MIFF 2011 DATES

The 60th Melbourne International Film Festival will be held from Thursday 21 July to Sunday 7 August 2011.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

These guidelines are for the submission of both short and feature films

Early bird entries open Monday 11 October 2010. Early bird entries close Friday 26 November 2010

Early bird entry fees:

Shorts AUD$65                                   

Features AUD$75

Regular entries open Saturday 27 November 2010. Regular entries close Friday 18 March 2011

Regular entry fees:

Shorts AUD$70

Features AUD$80

Late entries open Saturday 19 March 2011. Late entries close Thursday 31 March 2011, 5pm AEST

Late entry fees:

Shorts AUD$90

Features AUD$100

In order to be eligible for preview, the entry must be post-marked on or before the deadline date.
These entry deadlines apply to the receipt of entry fee, preview DVD and entry form.

MIFF accepts Short and Feature fiction, animation, documentary and experimental films.

Note – Definition of Short and Feature:
A film is considered a Short if it is 30 minutes or less
A film is considered a Feature for entry and categorisation purposes if it is 31 minutes or more

Preview Screener formats:
MIFF can only accept DVDs as submissions.  Please ensure your DVD is playable and is suitably protected in transit. You must include the automated response email that you will receive once you have correctly entered your film online with the DVD.

Eligibility requirements:
To be eligible for consideration, all films must meet the following requirements:

• Films must be available in one of the following formats if selected to screen at MIFF2010:
  • 35mm
  • 16mm
  • Digital Betacam PAL
  • Digital Betacam NTSC
  • Betacam SP PAL
  • Betacam SP NTSC

(we DO NOT screen from HD CAM SR)

Please advise us if your film is in another format.

• Films must have been completed after 11 January 2010.
• Films must NOT have been/will not be screened commercially in the state of Victoria, Australia, in any form or duration prior to September 9, 2011. 
  • Private cast and crew screenings are excepted. Cast and crew screenings must have less than 100 seating capacity.
  • Films broadcast on Australian television (free-to-air, Pay TV or via the web); or released on home video/DVD, for sale or rental, prior to September 9, 2011 are ineligible for entry
  • Films broadcast on the internet in any capacity prior to September 9, 2011 are ineligible for entry
• Films must be in their original language, with English subtitles if the original language is not English.
• Films 30 minutes or less may be eligible for entry in the MIFF Shorts Awards. ***Please refer to the Short Film Competition Regulations (below)

NB: The Festival reserves the right to program films completed prior to 11 January 2010 or that have screened in Victoria prior to the 2011 Festival.  These films will be screened out of competition.

Entry Fee:
Only entries accompanied by the correct entry fee by the closing date will be accepted.

• Payments must be made in Australian currency.
• Entry fee is payable by credit card (Mastercard or Visa) only.
• Entry fees are as follows:
  • Early bird:       Shorts AUD$65, Features AUD$75
  • Regular:       Shorts AUD$70, Features AUD$80
  • Late:       Shorts AUD$90, Features AUD$100
• Films submitted without payment and receipt WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED
• By accepting these regulations you understand the entry fee cannot be refunded

Submission materials:
Please include the following materials with your submission:

• One DVD per submitted film, with the DVD clearly labelled with film title, director and run time.  MIFF will NOT accept compilation DVDs (more than one film on a DVD).
• A printout of the automated email response you will receive after successful completion of the entry process.
• Should you be informed directly that your film has been selected, you will be required to submit extensive publicity materials.  Please do not include publicity materials with your submission, as MIFF cannot manage or return them.
• Preview DVDs and materials will NOT be returned.

Selection:
Festival programmers select and invite all films presented at MIFF.  All entrants will be notified of the Festival’s programming decisions by email by mid-June 2011.  Please ensure the email you have supplied is active and in working order.   

MIFF’s selection decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into.  We do not provide critical analysis or feedback.

Shipping and Customs:
MIFF will not pay freight or customs charges for preview tapes or DVDs.  MIFF will only pay the in-bound freight and customs charges for prints invited to the festival. 

Insurance:
MIFF will only insure prints of films invited to the festival, for the duration of their stay in Australia and during return transit to the entrant or to a following engagement.

Screenings:
MIFF abides not to hold any more than three (3) screenings of any film.

SHORT FILM COMPETITION REGULATIONS

MIFF is an Academy® accredited festival.  The winners of the following awards are eligible to enter the Oscars® competition – Grand Prix, Best Fiction, Best Animation and Best Experimental.

The Festival Executive Director and Short Films Coordinator will select films from the official competition program to be submitted to the Short Film Awards Jury.  The shortlisted films will not be made public.

The Short Film Jury
The MIFF Shorts Awards are adjudicated by the MIFF Short Film Jury, consisting of at least three Australian (and/or international) film industry professionals with no connection to any of the films presented in the short competition program of the festival.
The Jury’s processes, discussions and deliberations are strictly confidential and no discussion will be entered into regarding their decisions.

MIFF Short Film Awards
The award winners will be announced during the MIFF Shorts Awards Ceremony during the festival.
The short films competition are competing for the following prizes:

Grand Prix for Best Short Film (Academy Accredited Award)
Award for Best Australian Short Film
Award for Emerging Australian Filmmaker
Award for Best Fiction Short Film (Academy Accredited Award)
Award for Best Animation Short Film (Academy Accredited Award)
Award for Best Documentary Short Film
Award for Best Experimental Short Film (Academy Accredited Award)

 The prizes are subject to change at the festival discretion and will be announced in the festival program.

Contact DETAILS

Email: submissions@melbournefilmfestival.com.au

Postal address:

GPO Box 4982, Melbourne, 3001, VIC, AUSTRALIA

Street address:

Level 5, 225 Bourke Street
Melbourne, VIC 3000
AUSTRALIA

T: (+613) (03) 8660 4888
F: (+613) (03) 9654 2561