British International Film Festival
 of Wales

Rules for Participation

 

1. Dates and Venue


Please refer to the individual film festival dates as dictated on FilmFreeway, FilmFestivalLife or CreativeFox. The venue for the 2021 International Film Festival of Wales is to be determined.

 

2. Contact Assurance

You are responsible for updating us directly regarding any change to your contact information and ensuring that emails from communications(at)filmfestivalguild.com are not blocked by spam filters.

 

3. Categories

Feature Film


Short Film


Music Video

Student Film

Animation

Documentary


Retro Review - Feature Film


Retro Review - Short Film

Phone Film


Unproduced Screenplay

 

*Please note that if we do not receive enough acceptable submissions for each category, we will merge them e.g. Student Film will be merged into the Short Film or Feature Film category*

 

4. Awards

Best Feature Film

Best Short Film

Best Student Film

Best Music Video

Best Director

Best Cinematography

Best Music

Best Actor

Best Actress

Best Supporting Actor

Best Supporting Actress

The Welsh Dragon Award (Best achievement on a low budget)

Best Unproduced Screenplay

 

5. Film Competition

Film entries are open for both UK based and international filmmakers. 
Each title must be submitted separately, this includes individual episodes of a TV series. The festival organisers reserve the right to place entries into alternate categories if they feel it is to the benefit of the title. Film entries will be assessed and successful submissions will enter the festival competition i.e. the “Official Selection” and be programmed for screening. If your film is chosen for the Official Selection we reserve the right to screen your film at a date and time of our choosing. Failure to submit a locked screener copy through FilmFreeway, FilmFestivalLife or CreativeFox 7 days prior to the festival’s Notification Date will rule out eligibility for an award and may lead to the cancellation of your screening even if your film is chosen for the Official Selection.

 

6. Screenplay Competition

Screenplay entries are open for both UK based and international writers. 

Each title must be submitted separately. Screenplay entries will be assessed and successful submissions will enter the festival competition i.e. the “Official Selection”. Failure to submit a .pdf of the final draft of your script through FilmFreeway, FilmFestivalLife or CreativeFox 7 days prior to the festival’s Notification Date will rule out eligibility for an award even if your screenplay is chosen for the Official Selection.

 

7. Subtitles


Any foreign language films must have English subtitles for both the submission screener and exhibition screener. All screenplays must be in English.

 

8. Completion Date & Premiere Status

Films of any completion date are eligible for submission and we do not require a UK premiere.

 

9. Formats


We accept films with any aspect ratio. For the film selection process a digital screener must be submitted via FilmFreeway. For our judges' protection, this screener must be hosted with either Vimeo or Youtube. We will not assess films submitted with other private video hosting formats such as Google Drive etc. Successful submissions that are granted a screening MUST submit a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) to be screened at the event.

 

Screenplays must be submitted as a digital .PDF via FilmFreeway, FilmFestivalLife or CreativeFox with a title page including the name of the Author and the title of the piece. Contact information may be included on this title page if desired, though these details will not affect the outcome of your submission.

 

10. Notification of Acceptance or Rejection

Notifications are made on the Notification Date listed on FilmFreeway, FilmFestivalLife and CreativeFox, this date is subject to extenuating circumstances and will be updated on the event listing if necessary.

 

11. Submission Feedback

Due to the volume of entries received we cannot offer individual feedback on all submissions.

 

12. Entry Fees

Only completed entries with paid submission fees will be processed and considered for the Official Selection. Entry fees are not refundable. Should the 2020 International Film Festival of Wales be canceled or postponed due to a natural disaster, epidemic, or for any other reason beyond our control, submission fees cannot be refunded.

 

13. Entry Returns


DCPs on hard drives supplied with self-addressed and pre-stamped envelopes will be returned via post. Any DCPs remaining with the Film Festival Guild 6 weeks after the event will be destroyed.

 

14. Shipping Costs

All shipping and postage costs for all DCPs and additional materials sent to and returned from the International Film Festival of Wales must be covered by the submitting party. The festival will not accept cash-on-delivery shipments and will not absorb any fees incurred in British customs. All charges must be prepaid.

 

15. Selection & Awards


This festival is organised by the Film Festival Guild. The festival Directors reserve the right to invite films for the competition and programme. The screening schedule will be announced after the festival’s Notification Date.

 

Award winning films from the Official Selection will be chosen by a panel of festival judges. Award winners will be notified within 7 days following the event date.

 

18. Publicity


We reserve the right to use extracts from submissions in the Official Selection for festival publicity and marketing purposes.

 

16. Screenings


It is the responsibility of the entrant to ensure that films for screening are deposited with the festival organisers at least 7 days before any scheduled screening. Failure to do so may lead to cancellation of your screening. We do not offer screening fees.

 

17. COVID-19

Due to the unprecedented and ongoing problems presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, we reserve the right to change the festival to a virtual online festival if it is not possible or unsafe to host the event in a physical venue.

 

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The festival Administrators' decision is final in all the above matters.

 

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