The Dallas International Film Festival announced a Call for Entries for the 12th edition of the film festival which will take place May 3-10, 2018. The festival has been moved to a month later in the calendar year and has announced the grand prize for the Narrative Competition winner is a limited national theatrical release through their partner, Studio Movie Grill.
Led by Executive Director Johnathan Brownlee and Artistic Director James Faust, Dallas International Film Festival screens feature films, short films, broadcast television and streaming content for one of the most enthusiastic and savvy audiences in the country. Dallas is noted for its red carpet entrances, entertaining Q&As, press junkets, filmmaker panels, social events and community involvement with daily filmmaker liaison services provided for its attending filmmakers.
During the past 11 years, the Festival has featured the finest in U.S. and international cinema, including more than 1,800 films representing over 60 countries, and has presented more than $750,000 in awards. The Festival completed a successful 2017 run with 173 films from 27 countries and attendance of over 27,000.
“For more than a decade now, the Dallas International Film Festival has been a leader in the state of Texas and the Southwest, introducing audiences to the best of international and independent cinema as well as promoting the work of Texas filmmakers,” Faust said.
Competitions include:
Narrative Feature Competition
Documentary Feature Competition
Texas Feature Competition
Shorts Competition
Animation Competition
Other film categories featured at the Festival are:
World Cinema
Premiere Series
Almost Midnight Specials
Latino Showcase
Family Friendly
Maverick
Deep Ellum Sounds (Music Films)
The Festival presents the following awards:
Grand Jury Prize — Narrative Feature presented by Studio Movie Grill (winner receives a limited theatrical release)
Grand Jury Prize — Documentary Feature
Grand Jury Prize — Texas Competition, presented by Panavision (winner receives a camera rental package valued at $30,000)
Grand Jury Prize – Short Film
Grand Jury Prize – Animated Short Film
Grand Jury Prize – Student Short Film
Submission Rules
- Premiere status is taken into consideration for every submission in each category strand with priority given to Dallas-Fort Worth Premieres, Southwest Premieres, US Premieres, North American Premieres and World Premieres.
- In order for feature films to be considered for competition, a Dallas-Fort Worth Premiere is required.
- Films must not have had major theatrical release or US broadcast airing prior to the festival.
- Films must not have had DVD sales on the internet prior to May 3, 2018.
- More than one entry may be submitted. Each entry must be accompanied by a separate entry form and entry fee.
- Films must be completed after February 1, 2017 in order to be considered for the 2018 festival.
- Work-in-progress submissions are accepted. Updated versions of a submission may be sent until February 3, 2018. After that date, Dallas International Film Festival is under no obligation to view any new version.
- If your film is selected, you will be asked to provide a digital press kit which includes headshot and filmography of director, color and/or B&W stills from the film, screeners for press, and a video trailer (cleared for broadcast).
- If you choose to use Withoutabox’s secured online screener, the film must be uploaded by the application’s corresponding submission deadline in order to be considered. Your submission application will not be processed otherwise.
- All submission deadlines are POSTMARK deadlines.
- Any films submitted without a paid entry fee by the given deadline will be disqualified from the submission screening process.
- All film entries selected for the festival grant DIFF the rights to use footage, stills, titles and information from the film for promotional purposes.
All filmmakers will be notified by (approximately) April 3, 2018 via email.
Submission Deadlines
- Early Bird: December, 15, 2017
- Regular: January, 26, 2018
- Late: February 2, 2018
For more information please contact submissions.