Official Rules & Guidelines
PLEASE READ EVERYTHING BELOW
Please read through our submission criteria carefully. Feel free to contact us if you have a question or need clarification.
Submission Deadline: November 18, 2022
Eligibility
- Your film must be 3 – 5 minutes in length.
- Students need to include a script.
- Films must be school appropriate
- Your film must correlate with a theme. The theme of this year’s film festival is There’s No Place Like Home.
- Please submit your application when you are ready to send your film in the most complete and finished form possible, as we will only watch the first cut submitted.
- The film’s director(s) must be middle/high school student(s) attending public, home, charter, or online schools located in Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Otero, or Prowers Counties.
- To be considered for a Arkansas Valley Film Festival Award films must be conceived, produced, and finished by middle/high school filmmakers with teachers and other mentors acting in advisory roles only.
- All music and other copyrighted material used in the film must be properly licensed. This includes Student Music Videos. See the Music Resource Guide.
- All films must be in English or subtitled in English. All films that are selected are required to provide an .srt file or open captions for accessibility (English SDH) during public exhibition.
Categories
All films may be submitted into only one of the following categories:
- Informative Documentaries
- Animation
- Music Videos
- Narrative
- Comedy
Note: public service announcements, commercials, and film trailers are not eligible for consideration in any category.
Film Submission Process
Online Application: Must be completed no later than 11:59pm MST November 18, 2022
Preferred Methods:
Subtitles: All films must be in English or subtitled in English. All films that are selected are required to provide an .srt file or open captions (English SDH) for accessibility during public exhibition.
Synopsis: The 3-line synopsis you submit when filling out your online application will be used in the festival guide, on the Arkansas Valley Film Festival website and for other promotions, so write an interesting, compelling description of your film. The Arkansas Film Festival reserves the right to edit the synopsis for length and grammar.
Notification: If your film is selected to be part of the Arkansas Film Festival, you will be notified via email on November 18, 2022. You will also be notified by email if your film is not selected. Please make sure that you notify us if your email changes, and add arkvalleyfilmfest@gmail.com to your safe sender email list. We often have problems getting emails through to school email addresses (e.g. .edu, .gov.), so if you have a personal email address, that is preferable for your entry.
Feedback: If your film isn’t selected into the Arkansas Film Festival, the programmers are happy to provide feedback if inquired. Please note, due to festival preparations, response time in the month before the festival may be delayed. The need for additional editing is the most common factor making the difference between a film that is selected and a film that is not. But we may also receive many more worthy films than we have programming space to screen, so don’t be discouraged if your film is not accepted.
Film Distribution: Films selected for the Arkansas Film Festival may have the opportunity to take part in distribution opportunities through the Arkansas Film Festival and www.ChooseLJ.com. Distribution may include Internet, TV, and more. See filmmaker release below for further information regarding distribution.
Filmmaker/Guardian/Representative Release
I acknowledge and agree that to the best of my knowledge, I am duly authorized to submit this film to the Arkansas Valley Film Festival and to grant permissions related to its use and distribution.
I grant permission to the Arkansas Valley Film Festival to use film clips/stills for promotional use. I allow the Arkansas Valley Film Festival and any third parties at the Arkansas Valley Film Festival the right to film, videotape and photograph my appearance and voice for any and all marketing and promotion of the festival and La Junta Economic Development.
I understand I will be added to the the Arkansas Valley Film Festival email newsletter lists and receive email updates from the Arkansas Valley Film Festival. My name and email may also be shared with 3rd party partners. In both cases, I can always unsubscribe via the email footer.
If this film is accepted into the Arkansas Valley Film Festival 2022, I grant the Arkansas Valley Film Festival the non-exclusive right to right to show, distribute and market my film in its entirety as the Arkansas Valley Film Festival sees fit, including but not limited to packaging and inclusion in sponsorship deals and other business related activities related to the Arkansas Valley Film Festival. This also includes but is not limited to presenting films as part of the the Arkansas Valley Film Festival online festival component, Best of the Arkansas Valley Film Festival at other film festivals and other screenings, showcases or distribution with 3rd party partners. Exceptions and requests to opt out will be granted only by written request and must be made prior to acceptance into festival or when film obtains other distribution that would prohibit any aspect of this.
the Arkansas Valley Film Festival may actively pursue other distribution opportunities for the film. I acknowledge that I may be asked to complete and sign additional distribution agreements. It is always my choice to accept or reject these offers. the Arkansas Valley Film Festival does not take any copyright or ownership of my film.
Submitting a film to the Arkansas Valley Film Festival constitutes an agreement by and between the filmmaker/representative, and/or applicable Parent/Guardian of a minor aged Filmmaker, and the Arkansas Valley Film Festival. By submitting, I agree to all of these rules, terms and conditions. I acknowledge that I will not receive any compensation for the use of my film by the Arkansas Valley Film Festival in accordance with the rules, terms and conditions.
I understand and acknowledge that, if I am under 18 years of age, my parent or guardian must agree to the terms of this Filmmaker/Guardian/Representative Release on my behalf. As a Parent or Guardian of a minor filmmaker if applicable, I understand and acknowledge that I am agreeing to the terms of this Filmmaker/Guardian/Representative Release on behalf of my child or a child for whom I am a legally designated Guardian.