ABOUT TIFF

TIFF is a charitable cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival® in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and the innovative national distribution programme Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $189 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell and Major Supporters the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation, and RBC. The Toronto International Film Festival is generously supported by Lead Sponsor Bell, Major Sponsors RBC, L’Oréal Paris, and Visa, and Major Supporters the Government of Ontario, Telefilm Canada, and the City of Toronto. For more information, visit tiff.net.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

The Toronto International Film Festival® ranks among the most prestigious international film festivals in the world. For 11 days, film lovers, filmmakers, industry professionals, and media watch the best in new cinema from established masters and new talent.

As one of the world’s most important cultural events, the Festival consistently strives to set the standard for excellence in film programming. Films are selected on the basis of quality and originality. Preference is given to premieres. The Festival also promotes contacts between industry professionals to assist in the development of the Canadian motion-picture industry.

The Festival also serves as a platform for Canada's artists to share their stories. Audacious in its selection and supported by the intelligence and breadth of its international audience, the Festival has become the landmark destination for the moving image and is always seeking new ways to engineer creative and cultural discovery through film.

The level of engagement the Festival sustains from year to year is unique. Enthusiastic audiences and filmmakers have unprecedented levels of access to one another as they exchange ideas about the art and business of filmmaking.

Up-and-coming Canadian filmmakers gain unparalleled insight into the workings of the international market. Media from around the globe travel to the Festival, creating buzz and stirring excitement over films and the talent behind them. Film buyers and other industry professionals can choose from screenings and specialized Industry programming that empowers them to make informed business decisions. The Festival also provides excellent resources and networking opportunities for film-industry professionals.

From the efficiency and dedication of the Festival’s staff and Volunteers to its vast contribution to the culture and economy of the City of Toronto, the Toronto International Film Festival has earned its long-standing reputation as a leader in the international film community.

THE NUMBERS

The Toronto International Film Festival:
•presents one of the world’s largest annual showcases of Canadian and international cinema;
•presents at least two public screenings and one Press & Industry (P&I) screening of every invited film;
•welcomes over 652,000 attendees;
•accredits over 5,500 Canadian and international industry delegates; and
•accredits over 1,300 Canadian and international media.

The 2019 Toronto International Film Festival:
•received approximately 7,925 international and Canadian submissions;
•screened 245 feature films, 82 short films, and six series;
•had 13 programmes in which films from 84 countries were screened; and
•had a five-day Industry Conference with over 45 panels and over 130 speakers.

SUBMISSIONS PROCESS

The submissions period for the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival opens February 11, 2020. All submissions to the Toronto International Film Festival must be made via FilmFreeway (https://filmfreeway.com/TIFF).

SCREENING FORMATS

All selected films must be available to screen in DCP (Digital Cinema Package) by August 14, 2020. TIFF may (but is not required to) permit selected films within the Wavelengths and Cinematheque programmes to be screened in the following alternative formats: (i) 35mm or (ii) 16mm. No format exceptions will be made for the Short Cuts programmes.

SCHEDULING

The scheduling of films is determined by the Festival. The International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) permits up to five screenings of invited films at the Toronto International Film Festival, including both public and P&I screenings. The Festival assumes your consent to up to five screenings unless we receive a written petition otherwise. The date(s), time(s), and location(s) of exhibitions of the films shall be at the sole discretion of the Festival.

SCREENING PROTOCOL

The Festival expects that the filmmaker and any other guests attending with the film will be present for, at minimum, the first two public screenings of the film for both the introduction and question-and-answer session.

Awards & Prizes

People’s Choice Award

People’s Choice Midnight Madness Award — All films selected for the Midnight Madness programme are eligible to win this award

People’s Choice Documentary Award — All feature length documentary films are eligible to win this award

Toronto Platform Prize

The Prize of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI Prize) for Discovery — Awarded to a film within the Discovery programme

The Prize of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI Prize) for Special Presentations — Awarded to a film within the Special Presentations programme

NETPAC Award

Short Cuts Award for Best Canadian Short Film

Short Cuts Award for Best Short Film

City of Toronto Award for Best Canadian First Feature Film

Canada Goose® Award for Best Canadian Feature Film

Rules & Terms

TERMS & CONDITIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF FILMS THROUGH FILMFREEWAY.COM

I. APPLICATION OF THESE TERMS & CONDITIONS

(1) The following terms and conditions (the “Terms”) govern the submission of a film (the “Film”) to Toronto International Film Festival Inc. (“TIFF”), through filmfreeway.com (“FilmFreeway”), for consideration for the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival (the “Festival”). To the extent that this document is inconsistent with any other document prepared by TIFF or anyone else, this document will take precedence. Any questions about these Terms should be directed to submissions@tiff.net.

II. SUBMISSION AGREEMENT

(1) By submitting a Film to TIFF for Festival consideration, the submitter (the “Applicant”) represents that he, she, or they have obtained consent from any and all owners, creators, writers, producers, and/or other authorized representatives of the Film whose consent is required to submit the Film to TIFF (the “Film Owners”) and screen the Film at the Festival, and has read, understood, and agreed to the Terms.
(2) TIFF may disqualify or reject, but is not required to do so, any submission that it determines, in its sole and absolute discretion, is not in compliance, in whole or in part, with these Terms, and may do so without refunding any or all submission fees paid by the Applicant or returning the Applicant’s submission.

III. SUBMISSION CATEGORIES AND ELIGIBILITY

(1) Films submitted to TIFF for Festival consideration under these Terms must be submitted in one of the categories set out below.
(2) Films that do not meet the eligibility requirements for any of the below categories should not be submitted and will not be considered by TIFF.
(3) For the purpose of the below categories, “Canadian” films are Films that were directed by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada and list Canada as one of the countries of production. All other Films are considered “international” films.
(4) Submission categories:

*Canadian Features - Canadian feature films with run times of 50 minutes or longer.
*Canadian Documentary Features - Canadian documentary feature films with run times of 50 minutes or longer.
*Canadian Shorts- Canadian films with run times of 49 minutes or less.
*International Features - International feature films with run times of 50 minutes or longer.
*International Documentary Features - International documentary feature films with run times of 50 minutes or longer.
*International Shorts - International films with run times of 49 minutes or less.
*Primetime - Serial content with a minimum of two chronological episodes, including the pilot, featuring a combined run time of 60 minutes or longer. In the case of anthologies, chronological episodes are not required.
*Wavelengths Shorts - Artist film and video with run times of 49 minutes or less.
*Wavelengths Features - Artist film and video with run times of 50 minutes or longer.

(5) The Festival is organized into a series of programmes, which are subject to change from year to year but might include, for example: Contemporary World Cinema, Gala Presentations, Midnight Madness. TIFF may slot selected films into programmes at its sole and absolute discretion. More information about these programmes is available at tiff.net.
i. Midnight Madness: If the Applicant wishes for the Film to be considered for inclusion in the Midnight Madness programme, the applicant should indicate this in their FilmFreeway application by selecting “Midnight Madness” as one of the answers to the following submissions question: “Please find a list of film tags below with their definitions. Check all that apply.”

(6) TIFF will accept submissions that have already premiered in North America (with the exception of Toronto), but the Film’s premiere status will be taken into consideration when final programming decisions are made. TIFF prefers that all Short and Feature Films presented are, at minimum, North American premieres.
(7) A Film will not be eligible for consideration and should not be submitted if:
a. the Film was completed prior to July 1, 2019; or
b. the Film was previously submitted to TIFF for Festival consideration (please note: we will accept a “new cut” of a film that was previously submitted to TIFF, provided that the Film still meets our eligibility requirements. We define a “new cut” as a Film that has undergone substantial changes including, but not limited to: editing, reshoots, or a new run time. Please submit a brief statement with your submission with reference to the new cut); or
c. the Film has been for sale on DVD/Blu-ray/VOD; or
d. the Film:
(i) had theatrical releases, or
(ii) has aired on television, or
(iii) has been available on a public streaming platform in North America; or
e. the Film has been publicly posted or exhibited online in North America (films that are publicly posted or exhibited online but geoblocked to a region outside of North America are still eligible for our Festival); or
f. the Film has had, or will have, a public presentation in Toronto and therefore will not have a premiere status prior to September 10, 2020.

TIFF reserves the right to rule, in its sole discretion, on cases and situations not foreseen by these Terms.

(8) All Feature and Short Films must be submitted as online screeners via FilmFreeway (as described below). All selected Films must be available to screen in DCP (Digital Cinema Package) format by August 14, 2020. TIFF may, but is not required to, permit films within the Wavelengths and Cinematheque programmes to be screened in the following alternative formats: (i) 35mm or (ii) 16mm. No format exceptions will be made for the Short Cuts programme.

IV. PROCESS FOR SUBMISSION

Submission Procedure

(1) All Films submitted under these Terms must be submitted in accordance with the procedure outlined herein. TIFF may, but is not required to, disqualify or reject any Film that is not submitted in this way.
(2) To submit a Film for Festival consideration, an Applicant must: (a) complete the registration process at FilmFreeway and pay the required fee as outlined in article V.(2) below, and (b) provide to TIFF an online screener via FilmFreeway (for Feature Films and Short Films) for review by TIFF programming staff. TIFF does not accept submissions in any other manner or format, including: DVDs, content burned to Read/Write (RW) discs, Blu-ray discs, external online links, downloadable files, or trailers.
(3) Applicants should test their online screeners thoroughly before submitting them, and ensure their online screener remains active on FilmFreeway until September 20, 2020. The Applicant has sole responsibility for ensuring that the submitted online screener plays in its entirety. The screener must contain English subtitles if the original language is not English. If TIFF is unable to view the online screener, TIFF may attempt, but is under no obligation, to contact the Applicant in order to obtain a replacement online screener.
(4) TIFF will not review multiple versions of a submitted Film. Only one version of the Film may be submitted. If multiple versions are submitted, TIFF will view only the version that was received first.
(5) Screeners will not be returned.
(6) TIFF is under no obligation to contact the Submitting Party and/or refund the submission fee should the Applicant not have adhered to the rules, set out in Articles I and IV herein.

V. SUBMISSION DEADLINES AND FEES

(1) In order to be eligible for consideration, submission screeners must be submitted online via FilmFreeway, with a FilmFreeway registration completed and all fees paid, by the deadlines outlined below.
(2) Submission fees and deadlines for 2020 are as follows:

NOTE: All fees are denoted in Canadian dollars.

*Canadian Features
Early-bird submission deadline & fee:
April 3, 2020
$70.00
Standard submission deadline & fee:
May 29, 2020
$135.00

*Canadian Documentary Features
Early-bird submission deadline & fee:
April 3, 2020
$70.00
Standard submission deadline & fee:
May 29, 2020
$135.00

*Canadian Shorts
Early-bird submission deadline & fee:
April 3, 2020
$35.00
Standard submission deadline & fee:
May 29, 2020
$65.00

*International Features
Early-bird submission deadline & fee:
April 3, 2020
$100.00
Standard submission deadline & fee:
May 29, 2020
$135.00

*International Documentary Features
Early-bird submission deadline & fee:
April 3, 2020
$100.00
Standard submission deadline & fee:
May 29, 2020
$135.00

*International Shorts
Early-bird submission deadline & fee:
April 3, 2020
$65.00
Standard submission deadline & fee:
May 29, 2020
$95.00

*Primetime
Early-bird submission deadline & fee:
April 3, 2020
$65.00
Standard submission deadline & fee:
May 29, 2020
$95.00

*Wavelengths Shorts
Standard submission deadline & fee:
May 29, 2020
$35.00

*Wavelengths Features
Standard submission deadline & fee:
May 29, 2020
$70.00

(3) TIFF may accept late submissions in its sole and absolute discretion, but an additional submission fee may apply (see V.(2)).

VI. SELECTION

(1) TIFF will consider for inclusion in the Festival all eligible films that have been submitted by the above deadline and in accordance with these Terms. TIFF reserves the right to consider for inclusion in the Festival, and include in the Festival, films received at any time and through any means, channel, or process, including means, channels, or processes other than those outlined in these Terms. Nothing in these Terms or otherwise requires TIFF to select for Festival inclusion any of the Films submitted through the process outlined in these Terms.
(2) All selection decisions are at the sole and absolute discretion of TIFF, and are final and unreviewable. TIFF is not required to provide any feedback, comments, or reasons, or any other information, regarding the selection or non-selection of any submitted Film or the process by which Films are or have been selected. TIFF is not responsible or liable for its selection decisions; for the contents of any internal comments or feedback regarding the Film that are or may be obtained from the Applicant or anyone else; for any communications by any representative of TIFF relating to the Film or the Festival selection process; for the manner in which the Film shall be, is, or was considered and reviewed; or for any failure on the part of the Festival to provide the Applicant or anyone else with information concerning TIFF’s consideration and/or review of the Film.
(3) TIFF will notify by August 21, 2020, all Applicants who have been selected to participate in the Festival. All Applicants who are not selected to participate in the Festival will be contacted by email on or around August 21, 2020. TIFF will contact Applicants using the contact information provided in the FilmFreeway registration form. Applicants are responsible for providing correct and functional contact information. TIFF is not responsible for any failed attempts to contact Applicants using the contact information provided.

VII. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, LEGAL CLAIMS, AND INDEMNITIES

(1) By submitting the film to TIFF, the Applicant and Film Owners (the “Submitting Parties”) hereby warrant and represent that: (i) the Film is wholly original and is not copied from and does not include any other work that is the subject of copyright or other protection, unless such work is in the public domain or the Submitting Parties have obtained any and all consents, releases, licenses, and other authorizations or waivers of any kind necessary for the inclusion or reproduction of any person, character, location, thing, trademark, sound recording, musical composition, or other work in the Film; (ii) the Film does not defame any person or violate the common law or statutory rights, including, without limitation, the rights of privacy and publicity or any other right of any person; (iii) the Film is not the subject of litigation, nor any dispute which would give rise to litigation; (iv) there are no agreements, nor will there be any agreements made subsequent to the date of this Film submission, that would or could have the effect of impairing the Submitting Parties’ ability to provide the Film as contemplated herein, or otherwise conflict with any provision of these Terms; and (v) the Submitting Parties have the full right, power, and authority to submit the Film to TIFF for Festival consideration, and to grant all of the rights granted hereunder and in the FilmFreeway registration form, and there is no obligation or restriction which would in any way impair, limit, or impede the Submitting Parties from fully performing all obligations pursuant to the submission and these Terms.
(2) The Submitting Parties agree to indemnify and hold harmless TIFF, its licensees, successors, and assigns, and its and their members, officers, directors, employees, volunteers, agents, representatives, associates, and affiliates (each, a “Releasee”), from any claim, suit, action, or other proceeding brought against a Releasee and from any losses, costs, or damages, including the Releasee’s full legal fees and costs, which it may have suffered or incurred or may suffer or incur, directly or indirectly based on, in connection with, or arising from the use and exhibition of the Film submitted by the Applicant or the breach or alleged breach of any representation, warranty, or other agreement made by the Applicant in these Terms, or in the Applicant’s FilmFreeway registration form.
(3) TIFF takes reasonable anti-piracy precautions. While in TIFF’s possession, all Films are securely stored and regularly inventoried. Access to Films is limited to TIFF staff who require access in order to screen and consider submissions. No duplication and loaning of Films is permitted. By submitting a Film to TIFF, the Submitting Parties hereby release the Releasees from any and all liability in the event of theft, unauthorized access, or copying, or any breach of copyright of the submitted Film while it is in TIFF’s possession.

VIII. OTHER

(1) TIFF reserves the right to rule, in its sole discretion, on cases and situations not foreseen by these Terms.