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2008 Festival Submissions

• Mission
• Films
• Eligibility
• Deadlines & Fees
• Entry Form and Previews
• Selection Process
• Schedule
• Screening Formats & Delivery of Prints/Videos
• Insurance & Liability
• Rights and Clearances
• Invitations
• Awards
• Post Festival
• About The Festival
  

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2008 SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

MISSION

Bringing filmmakers and filmgoers together in a community celebration of and conversation about the best cinema obtainable from a worldwide palate of genres and historic periods is the mission of the Port Townsend Film Festival (PTFF), held over a three-day period in late September each year. By providing a platform for independent voices, both contemporary and classic, PTFF engages filmmakers and audiences in a dialogue that brings people together in cultural exploration and understanding.

CALL FOR ENTRIES

The 9th annual Port Townsend Film Festival (PTFF) will be held September 26-28, 2008. PTFF is a participating Festival of the online submissions service WithoutABox and entries must be submitted through WithoutABox at www.WithoutABox.com.  The service is free (you still have to pay the entry fee); if you are a member of WithoutABox, you will receive a $5.00 discount on the entry fee. Please submit here once you've read the Submission Rules below and are ready.

1. FILMS

We’re looking for anything and everything, which of course is no help to you at all, so let me try to narrow our determined eclecticism into something manageable. We re looking for:
    •     First feature-length narrative films and most likely we will select at least three for special presentation as we have the past four years;
    •     Documentaries with varying, but often-topical subject matter;
    •     Shorts in any genre (we tend to group shorts in two-hour long thematic presentations, the subjects of which aren't determined until we receive all the films);

We encourage all filmmakers who are considering a submission to the Port Townsend Film Festival to go to our archives section to review what we've accepted the last couple of years. 

2. ELIGIBILITY

Language. An eligible entry must have significant dialogue or narration in English or the film must have English subtitles.

Formats. 

• Preview formats. Films submitted to the Port Townsend Film Festival should be either DVDs or VHS tapes, preferably formatted for NTSC.
• Exhibition formats. If your film is accepted, please note that PTFF can screen only the following screening formats: 35mm and either BetaSP or Digibeta. Videos must use NTSC format. If you cannot provide one of the above screening formats, you should inquire before submitting.

Length. PTFF distinguishes between a short, short feature and feature as follows:

• Short. A film/video less than 30 minutes in duration.
• Short Feature. A film/video between 30 and 60 minutes in length.
• Feature. A film/video more than 60 minutes in duration.

3. DEADLINES & FEES

• Early Deadline. January 31 -- $25.00 for features, $15.00 for shorts and short features. Entries postmarked after February 15, 2008 will be charged the Regular Entry Fee.
• Regular Deadline. February 29 -- $35.00 for features, $25.00 for shorts and short features. Entries postmarked after March 15, 2008 will be charged the Late Entry Fee.
• Late Deadline. March 15 -- $45.00 for features, $35.00 for shorts and short features. Entries Postmarked after March 30, 2008 will be charged the Absolute Final Deadline Fee.
  
• Absolute Final Deadline. March 31 -- $60 for features, $50 for shorts and short features. Under only rare circumstances will films be accepted after March 31.
  

4. PREVIEWS & ENTRY FORM. Entry forms are available only through www.WithoutABox.com.

To be considered for 2008, PTFF must receive:

• A completed entry form submitted via www.WithoutABox.com.
• Two (2) DVDs or VHS videotapes, NTSC format, of your film/video.
• The required entry fee.
  

Please note, the two preview DVDs/VHS tapes requested are used in the selection process. All postal/shipping expenses to the festival are to be paid by the entrants, as well as all other expenses incurred, such as insurance, etc.

The four staggered submission dates are spread in such a way to prevent their receipt in large numbers, thus causing a bottleneck in the review process. We encourage submitters to mail the two review copies no later than one  week after they have completed and submitted their material online.

Returns. The submitted DVDs and VHS tapes will be returned to the entrants only if you enclose a self-addressed, postage paid envelope at the time of entry. PTFF will not provide shipping envelopes or mailing labels we must receive the addressed envelope with its postage pre-paid in order to return submissions. Submissions most likely will not be returned until after the festival.

5. WAIVERS. Submission fees are waived for filmmakers (producers or directors only) in two cases: (1) those who were either born in or are current residents of Jefferson County, Washington. We make this waiver for filmmakers who can substantiate their residence or birth status because it is part of our mission to encourage locally-based filmmaking. (2) those filmmakers who were previously accepted to an earlier Port Townsend Film Festival. Beyond this exception, it is not the policy of the Port Townsend Film Festival to grant waivers. While we are sympathetic to the financial difficulties and hurdles of all independent filmmakers, we too are a nonprofit organization and, as such, require submission fees to help pay for costs associated with previewing and selecting films.

6. ROUGH CUTS. PTFF strongly encourages filmmakers to submit finished version of their film whenever possible. A film is best received when viewed in its finished form. PTFF will not accept rough cuts as placeholders. Rough cuts circulated among the reviewers and the Selection Committee will be evaluated alongside scores of finished films. We cannot stress enough the importance of making a strong first impression on the Committee. Please contact the Programming Director if you are interested in sending in a rough cut.

7. SELECTION PROCEDURE AND FOLLOW UP. Reviewers and Selection Committee members dedicate hundreds of hours to the selection process that, due to the high quality and number of films submitted, has become more and more challenging and competitive. PTFF's selection process is intended to be respectful of each filmmaker and to honor the passion that surrounds the making of each film.

• The Review Process. Each submitted film will be seen by at least two reviewers. If both agree that it should continue in the process, it will be forwarded to the Selection Committee. If the two reviewers disagree, a third reviewer will make the final determination.
• The Selection Committee. The Selection Committee determines the final set of films and videos that will participate in competition. When a film is selected, the festival will notify ONLY that person who submitted the film. It is the responsibility of the Submitter to disseminate festival information to their filmmaking team.
  
• Notification. Submitters of films accepted into the Festival will be notified when the program is completed, usually in early August. Filmmakers whose work is not chosen will be notified of the Festival's decision at the end of August. It is the filmmaker's responsibility to notify the Festival of any change in email, phone, or postal address.  
• Festival Preparation. Once a film is accepted, the following required materials must be received no later than August 30, 2008.
  1. One additional VHS or DVD copy of the film, updated contact information, premiere, and print source information;
  2. Return address for print/video after the festival;
  3. Press kit;
  4. Marketing materials (posters, flyers, postcards);
  5. Signed Filmmaker Agreement Authorizations.

After selection of a film for festival screening, PTFF has the right to:

• Use up to three minutes from the film for publicity and broadcasting purposes, on PTFF related websites or in theatres;
• Use the submitted publicity material (EPK, press books, posters, stills etc.) to promote the festival;
• Screen the film up to three times during the festival;
• Keep the DVDs/VHS tapes of the accepted film in its archive/library for non-circulating reference purposes and for private viewing by PTFF members.

Jury Process. Once films have been selected for competition, another panel of jurors is chosen to determine the awards. Made up of (non-competing) filmmakers, film academicians and historians, exhibitors, and movie buffs all from the Olympic and Kitsap Peninsulas, a separate jury is convened for each of the six categories. If there are fewer than five films in each category, the jurors may choose to not issue an award. Each jury is asked to prepare a 50-word statement about why the film was chosen. The statement along with the result is placed in an envelope that is not opened until the winners are announced at the Saturday night awards presentation.

8. SCHEDULE Once the Selection Committee has determined the films to be included in the 2008 Festival, the accepted films are immediately programmed and promotion of the films begins at once using the information provided by the filmmaker on the entry form. Accepted filmmakers are required to notify the Festival IMMEDIATELY of any changes regarding contact information, premiere status, etc. Although PTFF does not require that the film/video premiere at the Festival or have any exclusive status, the promotion and distribution of the film may be affected by its status at the time of acceptance. Accepted films/videos will be programmed at the Festival's discretion; the screening times and dates cannot be changed unless deemed necessary by the Festival due to technical considerations.

9. SCREENING FORMATS & DELIVERY OF PRINTS/VIDEOS.No later than September 16, 2008 the Festival must have received the screening copies of the selected films. As noted above, PTFF can screen only 35mm and BetaSP NTSC. The screening format is determined by the information you provided on your entry form - PTFF will choose and request a specific format from those you listed on your entry form. Please send the screening format requested - the Festival will have scheduled your film according to the format requested and any change in screening format will cause significant problems. PTFF will contact the Primary Contact about the shipment and the exact shipping address. Shipping charges (including insurance, duties, and all other related expenses) to the Festival are the sole responsibility of the Applicant. The Festival will return the material at the Festival's expense within four weeks after the Festival, or at a mutually-agreed date. All return Federal Express, the Festival’s preferred carrier, will conduct shipping unless otherwise requested. The shipping insurance for shipping films and videos to and from PTFF is entirely the responsibility of the participants.

When a series of five or more short films are screened in a thematic presentation, they most likely will be transferred to a single DVD for projection purposes.

10. INSURANCE & LIABILITY. Upon gaining possession of the films or videos from the shipping company, PTFF shall have no liability and makes no representations or warranties, express or implied. In PTFF's sole discretion, a party may be accorded a refund only of reasonable laboratory expenses for making a new print of the film reel(s) damaged, or, in case of a video, reasonable duplication of the videotape calculated according to the current US laboratory process. In no event will such a refund apply to negatives, positives, or master videotapes. In no event will the Festival be liable for indirect, special or consequential damages (including lost profits), whether based on contract, tort, or any other legal theory. Applicants are responsible for their own insurance. Guests of the Festival are not covered by the Festival insurance. Press kits, photos, videocassettes and (digital) Betacam tapes for publicity purposes and other materials are not included in the limited insurance responsibility.

11. RIGHTS & CLEARANCES. The Festival encourages filmmakers to secure ALL music and talent rights to their films. Eligibility for theatrical screenings outside of the Festival and DVD collections requires that music and talent rights be cleared. We encourage filmmakers to do so in advance of the Festival. Applicant represents and warrants that all materials submitted shall be original work of Applicant (and its employees, if any), and not of any third party. Applicant warrants that it has good and marketable title to the entire submitted work. Applicant shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless PTFF from any and all liability, loss, costs, damage, judgment, or expense (including reasonable attorneys fees) resulting from or arising in any way out of any such claims by any third parties and/or which are based upon, or are the result of any breach of the warranties in this section.

12. INVITATIONS. The Festival encourages filmmakers (e.g. director, producer or actor) to accompany the film to represent it and participate in a Q&A session(s) following the screening(s) to share their experience of making of the film. PTFF will provide free lodging in either a commercial hotel or private home for up to three nights for at least one filmmaker per film. Airfare to and from Port Townsend is not automatically offered, but must be negotiated with each filmmaker. All attending filmmakers will receive free industry passes to the Festival. The Festival must receive notice of ALL filmmaker(s) who will be attending the Festival (regardless of whether or not they will be receiving free passes and lodging) by September 7, 2008.

13. AWARDS. You are submitting to a competitive program. If selected, your film will be eligible for one or more of the following awards:

• Best feature-length narrative film. Cash award: $2,500
• Best feature-length documentary film. Cash award: $2,500
• Best narrative short feature film. Cash award: $1,000
• Best documentary short feature film. Cash award, $1,000
• Best short narrative film. Cash award, $750
• Best short documentary film. Cash award, $750

Awards will be announced at a VIP reception on Saturday night, September 27, 2008. Free tickets are provided to all filmmakers in attendance at the Festival. The winning films will be screened again Sunday afternoon and evening. Awards and prize amounts are subject to change. Final award categories and prizes will be published in the Festival program. The Festival management and juries' decisions are final. Entry and participation of films implies unconditional acceptance of the regulations. In unspecified cases, the Festival management will make a final decision.

14. POST-FESTIVAL Accepted films. Festival award-winners, and curated series films may be included in special programs that feature highlights from the Festival. Arrangements will be made with filmmakers and/or distributors. PTFF requires all accepted filmmakers to include PTFF in their publicity materials: "Official Selection of the Port Townsend Film Festival" or "Award Winner of the Port Townsend Film Festival." The Festival logo will also be provided for such use.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

Established in 1999, the Port Townsend Film Festival (PTFF) was created by four local movie lovers who wanted to re-create the intimate experience of watching and discussing films they enjoyed annually at the Telluride Film Festival. The combination of a memorable setting, quality movies seldom available at multiplexes, informality of presentation and access to filmmakers gave the Colorado festival a sense of community not evident at any other festival any of them had attended.

The motto, Port Townsend Film Festival: A film lover's block party celebrating great films and filmmakers, has served as the guiding principle for the festival since its first event in September 2000.

The Port Townsend Film Festival offers art house fare, foreign-language films, independent films, documentaries, cult films and classics, as well as numerous shorts. Over its eight-year history, the Festival has moved from showcasing mostly invited films to a balance of invited and submitted entries. In its first year, all films were invitational. In 2008, a total of 82 films (features and shorts) were offered in 49 presentations. That's three times the number of films screened the first year. Of that number only 22 were curated, that is, were invited to screen; the remaining 60 were selected from among 225 submissions.

Panel discussions involving filmmakers in conversation with filmgoers were added to the roster in 2004 and the number has since tripled. A short course, “Shaping Reality: An Introduction to the Documentary,” was offered by film arts professor at a nearby college. Four panels were offered in 2007, and for the fourth consecutive year, the NPR weekend program, “West Coast Live!” was broadcast directly from the Festival site and included Festival guests as interviewees.

An estimated 5,520 seats were filled during the 2007 Festival, Films and discussions were presented in five film venues plus a screening room, and a theatre restaurant used for the short course, panel discussions and other Festival events. The unduplicated count of individuals attending the event is estimated at 2,500.

Festival events are centered in historic downtown Port Townsend where a street is closed off in front of our showcase venues, the restored nickelodeon The Rose Theatre, and its newer companion house, the Rosebud Cinema. The closed street is used as an outdoor theater each evening with "family-friendly" films shown on a 35-foot high inflatable screen and seating on straw bales. Additional venues are utilized 350-seat Uptown Theatre and a 75-seat downtown community building located three blocks from the closed street. A card room at the community center is converted into a “drop-in” venue, where films are screened continuously throughout the weekend. Local musicians play on Taylor Street downtown and at the Uptown Theatre in the uptown business district throughout the day.

Each year the festival honors an actor whose films have become part of the canon of classic movies:

• Tony Curtis (2000), Some Like It Hot, Sweet Smell of Success
• Eva Marie Saint (2001), All Fall Down
• Patricia Neal (2002), The Day the Earth Stood Still, Hud
• Shirley Knight (2003), Dutchman
• Jane Powell. (2004), Two Weeks With Love, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
• Debra Winger and Arliss Howard (2005), Big Bad Love
• Malcolm McDowell (2006), A Clockwork Orange, If
• Elliott Gould (2007), California Split, The Touch
  

The Festival hosts many filmmakers (more than 30 attended in 2007) to engage with audiences in Q&As and formal and informal gatherings held throughout the weekend.

Cash prizes are offered for new films in six categories (see itemized list above). Regional film aficionados jury films. The awards are announced at the Saturday night VIP reception.

Now in its ninth year, PTFF continues to strengthen its reputation for outstanding programming. Writing about the 2005 Festival Moira Macdonald of the Seattle Times said:

The Port Townsend Film Festival always takes you on a journey backward, in the best possible way: honoring great films of the past, as well as the long tradition of a gathering with friends at the local movie house, to sit in the dark and be swept up into another world...I don't know why this festival isn't absolutely mobbed, but I'm sure of one thing: I'll be back next year.

For 2006, she wrote:

And rain or shine, the festival s quirky spirit shone through, whether exemplified by the guy on Saturday who entertained those in line for the Broughton Theatre by attempting to toss a playing card onto the building roof, or by those comfy (straw) bales, which shed strands everywhere. (This is, perhaps, one of the few festivals worldwide whose patrons can be recognized by the [straw] on their backsides.)

Organizers

• Peter Simpson, Artistic  Director
• Terry Tennesen , Operations Director
• Monica Mick'Hager, Festival Manager
  
• And over 300 committed volunteers

YOU'RE NOW READY TO SUBMIT!

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