Rules & Terms
By submitting a project to SWXR Festival, the entrant confirms that they have read and agreed to the following Rules & Terms.
1. Eligibility
SWXR Festival accepts submissions from creators, filmmakers, artists, studios, production companies, collectives, and students from around the world.
Eligible works include, but are not limited to: cinematic VR, VR180, 360° video, spatial video, interactive XR, mixed reality, immersive documentary, performance-based XR, music and dance experiences, cultural heritage projects, travel and location-based immersive works, and experimental spatial storytelling.
There is no premiere requirement. Previously screened, published, or exhibited works are eligible, provided that the entrant has the legal right to submit the work and that the submission does not conflict with any existing distribution, platform, festival, or exhibition agreement.
Works of any length may be submitted, although shorter and medium-length immersive works are generally easier to review, showcase, and program.
2. Submission Materials
All projects must be submitted through FilmFreeway. Incomplete submissions may not be reviewed.
Entrants should provide the following materials where applicable:
Project title
Director / creator name
Country or region of production
Synopsis
Runtime
Format and technical specifications
Secure screener link, downloadable file, playable build, store link, WebXR link, or installation package
Password or access code if required
Trailer, poster, stills, or press materials
Subtitles or transcript where applicable
Viewing instructions, installation instructions, or device requirements for XR projects
For interactive, mixed reality, game engine, installation, or platform-specific works, entrants must provide clear instructions for access and review. If a project requires special hardware, software, custom controllers, physical installation, or on-site technical support, this must be clearly stated at the time of submission.
3. Technical Requirements
Submitted projects must be accessible for jury review.
For video-based immersive works, accepted formats may include MP4, MOV, MKV, or other standard video formats. VR180, 360°, stereoscopic, monoscopic, spatial video, and other immersive formats are eligible.
For interactive XR works, entrants may provide a playable build, APK, WebXR link, store access code, installation package, or recorded walkthrough, depending on the nature of the project.
SWXR Festival is not responsible for submissions that cannot be opened, played, installed, downloaded, streamed, or properly reviewed due to broken links, expired passwords, incompatible formats, missing instructions, or technical issues.
Entrants are responsible for ensuring that all submission links, files, passwords, and access codes remain active through the notification date.
4. Language and Subtitles
Projects in any language are welcome.
Non-English works must include English subtitles, English captions, or an English transcript where dialogue, narration, or written text is essential to understanding the work.
Dialogue-free works, non-verbal performance works, and purely visual or spatial experiences are also eligible.
Chinese subtitles are not required for submission, but selected projects may be invited to provide Chinese subtitles or additional translation materials for future editorial, showcase, or presentation purposes.
5. Review and Selection Process
All eligible submissions will be reviewed by SWXR Festival’s selection team and/or independent jury.
Selection criteria may include artistic vision, originality, immersive storytelling, spatial composition, emotional impact, technical execution, sound design, audience experience, cultural value, and contribution to the development of XR and spatial media.
SWXR Festival reserves the right to determine eligibility, assign or reassign award categories, withhold awards in any category, or create additional recognition categories when appropriate.
Official selections, finalists, nominees, honorable mentions, and winners are determined at the sole discretion of SWXR Festival and its jury. All decisions are final. The festival is not required to provide individual feedback or explanations for selection decisions.
6. Awards and Recognition
Selected and awarded projects may receive official SWXR laurels, digital certificates, website listing, online winner showcase, social media feature, seasonal award announcement, creator interview, editorial feature, or inclusion in the SWXR seasonal archive.
Awards presented by SWXR Festival are recognition-based unless a specific cash prize, sponsored prize, physical trophy, or additional benefit is announced for a particular season.
SWXR Festival reserves the right not to present an award in any category if the jury determines that no submitted work sufficiently meets the standard of that category.
7. Rights and Permissions
The entrant confirms and warrants that they have the full legal right and authority to submit the project to SWXR Festival.
The entrant confirms that all elements of the submitted work, including but not limited to images, music, sound recordings, voice recordings, performances, scripts, footage, artwork, trademarks, archival materials, AI-generated materials, third-party assets, and personal likenesses, are either original, licensed, cleared, in the public domain, or otherwise legally authorized for use in the submitted project.
The entrant is solely responsible for any copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, defamation, contractual, licensing, music rights, performer rights, location rights, or other legal claims arising from the submitted work.
By submitting, the entrant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless SWXR Festival, its organizers, jury members, partners, sponsors, and representatives from any claims, damages, liabilities, costs, or expenses arising from the submission, review, promotion, selection, or recognition of the submitted project.
8. Promotional Use
By submitting to SWXR Festival, the entrant grants SWXR Festival the non-exclusive right to use the project title, synopsis, director / creator name, country or region of production, poster, stills, trailer, short excerpts, press materials, and submitted promotional assets for festival-related publicity, award announcements, website listings, social media posts, newsletters, press releases, editorial features, and archival documentation.
This promotional use does not transfer ownership of the submitted work. All rights remain with the creator and rights holders.
SWXR Festival will not publicly distribute, sell, or commercially exploit the full submitted work without separate permission from the rights holder.
9. Screening, Showcase, and Exhibition
Submission to SWXR Festival does not automatically grant SWXR Festival the right to publicly screen, stream, distribute, or exhibit the full work.
If a project is selected for an online showcase, public screening, private industry presentation, physical exhibition, XR demo, headset presentation, or other curated program, SWXR Festival may contact the entrant to confirm technical delivery, permissions, subtitles, screening format, exhibition terms, and any additional requirements.
For award announcements, winner showcases, editorial features, and festival archive pages, SWXR Festival may use submitted promotional materials as described in Section 8.
10. Fees and Refunds
Submission fees are non-refundable.
Failure to provide working links, passwords, files, builds, subtitles, access codes, or required materials does not entitle the entrant to a refund.
Incorrect category submission, withdrawal by the entrant, disqualification, non-selection, or failure to meet technical requirements does not entitle the entrant to a refund.
11. Withdrawal and Disqualification
Entrants may request to withdraw a submission by contacting SWXR Festival before the notification date. Submission fees remain non-refundable.
SWXR Festival reserves the right to disqualify any submission that is incomplete, inaccessible, misleading, fraudulent, unlawful, defamatory, plagiarized, technically unreviewable, or in violation of these Rules & Terms.
SWXR Festival may also disqualify any project if the entrant is unable to demonstrate sufficient rights, permissions, or legal authority to submit the work.
12. Communication
All official communication will be sent through FilmFreeway and/or the contact email provided by the entrant.
Entrants are responsible for maintaining accurate contact information and checking messages from SWXR Festival. SWXR Festival is not responsible for missed communications due to incorrect email addresses, spam filters, inactive accounts, or failure to respond.
13. Agreement
By submitting a project to SWXR Festival, the entrant confirms that they have read, understood, and agreed to these Rules & Terms.
The entrant further confirms that all information provided in the submission is accurate and that they have the legal authority to submit the project for festival consideration.
