Film Submission Guidelines
Format and Submission Platform
All films must be submitted in the form of a digital screener. Format should be H.264 | 1080p unless otherwise arranged with festival organizers. (H.265 is also acceptable).
Starting in 2025 film submissions will processed and accepted through our new platform, Bizzabo.
Film Categories:
Only student films are eligible for in-competition screening. When submitting you should submit to one of the following categories, though the festival team may, at its discretion choose to accept your film into a different category than the one you submitted to.
The categories are:
• Dramatic Short (includes comedic films)
• Documentary Short
• Art/Experimental Short (includes animated films)
• High School Short
Submission Deadline
Deadline to submit a film: March 11, 2025, 11:59 p.m. PT
Due to the low cost of film submissions and festival passes, we unfortunately cannot offer free festival passes to filmmakers. Please register for a festival pass to attend.
Award Eligibility:
Only nominees selected by the jury from Official Selection films will be eligible for an award. All Official Selections are eligible for the Audience Choice Award.
Additional Awards:
In addition to the best in category awards, the jury may, at its discretion, choose to award one or more special jury awards to films. The Audience Choice award will be chosen based on audience survey scores.
Not-In-Competition Screenings
A select number of not-in-competition student and professional films are featured each year for exposure and acknowledgment of their work, mentoring purposes, and professional networking opportunities.
In-Competition Requirements
The following requirements, in addition to the subjective judging process, must be met for a film to qualify as in-competition:
1. Film must have been completed after January 1, the year before the festival.
2. Filmmaker must have clearance and permission to use all copyright protected music and any images used in the film.
3. Films must have been completed while filmmaker was a student at a recognized educational institution. No paid commercial, theatrical, or TV releases will be accepted for competition.
4. Sonscreen requires that the production role of Producer or Director be filled by a student, with at least a 70% student crew. Other creative roles may be filled at the discretion of the filmmakers. We encourage the collaboration of students and professionals to increase the educational benefits and production value of the projects. Festival director, in consultation with relevant professors, will make a decision that is the most fair to all films and filmmakers in competition.
5. Movies submitted to the Sonscreen Film Festival must uphold the values of the festival, portraying uplifting themes and refraining from displaying:
• Offensive language
• Nudity or sexually explicit scenes
6. Films must not exceed 30 minutes in length, including credits.
7. All films submitted must be in English, subtitled in English, or dubbed in English.
8. If submitting multiple films for competition, a separate entry form and additional entry fee must be
submitted for each film.
Screenings and Attendance
Filmmaker Attendance:
Recognizing that it is financially challenging for students to travel, Sonscreen encourages filmmakers to attend the festival. To this end, we will provide financial assistance to educational institutions, by request, so filmmakers may attend. Sonscreen Film Festival is unable to provide direct financial compensation to attendees for travel expenses or additional expenses incurred during the festival.
Publicity and Marketing:
Films submitted may be excerpted for publicity purposes with explicit permission from the submitter. Sonscreen Film Festival reserves the right to market the festival or parent organization in print, broadcast, or internet media using submitted films with permission.
Theatrical and Event Screenings:
By submitting your project to Sonscreen Film Festival, the filmmaker grants non-exclusive rights to showcase their film during the festival in as many screenings as required. In addition, Sonscreen retains non-exclusive rights to repeat films for the purpose of marketing and promotion after the end of the festival.
Internet Broadcast:
If filmmakers give permission, Sonscreen may make films screened at the
Sonscreen Film Festival available for non-commercial Internet broadcast
on the Sonscreen Film Festival website. Filmmakers have the ability to opt
in or out of this program when during the submission process.
THE SONSCREEN FILM FESTIVAL RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REMOVE A FILM FROM THE FESTIVAL PROGRAM FOR ANY REASON OR FOR NO REASON AND SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY REFUND OR CLAIMS OF ANY KIND ARISING OUT OF SUCH REMOVAL.