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$12,000 in Cash Prizes & Awards!

ABOUT MINT
The MINT Film Festival is an annual, 4-day film festival located in Montana's largest city, Billings. We exist to bring great films from around the world to an energetic audience.

MINT is a world-class film festival with cash prizes, awards, and national press in attendance.

We love films that are thoughtfully controversial, pushing technical or creative boundaries, and truth & beauty searching.

DATES
The 2020 MINT Film Festival takes place from September 17-20 in downtown Billings.

VENUES
-Babcock Theater
-Art House Cinema
-MINT Cinematheque

JURY PRIZES
We're proud to offer prizes & awards in 9 categories totaling $12,000!

-MINT Spirit Award
-Indigenous Voices Film Award
-Best Made-In-Montana Film
-Best Female Director
-Best Narrative Feature
-Best Documentary Feature
-Best Narrative Short Film
-Best International Short Film
-Best Documentary Short Film

DISCUSSION PANELS
-Women in Film Panel
-Indigenous Film Panel
-Coffee with Film Industry Leaders

FESTIVAL BACKGROUND
The MINT Film Festival is a 501(c)(3) in Billings, Montana.

WHY YOU SHOULD SUBMIT TO MINT
All too often great films by hard-working filmmakers go unseen, and we want to change that outcome! We know how hard it is to make a film. We know how much you have likely sacrificed to bring your film to life, and we want to assure you that the selection process at the Montana International Film Festival is a true meritocracy. All films submitted will be viewed in their entirety by knowledgeable programmers, not by inexperienced volunteers who may only watch a minute of your film and move on to the next. In an ever-growing sea of film content, we understand that the role of the curator is more vital than ever and we take this role seriously. We are a world-class festival that gives up-and-coming directors a platform and an audience to show their work.

Our venues include beautifully equipped 75 to 750-seat theaters, as well as a pop-up location within the community. Billings is a growing and vibrant city located along the Yellowstone River in eastern Montana. Voted by Outside magazine as the #1 Best Town of 2016, the city has an abundant, energetic and passionate audience of film and art lovers who are ready to see your film and ready to share their community with you.

Awards & Prizes

JURY PRIZES
We're proud to offer prizes & awards in 9 categories totaling $12,000!

-MINT Spirit Award
-Indigenous Voices Film Award
-Best Made-In-Montana Film
-Best Female Director
-Best Narrative Feature
-Best Documentary Feature
-Best Narrative Short Film
-Best International Short Film
-Best Documentary Short Film

Rules & Terms

SUBMISSION DEADLINE
-Earlybird deadline is April 30, 2020.
-Regular deadline is May 28, 2020.
-Late deadline is June 25, 2020.
-Extended deadline is July 16, 2020.

FILM LENGTH
-All Feature-length films with a run time of 46 – 120 min.
-All Short films with a run time of 1 – 45 min.
-Webisodes/TV Pilots with a run time of 5 - 60 min

SUBMISSION FORMAT & TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS
-Submissions must be made through FilmFreeway.
-All films must either be in English or with English subtitles.
-Filmmakers must have all necessary legal authority and rights required to submit.

SUBMISSION ELIGIBILITY
All submissions must have been completed after January 1, 2018, for consideration.

PREMIERE STATUS
A Montana premiere is not required but it's preferred.

SELECTING FILMS
Film submissions are reviewed and considered under the following criteria:

-Quality of narrative (or documentary subject matter)
-The emotional depth of the characters
-Ability to push creative, technical, or social boundaries

SCREENINGS
MINT can screen DCP and Digital Files (.mov, H264, .mp4, ProRes). No DVD/BluRay media.

LIABILITY
Our venue partners include 75-750 seat theaters and pop-up screening rooms. We are working closely with all venues to ensure the best quality projection and sound is available. Failure of technical equipment, while rare, can happen, and we, along with our venues and partners will not be held liable. Submission fees will not be refunded in any such case.
10 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Christopher Rucinski

    Awesome and intimate festival in Billings, MT. Brian the founder truly respects the filmmakers and festival experience. Staff was super helpful, friendly, and always available. Wonderful networking and Indigenous film panels. For such a small festival it has a large spirit and fosters important connections. It will only get better as the festival matures!

    October 2019
    Helpful
  • Michele Noble

    MINT is one of the best Festival experiences. MINT succeeds at being both memorable and inclusive. It began with an Indigenous blessing and beautiful songs, had panels on Women in Film, Indigenous Voices, and Producers' coffee, hosted parties every night which made networking with fellow filmmakers fun. MINT's Festival director, Brian values films, filmmakers and it shows with the care he takes at making MINT unique. His team is warm, supportive and responsive. The screenings are well run and well attended in great pop up spaces (like an amazing art gallery) as well as movie theaters. The slate of films were excellent and dynamic. The people I met there I look forward to seeing again. Thank you Brian, Ryan and Ty for an incredible Festival.

    September 2019
    Helpful
  • Khushnuda Shukurova

    MINT is one of my most favorite festival and always will be! The amount of hospitality and support we received as filmmakers was outstanding! I met almost all the filmmakers and we exchanged our thoughts and went to each others screenings. We all felt supported and our films valued! Thank you MINT!!!

    September 2019
    Helpful
  • Johannes Horak

    I'm thankful to have participated in your great festival with my experimental music video "Neospecters".

    December 2018
    Helpful
  • Amrita Pradhan

    Despite its young age, MINT outshines other festivals that have been around for far longer. It boasts incredible hospitality, excellent curation, fantastic filmmakers' lounge, great parties, and enthusiastic audiences. The MINT staff truly goes above and beyond to care for their filmmakers and promote the festival. They are warm, accessible, and very communicative. Highly recommend & can't wait to return !

    October 2018
    Helpful