*** Call for Entries ***

Arrow Video, in partnership with Celluloid Screams, are launching a Horror Lockdown Short Film Competition with a £3,500 Prize to finance your next short film!

The idea is to make the most out of this unprecedented situation and tap into your creativity with what the current restrictions have fed into your inspirations.
Lockdown has given us all the time to think about our wildest horrific ideas so why not bring them in to life?

History has shown us that restrictions and constraints are actually the roots of creativity and can be an amazing boost to spark your originality.
With new normality comes new rules and new adjustments, so just grab what’s available to you and let’s redefine the scope of what Horror films stand for.

We understand that you won’t be able to shoot the way you would normally and that your means are restricted to their minimal. Hence why we won’t impose you a set of rules to abide by.

*** How To Enter This Challenge ***

Main Requirements:
• Your short film cannot exceed 5min.
• It has to be an original work realised and completed under lockdown.
• All entries must be in English language or include English subtitles.
• You must make sure to adhere to any current local restrictions and regulations established by the government regarding safety measures due to COVID-19.
• You must comply with the Terms & Conditions as laid out below.

Entry Guideline:
• There is no entry fee to participate!
• Only one entry per filmmaker will be accepted.
• The deadline for all entries is 11:59 GMT on July 19th, 2020.
• You will need to submit your entry via the FilmFreeway platform. Please note that entry via other means will be invalid and won’t be judged.



*** Selection Process & Timeline ***

Once the competition has closed, the Celluloid Screams and Arrow Video teams will review all submissions and shortlist the best 10 best entries.
The best 10 entries will then be in competition to win one of two Awards: the Best Short Film Award and the Audience Award.

The Best Short Film Award Winner will be selected by our guests industry professional filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead – directors of The Endless, while The Audience Award Winner will be based on a public online vote.

The Endless was the third micro-budget horror film collaboration – after Spring and Resolution – for the indie filmmaking duo Moorhead & Benson, who both appeared as lead cast in the film. Following the impressive festival run of The Endless (AFI Fest, BFI London, Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Fest, Tribeca Film Fest, Sitges – Catalonian International Film Fest and more), the pair collaborated on their fourth project together last year with the film Synchronic starring Jamie Dornan and Anthony Mackie, due to be released in 2020.

Sharing their excitement about being involved in this competition, Moorhead & Benson mention: "Arrow put out the most beautiful and thorough release of The Endless possible, and Celluloid Screams has been kind enough to play all of our weird films. Now, they’re letting us judge movies made by intrepid short filmmakers who are somehow still making it happen during these challenging times. The fact that these films will even exist makes them all wonderful and miraculous. We have absolutely no idea what we’re going to see, but we know we’ll never have seen anything like them. We measure every film we see by their ingenuity, including our own, and so it’s going to be especially exciting for us to find out what hatches from the minds of these filmmakers during this unique moment in history."

Competition dates: June 19th – July 19th
Selection Process: July 20th – August 17th
Short List Announcement: August 18th
Public Vote Window: August 18th – August 25th
Winner Announcement: August 28th

🧟Enter the Game Now! 🧟

Best Short Film Award Winner – Prize:
• £3,500 towards the winner’s next short film project.
• The winning entry will be screened at Celluloid Screams: Sheffield Horror Festival (October 2020) and also hosted on their social channels/website.
• The winning entry will be hosted on the Arrow Video social channels/website.

Audience Award Winner – Prize:
• The winning entry will be hosted on the Celluloid Screams social channels/website.
• The winning entry will be hosted on the Arrow Video social channels/website.

The 10 shortlisted filmmakers (including both winners!) will receive an Arrow Video Bundle.

Standard Terms and Conditions

1. Instructions on how to enter the Arrow Horror Lockdown Short Film Competition (“Competition”) and details regarding the Competition contained herein form part of these Terms and Conditions (the “T&Cs”). Entry into and participation in this Competition is deemed acceptance of these T&Cs. This Competition is not valid in conjunction with any other offer, competition or promotion.
2. The Promoter of this competition is Arrow Film Distributors Limited.
3. The Competition is free to participate and is open to any person worldwide who is 18 years or over with the exception of employees of the Promotor and their families. Any costs of the filmmakers accessing the Promoter’s website and entering the Competition are the filmmaker’s sole responsibility.
4. Each filmmaker may only submit one film to the Competition and this film can be no longer than five minutes in total duration.
5. All films must be submitted on-line in a digital video format via the platform FilmFreeway.
6. All short films entered into the Competition must be in English or contain English Subtitles. Non-English entries without subtitles will unfortunately be disqualified.
7. Each filmmaker’s entry must be an original work and realized and completed under the circumstances of the Covid 19 lockdown in the relevant country.
8. The prize of three thousand five hundred pounds sterling (£3,500) to be awarded to the Best Short Film Award Winner (“Award Prize”) will be paid to the winner in two instalments of (i) sixty percent (60%) on receipt and acceptance by the Promoter of the final shooting script of the winner’s new film project and (ii) forty percent (40%) on delivery to the Promoter of the finished film. As a condition of receiving and accepting the Award Prize, the winner must include on the finished film the logos of the Promoter and Celluloid Scream and a “co-producer” credit to both the Promoter and Celluloid Screams in the front end credits.
9. Each filmmaker must own the entire copyright in the film that is entered by the filmmaker in the Competition and must not infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or other rights of any person or entity and by entering a film into this Competition each filmmaker is warranting that this is the case. The filmmaker shall indemnify the Promoter in respect of any and all liability arising from any infringement of any rights whatsoever that may arise in respect of the film and the Promoter reserves the right to disqualify any filmmaker who does not comply with these conditions.
10. In circumstances where a film or parts thereof are derived from or contain images, sounds or material from an existing work, the filmmaker must have obtained copyright clearance from the owner of that existing work for the inclusion of that existing work in the film, which must be produced to the Promoter on demand. In circumstances where a film or part thereof contain images of persons, locations, trademarks, marks or other images which would require permission for use, the filmmaker must have received appropriate written releases for their use which must be produced to the Promoter on demand. By entering a film in the Competition, each filmmaker is warranting that any and all such releases have been obtained which include without limitation consent to the film’s submission in the Competition and to the exploitation and use of the film as set out in these T&Cs and elsewhere in the Competition.
11. Filmmakers can only use their own original music in their film, or they may use music that is copyright-free or in the public domain. If any other music is used then the filmmaker must also submit a fully executed license setting out the terms of the use of the relevant piece of music.
12. Any film entered in the Competition must not defame any person or entity, or be disparaging to any religion, race or nation, or contain any language which is lewd, obscene or inappropriate. The Promoter reserves the right to disqualify any filmmaker who does not comply with these conditions.
13. By entering a film in the Competition, each filmmaker is acknowledging and agreeing that the Promoter can exploit and use such film (in whole or in part) in the Promoter’s determination for the purposes of the Competition, promotion and marketing of the Promotor and the Competition and on video on demand platforms worldwide and grants the Promoter an irrevocable, non-exclusive license to publish the film on the Promoter’s and Celluloid Screams websites and social media platforms to communicate the film to the public in the territory of the world, and in full or in part in any other promotional and marketing material of the Promoter for the purposes of the Competition.
14. The Competition commences at 12:00 midday GMT on June 19th 2020 (the “Competition Opening Date”) and closes at 11:59pm GMT on July 19th 2020 (the “Competition Closing Date”). The period between the Competition Opening Date and the Competition Closing Date shall be the Competition entry period. No entry will be accepted past the Competition Closing Date. The Promoter accepts no responsibility for any entries that are incomplete, illegible, corrupted or fail to reach them by the relevant closing date for any reason. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt. Entries via agents or third parties are invalid. Entries become the property of the Promoter and are not returned.
15. By entering the Competition, the filmmakers are aware that their participation is entirely at their own risk and that they hereby waive, relinquish and surrender to the Promoter all claims of any nature and howsoever arising (including as a result of negligence) which but for such waiver, surrender or relinquishment they may or otherwise have against the Promoter either directly or indirectly arising out of their participation in the Competition.
16. By entering the Competition, filmmakers hereby warrant that all information submitted is true, current and complete. Any filmmaker who has provided fraudulent, incomplete or inaccurate information may be automatically disqualified. Failure by the Promoter to enforce any of its rights at any stage of the Competition does not constitute a waiver of those rights.
17. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, the Promoter reserves the right (a) to substitute alternative prizes of equivalent or greater value and (b) in exceptional circumstances to amend or foreclose the promotion without notice. No correspondence will be entered into.
18. The winner(s) will be notified via email and announced on the social media channels of The Promoter.
19. The Promoter makes no guarantee of the availability of its web services and will not be held responsible for the interruption of the services which may interfere with the ability to participate in the Competition.
20. Except for any liability that cannot be excluded by law, the Promoter (including its officers, employees and agents) excludes all liability (including negligence), for any personal injury; or loss or damage (including loss of opportunity) whether direct, indirect, special or consequential arising in any way out of the Competition.
21. The Promoter collects personal information of the filmmakers in order to conduct the Competition and may, for this purpose, disclose such information to third parties, including but not limited to agents, contractors and service providers and as required by law. By entering this competition, all filmmakers consent to the transfer and disclosure of their personal data to the Promoter for the purposes of this Competition. The Promoter may, for an indefinite period, and provided the filmmaker has not withdrawn consent, use such information for promotion, marketing and publicity purposes.
22. These T&Cs shall be governed by the laws of England and Wales and the courts of London shall have sole jurisdiction.
23. The Promoter reserves the right to change, suspend or cancel the Competition, or to change these T&Cs by notice on the Promoter’s website. Promoter shall not be required to specify any reasons for any changes and shall not incur any liability as a result.
24. By entering the competition each filmmaker agrees to be bound by these T&Cs.