Environmental Film Festival Australia (EFFA) is a not-for-profit organisation that prioritises climate and environments through film, providing platforms for artists to showcase their work and spaces for people to connect and exchange ideas and solutions.

Our program navigates the relationship between humans and their environments and interrogates the way people think about the natural world. We feature films from the world’s most talented and socially-conscious filmmakers, embracing diversity and championing local, Indigenous, minority and creative voices.

Topics explored include:

- environment and environments
- sustainability
- climate justice
- Indigenous rights and stories
- connection to Country
- urban life and architecture
- the awe of nature, flora and fauna
- ecology
- food and food systems
- climate catastrophe
- the interconnection between people and place
- activism and changemakers

Throughout 2024 and 2025, we'll be holding a series of in person EFFA mini-festivals in Naarm (Melbourne) Australia. Submissions are currently open for consideration of our May 2024, Sep 2024 and May 2025 festival dates.

- Audience Choice Award
- Selected Panel Award
- We also work with organisations, community groups and local Government on their own environmental events, through our curation services. By submitting to our festival, you also have the option to be considered for such events and additional screenings opportunities, if desired.

ELIGIBILITY

We accept:

- Documentary, experimental, visual art, animation, children's, and narrative films that are in line with our programming aims (outlined above)
- Films completed after 1 May 2020

We are particularly interested in Australian and New Zealand content, alongside films by First Nations filmmakers.

RUNTIMES

Features: 40+ minutes (including credits)
Shorts: 1-39 minutes (including credits)
VR: up to 30 minutes

SCREENERS

Online preview screeners are required as part of the film submission process, either via a password protected link (Vimeo preferred) or uploaded directly to FilmFreeway. The submitter is responsible for ensuring that their screener link and password is active through to at least end of Dec 2024.

PREMIERE STATUS

No formal requirements. When making final decisions, programmers do take a film’s exposure into consideration, especially prior screenings in Australia, VOD plans/launch dates.

OPEN CAPTIONS

We are keen to make the festival as accessible and inclusive as possible and we encourage and look favorably on the submission of open captioned films. Please advise via the submission form if the film has been or will be captioned or if captions will be provided prior to the festival dates.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. THE FESTIVAL

a) The Filmmaker/submitter grants the EFFA a non-exclusive limited licence that permits the EFFA to communicate the film on screen to the public as part of the 2024/2025 'EFFA presents' series.

b) The Filmmaker/submitter agrees that the Film will be shown as part of a program of several films, the programming and scheduling of which is at the discretion of the EFFA organisers. Scheduled dates, times and venues will be communicated in the selection announcement letter. Any other intended screenings will be determined on a rolling basis. ANY FURTHER INTENDED SCREENINGS WILL NOT TAKE PLACE WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL FROM THE FILMMAKER / NOTIFICATION.

c) EFFA agrees that at all times the Filmmaker remains the Owner of the Film.

d) Exhibition Format - preferred format for screening is DCP (24fps) sent either via upload, FTP or by post. BluRay discs region free are also an accepted format.

e) Shipping / Delivery
Shipping / direct delivery instructions will be sent to the film submitter once the film has been selected. In general, EFFA will cover one-way shipping (inbound or outbound) unless agreed otherwise.

f) Filmmaker attendance at the festival is welcomed, however unless traveling and attending on own expenses, the Filmmaker will need to discuss / request cost coverage with the Festival Director as early as possible after selection is announced.

2. PROMOTION AND MARKETING

a) The film submitter / film rights owner grants EFFA permission to use any extract, excerpt, part, clip, still image and/or sound recording from the Film not exceeding 5 minutes in length and/or to use the Filmmaker’s name and biography in any media for the purpose of promoting and marketing.

b) The film submitter / film rights owner grants EFFA permission to upload the official trailer on the EFFA's Vimeo or YouTube Channel for the purpose of promoting and marketing the film within the program. This includes permission to use the Festival logo branding and dates within the trailer.

“Promotion and Marketing” may include, but is not limited to: The production of an official trailer; Festival programming and advertising; Radio and television interviews; Uploading and screening extracts of the film on the EFFA website.

b) The Filmmaker grants EFFA permission to share the film screener with Festival speakers, judges, sponsors and the media for the purposes of preview and review.

EFFA may NOT do any of the following acts under the continuing licence: Submit or provide the Film to third parties for broadcast purposes; Generate revenue from the Film other than revenue from conducting the screenings and other activities as set out in clause 1 above.

3. FILM SUBMISSION

I. The Filmmaker / Film Rights Owner will submit the Film to EFFA on DCP or BluRay and will ensure it has undergone all appropriate technical and quality checking prior to submission.

II. EFFA will retain all physical materials, including the copy of the Film that the Filmmaker submits and all submitted physical materials unless the Filmmaker provides EFFA with instructions to return the material and a return address. EFFA will request this information upon the film's acceptance.

III. Any film submitted to EFFA is done so at the Filmmaker’s own risk.

IV. The Filmmaker is solely responsible for the content of the Film and agrees that the Film does not contain any content that may be construed as: libellous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, sexually, racially or ethically offensive, intimidating, threatening, hateful, discriminatory or abusive.

4. OWNERSHIP AND RIGHTS

The Filmmaker gives the following warranties:

I. The Filmmaker / submitter has legal authority to enter into this agreement and grant the Rights.

II. There are no legal actions, claims, demands or proceedings against the Film or the Filmmaker in respect of the Film.

III. The Filmmaker will not make any claim against EFFA in respect of the exercise of the Rights.

IV. The Filmmaker is the sole Owner of the underlying Works or has consent in writing from all the respective owners of the Works in the Film for the Filmmaker, the Filmmaker’s licensees, and any person authorised by the Filmmaker, (including the Festival), to do any or all of the following to their Work/s: reproduce, exploit, convert between formats, edit, alter and/or reproduce the Work/s in any manner or context.

V. Without limiting clause 4IV. above, the Filmmaker is the sole Owner of the copyright or has the relevant permission from the Owner of the copyright, in any sound recordings used in the Film and music and lyrics reproduced in those sound recordings.

VI. All performers in the Film have unconditionally consented in writing to the use of their performances in the Film.

VII. Exercise of the Rights will not infringe any rights of any third party (including copyright); and to the extent that it does, the Filmmaker has obtained written consent from each of such third parties.

VIII The Filmmaker will provide copies of any or all of the Consents listed in this clause at any time if requested to do so by the Festival.

5. MORAL RIGHTS

The Filmmaker warrants that:

I. The Filmmaker is the sole Owner of the Moral Rights in the Film for the purposes of the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) or that the Filmmaker has obtained from each person who contributed any copyright material in or any performance to the Film, a written consent for the Filmmaker, the Filmmaker’s licensees, and any person authorised by the Filmmaker, (including EFFA), to do any or all of the following to their contribution or performance: reproduce, exploit, convert between formats, edit, alter and/or reproduce the contribution or performance in any manner or context (Moral Rights Consents).

II. The Filmmaker will provide copies of any or all of the Moral Rights Consents listed in this clause at any time if requested to do so by EFFA.

6. INDEMNITY

The Filmmaker indemnifies and will keep indemnified EFFA against any claims made against EFFA in connection with the Film and associated rights.

7. ENTIRE AGREEMENT

I. By completing the Film Submission the Filmmaker agrees that these T & C form the entire agreement in relation to the Film submitted by the Filmmaker to EFFA.

II. The submitter agrees that all information provided to EFFA (including, without limitation, the information set out in the entry form) is correct and not misleading.

III. Where the submitter has any issues agreeing with any component of these terms, alterations can be agreed upon in writing.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Joe Chang

    Excellent film festival! ! I love it and highly recommend!

    February 2021