Keswick Film Festival

Osprey Submission Guidelines 2017

The Keswick Film Festival is held annually in Keswick, Cumbria, England. The festival started in 1999, initially as part of the Keswick Film Club spring season. Both organisations are still dedicated to bringing the best of world cinema to audiences in and around Keswick. The Keswick Film Festival is seeking submissions for its Osprey Short Film Award for the next festival to be held from Thursday 16th to Sunday 19th February 2017.

This year we are accepting short films with a connection to Cumbria or Keswick Film Festival.

There are two categories of entry:

  • An open category for all types and ages of film maker.
  • A young person category for film makers 18 years and under.

The Keswick Film Festival committee will appoint a judging panel who will decide on a short list to be screened and winners in each age category. All short listed film makers will be emailed confirmation and invited to the screening in Keswick. At the screening the winners will be announced and awards presented.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Films must have been completed after 31st December 2015.
  • Films should be no more than 10 minutes long.
  • The film must be available to view online via a public, unlisted or password protected link.
    • This link will be shared amongst the judging panel.
    • If your video is password protected you must provide the password which will also be shared amongst the judging panel.
    • We recommend using Vimeo or YouTube.
    • We cannot accept videos which can only be viewed by a named user, e.g. "Only People I Choose" in Vimeo, or "Private" in YouTube.
  • The films should be suitable for an English language audience. Non-English language films should carry English subtitles.
  • The film should be completed. Rough-cuts or works-in-progress will not be accepted.
  • The short film must have a significant connection to Cumbria or Keswick Film Festival.
  • A typical connection to be considered might be:
    • A key member of the production team or cast
      • was born or currently resides in Cumbria.
      • has previously attended Keswick Film Festival.
    • The film production company is based in Cumbria.
    • It was filmed on location in Cumbria
    • The subject matter of the film is relevant to Cumbria or Keswick Film Festival
  • It is at the discretion of the judging panel to decide whether the film has a significant enough connection to Cumbria or Keswick Film Festival to be considered a suitable short film for entry.

Deadlines

All submissions must be received and entry fees paid by Sunday 1st January 2017

Entry Fees

  • Young Category: £5
  • Open Category: £10

Guidelines for Submission

The submission process is made up of 3 stages:

  1. Complete the online submission form.
    • You will receive a submission reference code.
    • You will receive email confirmation of your submission.
  2. Send the required entry fee (£5 for the Young category, £10 for the Open category).
    • Cheques should be made payable to Keswick Film Club (not Keswick Film Festival)
    • Please post the cheques to the address below including your name, the film name and your submission reference code.
    • Alternatively, after submission, instructions will be provided on how to make the payment via a bank transfer.
  3. If your film is shortlisted you will be notified by email and asked to provide the following:
    • A physical copy (DVD/Blu-Ray) of your film for exhibition (other formats may be acceptable)
    • Any additional promotional materials to use on the internet and at the event
    • If you wish the copies of the film to be returned please include a stamped self addressed envelope. If not the copy will be held in the Keswick Film Festival/Club archive.

Please send any submission materials to the following address:

  • Ospreys 2017
  • Keswick Film Festival
  • The Alhambra Cinema
  • St Johns Street
  • Keswick
  • Cumbria
  • CA12 5AG

Terms & Conditions

  • The judging panel's decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the decisions made.
  • The judging panel can withhold any prize if, in their opinion, no entry is of sufficient quality or if they feel that there are not enough entries to create a short list for screening at the festival.
  • By entering a film the film makers agree for their work to be publicly screened at the 18th Keswick Film Festival one or more times without any financial remuneration.
  • Permission will be sought from the film maker for any subsequent desire of the Keswick Film Festival or Keswick Film Club to screen the short film in the future.
  • By entering their film the film-makers agree for any part of their film and any images or material submitted with the film to be used by Keswick Film Festival or Keswick Film Club for the purpose of publicising the Keswick Film Festival and/or Osprey Short Film Awards, either before or after the festival.
  • Keswick Film Festival will accept no responsibility for any damage, loss or theft of the film copy whilst it is in the possession of the Keswick Film Festival. It is the responsibility of the submitter to keep a copy of the film. It is also the responsibility of the submitter to provide adequate insurance for the submitted copy if necessary.
  • The delivery and return costs of the submission will be borne by the person submitting.
  • Submissions received which do not adhere to the guidelines for submission or eligibility criteria will not be considered.
  • From a legal standpoint, you must clear all trademarked and/or copyrighted materials included in your project before you can exhibit it publicly. However, we does not check to ensure that you have obtained clearance for these materials at any point during the application process, nor will we be held responsible for any inclusion of uncleared trademarked or copyrighted materials in your project. It is the sole responsibility of the entity submitting the project to secure permission from the trademark or copyright holders of the material in question, whether it is music, stock footage, or any other elements that could violate an existing trademark or copyright.

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