WOMEN & FASHION FILMFEST & SHE WEBFEST 2015 SUBMISSIONS
Please read the rules, guidelines, criteria, terms and conditions carefully. By submitting a film or webseries (hereinafter “Entry”) to the Women & Fashion FilmFest and SHE WEBFest, you, the representative of the film(s) or webseries being submitted (hereinafter the “Entrant(s)”) acknowledge and agree to the rules, guidelines, criteria, terms and conditions set forth herein. Please note Entrant(s) must provide all information and support material as requested here and pay the applicable submission fee(s) at the time of submission to be considered. Submitting an Entry does not guarantee your Entry as an Official Selection of the Women & Fashion FilmFest & SHE WEBFest.
The Women & Fashion FilmFest, SHE WEBFest, and Womenfashfilm.com (hereinafter, the “Organizer”) are accepting submissions for the following categories:
• Fashion Films (may be submitted by a person or people of any gender)
• Student Fashion Shorts (may be submitted by a person or people of any gender)
• Experimental Films (may be submitted by a person or people of any gender)
• Narrative Short Films involving a woman (women) in at least one of the following leadership position(s): writer, director, producer or actor(s) with at least one woman in a leading role
• Documentary Short Films involve a woman (women) in at least one of the following leadership position(s): writer, director, producer or actor(s) with at least one woman in a leading role
• Narrative Webseries involve a woman (women) in at least one of the following leadership position(s): writer, director, producer or actor(s) with at least one woman in a leading role
• Non-fiction Webseries involve a woman (women) in at least one of the following leadership position(s): writer, director, producer or actor(s) with at least one woman in a leading role
Please see below for specific criteria and instructions for each of the above categories. General criteria and rules apply to all submissions.
FASHION FILMS
The eligibility criteria for Fashion Film submissions are the following:
• Film must have a fashion theme, major element(s), or sponsorship.
• Length of film must not exceed 20 minutes.
• Films may be written, directed or produced by a person or people of ANY GENDER.
STUDENT FASHION SHORTS
The eligibility criteria for Student Fashion Shorts submissions are the following:
• Film must have a fashion theme, major element(s), or sponsorship.
• Length of film must not exceed 12 minutes.
• Film must be written, directed and produced by (a) currently enrolled student(s) at college or graduate level.
• Entrant(s) must be 25 years or under on December 31, 2015.
• Entrant(s) must be of legal age or have and provide relevant authorization from their legal guardians if the Entrant(s) are minor(s).
• A copy of (a) valid student ID(s) must be presented at the time of submission.
• Entrant(s) must indicate grade level in college or graduate school.
• Submission is open to students of ANY GENDER.
• Films must be the original work of the student Entrant(s) and not infringe copyright or ownership agreements.
• If the Entrant(s) does not meet the eligibility criteria for Student Fashion Shorts submissions, he or she may submit an entry in the Fashion Film category.
EXPERIMENTAL FILMS
An experimental film is work that generally lies outside of mainstream conventions. It may be characterized by the absence of linear narrative, the use of various abstracting techniques, asynchronous sound or even the absence of any sound track, and often explores the possibilities of the medium itself.
The eligibility criteria for Experimental Films submissions are the following:
• Length of film must not exceed 20 minutes.
• Film may be written, directed or produced by a person or people of ANY GENDER.
NARRATIVE SHORT FILMS
The eligibility criteria for Narrative Shorts Film submissions are the following:
• Film must involve a woman (women) in at least one of the following leadership position(s): writer, director, producer or actor(s) with at least one woman in a leading role
• Length of film must not exceed 20 minutes.
DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS
The eligibility criteria for Documentary Shorts Film submissions are the following:
• Film must involve a woman (women) in at least one of the following leadership position(s): writer, director, producer or actor(s) with at least one woman in a leading role
• Length of film must not exceed 45 minutes.
NARRATIVE WEBSERIES
The eligibility criteria for Narrative Webseries submissions are the following:
• Narrative Webseries must involve a woman (women) in at least one of the following leadership position(s): writer, director, producer or actor(s) with at least one woman must be in a leading role.
• Length of webseries must not exceed 20 minutes. Series with individual episodes exceeding 20 minutes in length are welcome to submit a shortened version(s) of an episode(s) for the purpose of entering into the festival.
• For micro-webseries under 10 minutes, submissions of two episodes are required. The total time of both episodes may not exceed 20 minutes.
• An Entry that is not in English must be dubbed in English or have English subtitles.
NON-FICTION WEBSERIES
The eligibility criteria for Non-Fiction Webseries submissions are the following:
• Non-fiction Webseries must involve a woman (women) in at least one of the following leadership position(s): writer, director, producer or actor(s) with at least one woman must be in a leading role.
• Length of webseries must not exceed 20 minutes.
• For micro-webseries under 10 minutes, submissions of two episodes are required. The total time of both episodes may not exceed 20 minutes.
• An Entry that is not in English must be dubbed in English or have English subtitles.
GENERAL RULES AND GUIDELINES
SUBMISSIONS FORMAT
• All initial Entries must be submitted digitally.
• Provide link to your submission (on Vimeo, Youtube, etc).
• Be sure to give us the online location of your film, with any relevant and functioning passwords needed for viewing, as well as your submission tracking number.
• Please be sure to select the category of your submission: Fashion Film, Student Fashion Short, Experimental Film, Short Narrative Film, Short Documentary Film, Narrative Webseries, or Non-fiction Webseries.
• Only one (1) category may be selected for each submission.
• If you are submitting more than one Entry, a separate submission is required for each Entry.
Note: If selected as an Official Selection, the Entrant(s) may be required to send an HD version of the film/webseries for public screening. These must be forwarded within 10 days of request. Please see Selection Process below for additional information.
KEY DATES & DEADLINES
A submission will be considered complete when all required information, functional digital submission and submission fees are received by the Organizer. A submission must be complete by midnight of the specified submission date to meet the submissions deadlines below:
• May 28, 2015 – Early Bird Submissions Open
• June 15, 2015 - Early Bird Submissions Deadline
• June 16, 2015 – Regular Submissions Open
• August 10, 2015 - Regular Submissions Deadline
• August 25, 2015 – Late & Final Submissions Deadline
• September 18, 2015 – Announcement of Official Selections
• November 14, 2015 - Live Screening at Symphony Space in New York City, USA
SUBMISSIONS FEES
FASHION FILMS, EXPERIMENTAL FILMS, NARRATIVE AND DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS UP TO 20 MINS. RUNNING TIME, WEBSERIES
$30.00 = EARLY BIRD – May 28-June 15, 2015
$40.00 = REGULAR ENTRY – June 16-August 10, 2015
$60.00 = LATE ENTRY – August 11-August 25, 2015
NARRATIVE AND DOCUMENTARY SHORT FILMS 21-45 MINS. RUNNING TIME
$40.00 = EARLY BIRD – May 28-June 15, 2015
$50.00 = REGULAR ENTRY – June 16-August 10, 2015
$70.00 = LATE ENTRY – August 11-August 25, 2015
$20.00 = STUDENT EARLY BIRD – May 28-June 15, 2015
$25.00 = STUDENT REGULAR ENTRY – June 16-August 10, 2015
$30.00 = STUDENT LATE ENTRY – August 11-August 25, 2015
All fees are stated in American currency (USD$). All submission fees must be paid via PayPal.
SELECTION PROCESS:
The Festival Jury will choose the “Official Selections” of films and webseries. The Official Selections will be posted on the festival’s website, www.womenfashfilm.com as well as on its social media on Twitter @womenfashfilm and @SheWebFest and Facebook on www.facebook.com/WomenFashionFilmFest. Please do not contact the Organizer.
The Organizer will get in touch with the Entrant(s) of the Official Selections on the email addresses provided by the Entrant(s) with submission.
The Official Selected Entrant(s) will then be required to provide the following within 10 days of notification by the Organizer:
• HD Video (specific format and requirements for screening will be indicated)
• Return package and postage charges including any packing and custom fees, if applicable, must be provided to the Organizer if an Entrant wishes a return of any materials. All charges must be pre-paid via PayPal in US Dollars. The Organizer will not accept Cash On Delivery shipments. If payment is not received or there are insufficient funds for return delivery, no materials will be returned.
• Four still images/photos of the film(s)/webseries (minimum size 800 PX high, with a resolution of 300 DPI) for promotional purposes
• Authorization of the Organizers to take screenshots of the film and releases to permit participation in our TV special if attending our festival.
• List of credits for the film or webseries.
• Contact information of Entrant(s): Name, email, address, phone number and Skype
• Biography of the director (100 words maximum) and synopsis of the film(s)/webseries (100 words maximum).
• Running time
• Country of origin
• Language of film or webseries (film/webseries not in the English language must have English subtitles or be dubbed in English in order to be considered)
• Year the film or webseries was made
• Type and date of release (if applicable)
• Names of festivals or other venues the film/webseries has been shown (if applicable)
• Any relevant links (especially trailers) with passwords, tracking numbers, etc.
Official Selections will be offered one (1) complimentary pass to the 2015 Women & Fashion FilmFest, She WEBFest and one (1) ticket to the red carpet event.
• Attendance must be confirmed in writing by the RSVP deadlines established by the Organizers to attend the aforementioned events. If the selected Entrant(s) fail to confirm his or her attendance by specified RSVP deadlines, the Entrant(s) will lose the right to attend the aforementioned.
• The Organizer is not required to provide accommodation or travel arrangements for any Entrant.
AWARDS
The awards will be presented in the following manner to winning Entrant(s):
• Best Fashion Film
• Best Student Fashion Film
• Best Experimental Film
• Best Narrative Short Film
• Best Documentary Short Film
• Best Webseries
Final Winners of awards will be announced during the festival. Winners may be requested to verify their identity by presenting their identification credentials and any further documentation deemed necessary by the Organizer to receive an awards, prize or Pitch Opportunity.
• In the event that the identify of the winner cannot be verified, the award winner is unable to accept, renounces the award or is disqualified, the award will be given to the runner up of its category.
PITCH OPPORTUNITY
One (1) winner of each of the Best Narrative Webseries and Best Non-fiction Webseries will have the opportunity to “pitch” the webseries to Ovation (“Pitch Opportunity”). The winning webseries will be submitted to Ovation and viewed personally by Liz Janneman, Executive Vice President of Network Strategy of Ovation. Feedback will be provided by December 31, 2015.
The winning Entrant(s) must acknowledge, abide and agree to all rules, guidelines, criteria, terms and conditions set forth herein to participate in the Pitch Opportunity. The winning Entrant(s) also acknowledges and accepts that there is no guarantee of the outcome of the Pitch Opportunity.
Additional opportunities and prizes may be announced by the Organizer up to the dates of the festival.
INTERNATIONAL SCREENINGS
Official Selections & Winners of the Fashion Film category may have the opportunity to have their films promoted and screened internationally through the Women & Fashion FIlmFest 's network and partner film festivals. Announcements will be made at the festival.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
I, the Entrant(s) and the representative of the Entry being submitted, acknowledge and agree to all of the terms and conditions of entry herein:
• I represent and warrant that I am duly authorized on my own behalf and on behalf of all other persons or entities who have any ownership rights in the film(s)/webseries entry to exhibit the Entry at the Women & Fashion Film, SHE WEBFest, Womenfashfilm.com, associated publications (such as newsletters) and entities.
• I represent and warrant legal ownership of all the rights to the film(s)/webseries submitted, to have releases and/or have obtained the rights for the talent and to all forms of audio, video, media within the film(s)/web series submitted including music, photography, artwork, etc.
• I verify that I am 18 years or older or have and will provide relevant legal authorization from my legal guardians if I am a minor(s).
• An Entry that is not in English must be dubbed in English or have English subtitles.
• An Entry submission will not be considered complete unless all required information, materials, and fees are received by the Organizer.
• An Entry submission must be complete by midnight of the specified submission deadline date to meet the relevant entry deadline.
• No Entry will be considered unless the Entry submission is complete.
• If the appropriate submission fee per entry is not received within 48 hours of submission, the entry will be disqualified, and I, the entrant, must re-enter the submission again with all required information, materials, and fees.
• An Entrant(s) may submit more than one film or webseries.
• Only one category may be selected for each submission entry.
• If an Entrant(s) submits more than one entry, a separate submission and submission fee is required for each film or webseries.
• Duplicate submissions under a different category are allowed, but a separate submission and payment of appropriate submission fee for each category must be made.
• Submission fee is non-refundable.
• No submission may be withdrawn after selection.
• Board members, employees and agents of the Organizer and their immediate families may submit films/webseries to the festival for screening but are not eligible to receive monetary awards if any.
• Members of the Festival Jury are announced on www.womenfashfilm.com. The Organizer may replace any member of the Festival Jury if the member is unable to fulfill his or her role.
• The Festival Jury determines all Official Selections and winners in each award category, based on the category selected by the Entrant(s). If the Organizer determines that an incorrect category may have been chosen for the Entrant’s submission, the Organizer will contact the Entrant regarding reclassification.
• The Organizer reserves the right to extend the submissions period.
• All decisions made by the Organizer are final.
• The Organizer reserves the possibility to declare any award, prize, or Pitch Opportunity unawarded in the unlikely event that the Entries presented by the Entrants do not meet the rules, guidelines, criteria, terms, conditions and/or minimal quality requirements.
• The Organizer and all its directors, employees, members of the Festival Jury, representatives, partners, sponsors and affiliates will not be held responsible for any claims or damages stemming from the failure of the Entrant(s) to properly obtain the rights to any material submitted and/or screened.
• By submitting my film and webseries Entry(ies), I grant to the Organizer, without reservations, the right to exhibit my film(s)/webseries in its entirety to paying or non-paying audiences wherever the Organizer holds live events during the festival and to stream or showcase my film(s)/webseries on its website, Vimeo & YouTube channels, and any other associated publication or entity for the duration of the festival.
• Submissions will be considered for the Organizer’s associated publications, networks, events and partner festivals around the world, unless by prior written arrangement.
• I agree that if my Entry is accepted, my film(s)/webseries will be available for further distribution and screened by the Organizer’s associated entities and partner festivals, unless by prior written arrangement.
• I hereby grant without reservations the Organizer and its associated entities the right to use, publish, exhibit and stream my Entry, and all materials from my Entry including but not limited to footage, stills, titles, names, logos, artwork, etc. for awards presentations, highlight reels, and promotional material for both the duration of the festival and the lifespan of the Women & Fashion FilmFest, SHE WEBFest & Womenfashfilm.com, associated entities, publications and events.
• If accepted, I, the Entrant(s) hereby grant without reservations, to the Organizer, and its associated entities the right to issue and authorize publicity concerning the Entrant(s) and the Entry and to use all associated names, likenesses and biographical information.
• I allow the Organizer to edit my Entry for promotional purposes including but not limited to creating a trailer or teaser for the Organizer and its associated entities.
• The Organizer reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to add content advisory disclaimers to any Entry screened, if deemed necessary, for any reason.
• The Organizer is not responsible for the possible subsequent use of the Entry or any parts of the Entry outside the live and online media of the Organizer.
• All U.S. federal and state laws apply to the entry(ies).
• I represent and warrant that my Entry does not violate any law or any right or consent of any person or entity and is not subject to litigation nor is it threatened by any litigation.
• An Entry may not contain pornographic material or constitute a defamation of any person or entity.
• Failure of an Entry to meet the eligibility requirements will lead to disqualification.
• Disqualification will not entitle a refund of the submission fee.
• If accepted, I acknowledge that the presentation of the Entry by the Organizer or its partners and affiliates does not create any confidential or fiduciary relationship between the Entrant(s) and the Organizer, its directors, officers, advisors, employees, members of its Festival Jury, representatives, attorneys, partners, sponsors, agents and affiliates.
• I understand that the Entrant(s) will not receive any compensation for exhibiting and streaming any Entry, although some awards, prizes and pitch opportunity may be granted.
• I acknowledge that no obligation of any kind is assumed by or may be implied against the Organizer, its directors, officers, advisors, employees, members of its Festival Jury, representatives, attorneys, partners, sponsors, agents and affiliates.
• I understand and acknowledge that the selection of my Entry by the Organizer does not in any way constitute an express or implied endorsement or approval by the Organizer, its directors, officers, advisors, employees, members of its Festival Jury, representatives, attorneys, partners, sponsors, agents and affiliates of the content of the Entry or any opinion expressed therein.
• I agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Organizer, its directors, officers, advisors, employees, members of its Festival Jury, representatives, attorneys, partners, sponsors, agents, and affiliates, from and against any and all claims, losses, damages, liabilities (including reasonable attorneys' fees) and actions of any kind in connection with the Organizer’s, associated entities, and partners’ event(s), live and online screenings, and/or resulting from acceptance, possession or use of any award, prize, or Pitch Opportunity, and/or from any breach or alleged breach of any representation made by me, the Entrant, to the Organizers.
• The Organizer reserves the right to amend terms, conditions, guidelines, criteria, live and online screening(s), festival times and dates, awards, prizes, Pitch Opportunity(ies) and activities if necessary.
I, the Entrant(s), acknowledge that I have read and understood the rules, guidelines, criteria, terms and conditions for submitting an Entry to the Organizer. By clicking "I Agree" below, or by submitting an Entry to the Organizer, I constitute my full and complete acceptance of the rules, guidelines, criteria, terms and conditions hereof. I acknowledge that no oral representations of any kind have been made by the Organizer.
