Festival Rules

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Language Requirement: All films submitted must either be in English or come with hardcoded English subtitles. This allows for accessibility and ensures that the nuances of the films can be understood and appreciated by a diverse audience.

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Original Content: Submitted films must be original works created by the filmmakers. Any copyrighted material, including music, visuals, or dialogues, must be properly licensed or used within the guidelines of fair use.

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Submission Format: We accept film submissions in digital format. Please ensure that the submitted films meet the technical specifications provided during the submission process. This ensures optimal screening quality during the festival.

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Submission Deadline: The dates and deadlines are outlined on FilmFreeway. To be considered for the festival, all film submissions must be received by the specified deadlines. Late submissions will not be accepted.

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Rights and Permissions: By submitting a film, filmmakers grant the festival the right to screen the film during the event and use excerpts or promotional materials for marketing and promotional purposes related to the festival. The filmmakers retain all rights to their work.

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Judging and Selection: All films will go through a thorough selection process conducted by our panel of judges. The films will be evaluated based on various criteria, including creativity, storytelling, technical execution, and overall entertainment value. Finalists will be selected and invited to the live awards night where their films may be screened and the winners will be announced. The decision of the judges is final.

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Details regarding scheduling, screenings, and awards will be communicated directly to the selected filmmakers.

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Awards: The festival will present awards in various categories, recognising outstanding achievements in filmmaking. Award winners will be announced and celebrated during the awards ceremony. Category winners will be presented a their awards and all finalists will be presented with an official certificate and laurel.

 

All finalists films in the Short Film, Super Short Film and Music Video catagories will be screened to a live cinema audience in the prestigeous Curzon Riverside cinema. If the finalists or winners cannot attend the awards night, their certificate will be shipped out to them, free of charge.

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SCREENING POLICY

Our live event screens:

Short Films (5–25 minutes)
Super Short Films (0–5 minutes)
Music Videos

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Due to time restrictions we are not able to screen Feature Films or Television Pilots in full.

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➡ ALL projects — including feature films and TV pilots — remain fully eligible for awards consideration.
➡ Laurels, judging, and recognition apply equally to screened and non-screened categories.

This structure lets us run an impactful, tightly curated short-form programme designed for filmmaker discovery.
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We encourage all filmmakers to carefully review and adhere to the festival rules when submitting their films. These guidelines ensure a fair and enjoyable experience for all participants and contribute to the success and integrity of the Canterbury Film Awards.