Rules for Participation

 

1. Dates and Venue
The American Student Film Festival will take place in September 2019. The category winners (see 8.) will be announced at the Awards Ceremony. The venue for 2019 will be the Alamo Drafthouse in Tempe, AZ.

 

2. Competition
The Festival reserves the right to place entries into alternative categories if they feel it is to the benefit of the title. Each submission must be entered separately. Entries will be assessed and successful submissions will be programmed for screening and enter the Festival competition. Failure to submit a screener copy four weeks prior to the festival will rule out eligibility for an award. If your films is selected we reserve the right to show your film at a time and date of our choosing.

 

3. Formats
For films, online screeners are the only acceptable format for the selection process. 
For screenplay submissions the acceptable format is .PDF via FilmFreeway.
Successful submissions that are granted a screening will need to supply a .mov file at least 21 days before the date of the screening.
Please note, we do not accept films shot in 4:3 unless the filmmaker has reformatted it to 16:9.
Final date for submissions is as dictated on FilmFreeway.

4. Selection
The Festival is organized by a committee. The festival committee reserve the right to invite films for the competition and programme. Screening schedule will be announced after the final submission deadline. The final award winning entries will be selected by a festival jury and audience votes. Award winners will be notified within 14 days of the festival screenings.

 

5. Entry Returns
We do not return submission entries.

 

6. Screenings
It is the responsibility of the entrant to ensure that films for screening are deposited with the festival organisers at least 21 days before any scheduled screening.

 

7. Publicity 
We reserve the right to use extracts from submissions for festival publicity and marketing purposes. Press kits are not required, but are useful, so please feel free to send these with your submissions.

 

8. Categories
Arizona Filmmaker, Short Film, Short Documentary, Short Animation, Music Video and New Screenplay. Please note that if we do not receive enough acceptable submissions for each category, we will merge them e.g. music videos will be moved into short films. 

 

All films entered must have been produced or directed by a student at the time of filming. 

Films from all years are considered, regardless of completion date. 

International submissions are accepted.

 

Awards
* Best Short Film 
* Best Music Video 
* Best Documentary 
* Best Director 
* Best Music 
* Best Actor 
* Best Actress 
* Best Animation 
* Best New Screenplay

 

Awards may be subject to change at the discretion of the Film Festival Committee.

 

9. Submission, Selection for Screening, Awards and VOTING
There are 3 distinct stages. Submission, screenings and awards. The administrators' decision is final.