TERMS & CONDITIONS

By submitting you are accepting the Trailer Festival terms & conditions, as below.

No refunds.

Material will not be returned.

Submissions must be an original work of the writing/filmmaking team and not based on, in whole or in part, another author's work.

The submitter must have the authority to offer their project to the Trailer Festival.

Submissions may not be under option at the time of entry nor at the time the material is screened.  If said script/film has been optioned or sold during the selection process, the submitter must inform The Trailer Festival so that their submission can be removed.

The Trailer Festival does not receive commission for sales but requests a photograph and quote from all filmmakers who sell their work through the festival.  We also request a 'With Thanks to The Trailer Festival' on the credits of distributed projects.

If your trailer is selected, you agree to upload it to the Online Screening Room within one week of the requested date and to make any required cuts to the trailer, including film credits.  

If your trailer is also selected for the Trailer Showcase, you agree to let your project be screened at this event and to supply a copy of the trailer in the requested format within 14 days.

When your DVD or script is requested by the industry, you agree to follow all instructions explicitly and to respond within two weeks.  

The distribution rights available for your project must include North America. 

The Trailer Festival reserves the right to deselect a trailer should the filmmaker not deliver any requested material on time or for any other valid reason. 

The Trailer Festival reserves the right to include selected trailers either in the festival and/or in the Online Screening Room.  

Filmmakers can request to have their trailer removed from the Online Screening Room at any time, but once trailers have been edited for the showcase, the Trailer Festival reserves the right to include them.

All decisions made by The Trailer Festival before, during and after the festival, are final. 

Trailers can be submitted through a link on YouTube or a DVD via mail.

You must use the email address you submit with for all your dealings with the Trailer Festival.  

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What formats and genres do you accept trailers for?
Do you accept scripts that have no trailer? 
How long should trailers be?
How do trailers get selected? 
How many trailers will be selected?
Why do you only accept links on YouTube or DVDs? 
What format can I send my DVD in? 
What happens if I don't have an online credit card or bank account?
When will I know if my trailer has been accepted? 
Are all the selected trailers screened at the event?
Do you screen the 25 that get the most votes?
If my trailer gets selected for the event, will I be able to attend? 
Do I retain all rights to my project?
Why don't you publish the venue of the festival?
I produced my trailer a few years ago. Is it too old?
I have distribution for my film in Europe. Can I still submit?
I have self-distributed my film online. Can I still submit? 
I do not have clearance for the music rights and/or footage. Can I still submit?
Can I send my trailer to you so you can let me know what you think?
My short film is three minutes long. Do I have to cut a trailer?
What kind of TV shows do you accept trailers for?
Why don't you let filmmakers know if they have not been successful?
Do you accept webisodes?
I have spent a lot of money on making my film. Would it be possible to have the submission fee waived?
If I submit more than one trailer, can I have a discount?
If my trailer is in a foreign language and has no sub-titles, can I still submit?
Do you accept trailers for films that are in production?
I have a star attached. Will this help me get into the festival? 
Can I view the trailers from last year's festival?
Why haven't you got a fancy website?


ANSWERS

What formats and genres do you accept trailers for?
 Completed films, TV shows, shorts and scripts.  We accept all genres, including documentaries.  

Do you accept scripts that have no trailer? 
 Yes, we accept screenplays and pilot scripts for TV shows.  

How long should trailers be?
 We will accept trailers up to 4 minutes in length but if selected we will ask you to cut to 3 minutes. Trailers work best between 1.30 mins and 2.30 mins.

How do trailers get selected? 
 9 people watch the trailers and vote yes, no or maybe. The only criteria for voting is 'do you want to see more of this?'

How many trailers will be selected?
 If a trailer gets three 'yes' votes it will be included, as we can increase the size of our online screening room to accommodate as many as we see fit.  If we get 100 this year we will be thrilled.                                                  

Why do you only accept submissions on YouTube links or DVDs? 
 During the submission process of our first festival we spent weeks chasing up filmmakers because only half the links worked.  The second year we used Open Film and this had just as many  problems.  So this year we are using YouTube only as we know the links work every time.  If you send us a link on Vimeo we will watch it, but please be aware Vimeo links stop to buffer the first time they are watched on a computer.  If your trailer is accepted into the festival, you can send the latest cut of your trailer, which doesn't have to be the one you have on YouTube.    
 
 
What format can I send my DVD in? 
 NTSC.

What happens if I don't have an online credit card or bank account?
 We only accept online payments.

When will I know if my trailer has been accepted? 
 The successful filmmakers will be contacted during the first two weeks of August, 2012.      
Are all the selected trailers screened at the event?
 No. Only 25 trailers will be screened at the event but they will all go into the online screening room.

Do you screen the 25 that get the most votes?
 No, we screen a selection from each genre.

If my trailer gets selected for the event, will I be able to attend? 
  No. Every seat is reserved for a prospective buyer.

Do I retain all rights to my project?
 Yes.

Why don't you publish the venue of the festival?
 The first year we booked the ICM screening room but had to change venues because filmmakers were calling ICM to find out when it was.

I produced my trailer a few years ago. Is it too old?
 It does not matter when you produced your trailer or what genre it is.  If it's good, we want to watch it.  

I have distribution for my film in Europe. Can I still submit?
 Yes. As long as it does not have US distribution, it is eligible.

I have self-distributed my film online. Can I still submit? 
 No. If the film can be purchased online, distributors are no longer interested. 

I do not have clearance for the music rights and/or footage. Can I still submit?
 Yes.

Can I send my trailer to you so you can let me know what you think?
 No, we don't review trailers outside of the submission process.

My short film is three minutes long. Do I have to cut a trailer?
 No, we will accept the entire piece. A trailer for this would probably be about 30 secs, which would be difficult to review.

What kind of TV shows do you accept trailers for?
 Thirty and sixty minute TV pilots, including Reality. We do not accept trailers for existing shows.   

Why don't you let filmmakers know if they have not been successful?
 We did this for the first 2 years, and also gave feedback, but all too often ended up having dialogue with filmmakers who did not agree with our decision.   .  

Do you accept trailers for webisodes?
 Yes, as long is it is for a longer format eg a TV show.   

I have spent a lot of money on making my film. Would it be possible to have the submission fee waived?
 Unfortunately, because the audience at our event is exclusively industry, we don't have the benefit of ticket sales.  We already run at a loss and are therefore unable to waiver fees.

If I submit more than one trailer, can I have a discount?
 No. We incur the same costs for each trailer so the fee is the same.

If my trailer is in a foreign language and has no sub-titles, can I still submit?
 No, you must have English sub-titles.

Do you accept trailers for films that are in production?
 Yes, we have a separate category for these as we have companies who are looking for projects that require finishing funds. 

I have a star attached. Will this help me get into the festival? 
 No, all trailers are judged on merit, but if you get accepted, this will help to sell it.

Can I view the trailers from last year's festival?
 No, only the film industry are given access to the Online Screening Room.
 
Why haven't you got a fancy website?
 Because every year so far we've lost money!.