Waterford International Film Festival

General Submission Information
Submissions can be made through FilmFreeway or directly via our website at www.waterfordfilmfestival.net.

All submissions must comply with the rules and regulations outlined below.
Due to time constraints, the Festival cannot provide feedback on submissions

Film Selection Process
The festival's film selection is divided into two categories:

Official Selections: Films awarded as an 'Official Selection' will be screened both live in a venue and online.

Finalists: Films awarded as a 'Finalist' will be screened online only via our partners at Éiretainment but remain in full consideration for awards alongside officially selected films.

Winners of the WIFF Audience Prize have the option to take a 6-month non-exclusive streaming contract with Eiretainment. Should the winning film accept the prize - the film must appear on Eiretainment within one year of winning - terms and conditions apply.

Submission Guidelines
All genres and film styles are welcome.
Films Produced after January 1st 2024 will be considered
Films must be no longer than 22 minutes including credits
Films should be submitted in high resolution and in a widely compatible digital format. Ideally 720p HD mp4 or 1080p HD mp4
Non-English films must include English subtitles.
A filmmaker may submit multiple films, but each entry requires a separate submission fee.
Submission fees are non-refundable.
The festival does not cover travel or accommodation expenses for filmmakers attending the event.Submitter should be over 18 years old.

Key Dates
Notification Date: The weekend of October 9th – filmmakers will be notified of the festival’s decisions.
Final Cut Submission: All selected filmmakers will receive a link to upload the final cut of their film for the online screenings. Format should be either 720 HD MP4 or 1080p HD MP4

Submission of Final Materials: Selected films and all required materials must be sent to the festival’s designated email by October 23rd.

If a filmmaker does not submit the required materials by this deadline, the festival reserves the right to withdraw the film from competition, and the submission fee will not be refunded.

Filmmakers may withdraw their film from the festival, but only before the final submission deadline.

Awards & Recognition

Both Official Selections and Finalists are eligible for festival awards.
Awards are presented at the festival's closing ceremony.

Legal Agreement & Terms

By submitting your film to the Waterford International Film Festival, you agree to the following:
You acknowledge that you have the necessary rights to submit the film and that all content (including music and third-party materials) is cleared for use.
You grant the festival the right to screen your film at its events and online through our designated screening partners.
You grant permission for the festival to use extracts of your film, trailers, and images for promotional purposes.
The festival reserves the right to amend rules and guidelines at any time.
The festival, its venue partners, sponsors, and online screening providers are not responsible for any loss, damage, or unforeseen circumstances that may affect the screening of your film.

For any inquiries, please contact us at waterfordfilmfestival@gmail.com.

For any inquiries, please contact us at waterfordfilmfestival@gmail.com.

SCREENPLAY COMPETITION RULES

By submitting your screenplay through our website or via FilmFreeway, you agree to the following rules:

The Waterford International Film Festival Short Screenplay Competition is open to writers of all nationalities and from any country.

Submission fees must be paid at the time of entry. Unpaid submissions will not be considered.

Due to time constraints, the Festival cannot provide feedback on submissions

The competition consists of two rounds:
Round 1: Semi-finalists will be announced and awarded official laurels.
Round 2: From the semi-finalists, up to 20 finalists will be selected and considered for awards.

The winners will be chosen from the finalists and announced on the last day of the festival.

Notification Dates:
Semi-finalists will be notified on or before the official notification date. (Oct 9th)
Finalists will be notified on or before October 25th.

Submission Guidelines
Screenplays must be written in English.
Scripts must be between 3 and 15 pages (excluding the cover page).

All genres are welcome.
Submissions must be uploaded as PDF or Word files via the official festival website or FilmFreeway. Email submissions will not be accepted unless requested by a festival team member.
Rights & Permissions
By entering, you grant the festival permission to use your name and image for promotional purposes, including press materials and social media.

Writers retain full copyright over their work.
A production company may submit a screenplay on behalf of a writer, but the writer must provide written approval via email to waterfordfilmfestival@gmail.com.

Judging & General Terms
All submissions are reviewed by the Waterford International Film Festival selection committee, appointed by the Festival Director.

Judging decisions are final and confidential.

Writers may submit multiple screenplays, but each entry requires a separate submission and fee.
The festival reserves the right to amend these rules at any time.
Entrants will be notified of their submission status via email.
The applicant shall indemnify and hold harmless the Waterford International Film Festival and its staff against any claims related to copyright, trademarks, or similar matters.

By submitting your script, you confirm that you hold all necessary rights to the work. You grant the Waterford International Film Festival permission to use the script title, writer name, and approved logline or brief extract for promotional and publicity purposes. Full scripts will not be published or publicly shared. The festival reserves the right to amend rules and is not responsible for unforeseen circumstances affecting the competition.

Once your fee is paid, return to this page and Fill out the form at the end of this page and hit Submit to complete your entry.

Photography Competition Rules- Best Cinematic Image

By submitting your entry through FilmFreeway or www.waterfordfilmfestival.net, you agree to the following rules:

Each image entry must be accompanied by a completed entry form and the required entry fee. Submissions without both will not be considered.

Applicants may submit up to three (3) images per submission. If an applicant wishes to submit more than three images, they must complete a separate entry form and pay an additional fee.

Submitted images must be related to film, filmmaking, or have a cinematic quality.

All submissions will be judged by the Waterford International Film Festival Committees, appointed by the Festival Director. Their decisions are final and confidential.

COPYRIGHT & USAGE

Photographers/Videographers must secure all necessary copyright clearances, including but not limited to: actor/model releases, location permissions, and any other applicable rights. The Festival and its venue partners accept no responsibility for copyright claims.

Artists retain all rights to their images. However, for awarded images (including finalists), copyright holders grant the Waterford International Film Festival a non-exclusive, unlimited license to use high-resolution versions for festival-related activities, including but not limited to social media, online, and print promotions, without remuneration.
SUBMISSION TERMS

Due to time constraints, the Festival cannot provide feedback on submissions.

Once an image is submitted, it cannot be withdrawn from the competition.The Festival reserves the right to amend these rules at any time.

Entrants will be notified by email on or before October 9, 2026, if they have been selected as finalists. Finalists are free to announce their selection publicly.The photographer(s) must be the original author(s) of the submitted images.

Images must meet the following technical specifications:
Original pixel size should be maintained (unless cropped).
JPEG format with high-quality compression.
Captions/taglines, if included, must be in English.

ELIGIBILITY & RESTRICTIONS
Images taken at restricted-access events (where only commissioned photographers were permitted, e.g., government, corporate, or political events) are not eligible.
Basic color adjustments and grayscale conversions are allowed.
Entrants warrant that their submissions comply with all applicable laws and do not infringe on third-party rights.

LEGAL AGREEMENT

Any disputes arising from these rules will be governed by Irish law.
By submitting your work for the Best Cinematic Image Award, you confirm that your images are legally cleared for use at the Waterford International Film Festival and accept full responsibility for the intellectual property therein.