Submission Guidelines:

General:
Creative video productions that are entered into Film Festival X, The Biggest Little Film Festival In The West, should reveal skill, imagination, creativity and the power of visual storytelling. The FFX places value on the truths revealed through the events, disappointments, joys and conflicts we all experience. Although FFX is open to diverse interpretations of this human experience, we will accept for competition only those productions that avoid being gratuitously or explicitly violent, as well as, obscene or excessively sexual. Likewise, FFX contest entries should avoid youth involved in risky, questionable, or illegal activities without also examining the outcomes, ramifications or consequences of those activities. All material submitted must conform to standard High School Appropriateness at all times. Entries deemed inappropriate by the festival committee and/or judges will not be judged or critiqued and entry fees for said entry are non-refundable.

*Entries must have been produced during the current School Year.

*Maximum of TWO producers per entry, and the entry must have been produced/directed/compiled by the entrants. ie. just being talent in a video does not qualify you as a producer of the project

1. Content
Student-Entrants are responsible for the content of each entry. Do not glamorize explicit drug use, tobacco or alcohol consumption, or guns in any way. Gratuitous and graphic violence is not accepted. Any violence, including guns, in a production must be an integral part of the story, kept to a minimum, and not be gratuitous or graphic in nature. Gun and other violence can be suggested/alluded to, but not graphically presented. Sexual references, innuendo, and dramatization is not accepted. Don’t use any profanity or vulgarity whatsoever. All entries should not exceed a PG rating and should follow state “safe school” policies.
2. Video Submission
Student filmmakers can submit only one video per category. Registration is free, but must include the entry form. Students can enter as many categories as they want, but only one per category. All entrants can attend the Screening and Awards presentation, but only finalists will receive a formal notification of their finalist status. All finalist entries will be viewed publicly at the Screening and Awards event May 16th at the Reno Public Market. Entries may be submitted in one of the following ways.
·
Online Entries:Download the Entry form from the Entry Form Page linked at the top. Email the completed form as an attachment (word or pdf) to renonvffx@gmail.com, upload the video to a Google Drive and send us the link (MAKE SURE IT IS MARKED "ANYONE WITH LINK CAN VIEW" BEFORE COPYING THE SHARE LINK).

As a LAST RESORT, if using youtube include a link to an Unlisted Youtube channel where your video, conforming to the time limits and other guidelines for each individual contest category, is uploaded. Online submissions that are hosted in a public youtube channel, will be disqualified and not judged. ·

Offline Entries can be delivered to AACT Comm Arts Academy, Reno FFX at 380 Edison Way, Reno NV 89502 on a flash drive in one of the following formats: .mov or .mp4 and must conform to the time limits and other guidelines for each individual contest category. Flash drives will be returned at the festival event or mailed to entrants if entry is accompanied with a pre-paid, stamped envelope labeled with the entry’s address. Submitted videos that exceed the time limit will be disqualified. *Note: This does not apply to videos that are only a few seconds over.

· Broadcast and Presentation Quality Video Required

o Poor quality video/audio may result in automatic disqualification as determined by committee 3. Obey Copyright Laws
*Strict adherence to copyright law is required – copyright violations will automatically disqualify an entry. Use royalty-free music, be able to show direct permission, which means a notarized release, and be sure to credit commercially-owned media as per their individual licenses. Additionally, plagiarism is not accepted. Each video should be an original work. Do not “remake” a commercial video exactly as it appears. Do not submit a re-edited version of a commercial video that you didn’t shoot. Again, in credits, be sure to CREDIT all sources (original and unoriginal).

*Note: copyright does not apply to unpublished, non-monetized music videos (see music video under "Category Breakdowns")
*Note: Exception for the Music Video category: submissions may include copyrighted music, however, such entries MAY NOT be published to the internet and must use google drive or offline submission as described above - not yutube.
· Royalty Free Music Websites
o www.freestockmusic.com
o www.freeplaymusic.com
o www.incompetech.com 4. Teacher/Adviser Participation
Teachers/Advisers must not participate in any way on students’ entries other than in a strictly advisory capacity. Each entry should be considered a “final” and not a “teaching/learning” activity.

5. Fair Use

In entering my works into Reno Film Festival X – The Biggest Little Student Film Festival in the World, producers agree to adhere by the Festival requirements delineated in this document and represents that they own all proprietary rights to the program submitted and that the entrant has secured the rights, licenses, clearances and releases necessary for exhibition of the work, so that the Festival or its representatives will not be obligated to make any payment to any third party, and that the exhibition will not infringe or violate the rights of any firm, person, or corporation.

Entrants shall indemnify, defend and hold the Festival and its representatives harmless from and against any and all claims, damages, cost, liabilities and expenses which may be incurred by reason of any breech of these representations, or arising out of any matter contained in the entry or otherwise by the Festival’s use of the entry. Entrants hereby grants to the Festival all rights to exhibit the work, including but not limited to, use in conjunction with promotion of the Festival.

In submitting a work, the entrant acknowledges all Festival rules and further acknowledges the authority and final word of the Panel of Judges and Festival Staff.
• FFX reserves the right to determine eligibility of any project submitted.

• For purposes of submission, all copies must be submitted as outlined above. Submissions without accompanying Entry Form will not be considered for screening or award.

• FFX reserves the right to promotional use of all submitted materials and will be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed mailing package and postage.

• By signing the entry document, you acknowledge FFX’s right to copy any submitted material, and to utilize your performance and image for FFX’s non-commercial use.
6. General
Family, friends, crew are invited to the public Screening and Awards Presentation. *Registered participants must check in with staff at the screening and awards event May 16 at the Reno Public Market - 6:00-9:00pm. (no entry fee)
*Submitting qualified entries, including the entry form (for videos) by the deadline of April 16 = registered participant.

• Entries are to be made by no more than two people listed as Director or Producer. Potential prizes and trophies cannot always account for co-entrants and entrants are responsible for determining the award allocation.