Wasteland Film Festival

CA, United States, North America

23 - 26 Sep, 2021

Wasteland Film Festival logo
Wasteland Film Festival

CA, United States, North America

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About the festival

POSTPONED THIS YEAR, because Wasteland Weekend was canceled this year, we will wait until next year to resume the submission process. We will be back!

The Wasteland Film Festival will be entering its ninth year when we return and only growing bigger.

We highlight short films with especially post-apocalyptic subject matter and, in addition, alternative films displaying a certain character right at home in the post nuke society. Films meeting certain criteria will be screened as part of the competition, others will simply be for exhibition.

We also screen select features, if they fit in one of the categories. NONFEATURES submitted as FEATURES will be disqualified. Read the rules before submitting.

Once again, WFF will be a big part of the Wasteland Weekend experience, a 5 day party in the desert where people dress up in post apocalyptic fashion, usually imitating Mad Max or Fallout styles and anyone attending Wasteland Weekend has free admission into the festival. Check out www.wastelandweekend.com for more details on how to obtain tickets.

300 will be divided among the winners (Post Apoc Grand Prize, Post Apoc Runner Up, Best Animated Film, Best Music Video, Best Atmospheric/Weird Film, and if enough entries for it, Best Genre Action Film). Extra award money might be added as we move closer to the festival.

Money prizes require a valid Paypal account to receive and must be collected within 2-3 months after awards are revealed.

About

POSTPONED THIS YEAR, because Wasteland Weekend was canceled this year, we will wait until next year to resume the submission process. We will be back!

The Wasteland Film Festival will be entering its ninth year when we return and only growing bigger.

We highlight short films with especially post-apocalyptic subject matter and, in addition, alternative films displaying a certain character right at home in the post nuke society. Films meeting certain criteria will be screened as part of the competition, others will simply be for exhibition.

We also screen select features, if they fit in one of the categories. NONFEATURES submitted as FEATURES will be disqualified. Read the rules before submitting.

Once again, WFF will be a big part of the Wasteland Weekend experience, a 5 day party in the desert where people dress up in post apocalyptic fashion, usually imitating Mad Max or Fallout styles and anyone attending Wasteland Weekend has free admission into the festival. Check out www.wastelandweekend.com for more details on how to obtain tickets.

300 will be divided among the winners (Post Apoc Grand Prize, Post Apoc Runner Up, Best Animated Film, Best Music Video, Best Atmospheric/Weird Film, and if enough entries for it, Best Genre Action Film). Extra award money might be added as we move closer to the festival.

Money prizes require a valid Paypal account to receive and must be collected within 2-3 months after awards are revealed.

Awards & Winners

There are no winners yet for this festival

Terms and rules

COMPETITION CATEGORIES
1. Post-apocalyptic films that meet eligibility requirements (outlined below).
2. Alternative films that meet eligibility requirements.
The alternative category would cover such films as cool weird/cult films: Think Videodrome, think H.P. Lovecraft, think Alejandro Jodorowsky, Takashi Miike, or even something you could see playing in a Fallout Game (some over-the-top 50s parody). This does not mean bad films that are so bad they're good, like Troll 2. This means quality films that are offbeat, but have a sort of weird charm to them. We'd also accept sci-fi films in this category.
3. Music Video, the more post apocalyptic or stylish, the better.
4. Genre Action Film, one of the more open ended categories, whether it be sci-fi, martial arts, or more good ol' post apocalyptic.
5. Audience Award, any film can qualify for this, including the features.

EXHIBITION-ONLY CATEGORIES
1. Post Apocalyptic Feature Films. 60+ minutes, No fees, LIMITED SPACE!

SUBMISSIONS
Filmmakers should include a short (100 words or less) description of their film (including year produced and other places it has been exhibited). You may also include some information about the filmmakers (100 words or less). Please be sure to list the category your film best fits when you submit. However, the Wasteland Film Festival reserves the right to categorize your film as we see fit.

FILM FORMATS
Select digital formats (AVI, Mov - H.264, or high quality divx/xvid). Contact us first if you want to send dvd/blu-ray, as those take special consideration. We do not accept tapes under any condition. We reserve the right to discard any dvd or blu-ray that doesn’t outright play without further notice, so please make sure it plays on multiple players if you choose to go with that format and that there aren’t any errors.

ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for award consideration, films must be under 45 minutes in length. Films that have previously appeared online (youtube, etc.) or in film festivals are eligible for prizes, but must have been made after Jan 1st, 2013. Films made prior to 2013 but after 2007 are also eligible, but ONLY if they have never before been publicly shown online, on DVD/video, or in a film festival. Basically, you made it a long time ago, but this is the first time it's been shown anywhere.

Films longer than 45 minutes, or that otherwise don't fit eligibility requirements may still be submitted for screening as exhibitions only (assuming the submitter controls exhibition rights to the film as outlined below).

Filmmakers do not need to be present during the screenings at wasteland weekend in order to be eligible for awards.

WAIVERS (for Late Deadline)
Waivers will only be offered to anyone who fits the following:
A. If you attended any of the last three years of Wasteland Weekend.
B. If you have had a film previously accepted and screened in any of the previous years of the Wasteland Film Festival.
C. If you have communicated with the film fest coordinator during any previous year of the festival, some special consideration might be made.

No other inquiries will be accepted (so you better have a good reason for contacting us for a waiver if you do not fit the above).

Ratings & Reviews

Categories and fees

Post Apocalyptic
Early Bird (15th May, 2021) €10
Regular (13th August, 2021) €15
Late (27th August, 2021) €10

Any film (except the zombie genre) taking place in a post apocalyptic world. This counts any major disaster that prompts the end of civilization as we know it and leaves the world a shell of its former self. This can include nuclear attacks, alien invasion, cybernetic revolt, etc.

Alternative films
Early Bird (15th May, 2021) €10
Regular (13th August, 2021) €15
Late (27th August, 2021) €10

The alternative category would cover such films as cool weird/cult films: Think Videodrome, think H.P. Lovecraft, think Alejandro Jodorowsky, Takashi Miike, or even something you could see playing in a Fallout Game (some over-the-top 50s parody). This does not mean bad films that are so bad they're good, like Troll 2. This means quality films that are offbeat, but have a sort of weird charm to them.

Other Films
Early Bird (15th May, 2021) €10
Regular (13th August, 2021) €15
Late (27th August, 2021) €10

Films in OTHER categories (horror, science-fiction, edgy drama, etc.) will be accepted if there is room left in the schedule and enough on-theme films are not available.

Music Video
Early Bird (15th May, 2021) €10
Regular (13th August, 2021) €15
Late (27th August, 2021) €10

Preferably music videos that are either post apocalyptic, or have some kind of weird/cool/atmospheric quality, though we're open to check any really good quality video that can bring something unique to the festival.

Sci-fi or non Post-Apocalyptic Action
Early Bird (15th May, 2021) €10
Regular (13th August, 2021) €15
Late (27th August, 2021) €10

We're looking for the best and most stylized action.

Animated Film
Early Bird (15th May, 2021) €10
Regular (13th August, 2021) €15
Late (27th August, 2021) €10

We're looking for strange, cerebral or stylized or post apocalyptic animated works. Post Apocalyptic animated works also qualify for the grand prize.

Feature Film
Early Bird (15th May, 2021) €0
Regular (13th August, 2021) €0
Late (27th August, 2021) €0

Post Apocalyptic Feature Films (75+ minutes only). Limited space, screened, but not in competition (only qualifies for Audience Award).

Matchmaking

What is the title of your film?

Type in your film's title

Choose a film to find matches for

Choose one of your film that you're already created, or create a new one to find matches for.

How long is your film?

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min.

What type of category does your film fall into?

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What is the genre of your film?

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What should be the main focus of your festival strategy?

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Monetary award

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Festival qualifications that you're interested in

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How much money would you spend on festival submissions?

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EUR

Start date of submission

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