Eligibility: The Toronto Music Video Festival is open to all music videos released after January 2023. Music Videos must have a runtime of less than 10 minutes. Music Documentaries must have a minimum runtime of 40 minutes. Only the official music videos, films or videos authorized by the music label or artist will be accepted. The festival is open to Canadian and international entries. Previous entries from prior years are not eligible for submission.
Submission: All entries must be submitted online through FilmFreeway by the respected deadlines. Each entry must include the title, artist, director, and producer/production company, as well as a brief synopsis of the video. All submissions, in addition to being considered for awards, will also be considered for inclusion in the Official Selection Showcase, Micro-Budget Showcase, and Canadian Showcase categories.
Categories: The Toronto Music Video Festival will have multiple categories, such as Best Music Video, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editor, Best Colour Grading, Best Performance by an Artist, Best Narrative, Best Choreography, Best Experimental, Best Production Design, Best Virtual / VFX Production, Best Live Performance Video, Best Lyrics Video/Visualizer, Best Micro-Budget Music Video, Best Canadian Music Video, Best Student Music Video, Music Documentary and Audience Favourite Award. The organizers reserve the right to add or remove categories and prizes based on the number and quality of entries.
Judging: The entries will be judged by a panel of industry professionals and music video experts based on their creativity, originality, production value, and relevance to the music. The judges' decisions will be final.
Awards: The winners in each category will receive a trophy or certificate and recognition on the festival's website and social media channels. The festival may also offer monetary prizes or other incentives to the winners, depending on the sponsorship and funding.
Copyright: The entrants must own or have the legal rights to use all the elements in their music videos, including the music, lyrics, images, performances, and any other copyrighted material. By submitting a music video to the Toronto Music Video Festival, the entrant confirms that they have obtained all necessary permissions and licenses for the use of copyrighted material in their video, including but not limited to music rights, image rights, and performance rights. The festival organizers will not be liable for any copyright infringement or unauthorized use of intellectual property in the submitted videos.
Screening Rights: The selected entries may be screened publicly during the festival, either online or in-person, depending on the format and location. By submitting a project to the Toronto Music Video Festival, the entrant acknowledges and agrees that, if selected, the festival has the right to publicly screen the submitted video during the festival, as well as in related promotional activities. This includes, but is not limited to, screenings at festival events, online streaming on the festival's website or affiliated platforms, and promotional use in festival trailers or highlight reels. The entrant further agrees that the festival may use excerpts or stills from the submitted video for promotional purposes, with proper credit to the creators. The entrant retains all other rights to the submitted video not explicitly granted herein.
Promotion: The Toronto Music Video Festival may use excerpts or screenshots from the entries for promotional purposes, such as trailers, teasers, or highlights, with due credit to the creators. The entrants may also use the festival logo or name to promote their participation or recognition.
Refunds: Once the submission deadline has passed, no refunds will be issued for any submissions, regardless of the circumstances. This policy applies to all entries, including those that may be disqualified for any reason after the deadline has passed.
Disqualification: The Toronto Music Video Festival organizers reserve the right to disqualify any entry, at their discretion, that they deem to violate the standards or spirit of the festival, or to contain offensive or discriminatory content. The entrants will be notified of any disqualification and the reasons for it.
Liability: The entrants agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Toronto Music Video Festival organizers, sponsors, judges, and partners from any claims, damages, or losses arising from their participation in the festival or the use of their music videos. The festival organizers will not be liable for any technical or logistical issues that may affect the submission, judging, or screening process.
