As a group of friends with film education, we decided to organize a film festival. We have a real audience in a real forest in southern Poland.

We are looking for films that bring hope. Heroes who overcome adversity. Films with a warm and bright atmosphere, immersed in nature, light and adventure.

We are a festival open to genre films, specific and full of creative courage. Non-linear narratives, devoid of classic frame division, and strange characters are allowed as long as they serve the good of the story being told. We have also created a category "cudna łąka" for the local community and Polish filmmakers.

The organizers of our festival are the directors, Piotr Pluta and Mikołaj Janik, who, often looking for warm festivals without formal barriers, decided to open such a festival. Magdalena Janik, a graphic designer, set designer and architect, is the creative director of the festival.

The film competition takes place as part of the "Where the flying squirrels fly?" festival, organized in the south of Poland in the tiny village of Wilkowice. The winning films are shown on the last day of the festival, as part of an outdoor cinema.
The festival audience is very diverse. We are visited by families with children, friends, local residents and seniors, we are open for LGBT+ community. More information about the festival can be found on the festival's fanpage "Where the flying squirrels fly?".
https://www.facebook.com/gdzielatajapolatuchy

Awards & Prizes

The Grand Prix - 100 USD

The Grand Prix is our only financial award, awarded to the best film of the festival.
The prizes awarded by the jury in the remaining categories are symbolic prizes, a title, a laurel and a diploma sent by e-mail.

Our categories and awards:

Grand Prix - best film of the festival
Flower Meadow - best live action short
Sunny Meadow - best documentary short
Painted Meadow - best animated short
Charming Flower - best student short
Cudna Łąka - best polish short
Audience Award

Rules & Terms

Edition 2025

## 1. GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1. The meadow hills Film Festival (hereinafter: "Festival") is organized by Mikołaj Janik, Piotr Pluta and Magdalena Janik, based in Wilkowice 43-365, Poland.

1.2. The 2025 edition of the Festival will take place from May 30, 2025 to June 1, 2025 in Wilkowice 43-365, Poland.

1.3. The Festival aims to promote film art, support young filmmakers, and present the most interesting achievements in cinematography. The Festival places particular emphasis on:
- raising audience awareness about important social, cultural, and political issues
- encouraging dialogue about challenging topics such as social inequality, human rights, environmental concerns, and cultural identity
- promoting films that address complex and often overlooked subjects
- creating a platform for discussion and exchange of ideas between filmmakers and audiences
- supporting works that challenge conventional narratives and explore difficult themes with sensitivity and depth
- fostering cross-cultural understanding and empathy through cinema
- providing context and educational resources for films dealing with challenging subject matter

## 2. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

2.1. Films eligible for submission must:
- be produced no earlier than 2024
- have a maximum duration of 30 minutes
- fall into the following categories: fiction, documentary, animation, new forms of narrations
- must have english subtitles
- be in the following formats: DCP, ProRes, H.264

2.2. The submission fee:
Earlybird: 8 USD
Regular: 10 USD
Late: 12 USD

2.3. Each filmmaker/producer may submit up to 2 films.

## 3. SUBMISSION PROCESS

3.1. Submissions are accepted until 20 May 2025 through FilmFreeway platform

3.2. The submission must include:
- completed entry form
- screening link
- minimum 3 high-resolution film stills (300 dpi)
- short film synopsis (max. 100 words)
- English dialogue list (even if the film is in English)

## 4. SELECTION AND COMPETITION

4.1. The Selection Committee appointed by the Organizer decides which films qualify for the competition.

4.2. Creators of selected films will be notified via email by 31 May 2025.

4.3. The Festival appoints an international Jury that awards the following prizes:
- Festival Grand Prix - 100 USD

## 5. COPYRIGHT AND PERSONAL DATA

5.1. The submitter declares that they own or represent the owner of the film's copyright and have the right to submit it to the festival.

5.2. The submitter agrees to the publication of information about the film on the festival website and promotional materials.

5.3. The Organizer reserves the right to use excerpts from selected films (up to 2 minutes) for promotional purposes.

## 6. FINAL PROVISIONS

6.1. Submission of a film to the Festival constitutes acceptance of these regulations.

6.2. In matters not covered by these regulations, Polish law shall apply.

6.3. The Organizer reserves the right to make changes to the regulations.
2 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Jakub Wojciekiewicz

    A cool, laid-back festival. Lots of side events, and despite not winning, I'm glad my film took part in the festival.

    May 2025
    Helpful
  • Sebastian Kwidziński

    Hello. Congratulations on the initiatives, but in my opinion, they are not supported by the status of a "film festival" with any title "Meadow Hills Short Film Festival": https://filmfreeway.com/meadowhills In addition, fees are charged for submitting a film. Information about qualified or awarded films is not sent outside the status of my film on the filmfreeway service "Selected". There is no information or even invitations. A few people decide something, release something somewhere and maybe some information will appear in six months. The executive device is promoted, valuable with workshops and a wonderful atmosphere of nature, but you forget about the filmmakers who did hard work during the production of the film, releasing many independent devices at film festivals (participation in FESTIVALS is very often paid). For me, this is a lack of attention and does not concern the topic. Write to all the disappointed people.

    May 2025
    Helpful