Whilst submitting our own films to film festivals, we discovered that our films were up against films with much higher budgets than ours typically enjoy.

Sometimes the production budgets for short films can be £15,000+. This means we are competing on an uneven playing field. After some research, I discovered that this is a fairly recent phenomenon.

Nowadays, it is very easy for films with big budgets to enter "low level" festivals with a click of a button, whereas in the past, it was too expensive and took too much effort. This means that small indie filmmakers don't get much of a look in. So we have decided to run a film festival that levels the playing field.

We will have 4 main categories of short films (under 15 mins), any genre. Three out of the four categories will be categorised by the production budget value. The fourth is a completely different category and that is animation. We believe that you cannot compare animation with "live-action" films. So to that end, we have a separate category for animation. We accept animations with a budget of under £5000.

The first category will be short films with a production value of under £500/$650. The second will be under £1,500/$1,900. The final main category is with a production value of under £5000/$6000. So, if the film has an obviously higher production value, the film will be rejected. If we deem it as being close we may contact you to have a discussion.

We're looking for the good stories, where the filmmakers have had to make something out of nothing, which is kind of what we have to do at WeMakeFilms.

We give the following awards in each category for:-

Best Film and Audience Award

To be eligible for sub-categories you have to HAVE SELECTED ONE OF THE MAIN CATEGORIES. If you ONLY SELECT SUB-CATEGORIES your submission will be disqualified.

Sub-categories
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Best Documentary
Best Director
Best Writer
Best Actor
Best Actress
Best Director of Photography
Best Sound Design
Best Music Score
Best Producer
Best Editor

Please Note: Although only one film from each main category can win the 'Best Film Award' we can (and do) issue the other awards to any film that reaches Semi-Finalist status, should we deem the award appropriate.

Our selection sequence is as follows:-

* Selected (Films that are entering final judging sequence)
* Semi-finalist (12 Films per category)
* Finalist

Short Films must be under 15 minutes including the credits.

Terms
1. The Film Festival - means the WeMakeFilms Festival to be held during 2022.
2. The Organiser - means WeMakeFilms and any companies, including but not limited to, that are involved on WeMakeFilms behalf in any aspect of this competition.
3. The Film means the entry submitted to the WeMakeFilms Festival.
4. The Film, entered into the Film Festival, may be generated using any medium (e.g. sequenced stills, digital, video, film, animation, etc.). The Film can be in colour or black & white and must be submitted via online screener. Films can be of any genre such as documentary, comedy, drama, etc. but must not be of a commercial nature, i.e. promote a product, brand or company.
5. If the Film includes a soundtrack that is not original (i.e. composed and recorded by yourself) you MUST obtain clearance for use in the Film. Please contact the bodies established in your country that handle licensing of music.
6. The Organiser reserves the right to disqualify incomplete, altered or illegible entries.
7. No submission (this includes DVDs and application forms) are to be sent physically. WeMakeFilms is an environmentally friendly festival that only accepts online submission.
8. Multiple entries per person are permitted and an entry form must be completed for each film submitted. Payment of entry does not guarantee acceptance to the Festival and is non-refundable under any circumstances.
9. The Organiser will undertake the selection process and the judging criteria of the Film will be based on the film originality, story, style, impact and overall finished quality.
10. The judges shall use absolute discretion in judging the Film and their decisions shall be final. No correspondence or appeals process shall be entered into to explain, clarify or verify the judges' decisions.
11. Entrants of selected films will be notified by email. If selected, you must deliver the Film and promotional material such as still images, poster and filmmaker biographies to the Organiser in the requested format within 14 days of the request. Failure to do so may lead to the withdrawal of your film from the festival programme.
12. You grant the Organiser the non-exclusive right to screen the film online or in London for the purposes of promoting the Film, the Film Festival and the Organisers. You grant the Organiser permission to use excerpts of the Film in trailers, clips and compilation videos for the purposes of promoting the Film, the Film Festival and the Organisers. You grant the Organiser permission to make copies of the Film and distribute it to the press for the purposes of promoting the Film, the Film Festival and the Organisers.
13. International films welcome. However, all films must be in English or have English subtitles.
14. The Organiser will issue a receipt for submissions by email. If your receipt is not received within 14 working days after your submission please contact WeMakeFilms through the email address info@wemakefilms.net
15. You warrant to the Organiser that the Film is wholly original to you and does not infringe the rights of any third party and that you own the copyright in respect of your film and shall continue to keep indemnified the Organiser, their servants and agents against all loss, liability, claims or costs (including legal fees) incurred, awarded or agreed by the Organisers as a direct result of the reasonably foreseeable consequence of any breach or non-performance of any of the represented warranties or undertakings by you.
16. Selected films and the festival programme will be announced on www.wemakefilms.net
17. The festival does not offer screening fees for its films. By submitting through FilmFreeway you are agreeing to NOT request a screening fee as a requirement for your film's participation in the festival, should your film get selected for the program.
18. Since the festival only requires a nominal entry fee, we will NOT accept requests for other entry fee waivers.
19. This agreement will be construed under and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Great festival! Thank you for your appreciation of my work!

    December 2023
  • Barros Mazigna

    I'm really happy and honored to have won the Audience Award and Best Actress.
    Thanks again

    December 2023
  • Juan Carlos Huerta

    The festival is nice, we got a great experience and we are very proud to be a semi-finalist with our short film Hypnotica, thanks again!

    December 2023
  • Laura Le

    Thank you so much for considering my film, "The Blue Hour." It was an honor to be selected for the judging sequence and an even greater honor to be selected as a semi-finalist. Very great communication from the WeMakeFilms team.

    December 2023
  • Thank you for selecting my film : Those left Behind Super Team Top Communication Bravo !

    December 2023