Submission Terms

1. Definitions

1.1 “Festival” means the Glowflare Short Film Festival.
1.2 “Operator” means Glowflare Limited, a company registered in the United Kingdom.
1.3 “Submission(s)” means any film or audiovisual work submitted for consideration.
1.4 “Submitting Party” means the individual or legal entity submitting the Submission(s).
1.5 “Selection” means official acceptance of a Submission(s) into the Festival programme.
1.6 “Venue” means any physical location at which Festival screenings or events take place.

2. Acceptance of Terms

2.1 By submitting a Submission(s), the Submitting Party confirms that they are authorised to submit the work and that they have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms & Conditions in full.
2.2 Submission of a Submission(s) constitutes unconditional acceptance of these Terms. These Terms govern film submission and exhibition only. Filmmakers retain all rights to their work except for the limited licence expressly granted under these Terms.

3. Submission Platform (FilmFreeway)

3.1 The Festival uses FilmFreeway as its official submission platform.
3.2 FilmFreeway is a third-party service provider operating under its own terms and privacy policies.
3.3 Actions taken within the FilmFreeway platform, including withdrawal of Submission(s), do not override the contractual rights and obligations set out in these Terms.

4. Eligibility & Submission Rules

4.1 All Submission(s) must be submitted via the Festival’s designated submission platform.
4.2 Due to the volume of entries received, the Festival cannot provide individual feedback.
4.3 Submission(s) are reviewed by the Festival’s programming team and considered equally regardless of submission date.
4.4 Submission(s) previously submitted to the Festival in earlier seasons are ineligible.
4.5 Multiple versions of the same Submission(s) will not be considered.
4.6 Submission(s) that have previously screened publicly or are available online remain eligible unless otherwise stated.
4.7 Submission(s) not presented in English must include embedded English subtitles, captions, or dubbing unless dialogue is minimal and not required for comprehension.
4.8 Work-in-progress Submission(s) may be considered, provided a fully completed version is supplied by the Festival’s final deadline.
4.9 Submission(s) that are inaccessible, not viewable, or supplied with incorrect passwords or links may be disqualified without refund if not remedied within a reasonable timeframe.

5. Communications & Consent

5.1 Administrative Communications

5.1.1 The Operator may send emails from its own systems for essential administrative and operational purposes relating to the Submission(s).

5.1.2 Such communications do not constitute marketing communications.

5.2 Marketing Communications

5.2.1 The Operator may send a one-time email requesting consent to receive Festival news or marketing communications.

5.2.2 Marketing communications will only be sent where explicit opt-in consent has been provided.

5.2.3 Refusal of marketing consent does not restrict administrative communications.

5.3 FilmFreeway Communications

5.3.1 The Festival may communicate with Submitting Parties via the FilmFreeway platform for submission-related purposes.

5.3.2 Such communications are governed by FilmFreeway’s own terms and privacy policies.

6. Copyright, Clearances & Warranties

6.1 The Submitting Party warrants that they hold all necessary rights, permissions, licences, and consents required for the Submission(s), including but not limited to copyright, music, archive material, artwork, performances, and likeness rights.

6.2 The Festival accepts no responsibility for unauthorised copyrighted material included in any Submission(s).

6.3 Submission(s) found to infringe third-party rights may be disqualified without refund.

6.4 Music Videos

Where a Submission(s) is a music video, the Submitting Party warrants that permission has been obtained from all relevant music rights holders and performing artists. Proof of permission may be requested.

7. Licence Granted to the Festival

7.1 By submitting a Submission(s), the Submitting Party grants the Festival a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to screen the Submission(s) as part of the Festival and associated events.

7.2 The Festival may use excerpts, trailers, stills, posters, press kits, and related materials for non-commercial promotional, marketing, archival, and documentation purposes.

7.3 All intellectual property rights remain the sole property of the Submitting Party.

8. Irrevocable Licence Following Acceptance

8.1 Upon Selection and acceptance of a Submission(s) for screening, and once the Submission(s) has been delivered and prepared for exhibition, the licence granted under Clause 7 becomes irrevocable for the purposes of the Festival and associated promotional activities.

9. Selection Process

9.1 Selection decisions are made at the sole discretion of the Festival.

9.2 Selection is based on artistic, technical, and programming considerations.

9.3 Selection does not guarantee a specific screening date, time, venue, format, award, or nomination.

9.4 All decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding selection outcomes.

10. Screening & Technical Requirements

10.1 Selected Submission(s) must be delivered in a format suitable for exhibition by the Festival and by the deadlines specified.

10.2 The Festival may require Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs), subtitles, or captions to meet exhibition and accessibility requirements.

10.3 Failure to meet delivery or technical requirements may result in removal from the programme without refund.

10.4 The Festival is not liable for minor technical issues or exhibition conditions beyond its reasonable control.

11. Awards & Nominations

11.1 Awards and nominations are determined at the sole discretion of the Festival and/or its appointed jury.

11.2 Not all selected Submission(s) will receive awards or nominations.

11.3 Jury decisions are final.

12. Attendance, Tickets & Venue Compliance

12.1 Submission or Selection of a Submission(s) does not grant any automatic right of attendance at Festival screenings or events.

12.2 All attendees, including filmmakers, must hold a valid ticket, complimentary ticket (£0), pass, or accreditation recognised by the Venue.

12.3 Complimentary or discounted tickets constitute valid admission and do not alter the attendee’s status as a member of the audience for licensing, insurance, or liability purposes.

12.4 Except where expressly invited by the Festival for a specific purpose, all filmmakers attend Festival events in the capacity of audience members and are subject to the same venue rules and conditions of entry as the general public.

12.5 All attendees must comply with Venue rules, licensing conditions, health and safety requirements, and instructions issued by Venue staff or the Festival.

13. Q&A Participation

13.1 Where a filmmaker is invited to participate in a Q&A session or on-stage discussion, such participation is limited solely to that activity.

13.2 Q&A participation does not create any employment, agency, partnership, contractor, or guest relationship.

13.3 The Festival reserves the right to determine the nature, duration, and conditions of such participation.

14. Expenses & Compensation

14.1 The Festival does not provide screening fees, appearance fees, travel expenses, accommodation, meals, tickets, or any other form of reimbursement or compensation.

14.2 Any costs incurred in connection with attendance at the Festival are solely the responsibility of the Submitting Party or associated individuals.

15. Withdrawal & Platform Actions

15.1 Submission platforms may permit Submission(s) to be withdrawn at any time.

15.2 Withdrawal of a Submission(s) via a third-party platform does not revoke any rights or licences already granted to the Festival where the Submission(s) has been selected, accepted for screening, and prepared for exhibition.

15.3 Once selected and accepted, a Submission(s) may not be withdrawn by the Submitting Party.

15.4 The Festival reserves the right to withdraw a Submission(s) from screening where legal, copyright, technical, safety, or regulatory concerns arise.

16. Indemnity

16.1 The Submitting Party agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Festival, the Operator, its organisers, venues, partners, and representatives from any claims, losses, damages, liabilities, or legal expenses arising from the Submission(s) or a breach of these Terms.

17. Force Majeure

17.1 The Festival shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance resulting from events beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of government, public health emergencies, venue closures, technical failures, natural disasters, or other circumstances beyond the Festival’s control.

17.2 In such circumstances, the Festival reserves the right to reschedule, relocate, or alter the format of the Festival. Refunds will only be issued where rescheduling is not reasonably possible.

18. Limitation of Liability

18.1 To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Festival shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential losses, including loss of profit or opportunity.

18.2 Any liability of the Festival shall be limited to the submission fee paid, if any.

19. Data Protection

19.1 Personal data is processed in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

19.2 Data is used solely for Festival administration, communications, and operational purposes.

20. Amendments & Version Control

20.1 The Festival reserves the right to amend these Submission Terms & Conditions from time to time.

20.2 The version of the Terms & Conditions in force at the time a Submission(s) is made shall apply to the submission and review process for that Submission(s).

20.3 Where a Submission(s) is selected for exhibition, participation in the Festival is conditional upon acceptance of the version of the Terms & Conditions in force at the time of selection.

20.4 If a Submitting Party does not agree to the updated Terms & Conditions, they may decline participation in the Festival, in which case the Submission(s) will not be exhibited.

21. Governing Law & Jurisdiction

21.1 These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales.

21.2 The courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

22. Validity and Scope of These Terms

22.1 If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

22.2 These Terms constitute the entire agreement between the Submitting Party and the Festival concerning Submission(s).

Contact

For enquiries regarding submissions or these Terms:

submissions@glowflareshortfestival.com