Because submission of a film constitutes acceptance of these terms and conditions by filmmakers and their agents, please review the following carefully.
ACFF considers submitted films from all over the world and in all genres, provided they have a conservation theme. All films being submitted to ACFF shall have completed production after May 15, 2018 and may be duplicated for internal use by the selection committee and board of directors.
ACFF’s preferred method of submission is by secure online screener via ACFF’s FilmFreeway account. Film submissions registered via ACFF’s FilmFreeway account are also accepted through the mail labeled NTSC DVD (region-free or region 1), however submitted DVDs will not be returned. DVD entries must adhere to professional production standards that will ensure compatibility and playback on standard, consumer desktop DVD players. It is the entrant's responsibility that the program that is entered can be easily identified on the DVD menu. Films with non-English soundtracks must be submitted with embedded subtitles.
All officially selected films and materials solicited by ACFF will be programmed into the Festival. We plan for all selected films to be screened in public venues if safety conditions allow. In the event that ACFF's Board of Directors decides conditions are unsafe to hold a live festival, we will reach out to the filmmaker of each officially selected film with a proposal to screen their film online.
Deadlines are the dates by which we must receive your film. They are not postmark deadlines. We must receive your digital upload or physical disc by the deadline date for which your film has been registered.
If your submission is a student production, be sure to choose that designation on the online submission application. A student is defined as one who is enrolled at an accredited high school, undergraduate, or graduate school. A student is not required to be a film or video major, but must identify their school, advisor and year of study on the entry form. No student production can have been produced as a work for hire.
ACFF is not responsible for notifying any parties other than the entrant, through its contact person, of entry status or of any questions or determinations regarding the entry.
It is the sole responsibility of the entity submitting the project to secure permission from the copyright holders of the material contained in the film.
Multiple entries will be accepted provided they are submitted individually.
Entrants may resubmit a film submitted in the past that was not accepted as long as the film has been completed in the past 2 years.
If your film is officially selected, you may be asked to provide:
• 1 high resolution file download via Dropbox, Google Drive, We Transfer or Vimeo that is 1920×1080 pixels, 23.97 fps, 48 kHz Audio, progressive scan in mp4 format - with closed captions whenever possible
• 2 exhibition-quality NTSC DVDs (region free or region 1) or 2 Blu-rays of the invited work One of each is preferred.
• A digital press kit including film stills in high resolution jpg format, a synopsis, production credits and director bio
• A link to a publicly-accessible streamable online trailer
• A high resolution downloadable trailer file 1920 x 1080 pixels in mp4 format
Note: If materials are not submitted by the applicable deadline, we reserve the right to secure substitute materials from other sources.
Films that are selected by ACFF are chosen by a committee of media and conservation professionals. The quality of storytelling, production value, aesthetics and topic are principle factors in the selection of films for ACFF.
Entry Materials
All entries must include the following:
(1) A secure online screener *or labeled NTSC DVD (region-free or region 1/ N. America) copy of the work
(2) Contact information for the filmmaker or person handling the submission-- name, mailing address and email
(3) Student filmmakers must provide school affiliation with submissions as well as contact info for academic advisor on the project
Shipping
If you choose to submit your work on a NTSC DVD (region-free or region 1) you will be responsible for delivery of playable disc to the shipping address below by the designated submission deadline. Please make sure your DVD plays all the way through, then label pack your media carefully and try to minimize waste. All submissions must be sent prepaid, including any applicable customs fees.
Please see our website for additional submission information. http://conservationfilmfest.org/submit/