Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival

Minneapolis, MN, United States, North America

Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival logo
Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival

Minneapolis, MN, United States, North America

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General Information

edition

40th

organizers

Susan Smoluchowski

Executive Director

Jesse Bishop

Programming Director

Matthew Berg

Festival and Business Manager

Andrew Lussenhop

Media Manager

Jaclyn O'Grady

Programming Manager / Shorts Programmer

Craig Rice

Programmer - MN Made, Panels

Alissa Simon

Programmer - International

Deb Girdwood

Programmer - Youth Programs

Contact details

125 SE Main Street Suite 341 Minneapolis, MN 55414 United States

55414

submissions@mspfilm.org

612-331-7563

Web & social

About the festival

Celebrating 40 years in 2021, the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF) is one of Minnesota’s most anticipated annual cultural events, and the largest film festival in the region. Over 17 days each spring, MSPIFF brings cinematic wonder to screens across the Twin Cities, presenting 250+ new international, independent films, and offering audiences of 45,000+ countless opportunities to engage with 150+ visiting filmmakers and talent from around the world.

It will be hard to predict what conditions we will face in the spring of 2021, but we are committed to promoting the art of film as a medium that fosters cross-cultural understanding, education, entertainment, and exploration. We intend to continue offering audiences unique opportunities to experience the wealth of international cinema, to engage with and learn from international filmmakers, and to share these experiences as a community. While we are hopeful the festival can return to traditional screenings in theater venues in 2021, our current planning includes virtual and live screening settings.

As we are planning for MSPIFF 40, we will be closely monitoring health and safety guidelines. We will strive to communicate any news about possible event changes if and when they may occur. Potential changes could include dates, venues, and formats.

We have signed Seed & Spark’s 2020 Film Festival Survival Pledge, and have adjusted premiere requirements and production deadlines.

Films of all genres and lengths are encouraged to submit for consideration.

Minnesota-based filmmakers: Please complete this waiver request form for a full fee waiver: http://bit.ly/40mspiffwaiver

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Please note: For the 2021 festival, submissions to our Nextwave Youth Film Competition for filmmakers ages 18 and under will be accepted on a separate festival page located at filmfreeway.com/nextwavemspiff.

The Festival presents the following awards:

JURIED AWARDS:
Emerging Filmmaker Award
Documentary Feature
Spotlight Competition
Minnesota Made Fiction Feature
Minnesota Made Documentary Feature
Fiction Short
Documentary Short

Films in competition are selected by the programming committee on an invite only basis.

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS:
Audience Choice Awards are given for each category and determined by audience balloting at the festival.

For award descriptions and competition eligibility information see the Guidelines & FAQs on our website at mspfilm.org/mspiff-submissions

About

Celebrating 40 years in 2021, the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF) is one of Minnesota’s most anticipated annual cultural events, and the largest film festival in the region. Over 17 days each spring, MSPIFF brings cinematic wonder to screens across the Twin Cities, presenting 250+ new international, independent films, and offering audiences of 45,000+ countless opportunities to engage with 150+ visiting filmmakers and talent from around the world.

It will be hard to predict what conditions we will face in the spring of 2021, but we are committed to promoting the art of film as a medium that fosters cross-cultural understanding, education, entertainment, and exploration. We intend to continue offering audiences unique opportunities to experience the wealth of international cinema, to engage with and learn from international filmmakers, and to share these experiences as a community. While we are hopeful the festival can return to traditional screenings in theater venues in 2021, our current planning includes virtual and live screening settings.

As we are planning for MSPIFF 40, we will be closely monitoring health and safety guidelines. We will strive to communicate any news about possible event changes if and when they may occur. Potential changes could include dates, venues, and formats.

We have signed Seed & Spark’s 2020 Film Festival Survival Pledge, and have adjusted premiere requirements and production deadlines.

Films of all genres and lengths are encouraged to submit for consideration.

Minnesota-based filmmakers: Please complete this waiver request form for a full fee waiver: http://bit.ly/40mspiffwaiver

---
Please note: For the 2021 festival, submissions to our Nextwave Youth Film Competition for filmmakers ages 18 and under will be accepted on a separate festival page located at filmfreeway.com/nextwavemspiff.

The Festival presents the following awards:

JURIED AWARDS:
Emerging Filmmaker Award
Documentary Feature
Spotlight Competition
Minnesota Made Fiction Feature
Minnesota Made Documentary Feature
Fiction Short
Documentary Short

Films in competition are selected by the programming committee on an invite only basis.

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS:
Audience Choice Awards are given for each category and determined by audience balloting at the festival.

For award descriptions and competition eligibility information see the Guidelines & FAQs on our website at mspfilm.org/mspiff-submissions

Awards & Winners

There are no winners yet for this festival

Terms and rules

~ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS~

All films:

I. Must have been completed after January 1, 2019.

II. Foreign language (non-English) submissions must be available in their original language and soundtrack with English subtitles.

III. Films that have been submitted for consideration in previous years are eligible for consideration only if they have undergone extensive changes and re-apply as a new submission.

IV. The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul reserves the right to determine eligibility of any work submitted.

Features:

I. Minnesota Premieres are required of all feature submissions.

II. Feature films that have had a public ticketed screening anywhere in Minnesota are not eligible for submission.

III. Feature submissions must not have been broadcast or televised regionally, nor made publicly available in their entirety online prior to their date of exhibition in the festival.

IV. Films that have been previously screened online in an official ticketed-festival capacity are eligible for submission.

Shorts:

I. Whereas Minnesota Premieres are required of all feature films, they are not required of short films. Additionally, short films may also be available for streaming online prior to its festival screening. However, these factors will be taken into consideration during selection and films that have played in Minnesota or are available online are ineligible for juried competition.

~SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS~

The following requirements must be met before a submission can be considered for inclusion:

I. Completed Submission Form (via FilmFreeway).

II. Submission Fee*. Payment is accepted via FilmFreeway or money order made out to The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul.

III. Submissions must include an online screener (Vimeo preferred). The Festival no longer accepts submissions via DVD.

Please note: Changing the password for a private online screener will make the submission unviewable, and therefore disqualified. The Festival will attempt, but is under no obligation, to contact the applicant for an updated password.

* The following fee waivers are available. A waiver request form can be found at http://bit.ly/40mspiffwaiver.

A. Minnesota Made: In recognition of Minnesota’s filmmaking community, MSPIFF offers one (1) complimentary submission per individual for projects that qualify as “Minnesota Made” and are submitted before the Late Deadline. Eligible “Minnesota Made” films submitted after the Late Deadline may request a 50% discounted entry. To qualify, a film’s director must be a current Minnesota resident OR a combined 50% or more of production and/or post-production must have taken place in Minnesota.

B. Alumni: Filmmakers whose work has been previously shown at MSPIFF are eligible for complimentary submissions.

C. Student: Films made exclusively by college students are eligible for a 50% discount off regular submission fees.

Other waivers may be granted under special circumstances. Please use the form at the URL http://bit.ly/mspiffwaiver to make a request.

~REQUIREMENTS FOR SELECTED FILMS~

Notifications regarding acceptance and non-acceptance of submissions will be sent by March 11th, 2021.

I. Immediately upon notification of acceptance, submitters or primary contacts will be required to fill out an official Confirmation Form so as to provide festival staff with the most accurate and necessary information. The form includes but is not limited to the following:

a. Online screener link (to be used for competition jury and press requests through the duration of the festival)
b. Cast/Crew information
c. Synopsis
d. High-res film stills
e. Premiere status
f. Filmmaker attendance

II. All films must be made available in Digital Cinema Package (DCP) format.

III. All exhibition copies, including back-up content, must be delivered to the Festival office by March 25th, 2021.

IV. Physical exhibition copies must be shipped prepaid, insured, and properly packaged. The Festival does not assume liability for damage to prints due to improper packaging or other reasons. All films while in our possession will be insured against loss and damage while participating in the event. The Festival will provide return shipping. If requested, the Festival may ship the exhibition material to another festival, decided on a case-by-case basis.

V. The Festival reserves the right to place accepted works in the appropriate program.

VI. The Festival reserves the right to remove a film from the festival for any reason or for no reason and shall not be liable for any refund or claims of any kind arising out of such removal.

VII. Accepted films may be screened between 1-4 times, at the discretion of the Festival.

VIII. Screenings will take place at official festival venues, including, but not limited to: St. Anthony Main Theatre, and Marcus Rochester Cinema.

IX. The Festival reserves the right to use images from selected films for Festival marketing purposes.

X. The Festival does not pay screening fees for accepted submissions.

~TERMS AND CONDITIONS~

I, the authorized representative of the project being submitted (hereafter called the “Film”) acknowledge that I am duly authorized, on my own behalf and on behalf of all other persons or entities who have any ownership rights or interests in or relating to the Film (hereafter called the “Film’s Owners”) to submit to the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival. I warrant and agree, on behalf of myself and each of the Film’s Owners, that the Film is being submitted voluntarily and without promise or inducement, and that the submission of the Film neither imposes nor creates any obligation or responsibility on the part of the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival or The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul (hereafter called The Festival) to accept the Film for inclusion in The Festival, to exhibit the Film at The Festival, to acknowledge the submission of The Film, or to return the submission copy of The Film or associated submission materials to me or others.

I shall indemnify and hold harmless The Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered. I have paid and will pay in full all license fees, clearance fees, and other obligations, of any kind, arising from or associated with the exhibition of the Film at or in connection with The Festival.

I understand that The Festival reserves the right to waive or adjust any requirements outlined herein. I understand that I am not entitled to any refund or damage claims of any kind if my film is unable to screen due to technical or operational difficulties or if my film needs to be rescheduled, delayed, or removed from the program for any reason.

By submitting, I warrant that I have read, understood, and accept all aforementioned regulations and requirements pertaining to submission to The Festival.

Ratings & Reviews

Categories and fees

Feature - World Cinema - Documentary
Early Bird (1st October, 2020) $45
Regular (1st November, 2020) $60
Late (1st December, 2020) $75

Documentary features more than 40 minutes in length that do not originate in the United States or fall under the categories Cine Latino, Images of Africa, Asian Frontiers, or Midnight Sun.

Feature - World Cinema - Fiction
Early Bird (1st October, 2020) $45
Regular (1st November, 2020) $60
Late (1st December, 2020) $75

Fiction features more than 40 minutes in length that do not originate in the United States or fall under the categories Cine Latino, Images of Africa, Asian Frontiers, or Midnight Sun.

Feature - Cine Latino - Documentary
Early Bird (1st October, 2020) $45
Regular (1st November, 2020) $60
Late (1st December, 2020) $75

Documentary features more than 40 minutes in length from primarily Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries.

Feature - Cine Latino - Fiction
Early Bird (1st October, 2020) $45
Regular (1st November, 2020) $60
Late (1st December, 2020) $75

Fiction features more than 40 minutes in length from primarily Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries.

Feature - Images of Africa - Documentary
Early Bird (1st October, 2020) $45
Regular (1st November, 2020) $60
Late (1st December, 2020) $75

Documentary features more than 40 minutes in length originating anywhere in the African continent.

Feature - Images of Africa - Fiction
Early Bird (1st October, 2020) $45
Regular (1st November, 2020) $60
Late (1st December, 2020) $75

Fiction features more than 40 minutes in length originating anywhere in the African continent.

Feature - Asian Frontiers - Documentary
Early Bird (1st October, 2020) $45
Regular (1st November, 2020) $60
Late (1st December, 2020) $75

Documentary features more than 40 minutes in length originating in Asia.

Feature - Asian Frontiers - Fiction
Early Bird (1st October, 2020) $45
Regular (1st November, 2020) $60
Late (1st December, 2020) $75

Fiction features more than 40 minutes in length originating in Asia.

Feature - Midnight Sun - Documentary
Early Bird (1st October, 2020) $45
Regular (1st November, 2020) $60
Late (1st December, 2020) $75

Documentary features more than 40 minutes and originating from the Nordic countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.

Feature - Midnight Sun - Fiction
Early Bird (1st October, 2020) $45
Regular (1st November, 2020) $60
Late (1st December, 2020) $75

Fiction features more than 40 minutes and originating from the Nordic countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland.

Feature - New American Visions - Documentary
Early Bird (1st October, 2020) $45
Regular (1st November, 2020) $60
Late (1st December, 2020) $75

Documentary features more than 40 minutes that originate in the United States. All Minnesota Made features should apply here.

Feature - New American Visions - Fiction
Early Bird (1st October, 2020) $45
Regular (1st November, 2020) $60
Late (1st December, 2020) $75

Fiction features more than 40 minutes that originate in the United States. All Minnesota Made features should apply here.

Short - Fiction
Early Bird (1st October, 2020) $30
Regular (1st November, 2020) $45
Late (1st December, 2020) $60

Fiction shorts and music videos 40 minutes or less in length. Historically, shorts less than 15 minutes have a higher rate of acceptance.

Short - Documentary
Early Bird (1st October, 2020) $30
Regular (1st November, 2020) $45
Late (1st December, 2020) $60

Documentary shorts and music videos 40 minutes or less in length. Historically, shorts less than 15 minutes have a higher rate of acceptance.

Short - Animation
Early Bird (1st October, 2020) $30
Regular (1st November, 2020) $45
Late (1st December, 2020) $60

Animated shorts and music videos 40 minutes or less in length. All animation styles are accepted. Historically, shorts less than 15 minutes have a higher rate of acceptance.

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