The 3rd Kitakyushu International Film Festival
Sunflower Short Films International Competition — Submission Guidelines
1. Name
Sunflower Short Films International Competition
2. Organizer
Kitakyushu International Film Festival Executive Committee
3. Festival Overview
(1) Name: The 3rd Kitakyushu International Film Festival
(2) Dates: Friday, February 27, 2026 – Sunday, March 1, 2026
(3) Organizers: City of Kitakyushu; Kitakyushu International Film Festival Executive Committee
4. Awards
(1) Grand Prix "Golden Sunflower Award": 1 film
(2) Runner-up "Silver Sunflower Award": 1 film
(3) Audience Award: 1 film
5. Eligibility
(1) Completion Date: Films must have been completed on or after January 1, 2023.
(2) Running Time: The total duration, including end credits, must be at least 5 minutes and no more than 25 minutes (inclusive).
(3) Premiere Status: To be eligible, the film must be a Japan premiere. Films already publicly exhibited in Japan (including screenings at other film festivals, theatrical release, or broadcast) are ineligible. Furthermore, films that have been made publicly available online in any form, including on YouTube, Vimeo, personal websites, etc., are also ineligible.
(4) Subtitles: Films in languages other than English must be provided with English subtitles.
(5) Genre: All genres are accepted.
(6) Compliance: The film must not fall under any item of Article 2 of the Kitakyushu City Organized Crime Exclusion Ordinance.
6. How to Submit
(1) Submission Format: All films must be submitted via a secure online screener on the FilmFreeway platform. Physical media (e.g., DVD, Blu‑ray) will not be accepted for selection purposes.
(2) Works-in-Progress: Works-in-progress may be submitted; however, the version submitted will be the one considered for selection. Updated versions submitted at a later date may not be accepted.
(3) Multiple Entries: Multiple submissions are allowed, but each film requires a separate entry form and entry fee.
7. Selection and Notification
(1) Selection Process: All submitted films will be reviewed by the festival’s programming team. All decisions are final and no appeals will be accepted.
(2) Notification Timeline: Applicants will be notified of the results via FilmFreeway by late January 2026.
(3) Screening Materials: If selected, you must provide high‑resolution screening materials (e.g., DCP [Digital Cinema Package] or a high‑quality digital file) by February 6, 2026. Costs associated with producing and delivering screening materials—including data transfer or shipping of storage media—are the responsibility of the representative of the selected film.
(4) Competition Selection & Screenings: Approximately 10 films will be chosen from the submissions as Competition Selections. These films will be screened at the main venue during the festival.
(5) Jury and Awards: The selected films will be judged by a panel of five jurors. One film will receive the Grand Prix ("Golden Sunflower Award") and one will receive the Runner-up ("Silver Sunflower Award"). In addition, one film will receive the Audience Award based on votes cast by festival attendees.
8. Rights and Permissions
(1) Permission for Publicity Use: By submitting to the Kitakyushu International Film Festival, the applicant grants the festival the right to use excerpts, stills, and trailers of the film for publicity purposes (including the official website, social media, press materials, etc.).
(2) Warranty of Rights: The applicant warrants that all necessary rights and clearances have been obtained for all music, images, and any other content contained in the film. The festival bears no responsibility for any copyright infringement or related issues that may arise.
9. Entry Fees and Deadlines
(1) Refunds: Entry fees are non‑refundable.
(2) Deadlines & Fees:
Early Deadline: November 16, 2025 — Entry Fee: USD 20
Regular Deadline: December 16, 2025 — Entry Fee: USD 30
Final Deadline: January 10, 2026 — Entry Fee: USD 40
(3) Payment Method: Entry fees must be paid via the FilmFreeway platform.
(4) Waiver for Applicants with Ties to Kitakyushu City:
If, at the time of submission, the director of the submitted film or the producer who holds the principal rights to the submitted film resides in Kitakyushu City, or commutes to work or school within Kitakyushu City, the entry fee will be waived. For details on the procedure, please refer to Section 10 "Entry Fee Waiver."
10. Entry Fee Waiver
(1) Eligibility:
Submissions of films for which either the director or the producer who holds the principal rights to the submitted film meets any of the following:
• Resides in Kitakyushu City
• Commutes to work in Kitakyushu City
• Commutes to school in Kitakyushu City
* For submissions eligible for a waiver, the entry fee will be waived regardless of the deadline category (Early, Regular, or Final).
(2) How to Apply:
Step 1: Please fill out the form below with the required information to request an Entry Fee Waiver Code.
https://forms.gle/ZLFRAFgeVAtByUQN7
Step 2: The festival office will contact you at your email address to verify your eligibility for the waiver. (You will be asked to provide documents that can prove your eligibility.)
Step 3: Once your eligibility is confirmed, we will send you the Entry Fee Waiver Code by email.
Step 4: When submitting via FilmFreeway, enter the Entry Fee Waiver Code to have the entry fee waived.
11. Agreement
By submitting a film, the applicant is deemed to have agreed to all of the above terms and conditions.
