FAQ

Food and drink rules are set by each venue and may also be affected by licensing, safety or screening conditions. Check with the venue on the day. Alcohol may only be consumed in licensed areas, and illegal substances are strictly prohibited. Anyone who appears significantly intoxicated may be refused entry or removed as the discretion of the venue.

Where possible, we aim to hold Q&A sessions after selected screenings. These sessions depend on the festival schedule and available time, so we cannot guarantee that every film will have a Q&A or that every member of a filmmaking team will be able to take part. If you plan to attend the festival, please complete the RSVP so we know you’ll be there. This helps us plan Q&A sessions and make the best use of the time available.

For the purposes of the festival, we consider a filmmaker to be anyone who has made a recognised creative contribution to the film. This includes, but is not limited to, directors, producers, writers, cinematographers, editors, composers, actors and other credited members of the creative team. We do our best to accommodate everyone who wishes to participate, but the number of participants on stage may be limited by venue capacity, scheduling and time constraints.

Award categories may change between editions and may be added, amended or removed at the Festival’s discretion. Some recognitions may be non-competitive, and the existence of a category does not guarantee that an award will be presented.

The current awards timeline is shown below:

Official categories and eligibility information will be announced through Festival channels.

All nominated films and award winners are selected through the festival’s judging process. Our judges assess each film on its own merits and are required to declare any conflicts of interest and keep the judging process confidential. Every effort is made to ensure the judging process is fair, impartial and consistent across all award categories. The judges’ decisions, including nominations and award winners, are final and cannot be appealed. As judging is confidential, we are unable to provide individual feedback or scoring for award decisions.

The main Festival nominations announcement is scheduled for [fm_edition_date key=”nominations_announcement”]. The detailed awards workflow, including configured nominee and winner dates, appears below:

Only official Festival channels should be relied upon for confirmed results.

All films must be submitted through the Festival’s official FilmFreeway listing. Create or sign in to your FilmFreeway account, select the appropriate category, provide a working screener and complete the required entry information. FilmFreeway is a third-party service operating under its own terms and privacy policy. By submitting, you also confirm that you have read and accepted the Festival’s Submission Terms and that you are authorised to enter the film.

By submitting, you permit the Festival to use supplied excerpts, trailers, stills, posters, descriptions, credits and press-kit materials for non-commercial Festival promotion, programmes, press activity, social media, documentation and archives. The materials will not be sold or commercially licensed without further consent. Ensure everything supplied is cleared for these uses.

Your film can only be viewed by people involved in the festival’s submission, selection and licensing process. This may include our submissions team, programmers, judges, authorised festival staff, the cinema hosting festival screenings, and, where required, licensing authorities such as the local council. Everyone with access to your film is required to keep it confidential and follow our Anti-Piracy Policy. They must not copy, download or share your film or submission materials without permission. We will not share your submission with anyone else unless you have given permission or we are required to do so by law.

If your film is selected, we’ll contact you with the next steps and begin the festival onboarding process. We’ll create your official film page on the festival website and provide you with access to your Filmmaker Portal. Through the portal, you can update your film information, confirm attendance, upload screening materials, submit press information and complete any required festival forms.

If you’ve previously screened a film with us, we’ll link your new film page to your existing filmmaker account. Throughout the onboarding process, we’ll keep you informed by email with important updates, deadlines and everything you need to prepare for the festival.

Attendance is not required for a film to receive official recognition, a nomination or an award. A selected film may be screened without the filmmaker being present, provided all acceptance and delivery requirements are completed. If a filmmaker RSVP’s in time they will be offered the opportunity for a Live Q&A or discussion, the Festival will confirm the details once RSVP is received from all intending to partake.

Where possible, we aim to hold Q&A sessions after selected screenings. These sessions depend on the festival schedule and available time, so we cannot guarantee that every film will have a Q&A or that every member of a filmmaking team will be able to take part. If you plan to attend the festival, please complete the RSVP so we know you’ll be there. This helps us plan Q&A sessions and make the best use of the time available.

For the purposes of the festival, we consider a filmmaker to be anyone who has made a recognised creative contribution to the film. This includes, but is not limited to, directors, producers, writers, cinematographers, editors, composers, actors and other credited members of the creative team. We do our best to accommodate everyone who wishes to participate, but the number of participants on stage may be limited by venue capacity, scheduling and time constraints.

Award categories may change between editions and may be added, amended or removed at the Festival’s discretion. Some recognitions may be non-competitive, and the existence of a category does not guarantee that an award will be presented.

The current awards timeline is shown below:

Official categories and eligibility information will be announced through Festival channels.

All nominated films and award winners are selected through the festival’s judging process. Our judges assess each film on its own merits and are required to declare any conflicts of interest and keep the judging process confidential. Every effort is made to ensure the judging process is fair, impartial and consistent across all award categories. The judges’ decisions, including nominations and award winners, are final and cannot be appealed. As judging is confidential, we are unable to provide individual feedback or scoring for award decisions.

The main Festival nominations announcement is scheduled for [fm_edition_date key=”nominations_announcement”]. The detailed awards workflow, including configured nominee and winner dates, appears below:

Only official Festival channels should be relied upon for confirmed results.

No. Attendance is not guaranteed or required in order to receive a nomination, award or other official recognition. Awards may be presented in person, online or through another format. Where a physical award is offered, shipping may not be included, costs may apply, and the Festival is not liable for loss or damage after dispatch.

The Festival logo is protected and may only be used with our written permission. If you would like to use our branding, please refer to our Branding Guidelines or contact the festival team before using the logo.

If your film has been officially selected, nominated or received an award, we encourage you to use the official festival laurels provided by us. Our official laurels are supplied exclusively to recognised filmmakers and accredited media for use in promoting their participation in the festival.

Festival logos and laurels must not be altered and should always be used in accordance with our Branding Guidelines.

The main Festival nominations announcement is scheduled for [fm_edition_date key=”nominations_announcement”]. The detailed awards workflow, including configured nominee and winner dates, appears below:

Only official Festival channels should be relied upon for confirmed results.

The Festival logo is protected and may only be used with our written permission. If you would like to use our branding, please refer to our Branding Guidelines or contact the festival team before using the logo.

If your film has been officially selected, nominated or received an award, we encourage you to use the official festival laurels provided by us. Our official laurels are supplied exclusively to recognised filmmakers and accredited media for use in promoting their participation in the festival.

Festival logos and laurels must not be altered and should always be used in accordance with our Branding Guidelines.

If you’re interested in covering the festival, please complete our media accreditation application or contact our press team. We’ll ask for information such as your name, media outlet, professional role, the type of coverage you plan to provide, and examples of your previous work.

All members of the press are welcome to use our general press areas during the festival. However, if you would like access to embargoed announcements, press releases, media assets and other accredited media benefits, you will need to apply for festival media accreditation.

Media accreditation is granted at the festival’s discretion and is not guaranteed. Accreditation is issued to an individual, is non-transferable, and may be suspended or revoked in accordance with the Festival’s Media Accreditation Guidelines.

The Festival logo is protected and may only be used with our written permission. If you would like to use our branding, please refer to our Branding Guidelines or contact the festival team before using the logo.

If your film has been officially selected, nominated or received an award, we encourage you to use the official festival laurels provided by us. Our official laurels are supplied exclusively to recognised filmmakers and accredited media for use in promoting their participation in the festival.

Festival logos and laurels must not be altered and should always be used in accordance with our Branding Guidelines.