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CIFFA Submission Guidelines & Rules 

1. Eligibility: All submitted content must have been created within 12 months of the submission date.
2. Commercial Release: Submitted films must not have been commercially released prior to the festival screening.
3. Submission Platform: All entries must be submitted via FilmFreeway. No physical discs (CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays) will be accepted. Entrants will upload an ONLINE digital version of their film for viewing consideration.
4. Completion Requirement: Works-in-progress will not be accepted. Submissions must be final and complete.
5. Content Restrictions: Pornographic content is strictly prohibited.
6. Screening Rights: By submitting, filmmakers confirm they own all rights to their work, including music and intellectual property.
7. Language Requirements: Films that are in languages other than English, must have English subtitles.
8. Judging & Selection: Judges will have access to all submissions and will vote privately. Selections will be made without offering semi-finalist or finalist distinctions. Films will be categorized as Selected or Not Selected.
9. Premiere Status: CIFFA does not require a premiere status. Films that have screened at other festivals are still eligible.
10. Selected Films: Selected Films will provided a 30-60 second excerpt for promotional purposes.
11. Technical Requirements: Selected films must meet industry-standard audio and video specifications for theatrical screenings. Any necessary format conversions may be subject to additional fees.
12. Marketing & Promotion: The festival reserves the right to use submitted materials, including film excerpts and trailers, for promotional purposes.
13. Liability & Legal Clearances: The filmmaker or submitting entity confirms they have obtained all necessary rights and clearances. CIFFA is not responsible for any copyright, trademark, or legal disputes related to submitted films.
14. Festival Schedule: Once a film has been selected and scheduled, it cannot be withdrawn from the festival lineup.
15. Exceptions: Any exceptions to these rules must be approved by the festival’s Board of Directors.
16. Please upload a poster; a trailer; three or more high resolution production stills; a log-line and short (1-2 sentence) synopsis; along with the director's full name, biography and contact information (email address AND phone number required). Notices & important info are sent through Film Freeway, so please use a primary email. The phone number is only used if you are not responding to email.
17. All Official Selections for CIFFA need their film to be in DCP format, which is required for screening.