1) Entries should not exceed 18 minutes in duration including all titles and credits for shorts and 48 for other categories.
2) Only films completed on or after 1st January 2016 are eligible for entry into the 2018 Festival competitions.
3) Films previously entered into and screened at our festival are not eligible for re-entry in subsequent years.
4) If the film is not in English, then it must have hard coded English subtitles.
5) RFF reserve the right to refuse to screen any submission deemed by the Festival to be inappropriate. Should you wish to question RFF about their decision, you can contact us by email.
6) All submissions are screened and evaluated by the RFF Preview and Selection Committees, appointed by the festival steering committee. Their reports are final and confidential. All films received, which meet our criteria, will be screened at the festival in our Cinemas. These films will be screened numerous times throughout the festival. Due to the amount of films we receive only the top scoring films will go through into the competition. These films will be screened in our main venue. Submitters will be advised via email and the list will also be announced on our website and on our Facebook page in the THIRD week of May. The short list in each category, to be announced late on the 26th May 2018, will be chosen by the Category Judges and will be posted on our website, on our Facebook page and in the Box Office window. The winning films in each category will then be chosen from this short list and announced at our prize giving ceremony on the AFTERNOON OF JUNE 23rd, 2018.
7) In the event of a film being withdrawn, RFF will not be liable to refund the fee or return the materials entered.
8) RFF will determine the date and time when submissions will be screened. RFF cannot be held accountable for changes to the schedule after the festival line-up is announced.
9) Participation in RFF grants us the authorization to show the entered film on our RFF secure Intranet network. Viewing is only possible within the FACILITY.
10) A fee is required upon submission. For payment structures, see elsewhere on FilmFreeway site. Please ensure your film is ready to send to us at the time of entry.
11) One entry fee per category. The same film can be entered into one or more categories, but each category requires an entry fee.
12) Exclusively the participant shall pay all fees in relation to the uploading or transportation of submissions from their place of origin to the address of RFF. The Festival will not be responsible for the cost of receiving any additional materials i.e. DVDs, posters, photos, etc.
13) If music or additional film material used in your film is not original, then permission from source must be obtained. The responsibility for this rests entirely with the filmmaker. Failure to obtain clearance could result in your film being withdrawn from the Festival. In this event, RFF will not be liable to refund the fee or return the materials entered.
14) The submission of a film to RFF will be considered to be an acknowledgement of the festival rules
15) In order to be eligible for the ‘Best in POLK’ prize, please indicate on your submission entry if the film was written, shot or produced in POLK County. This is relevant to those filmmakers entering into the Over 18 competition AND films submitted into the Young Filmmaker (U19) category.
16) Entrants should UPLOAD their film to FilmFreeway on the day that the entry form is completed. Please include your press kit including still photos. Please write a 10-15 word (ONLY) synopsis for use in our festival programme – should your film be selected. WE WOULD LIKE TO ENSURE THAT THE JUDGES VIEW YOUR FILM IN THE HIGHEST QUALITY POSSIBLE SO WILL ONLY ACCEPT FINAL CUTS. PLEASE SURE THAT YOUR FILM IS READY AT THE TIME OF ENTRY.
17) RFF will contact you. Once downloaded by us, your film will be loaded onto our festival server.
18) Please send TWO DVD’s of your film direct to us at the time of submission as well as submit your entry of your film to FilmFreeway.
19) RFF will attempt to resolve any technical matter related to submission. For more information and queries contact RITZTHEATRE@HOTMAIL.COM. Only use this email when querying the technical aspects of your submission.
20) Once we have received your Film, Photo(s), Fee and Form you will receive an email confirming your entry is ‘In Consideration’. Please note that unless we receive ALL these items your entry is NOT confirmed.
21) All non technical queries relating to your submission should be sent to ritztheatre@hotmail.com as well as all Technical queries.
22) Ritz Film Festival is part of the Ritz Theatre 100, Inc. a not-for-profit Corporation. Due to the timing of donations and grant moneys from supporters, payouts/prize monies cannot be paid until all our funds have been received from these sources. This is usually by the month of August following the festival. Prize winners will then be contacted for bank account transfer details and the monies paid as soon as possible afterwards
