Lived Perspectives (3)

Festival Start: 21 Februar 2027      Festival Ende: 21 Februar 2027

Lived Perspectives is a film festival dedicated to showcasing short films by filmmakers from underrepresented communities with screenings held throughout the year.

We are currently inviting submissions from the following communities:

Disabled and neurodivergent filmmakers for screening on 21st February 2027.

Maximum submission length is 30 minutes.

Films can be from any genre and style, the unifying theme being that they are all rooted in lived experience and must be directed, written or co-produced by members of the specific communities stated above.

All submissions must include a short description of how they meet the requirements.

All films selected for screening must have burned-in subtitles in English.

Films which make our Official Selection will be scheduled for screening at the next appropriate event. At the end of each screening, the audience will be invited to select their favourite film. If audience votes are close, there can be joint winners or special mentions.

Screenings for disabled and neurodivergent filmmakers provide a space for engaging with new viewpoints and ways of viewing disability and difference, challenging stereotypes, and promoting a forum for self-representation.

If you are considering entering your film, please ensure that you read the terms & conditions of the festival first.

Lived Perspectives is a non-profit community interest company. Our payment options reflect how we aim to make our festival and screening events as open and accessible as we can.

1. Submission for those on a low income/struggling to manage their daily expenses and for students is $5.

2. We ask that those who can afford to pay the full price of $13 to do so. You will be helping us to finance future editions of Lived Perspectives and support other members of our communities.

We have fee waivers for those unable to pay the student/low income option for the Best Film by Disabled or Neurodivergent Filmmaker and Best Student Film by Disabled or Neurodivergent Filmmaker categories. To be considered contact us at contact@livedperspectives.co.uk

- Best Film by Disabled or Neurodivergent Filmmaker

This category is open to films made or co-produced by filmmakers who identify as disabled or neurodivergent. All submissions must include a short description of how your film meets the requirements.
The winning film will be chosen by our panel of judges.

- Best Student Film by Disabled or Neurodivergent Filmmaker

This category is open to films made or co-produced by filmmakers who identify as disabled or neurodivergent and who were a student at the time of the film’s completion. All submissions must include a short description of how your film meets the requirements (including your place of study). Submitters must promptly produce official proof of their status as a student at the time of the film’s completion upon request.
The winning film will be chosen by our panel of judges.

- Audience award

All films officially selected for our screening events will be eligible for the Audience Award. As the name suggests, the audience will choose their favourite film at the end of the event.

By submitting your film into the 2026/27 Lived Perspectives film competition, via any platform, you are agreeing to the following Terms & Conditions.

1. Categories & Submission Criteria

a) The competitions consist of the Best Film by Disabled or Neurodivergent Filmmaker, Best Student Film by Disabled or Neurodivergent Filmmaker, and Audience Award categories. Films selected for screening at the festival will be automatically eligible for the Audience Award category which will be selected by an audience vote at the end of the festival.

b) Lived Perspectives welcomes all genres of films for competition as long as they meet the eligibility criteria, as well as adhering to the general Terms & Conditions laid out in this document.

c) To be eligible for the Best Film by Disabled or Neurodivergent Filmmaker, Best Student Film by Disabled or Neurodivergent Filmmaker, and Audience Award categories, films must be no longer than 30 minutes in length, including credits.

d) To be eligible forBest Film by Disabled or Neurodivergent Filmmaker and Best Student Film by Disabled or Neurodivergent Filmmaker, films must be made or co-produced by filmmakers who identify as disabled or neurodivergent. All submissions to these competitions must be accompanied by a short description of how the film meets this requirement.

e) To be eligible for Best Student Film by Disabled or Neurodivergent Filmmaker, films must be made or co-produced by filmmakers who identify as disabled or neurodivergent who were a student at the time of the film’s completion (this can be at any level of education). Submitters must promptly produce official proof of their status as a student at the time of the film’s completion upon request.

f) Production on the film must have been completed after 1st January 2023.

g) Films that are promoting a product or service are not eligible for any category.

h) Films in language other than English must be subtitled in English. All films selected for screening must have burned in subtitles.

i) By submitting to the Lived Perspectives film competitions filmmakers are giving permission for their film to be screened at Lived Perspectives live screenings, without charge to the festival.

j) Lived Perspectives reserves the right to use any images and film clips submitted for competition for marketing purposes, both in print and online, without prior permission from the filmmaker. Material may be adapted or edited as Lived Perspectives sees fit for the purposes of promoting the festival. Lived Perspectives will not make films available to the public (except for screenings which form part of the festival and clips for promotion) without prior permission from the filmmaker.

2. Submission & Fees

a) There is no limit on how many films a filmmaker may submit. They will be charged per film.

b) Lived Perspectives does not have the capability to offer refunds to filmmakers whose films are not accepted to competition, for any reason whatsoever.

c) The deadline for submitting entries is 1st September 2026. Any entries submitted after this time may still be charged but will not be eligible for competition.

3. Intellectual Property, Legal Claims and Indemnities
By submitting the film to Lived Perspectives, the Applicant and Film Owners (the “Submitting Parties”) hereby warrant and represent that:

a) the Film is wholly original and is not copied from and does not include any other work that is the subject of copyright or other protection, unless such work is in the public domain or the Submitting Parties have obtained any and all consents, releases, licenses, and other authorizations or waivers of any kind necessary for the inclusion or reproduction of any person, character, location, thing, trademark, sound recording, musical composition, or other work in the Film;

b) the Film does not defame any person or violate the common law or statutory rights, including, without limitation, the rights of privacy and publicity or any other right of any person;

c) the Film is not the subject of litigation, nor any dispute which would give rise to litigation;

d) there are no agreements, nor will there be any agreements made subsequent to the date of this Film submission, that would or could have the effect of impairing the Submitting Parties’ ability to provide the Film as contemplated herein, or otherwise conflict with any provision of these Terms;

(e) the Submitting Parties have the full right, power, and authority to submit the Film to Lived Perspectives for Festival consideration, and to grant all of the rights granted hereunder and in the Festhome registration form, and there is no obligation or restriction which would in any way impair, limit, or impede the Submitting Parties from fully performing all obligations pursuant to the submission and these Terms.

4. Lived Perspectives reserves the right to exclude from competition any films or material that it deems offensive or defamatory. No discussion will be entered into and the festival’s decision is final.

5. Films may only be submitted using online platforms. Film files of those films selected for screening (films in the Official Selection) must be provided as .mp4; .m4v or .mov. DCP files only on request from the festival.

6. Films that are chosen for screenings will be screened digitally. We will contact you regarding this if your film is chosen for screening, and expect a suitably formatted film to be made available to Lived Perspectives in time for screening.

7. The decision of Lived Perspectives is final and no conversation will be entered into regarding placement of films in the competition.

8. Information provided in the application form will be used solely by Lived Perspectives and will not be passed on to any third parties. Prizes are subject to change without notice.

9. These Terms and Conditions are subject to change without notice