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Victoria Film Festival (29)

Deadlines

06 Apr 2023
Call for entries

23 Jun 2023
Early deadline

21 Jul 2023
Standard deadline

25 Aug 2023
Late deadline

25 Aug 2023
Festival closed

05 Jan 2024
Notification date

02 Feb 2024
11 Feb 2024

Address

1215 Blanshard Street, V8W3J4, Victoria, BC, Canada

Festival description

Short film festival >1' 70'<

Feature film festival >70'

Festival requirements

Film festival

Fiction

Documentary

Animation

Fantastic

Terror

Experimental

Music Video

Other

Any Genre

Any Theme

Has submission fees

International Festival

Online and Physical Location

January 2022

Production countries: Any

Shooting countries: Any

Director nationalities: Any

Debut Films

School projects

Short Films >1' 70'<

Feature Films >70'

Any language

Subtitles
English

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English

Festival description (Edition: 29)

Festival start: 02 February 2024 Festival end: 11 February 2024

Since 1995, The Victoria Film Festival (VFF) has presented the best Canadian and international feature, documentary, and short film to Victoria and Vancouver Island in a ten-day celebration of cinema. This year marks our 30th festival! Eclectic and inspiring, the festival hosts a wide array of film directors, producers, distributors, and programmers as guests and participants. With a continuing legacy of great workshops, installations, filmmaker lounges, and the opening Gala, this year’s celebration of film and filmmakers is taking place in British Columbia’s capital city February 2rd -11th 2024!

Prizes and qualifications

Cash Prizes: 1,776$

Best Feature Film
Best Canadian Feature
Best Canadian First Feature ($1000 prize)
Best Documentary
Best Short Film ($500 prize)
Audience Favourite Feature
Audience Favourite Short
Cultural Currents Award ($1000 prize for film that best facilitates inter-cultural understanding/insights)

Rules

Deadline & Fees for Entries

Earlybird postmark deadline: June 23, 2023
Regular postmark deadline: July 21, 2023
Late postmark deadline: August 25, 2023
Notification Date - January 5th, 2024

VFF only accepts entries digitally.

All cheque or money orders payable to Victoria Film Festival.

All funds must be in Canadian or US Dollars.

If paying via cheque/money order, include the name of the film being submitted on the payment.

Submissions

1. May be fiction, documentary, animation or experimental of short or feature length. Virtual or augmented reality projects will also be considered.

2. Only films completed in 2022 or 2023 will be considered.

3. Films which have received television , streaming, or theatrical exposure, in the Victoria, B.C. area prior to the festival are not eligible.

4. Films available and accessible online are not eligible.

5. Please include two film stills and a director's head-shot with your entry. These can be emailed or included with submission.

6. VFF only accepts online screeners for programming purposes. Entries can be submitted by secure password-protected internet link. The link must NOT be visible to the public.

7. If selected for the festival, exhibition prints may be presented via DCP or a QuickTime compliant file by January 12, 2024. Filmmakers must deliver final format as requested for festival in-person and on—line screening. No exceptions. Shorts will be compiled into programs for screening. Digital delivery of titles is preferred.

8. Virtual or augmented reality projects are exempt from some of these requirements as outlined in their category rules.

Screening Access

The festival will provide a complimentary Guest Pass for two representatives from each feature (75+ minutes) presented and six complimentary tickets to one screening of the film. Short filmmakers will receive one complimentary Guest Pass and two complimentary tickets to one of screenings of their film.

Program Selection

Entries will be reviewed by a Selection Committee appointed by the Festival Director and Program Manager. The Selection Committee provides a list of those works which it feels should be invited to participate in the VFF and will provide a short list of nominees for VFF awards. Entrants will be notified of the decisions of the Festival by January 5, 2024.

Upon Acceptance

1. All shipping costs to Victoria must be paid by the participant.

2. The Festival will pay the cost of outbound shipping.

3. For international films, our print traffic coordinator will contact you with specific instructions.

4. Promotional materials of selected films become the property of the VFF and can be used to promote the festival and the programs of the festival in all mediums.

Insurance

The Victoria Film Festival will make every effort to ensure the safe keeping of all films and videos submitted for exhibition. However, the applicant in applying to the festival agrees to release the Festival, its Officers, Directors, and other representatives from any and all claims arising in any way from the submission of materials by or on behalf of the Applicant, whether film, video or otherwise to the festival. If you wish to insure your film, please make arrangements with the Program Manager. You accept these conditions by submitting them to us.

Release

Your submission implies that you have the legal right to represent and submit this film for consideration along with your acceptance of The Victoria Film Festival regulations. By submitting this form, you also agree to allow the festival to use your film and its publicity materials for promotional purposes. Please agree below.

You accept these conditions by submitting them to us.

Narrative - Short

Short and Feature Films 69'<

Fee

-8%

PRO 33%

Early 19.05$ 17.53$ 12.76$ 23 Jun 23

Standard 34.3$ 31.56$ 22.98$ 21 Jul 23

Late 41.92$ 38.57$ 28.09$ 25 Aug 23

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
25 Aug 23

Save up
11.32$

Submit

Looking for live-action shorts of a narrative nature.

Experimental

Short and Feature Films

Fee

-8%

PRO 33%

Early 19.05$ 17.53$ 12.76$ 23 Jun 23

Standard 34.3$ 31.56$ 22.98$ 21 Jul 23

Late 41.92$ 38.57$ 28.09$ 25 Aug 23

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
25 Aug 23

Save up
11.32$

Submit

Experimental films of all lengths Works submitted to this category should be well outside the range of traditional narrative, documentary or animation forms although they may contain residual elements of them. Additionally, they may be considered if they fall within the scope of classical structural-materialist or visionary schools of experimental art. Works submitted to this category that do not qualify as either will be required to re-submit. If you are at all unsure about your work, please feel free to reach out to us before submitting and we will be happy to provide guidance. Please ensure that you include an artistic statement with your entry as it will be used in jurying. It can be included in your director's statement.

Documentary - Short

Short and Feature Films 69'<

Fee

-8%

PRO 33%

Early 19.05$ 17.53$ 12.76$ 23 Jun 23

Standard 34.3$ 31.56$ 22.98$ 21 Jul 23

Late 41.92$ 38.57$ 28.09$ 25 Aug 23

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
25 Aug 23

Save up
11.32$

Submit

For short documentaries of any style

Documentary - Feature

Feature Films >70'

Fee

-8%

PRO 33%

Early 19.05$ 17.53$ 12.76$ 23 Jun 23

Standard 34.3$ 31.56$ 22.98$ 21 Jul 23

Late 41.92$ 38.57$ 28.09$ 25 Aug 23

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
25 Aug 23

Save up
11.32$

Submit

This category is for feature length documentaries of any style.

Narrative - Feature

Feature Films >70'

Fee

-8%

PRO 33%

Early 19.05$ 17.53$ 12.76$ 23 Jun 23

Standard 34.3$ 31.56$ 22.98$ 21 Jul 23

Late 41.92$ 38.57$ 28.09$ 25 Aug 23

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
25 Aug 23

Save up
11.32$

Submit

This category is for feature length narrative works.

Animation

Feature Films

Fee

-8%

PRO 33%

Early 19.05$ 17.53$ 12.76$ 23 Jun 23

Standard 34.3$ 31.56$ 22.98$ 21 Jul 23

Late 41.92$ 38.57$ 28.09$ 25 Aug 23

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
25 Aug 23

Save up
11.32$

Submit

This category is for animations of any style or length.

BC Made - Shorts

Short and Feature Films >1' 69'<

Fee

-8%

PRO 33%

Early 19.05$ 17.53$ 12.76$ 23 Jun 23

Standard 34.3$ 31.56$ 22.98$ 21 Jul 23

Late 41.92$ 38.57$ 28.09$ 25 Aug 23

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
25 Aug 23

Save up
11.32$

Submit

A category for BC-based filmmakers of all the types of short films (narrative, experimental, documentary and animation).

Indigenous filmmakers, even if BC-based, are encouraged to submit to the Indigenous Made category

BC Made - Features

Feature Films >70'

Fee

-8%

PRO 33%

Early 19.05$ 17.53$ 12.76$ 23 Jun 23

Standard 34.3$ 31.56$ 22.98$ 21 Jul 23

Late 41.92$ 38.57$ 28.09$ 25 Aug 23

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
25 Aug 23

Save up
11.32$

Submit

A category for BC-based filmmakers of all the types of feature films (narrative, experimental, documentary and animation).

Indigenous filmmakers, even if BC-based, are encouraged to submit to the Indigenous Made category

Indigenious Made

Short and Feature Films

Fee

-8%

PRO 33%

Early 19.05$ 17.53$ 12.76$ 23 Jun 23

Standard 34.3$ 31.56$ 22.98$ 21 Jul 23

Late 41.92$ 38.57$ 28.09$ 25 Aug 23

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
25 Aug 23

Save up
11.32$

Submit

This category is for works made by North American Indigenous filmmakers only.

For this category, the following special rules apply:
- Works may be of any length or type.
- Only works by North American Indigenous filmmakers are eligible.
- Works submitted to this section will be curated by an Indigenous curator and be eligible for our Indigenous Perspective section
- Regardless of content, works by non-Indigenous filmmakers should be submitted to another category.

Virtual & Augmented Reality

Short and Feature Films (2021+)

Fee

-8%

PRO 33%

Early 11.43$ 10.52$ 7.66$ 23 Jun 23

Standard 11.43$ 10.52$ 7.66$ 21 Jul 23

Late 11.43$ 10.52$ 7.66$ 25 Aug 23

Get an Annual Pass and get the maximum discount on festival and submission fees

Submissions deadline
25 Aug 23

Save up
3.77$

Submit

VFF is now happy to be accepting VR and AR projects for consideration and special rules apply for this category:

- Works can be made at any time (unlike other categories)
- Works may have been shown in Victoria prior to submission but please indicate this for clarity
- Short 2D video samples can be used to represent longer works BUT
- you may be asked to show a complete work if requested AND
- complete works will give us a better sense of the full project
- A list of the gear required for your VR or AR project or a complete list of supported platforms must be included with your submission
- A creative statement from the creator or team lead should also be included.
- Projects which are not VR or AR in nature, will be automatically disqualified and no refunds will be issued.

Please feel free to contact us before submitting and we will happily provide context and answer any questions.

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