West Lothian Film Festival

Eligibility

1. Short Films - Short Films must have a total running time of 30 minutes or less, including opening and closing credits.

2. Feature Films - Feature Films must have a total running time of more than 30 minutes and no longer than 95 minutes, including opening and closing credits.

3. Premiere Status - UK premiere status is not required for submission. If your film subsequently requires premiere status for another large film festival, you do not need to withdraw your submission. Upon request, the West Lothian Film Festival can remove your film from any planned public screening programme while continuing to consider it for competition and awards.

4. Language - All films not primarily presented in English must include English subtitles.

5. Production Date - Films must have been completed on or after 31 July 2017.

Award Categories

6. Multiple Category Entries - A single film may be entered into multiple eligible award categories.

7. Regional Award Categories - Unless otherwise stated, all award categories are considered regional awards. By entering a regional category, you confirm that:

•At least one stage of production took place within the Lothians;
•At least 25% of the credited cast and crew (including daily hires) have a connection to West Lothian; and
•At least 80% of the credited cast and crew have seven or fewer IMDb credits in the discipline for which they are nominated.

8. National Award Categories - The following categories are open nationally:

• Best of the Home Nations – Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Best of the Celtic Nations – Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Cornwall, the Isle of Man and Galicia.
• Best Gaelic Film & TV – Productions primarily presented in Scottish Gaelic (Gàidhlig), Irish (Gaeilge) or Manx (Gaelg).
• Best Student Film – Films produced as part of school, college or university study, whether as assessed coursework or independently during a student's education.
• Best Young Person Film – At least 75% of the credited cast and crew must have been aged 15–26 at the time of production.

The Festival encourages student producers to seek financial support from their school, college or university towards submission fees and festival attendance, helping them develop the practical producing skills expected within the screen industry.

Awards & Screenings

9. Awards Eligibility - Only nominees attending the West Lothian Film Festival Awards Ceremony are eligible to receive a West Lothian Film Festival Award.

10. Festival Programming - Selection for screening is entirely at the discretion of the Festival Director. Being selected for screening is not an indication of competitive success, and films not selected for screening remain eligible for competition unless otherwise stated. Due to venue capacity, scheduling and budget limitations, not every submitted film can be screened.

Promotional Rights

11. Promotional Materials - By submitting a film, you grant the West Lothian Film Festival a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use film stills, posters, trailers and excerpts for promotional purposes in print, online, social media, press coverage and festival presentations. Copyright remains with the filmmaker or rights holder.

12. Photography & Recording - Festival screenings, events and awards ceremonies may be photographed or recorded. By attending the festival, you grant the West Lothian Film Festival permission to use photographs and video recordings featuring you for promotional, marketing and archival purposes.

Technical Requirements

13. Digital Cinema Package (DCP) - A Digital Cinema Package (DCP) is not required at the point of submission. However, should your film be selected for certain cinema screenings, you may subsequently be asked to provide a DCP.

Administration

14. Letters of Support - The Festival Director is happy to provide letters of support for funding applications, educational purposes or other opportunities relating to submitted films.

15. Mailing List - By submitting a film, you agree to join the West Lothian Film Festival mailing list. You may unsubscribe at any time.

16. Entry Fees - All submission fees are non-refundable.

17. Submission Fee Waivers - Due to the festival's current financial position, we are unfortunately unable to offer submission fee waivers.

18. Rights & Permissions - By submitting a film, the submitter confirms that they hold all necessary rights, licences and permissions required for the exhibition of the film, including (but not limited to) music, archive footage, still images, trademarks and performances. The submitter further confirms that the submission does not knowingly infringe the copyright, intellectual property or other legal rights of any third party. The West Lothian Film Festival accepts no liability for any infringement arising from submitted works, and the submitter agrees to indemnify the festival against any claims resulting from unauthorised content.