Filmmakers or Producers, including student filmmakers/producers, from all over the world, over the age of 18, all budgets, are encouraged to submit. Your project can be independent or part of a union contract. You must clear permissions to submit it to us.
Any films not in English must have English subtitles. Films in English with hard-to-hear scenes are encouraged to include subtitles.
We are all about (but not necessarily excluding others):
* Fiction or non fiction animated or non-animated short films (40 minute maximum length, 1 minute minimum, including opening and closing credits) as long as completed as of January 1, 2016. All genres. See categories 4-5-6...if you submit your short or documentary short there (as long as it meets criteria), you also compete under category 1.
* Fiction and non-fiction pilots or web/TV/streamable episodes/series (released or not, union or non union, 55-60 minute maximum length excluding opening and closing credits), as long as they were completed as of January 1, 2016. If a web series, send us the most representative episode. We also consider shorts with a series potential (with a pilot flavor). You must adhere to the M-L-C criteria described below.
* Fiction or non fiction Midwest-Made short films/productions: Maximum 40 minute length, including credits. Midwest: Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio. Completed as of January 1, 2016. Documentaries go under the Documentary section, but if you indicate that your documentary was made in the Midwest, you will be considered for awards stemming from this submission category.
* Westerns/Mobster-Driven films. Not only classic or modern Westerns. Think pirates, smugglers, mafias... money and power driven productions with persecuted families or groups (shorts or features). 180 min max length.
* Adventure/Fantasy-Horror/VFX-SFX. We looove to see your creativity and stories. Completed as of January 1, 2016. Should be 180 min long or less.
* Documentaries (fiction or not) and docu-series episodes: all lengths.
* Creative Jewels: experimental or artistic shorts or videos, music videos, youtube/vimeo content or proofs of concept with After Effects or any other software/technique elevating image and sound. Go animation, go experimental. Videos can be any length. Animation shorts will also compete under this category, even if they submitted under a different one. A submission with a series of, say, five videos submitted under one single entry showing no story connection will be not be judged past the first video. You must submit each video separately.
* Fiction or non-fiction audiobook chapters. As with any motion picture submission, we accept completed audio work (completed as of 1/1/2016), but not necessarily under distribution or released. However, we require that a written publication be already released, and that author and narrator (unless they are the same person) be under a shared rights production contract = a screenshot of the publication status or anything showing the narrator and author's name on the same page or that the narrator has permission to use the audio for this festival). Scroll below for more info about audiobooks or see category 7.
MLC stands for Mobster - Latino - Comedy. However, we do not exclude productions lacking some or all of these.
By L-atino, we mean any of the cast members or director from a latino culture, be it geographically, by language, etc. Or film score in a latino language (Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian; all Latin American cultures welcome...
By M-obster we mean the film has to have a fiction organized crime component (Westerns are welcome, even horror/thrillers as long as there is crime involved, also mafia stories, piracy, smuggling, etc). We do not celebrate violence, but love films such us The Dark Knight, Good Fellas, etc with great character treatment and a great dialogue-actio ratio.
By C-omedy we mean anything from dark to light comedy. We love sarcasm with taste, great dialogues and punch lines.
You should ideally (but no obligation) adhere to the M-L-C criteria described above. Think of funny shorts, with latino flavor, law enforcement, Westerns, video clips, etc.
Shorts and pilots/eps/ series potential shorts with MLC components showcased have a big chance to be selected and win and are entered in the top 3 categories. We love resourcefulness, ALL budgets, creativity. Although not obligatory to type up, we read (and appreciate) submission cover letters.
We will not post or list your production ONLINE. This is not an online competition. Screening will only happen, with your permission (if a nominee on August 10) at our September 13 event, a drive in event https://www.facebook.com/events/2726855670879651
We are okay with films that have previously screened at festivals. We do not accept and will not pay any screening fees.
SHORT FILMS: TRY to limit yourself to up to 3 submissions per filmmaker per quarterly window.
LANGUAGE: Films can have any kind of swearing and rough language. Mature audiences will be at the quarterly (judges) or the annual (+ audience in general) events. All types of graphic violence are okayed as long as there is a story to tell versus fillers that do not connect will the story.
We mostly accept unlisted YouTube links (our preference) or Vimeo links with or without password. If you want to submit more series episodes besides the pilot, please email a link to subsequent eps separately. We do not guarantee we will watch them, but it can help your CAT 2 submission for bigger winning chances. We do not require DVDs or hard copies.
AUDIOBOOK CHAPTERS
Fiction and non fiction publications. Every 3 months, depending on the amount of submissions, we will award:
* Best Audiobook Chapter - 2 quarterly awards per quarter: fiction and non-fiction)
* Best Audiobook Narrator - two SJM awards per quarter: fiction and non-fction as well.
Audiobook episodes/chapters should not be longer than 20 minutes. The must not be altered nor contain pieces chapters edited together, and they must be a published audiobook (cover letter must have a link to the publication or proof must be enclosed that narrator-author are under contract for those publications not yet released...otherwise we will not listen to the file... we have a no refund policy). Audiobooks can have a release or production date as old as 1/1/2016. We will judge:
a) narration = is the narrator's voice adequate for the plot? any range in character voices shown?
b) track quality = sound quality, pauses...is the narration too fast, no low, too loud? if any, how do sound effects or music fit in the episode.
OTHER DISCLOSURES
By submitting you agree to hold the festival / event organizers / members / sponsors harmless from fees of any kind such as, but not limited to, screening fees, no transportation or other expenses you incur to attend the festival's drive in screening events.
Free format, but we only accept digital submissions (no mailed DVDs or anything of the like). Editing should ideally be anywhere between 24 fps and 60 fps (the latter preferred for fast moving scenes) with the exception of 6K shoots with tasteful slow motion work.
Any filmmaker, even students, with ages above 18 is welcome to submit. Not all submission categories have student discounts, but that does not mean a student cannot submit. We welcome and specially consider first time filmmakers.
EXTRA CONSIDERATION SUBMISSIONS: we will watch paying special attention to the following:
Best Actor in a leading role
Best Actress in a leading role
Best Film Score / Best Song
Best Editing / Best Cinematography
The EXTRA CONSIDERATION should be purchased ideally separately from the Main category, but we will not bar single purchases, unless you submit a film longer than the minutes posted under each Main category. Again, if your film exceeded the length posted or did not include MLC components as we require under the MAIN CATEGORIES rules, then we will not view your film. NO REFUNDS. Although please read further down about chances of being selected with EXTRA submission-only.
OTHER RULES & DISCLOSURES:
ANY AND ALL SUBMISSION FEES (INCLUDING THOSE PAID ERRONEOUSLY) ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.
* To increase your chances of being selected, EVEN THOUGH IT IS NOT FORIBDDEN, don't submit for EXTRA consideration categories-only. Those who submit the same film together under Main and EXTRA categories will have more chances of Selection and Win under the EXTRA CONSIDERATION category than those who just submit under EXTRA CONSIDERATION-ONLY.
No mobile phone films are encouraged, but they are okay as long as in good sound, 1080 and not entirely shot with a mobile phone (using other equipment). Drones, Action Cams are okay. Be creative. HD or 4K cameras preferred. Please use a microphone attached to your camera, as we value good quality sound.
* All genres are welcome, including experimental.
Porn and/or erotic themed films are EXCLUDED and will not be judged/considered. Nudity okay with moderate dosage.
* NO WAIVER CODES WILL BE CONSIDERED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. PLEASE REFRAIN FROM PRIVATELY ASKING FOR WAIVER CODES.
* THERE WILL BE NO REFUNDS OF ANY KIND.
* We accept already-distributed films. All of the above except Westerns must be COMPLETED PRODUCTIONS (we do not accept work in progress) AND RELEASED ANYTIME after January 1, 2016. See Rules for more info and film lengths.
* No screening fees will be paid by this festival to anyone with no exceptions. This is mainly to keep costs down for everyone.
* Quarterly Winner trophies similarly-looking to the one displayed in our Festival logo will be delivered to those winners attending our September 13, 2020 drive in event (we do not mail due to COVID reasons). Trophy will read "Quarterly Category Winner".
* We reserve the right to promote submissions via posters-only (no actual footage). For Facebook (Recently Submitted...) purposes, we reserve the right to 2.5D or 3D the poster or put the poster in a video sequence. If a trailer is available and publicly downloadable, we reserve right to showcase it along with the submission on our FB portal. We will properly quote all links, etc., in an effort to help promote the showcased submissions. These types of Facebook posts (go to www.facebook.com/mlcawards) will be shared with over 30 worldwide groups of filmmakers and producers we are part of.
We also reserve the right to amend rules of participation, venues and dates of events, etc., as we see fit to protect the integrity of any MLC event, participants and its organizers. See our website (and privacy policy), Facebook portal or Event Description section above for more information.