The Box Film Festival is an annual short film festival founded in 2013 to support and showcase international, UK Indie film-makers, and those of Berkshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire.

Entrants are invited to submit documentary or fiction films under 15 minutes long, completed in the calendar year before the deadline, for judging and screening the The Box film Festival in Newbury.

Films that do not meet category constraints will be disqualified. We don't accept films over 15 minutes.

Prizes will be awarded to film category winners.

Terms and Conditions of ‘The Box’Short Film Competition.

The Box Short Film Competition (“Competition”) is organised by the Out The Box Performance Group (“OTB”, also referred to as the "Competition Promoter") in connection with The Box Film Festival in spring ("The Box"). By entering the entrants agree to comply with these rules.

The competition is dedicated to encouraging productivity from and collaboration between filmmakers in the community. Entries are accepted for films made internationally, or within the UK, that are under 15 minutes long.

There are no age or experience limitations.

The year ("Year") of the competition and festival, is defined as the year the festival will take place.

1. ENTERING THE CONTEST

1.1 The duration of the competition are detailed on FilmFreeway .
1.2 Entry is open to individuals working alone or groups working as a team.
1.3 Entrants should register their work using our submission partner, FilmFreeway. https://filmfreeway.com/festival/TheBoxFilmFestival
1.4 Entry fees are detailed on the FilmFreeway submission site..
1.5 All Entries must be the original work of the entrants, and be under 15 minutes long (including credits). Entrants who incorporate any images, writing, music or other creative material where rights (including intellectual property rights) belong to a third party must obtain the third party’s express permission. Entrants may be asked to provide evidence of their ownership of the Entry (and/or the relevant consents and/or licences obtained in respect of their Entry) and should keep dated records of all working materials.
1.6 Moving image entries that are accompanied by sound recordings whose copyright is not owned by the entrants will not be accepted as a valid entry. Entrants will be asked to re-submit a version that can be publicly distributed.
1.7 The closing deadline for Competition is detailed on FilmFreeway. The Competition Promoter accepts no responsibility for undelivered / unreadable entries.
1.8 It is a condition of entry that the winner agrees to their name and biography being made publicly available if they win.
1.9 All entries must have been completed within the competition period.
1.10 Entries previously submitted for competition at past editions of The Box are not eligible for re-submission, unless withdrawn prior to programme announcement or at programmers discretion.

2. SPONSORS LOGOS & NAMES AND USE OF ENTRY

2.1 All entrants acknowledge that the Competition may be sponsored by one or more commercial partners (“sponsors”), as designated by the Competition Promoter. By entering the Competition the entrant agrees for the Competition Promoters and any sponsor to have rights to use its Entry, in particular in the event that it is a winning Entry, for commercial and/or promotional purposes relating to The Box (or a future The Box event) for at least a period of two years following the closing date of the Competition.
2.2 All sponsors operate strict controls on the use of their names, trademarks and logos.
2.3 By submitting an Entry entrants agree that they shall not feature any sponsor branding whatsoever without prior written consent of the sponsor. The entrants shall not feature any third party, which suggests that the entrant is endorsed, associated or otherwise affiliated with the sponsor and/or any such third party.
2.5 Entrants who submit an Entry that contains any trademark or logo or other branding not permitted under these terms and conditions may be asked to re-submit their work without such branding. Failure to do so will result in the entry being deemed invalid.

3. OWNERSHIP OF YOUR ENTRY

3.1 Entrants retain ownership of their Entries submitted into the Competition (subject always to third party rights in the Entry).
3.2 Without prejudice to clause 2.1, by submitting an Entry, entrants grant the Competition Promoters and the relevant sponsor a non-exclusive license for the duration of copyright protection to reproduce or distribute a reproduction of their Entry in all media in order to promote, or act as a historical record of, the Competition; for commercial and/or promotional purposes relating to The Box (or a future The Box event) ; and/or for future film festival events or future general promotional purposes.

4. JUDGING THE CONTEST

4.1 The Box will appoint a panel (“Panel”) that shall be composed of judges who in their sole discretion have the appropriate qualifications to judge the work (which may include representatives of any sponsor). Entries will be considered in accordance with the Competition’s selection criteria. These are:
An excellent creative idea
Excellent craft or execution
4.2 The Panel will be asked to create a shortlist of Entries to act as a final shortlist for consideration for the final prize. This shortlist will be termed Best of Year. From this shortlist, a prize will be awarded to one overall winner whom the Panel considers, in its sole discretion, to be the best Entry.
4.3 The Panel is not limited in the number of prizes it can award and similarly there is no guarantee that the Panel will award a prize if they do not feel that work is of the standard required.
4.4 General feedback will be gathered from the Panel. This will be available to view on the Competition website when the shortlist is announced. Individual feedback will not be available.
4.5 If The Box is made aware of any concerns that an Entry does not constitute the original work of the entrant then in the Competition Promoter has the right to contact the entrant and will ask for evidence of the entrant’s assertion to be the creator of the work. Where possible the Competition Promoters will consider the evidence gathered and decide whether to allow the Entry to remain within the contest or to remove it. The Box’s decision is in its sole discretion and is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

5. PRIZES

5.1 A maximum of 25 entries will be chosen as a shortlist to be considered for the final prize.
5.2 The prize is not transferrable reserves the right to provide substitute prize(s) of similar value in the event that the specified Prize is unavailable for reasons beyond its control. Cash or credit alternatives will not be offered. None of the prizes are transferable.

6. GENERAL POINTS

6.1 As a winner, you will release the Competition Promoters, sponsors and their affiliates, partners and employees from any and all liability, claims, demands, and causes of action for third party claims (including intellectual property claims) personal injury and or damage, theft, or loss suffered in connection with this Competition or the use or acceptance of the prize or any portion thereof save where due to the negligence of the Competition Promoters.
6.1 The Competition Promoters reserve the right to suspend, cancel or amend the promotion and/or review and revise these rules at any time without giving prior notice and by continuing to take part in the Competition subsequent to any revision of these rules, entrants shall be deemed to have agreed to any such new or amended terms.
6.1 If any provision of these rules is held invalid by any court of law or similar, such invalidity shall not affect the enforceability of any other provisions not held to be invalid.
6.1 The Rules are subject to English law and any dispute that is not resolved by consultation between the parties shall be referred to the courts of England and Wales.

For any enquiries relating to the Competition please contact the secretary: outthebox.secretary@gmail.com

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Great Festival worth the entry fee

    November 2021
  • Kialle Wills

    While I could not personally attend the festival myself due to scheduling conflicts, this festival was well presented online and seemed very organised. The communication was also fast and informative. I would strongly recommend this festival to anyone wanting to enter their film!

    November 2019
  • Mazin Sherabayani

    Thank you so much for selecting my short script as one of the finalists. Fantastic communication and a great festival. Thank you

    November 2019
  • Robert Duncan

    Although I couldn't make it down for the screening of my film the organisers made sure I new how the screening went and offered good feedback. From what I could tell from their online presence it seemed like a really well organised event by a passionate group of people.

    November 2019
  • Daniel Harding

    A truly wonderful festival. We had the honour of having our 'premiere' screening at The Box Film Festival, and I cannot fault the organisers at all and the whole night was a fantastic event. I highly recommend you take the time to seek out The Box Film Festival and enter in 2020, you won't be disappointed!

    November 2019