing Links on any Platform.

**IMPORTANT NOTE TO SUBMITTING FILMMAKERS + SCREENWRITERS**

-WE’RE IN THIS TOGETHER- PROMOTE YOUR OFFICIAL SELECTION!!!

You can promote your film whether you live 10 minutes or 10,000 miles from ReelHeART. The Internet makes it all possible. Embrace Social Media.

NO one is going to know about you unless YOU Promote Yourself!
Be Proud of your Product. Be Proud you Got Into ReelHeART. PROMOTE!!

Any Filmmaker, Screenwriter who does not Reply to Emails and Updates, or Promote his/her screening or Live Script from the moment of ReelHeART Official Notification up to and including to the end of Festival Week will automatically be pulled from the Program and Competition for simply being blasé about your acceptance..

We’re not asking you to spend extra money, we’re asking you to be passionate about your film and spend energy promoting and marketing your film from the moment of your acceptance notification. Many FREE options are available to you: (Print, Free Community Papers, Radio, TV, Internet: including Instagram, Twitter, FaceBook, Blogs, etc)

-RUNNING TIME-
The TOTAL running time of your film MUST INCLUDE the end credit role to the end. We do not program on time, we program on content. BUT, we need ACCURATE RUN TIMES, to keep our screenings on schedule at the theaters-

-SENDING YOUR FILM-
Send Nothing to Us.
We will download your film file (2-4 GIGS MAX) When if It becomes an 'Official Selection'
We require online Access to your Film with a Password for the Screening and Scoring Rounds. The link must point to FilmFreeway, Vimeo, YouTube or your own Website.

*If Accepted, we will ask for either a High Resolution Download or a DCP File depending on IF/When We go back To Screening In Person In A Cinema and what the screening exhibition system requires.

PLEASE DO NOT MAIL YOUR SCREENPLAY-
Feature Screenplays 125 Pages MAX
Short Screenplays 30 Pages MAX
Only PDF Files Please. Or a full, professionally formatted screenplay in MS Word

You Title Page should only include:
Screenplay Title
Your Name
***NO Contact Information

1) Completion Date
Any Date Is Fine

2) International Films
All International Language films must have English subtitles.

3) Publicly Screened
If you are submitting a film that has already been publicly screened you must disclose this information including date, city, country, theater etc. along with your entry form

3a) Premiere Status
We NEED a Premiere! (i.e. in the least an Ontario Premiere).

ReelHeART must have a Premiere of Some Kind in order to keep your film In Competition.

As well, you must be able to assure us that only 5% or less of your film in its entirety exists on the Internet. Failure to do so will disqualify the film. This also applies to Music Videos.

Submissions may NOT be withdrawn from ReelHeART once they have been entered, except at the sole discretion of ReelHeART.

If after Accepting their 'Official Selection" a Filmmaker demands withdrawal, there will be a monetary fine payable to ReelHeART of $250.00 USD. This fine must be paid by the Filmmaker immediately upon receipt of notification from ReelHeART.

If you accepted screening in Toronto and have kept it quiet from us, your film will be immediately pulled from the final program.

4) Student Films
If you are submitting a student film or as a student, you can either be currently be enrolled in a recognized film program or have graduated. You must disclose school information including graduation date, city, country, school name and program enrolled in, school web site address etc. along with your entry form. Failure to do so will result in disqualification.

5) Selection Process
The festival programmers/reviewers will determine which films will be selected for programming. Their picks along with their scorecards for each film will be turned over to the ReelHeART Master Programmer, who makes the final programming decisions on what films will ultimately screen during the ReelHeART International Film Festival.

5a) Selection Process Final Decision
In the event of a disagreement with a program choice or a substitution, the festival director will determine all final selections for screening.

6) Sending Your Film Checkpoints

You must submit your Entry Fee in the form of PayPal Payment along with your entry if you submit directly via the ReelHeART International Film and Screenplay Festival web site within any of the deadlines.
You must email your screenplay if there is no upload link
You must include your full contact information and tracking number or discount code-

7) Exhibition Media Submission Deadline
Deadline for receipt of Exhibition copies (download) is 6 Weeks Before Festival Week.
NO EXCEPTIONS. This is especially important in the case of requiring a DCP File

8) Selection: If Your Film or Screenplay Is Selected
You will be notified via HIGH PRIORITY EMAIL if your film has been selected approximately 6-9 weeks prior to ReelHeART by the Submissions Team.

9) If Your Film or Screenplay Is NOT Selected
You will NOT be notified via EMAIL if your film has been NOT been selected.
We DO update the submission status and judging status at FilmFreeway if you submit through FilmFreeway.

ReelHeART does notify some but not all submitters. Please check your FilmFreeway account for any notes from the ReelHeART Submissions Team- If submitting directly at ReelHeART, check your spam folders and deleted folders for emails from us.

9a) If Your Film Is Shortlisted but Not Immediately Selected

We may notify if your film was slightly edged out for screening and still is ON HOLD until we complete our Master Program. This happens to about 1-3 films each season. It could happen to your film.

Depending on the score of your film and suitability, there is the possibility for a film to move up from shortlist to a Venue Screening or, from Venue to Main Program-

You are certainly welcome to email us about the status of your film but not until AFTER Our Notification Date

10) Additional Support Materials
If your film has been selected, you must submit additional support materials [if requested], clean exhibition media and signed releases no later than 4 weeks prior to the ReelHeART International Film and Screenplay Festival.

10a) Additional Support Materials
You will be asked to supply a high resolution image, synopsis, social media links, trailer links, for the Official ReelHeART Online Program and/or Print.

11) Copyright Materials Releases
If your film has been selected, you must submit additional signed releases regarding your use of 3rd party copyright material no later than 8 weeks prior to the ReelHeART International Film and Screenplay Festival

11a) Copyright Materials Releases
In the alternative, you will be provided with our standard release voiding us of any responsibility with respect to the Exhibition of your project should it contain 3rd party copyright material unknown to any and all parties connected to the ReelHeART International Film and Screenplay Festival.

12)
ReelHeART “as policy’ does NOT Record Any “Live Script Reads in their Entirety, nor Publish any Recordings as part of any Screenplay Winners' prize.”
ReelHeART however, may record and may publish Screenplay Live Read ‘Snippets’ (Content) for use as Marketing, Promotional, Learning Tools for Screenwriters, Students and/or for use by the contracted Cast Members for their Social Media or Portfolio as per our Artists' Agreement.

13) Any Filmmaker or Screenwriter who pulls their Entry after Official Notification will be charged a $500 Administration Fee.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Brice Goldberg

    Nice festival run by nice people. Appreciate the recognition and the attention to detail. Q&A was thoughtful and presented unexpected, exciting discussion.

    July 2023
  • Karin delaPeña Collison

    The responsiveness and level of feedback of this ReelHeART is extraordinary. Detailed, constructive, applicable. Hugely helpful. I'm telling all my screenwriter mates about it and urging them to submit in the future. Seriously thrilled to have won best feature script.

    July 2023
  • Dear ReelHeART International Film and Screenplay Festival Team!
    I am honored to be a part of Your History!
    Thank You for Your time, patience and professionalism.
    Reaching the final in Canada is a dream!
    Thank You.
    Sincerely,
    Sergei Tsimbalenko

    July 2023
  • Fabulous festival for screenplays. Thank you for honoring the content of HOLY CITY in a nod to social justice themes that are difficult to portray. Wonderful feedback on the craft of writing for film!

    July 2023
  • Deanna Dewey

    One of the best festivals around. Commuincation etc gret and many other events. It is still my favourite festival to date. Cannot fault ReelHeART they go over and above for film makers.

    July 2023