Fisheye Film Festival

04 - 14 Mar, 2021

Fisheye Film Festival logo
Fisheye Film Festival

Is this your festival?

Is this your festival?

About the festival

Fisheye Film Festival is a diverse film festival based in Buckinghamshire (England) – an area that boasts one of the UK's great production studios at Pinewood, as well as the National Film & Television School.

Running over an 11 day period, in 2020 we screened features, shorts and organised professional filmmaking panels, set tours and live events based around filmmaking, as well as awarding filmmakers in 16 different categories! Our 2020 festival received around 300 submissions from all over the world!

We aim to create a buzz around local, national and international filmmaking talent and help audiences and filmmakers alike to enjoy our festival ethos – to “experience the bigger picture” – the fisheye concept of 360 degree vision, bringing the wider view into focus (hence the name of the festival!)

Now heading into our 6th year (and 5th edition of this international competition in 2021), our mission is to bring the world of film to our screens by offering filmmakers and audiences opportunities to connect in our locality and beyond.

Our eyes are wide open and we are looking to be amazed!

We continually seek what's excellent, interesting and different in our art-form and support and encourage that kind of filmmaking. We are looking toward a healthy, creative and diverse future industry. So send us your best!

We want to see ALL manner of films, not just those with named actors or crew; we’ve screened no budget films alongside big budget, we don’t discriminate, so long as there’s a great story and the films are well made!

Fisheye is a celebration of filmmaking in all forms, and we want to encourage filmmakers and audiences to join us in 2021 for what promises to be our best festival to date!

**Please note that we've deferred the festival period to later in the Spring to keep in step with the film Awards season. Our new dates are 22nd April - 1st May 2021.**

We are looking for:

• FEATURE FILMS (narrative / genre / documentary)
between 70-120 minutes in length
• SHORT FILMS (narrative / genre / documentary)
less than 20 minutes in length
• MICRO SHORT FILMS (narrative / genre / documentary)
less than 4 minutes in length

WHAT YOU CAN SUBMIT: We have a number of CATEGORIES for you to enter –please read carefully and ensure you submit to the right one!

SHORT FILM CATEGORIES

We have special categories for:

• SHORT FILMS by filmmakers AGED 22 or UNDER at time of completion of the
film (narrative / genre / documentary)

• SHORT FILMS (narrative; any genre),
must be 20 minutes or less in length

• SHORT FILMS (documentary)
must be 20 minutes or less in length

• MICRO SHORT films (4 minutes or less in length; narrative fiction (all genres)
or documentaries)

• SHORT GENRE films (Horror, Sci Fi, Thriller, Fantasy, etc.)
must be 20 minutes or less in length

• SHOW OFF YOUR SHORTS! ( WHERE YOU COME TO PRESENT YOUR FILM...)

We believe that film festivals are about sharing experiences and so have the 'Show Off Your Shorts!' category specifically designed for filmmakers who are definitely able to attend the festival (if selected) to present their films and talk about their work in a sociable environment. Films submitted to this category are judged as part of the competition as a whole. This option is OPEN TO ALL TYPES OF SHORT FILM. This is a very popular category, but PLEASE, only submit here if you can GUARANTEE your attendance at the festival!

FEATURE FILM CATEGORIES

• Feature films (narrative; any genre), must be 70-120 minutes in length

• Feature films (documentary), must be 70-120 minutes in length

Again, we ask you, please ensure you submit to the appropriate category!

More information on the festival & events (as well as previous award winner information) is available at www.fisheyefilmfest.uk

*photo credits: https://neilmarshment.co.uk*

Please note - 100% of our competition film selections are sourced from submissions!

2021 awards in the following categories (subject to change at the festivals discretion):

• Best Short Film (fiction)
• Best Short Film (documentary)
• Best British Short Film
• Best Director
• Best Screenplay
• Best Editing
• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Best Cinematography
• Best Music
• Best Sound Design
• Best Production Design
• Best Documentary
• Best Young Filmmaker (22 years and under)
• Best Micro-Short Film (under 4 minutes)
• Best Feature Film

These categories are subject to change at the festival’s discretion!

For a list of previous winners, please visit our website – and, please note, we do not present cash awards/prizes!

About

Fisheye Film Festival is a diverse film festival based in Buckinghamshire (England) – an area that boasts one of the UK's great production studios at Pinewood, as well as the National Film & Television School.

Running over an 11 day period, in 2020 we screened features, shorts and organised professional filmmaking panels, set tours and live events based around filmmaking, as well as awarding filmmakers in 16 different categories! Our 2020 festival received around 300 submissions from all over the world!

We aim to create a buzz around local, national and international filmmaking talent and help audiences and filmmakers alike to enjoy our festival ethos – to “experience the bigger picture” – the fisheye concept of 360 degree vision, bringing the wider view into focus (hence the name of the festival!)

Now heading into our 6th year (and 5th edition of this international competition in 2021), our mission is to bring the world of film to our screens by offering filmmakers and audiences opportunities to connect in our locality and beyond.

Our eyes are wide open and we are looking to be amazed!

We continually seek what's excellent, interesting and different in our art-form and support and encourage that kind of filmmaking. We are looking toward a healthy, creative and diverse future industry. So send us your best!

We want to see ALL manner of films, not just those with named actors or crew; we’ve screened no budget films alongside big budget, we don’t discriminate, so long as there’s a great story and the films are well made!

Fisheye is a celebration of filmmaking in all forms, and we want to encourage filmmakers and audiences to join us in 2021 for what promises to be our best festival to date!

**Please note that we've deferred the festival period to later in the Spring to keep in step with the film Awards season. Our new dates are 22nd April - 1st May 2021.**

We are looking for:

• FEATURE FILMS (narrative / genre / documentary)
between 70-120 minutes in length
• SHORT FILMS (narrative / genre / documentary)
less than 20 minutes in length
• MICRO SHORT FILMS (narrative / genre / documentary)
less than 4 minutes in length

WHAT YOU CAN SUBMIT: We have a number of CATEGORIES for you to enter –please read carefully and ensure you submit to the right one!

SHORT FILM CATEGORIES

We have special categories for:

• SHORT FILMS by filmmakers AGED 22 or UNDER at time of completion of the
film (narrative / genre / documentary)

• SHORT FILMS (narrative; any genre),
must be 20 minutes or less in length

• SHORT FILMS (documentary)
must be 20 minutes or less in length

• MICRO SHORT films (4 minutes or less in length; narrative fiction (all genres)
or documentaries)

• SHORT GENRE films (Horror, Sci Fi, Thriller, Fantasy, etc.)
must be 20 minutes or less in length

• SHOW OFF YOUR SHORTS! ( WHERE YOU COME TO PRESENT YOUR FILM...)

We believe that film festivals are about sharing experiences and so have the 'Show Off Your Shorts!' category specifically designed for filmmakers who are definitely able to attend the festival (if selected) to present their films and talk about their work in a sociable environment. Films submitted to this category are judged as part of the competition as a whole. This option is OPEN TO ALL TYPES OF SHORT FILM. This is a very popular category, but PLEASE, only submit here if you can GUARANTEE your attendance at the festival!

FEATURE FILM CATEGORIES

• Feature films (narrative; any genre), must be 70-120 minutes in length

• Feature films (documentary), must be 70-120 minutes in length

Again, we ask you, please ensure you submit to the appropriate category!

More information on the festival & events (as well as previous award winner information) is available at www.fisheyefilmfest.uk

*photo credits: https://neilmarshment.co.uk*

Please note - 100% of our competition film selections are sourced from submissions!

2021 awards in the following categories (subject to change at the festivals discretion):

• Best Short Film (fiction)
• Best Short Film (documentary)
• Best British Short Film
• Best Director
• Best Screenplay
• Best Editing
• Best Actor
• Best Actress
• Best Cinematography
• Best Music
• Best Sound Design
• Best Production Design
• Best Documentary
• Best Young Filmmaker (22 years and under)
• Best Micro-Short Film (under 4 minutes)
• Best Feature Film

These categories are subject to change at the festival’s discretion!

For a list of previous winners, please visit our website – and, please note, we do not present cash awards/prizes!

Awards & Winners

There are no winners yet for this festival

Terms and rules

Unless otherwise agreed by the Festival in writing, awards will be given to any attending cast/crew members on behalf of their films!

Please note that we do not pay screening fees under any circumstances, and we’re unable to pay any filmmaker borne costs for attendance (travel or accommodation).

The Fisheye Film Festival ("the Festival” or FFF )

The Fisheye Film Festival 2021 shall be referred to as FFF2021 in this document

GOLD members attract a discount to the fees per the tab on the right hand side.

Entry fees are per film and are non-refundable. The Festival reserves the right to disqualify a submission, without refund of any kind, if eligibility requirements are not met including if eligibility status changes post-submission.

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for consideration, you must fully comply with these Entry terms and conditions, including all deadlines, film length, entry material and other requirements.

• Please read the full terms and conditions before submitting your film
• Films must have been completed no earlier than 1 September 2019
• No films longer than 20 minutes for shorts
• Feature films must be no shorter than 70 minutes and no longer than 120 minutes
• All films to be made available in screening format as specified by venue if selected
(i.e. BluRay, DCP, DVD, MP4)
• Films not to have been available to general public prior to festival i.e. YouTube/Vimeo
(other festival screenings are permitted!)
• Films not to have distribution deals or VOD placement prior to festival unless release falls after festival dates
• Films to be sent via FilmFreeway with a secure screening link and must be downloadable
• Films not in English must be submitted with English subtitles
• Films submitted to the Show Off Your Shorts category MUST have a filmmaker in attendance on the screening dates, no exceptions! This category is specifically for filmmakers who want to come and talk about their films!
• Filmmakers submitting to the Under 22 category must have been under the age of 22 at the date of completion listed for your film
• Filmmakers may submit more than 1 film, but a separate submission fee must be paid for each film
• We do not pay screening fees under any circumstances!

TERMS:

By submitting to the Fisheye Film Festival through FilmFreeway, you are stating that you are the owner of your entry and it is your original work. While we understand that you retain all rights to ownership of the work, you hereby give the Fisheye Film Festival permission to feature, advertise, display, in whole or in part, the work titled and described herein, for festival purposes including promotion in future years.

You also understand that you entry is valid only upon completion of the following conditions: (1) receipt of a copy of the work, (2) the processing of the entry fee by the festival organization, and (3) when the work is found to be original and owned by you or those you represent and eligible for the category submitted to.

It is your sole responsibility to ensure that your online entry form is properly submitted. You may email the Festival at fisheyefilmfest@gmail.com to confirm submission. It is also your responsibility to ensure the streaming link is functional and the link and password submitted are accurate. In the unlikely event of a password change or link change you must email the Festival immediately with that change so we may update your record. If the Festival is not notified of the change and the link is found to be inactive or the password to be incorrect the Festival will send an email to the submitter’s address on file to follow up. If a response with the correct information is not received within forty-eight (48) hours, the submission may be deemed ineligible.

The password protected link must be active at least through to March 31, 2021, and all entries MUST be received by the Festival no later than the applicable deadlines referenced above. The Festival reserves the right to disqualify any submission, without refund of any kind, if it is not completed in accordance with these Entry Rules and Regulations.

Each work is judged solely on its own merits.

NB – please submit your film to the category which you think suits best from the list above –

RULES:

1. Please select only ONE SUBMISSION CATEGORY per project. Projects submitted in multiple categories could be subject to disqualification.

2. All films MUST BE submitted via ONLINE screener (Vimeo and YouTube preferred, but not required) through FilmFreeway. NO PHYSICAL DVD’s/Blu-Rays accepted for submission. Film must be downloadable links.

3. Film must have been completed AFTER 1 September 2019.

4. NO Premiere Status required, but it will be taken into consideration.

5. Films can have a distribution deal (provided release date is after the festival), but should not be available Online (VOD, NetFlix, etc.) prior to the festival dates.

6. Films not in the English language MUST be submitted with English subtitles.

7. Maximum run time of 20 minutes for all short films (including credits). For feature films, minimum run time of 70 minutes, maximum run time of 120 minutes ( including credits).

8. All submitted films must be COMPLETE. We do not accept Work-In-Progress submissions.

9. Films eligible for the Micro-Short awards shall not exceed 4 minutes run time (including credits).

10. Whilst not imperative, all filmmakers chosen to screen in the festival are politely requested to attend themselves where possible. We believe Film Festivals are as much about meeting your audience and fellow filmmakers as they are about screening your work! For films submitted in the Show Off Your Shorts category, filmmakers must guarantee their attendance at the festival to be eligible for selection.

11. All films selected for screening must be made available (at filmmakers’ cost) on the cinema’s preferred screening method (which may be physical DCP, MP4, Blu Ray or DVD – to be confirmed nearer the event). Cost for shipping (both to AND from the festival) must be covered by the filmmakers.

12. Fisheye Film Festival is not liable for any damage or loss suffered during shipping, previewing, or screening. Any physical materials received by the Festival will not be returned unless paid for by the filmmakers.

13. Your digital signature on the entry form authorises us to use, without limitation, excerpts from your film for marketing purposes on television, in advertising, promotional items and/or news and other programs now and in perpetuity.

14. If your film is selected for screening at the festival, you will be asked to immediately forward: stills, a poster image, and an online trailer, as well as a screening copy, certain key cast & crew info and other materials/information as requested.

15. Any requests for submission fee waivers will be ignored. Sorry, but we mean it. We rely on submission fees to cover the expenses of the festival, which is staffed entirely by volunteers.

16. Entrants are responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses, royalties, release forms, clearances, permits necessary to present their work. Fisheye Film Festival is not responsible for any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, or royalty infringement related to the work.

17. Fisheye Film Festival reserves the right to make any necessary changes in festival scheduling. All submitting filmmakers will be notified of any regulation or date changes that affect them. Any changes to regulations after a submitter has already submitted will not apply to them.

18. Selected entries will be notified on or about January 15th, 2021

INVITED WORKS/SELECTED FILMS

Festival programmers select and invite all films to be presented at the FFF2021, with Premiere status considered. Invited filmmakers will be notified by email or phone via the information provided.

Make sure to update the Festival with new contact information or any other festival invitations prior to the FFF2021 at fisheyefilmfest@gmail.com

IF YOUR WORK IS SELECTED

If your work is selected, you agree in advance (via your submission) that:

(i) You accept responsibility for obtaining any and all clearances necessary to exhibit your film at FFF 2021;
(ii) You warrant that you have the rights necessary to exhibit your film at FFF 2021;
(iii) You indemnify and hold harmless Fisheye Film festival, its affiliates, and subsidiaries and any of their respective directors, officers, employees, and representatives against any claim arising out of exhibition of your film at FFF 2021.
(iv) You will not withdraw your film from the festival under any circumstances. FFF2021 will screen your film if it is selected!

You must deliver to the address designated by the Festival;

(i) one (1) exhibition copy (technical specifications must be confirmed by the Festival in advance) of the invited work; and
(ii) additional exhibition copies, if requested by the Festival (to allow for multiple screenings at more than one venue / juror screenings). We recommend you ship all exhibition copies via courier in order to permit the tracking of your film once it leaves your hands.

The required exhibition formats and delivery date deadlines will be confirmed by the Festival after invitations have been extended and confirmed. Please check in with the Festival staff before creating your Festival exhibition copy or copies to ensure the format and technical specifications are correct. DCP for features may be will be required for cinema screening, this will be confirmed at a later stage.

You must provide all press and publication material

You must provide at least one (1) DVD copy or downloadable link of the final, completed film for Festival archives and internal purposes.

FESTIVAL SECTIONS SERIES / PROGRAMMES

Films invited to participate in the FFF 2021 will be shown in the section, series or programme determined most appropriate by Festival programmers, at their sole discretion.

Legal:

I, an authorised representative of the project being submitted (the "Film"), acknowledge and agree as follows in connection with the Film's submittal for consideration for the Fisheye Film Festival (the “Festival”): I am duly authorised, on my own behalf and on behalf of all other persons or entities who have any ownership rights or interests to exhibit this Film at the Festival, (b) exhibition of the Film at the Festival will not violate any law or any right or consent of any person or entity; and (c) the Film is not subject to any litigation, arbitration, or other adversarial claim or proceeding, nor is the Film the subject of any threat of litigation, arbitration, or other adverse claim or proceeding. I further represent and warrant, on behalf of myself and the Film’s Owners, that the exhibition of the Film at the Festival will not violate or infringe any copyright, patent, privacy right, publicity right, trademark, service mark or any other personal or property right of any person or entity, and that the Film does not constitute or include a defamation of any person or entity. I have paid and will pay in full all license fees, clearance fees, and other obligations, of any kind, arising from or associated with the exhibition of the Film at or in connection with the Festival. I warrant and agree, on behalf of myself and each of the Film’s Owners, that the Film is being submitted to the Festival voluntarily and without promise or inducement, and that the submission of the Film neither imposes nor creates any obligation or responsibility on the part of the Festival to accept the Film for the Festival, to exhibit the Film at the Festival, or to return the Film to me or others. I further agree, on my own behalf and on behalf of the Film’s Owners, that I and the Film’s Owners, in submitting the Film for consideration, are waiving and relinquishing any right to assert any claim or commence any proceeding against the Festival, based upon, arising out of or otherwise relating to the submission, exhibition, or failure to exhibit the Film. In the event that the Film is accepted by the Festival, I hereby grant, on behalf of myself and each of the Film’s Owners, each of the following rights to the Festival without reservations, conditions or qualifications: (a) the right to use footage, stills and/or titles, and information from or relating to the Film for promotional purposes; and (b) the right to issue and authorize publicity concerning the filmmakers and the Film and to use all associated names, likenesses and biographical information. I also agree to provide contact information for the director and producer(s) of the Film and to grant the Festival the right to provide this information to film industry organizations sponsoring Festival events at its discretion. I represent that I am 18 years of age or older, or that, if I am younger than the legal age to enter into contracts in my state, I have provided the Festival with a written consent from my parent or legal guardian.

Ratings & Reviews

Categories and fees

Micro Shorts (less than 4 minutes)
Early Bird (16th March, 2020) €3
Late (28th September, 2020) €5

Any genre, MUST be less than 4 minutes in duration (including credits!) for filmmakers aged under or over 22.

Short Films - Documentary only
Early Bird (16th March, 2020) €5
Late (28th September, 2020) €8

Short documentary films, 20m or less run time inc. credits

Short Films - Narrative fiction
Early Bird (16th March, 2020) €5
Late (28th September, 2020) €8

Short narrative fiction films, 20m or less run time inc. credits

Short Films - Genre Category (Horror; Sci Fi; Thriller; Fantasy, etc.)
Early Bird (16th March, 2020) €5
Late (28th September, 2020) €8

Short genre specific narrative fiction films, 20m or less run time inc. credits (please submit horror; sci fi; thriller; fantasy, etc. films here!)

Short Films - Filmmakers Under 22 years
Early Bird (16th March, 2020) €4
Late (28th September, 2020) €6

Documentary, narrative fiction, genre, experimental! As long as the filmmaker was aged 22 or under at time of completion of the film! Run times of 20m or less, inc. credits

SHOW OFF YOUR SHORTS!
Early Bird (16th March, 2020) €5
Late (28th September, 2020) €6

ATTENDING THE FESTIVAL IS MANDATORY IF YOU SUBMIT TO THIS CATEGORY & YOUR FILM IS SELECTED! SEE BELOW! This is a category designed for filmmakers to come and talk about their work. (If there are sufficient entries from filmmakers aged under 22, we will organise a special event for this age category). 20m or less run times only, inc. credits.

Feature Films (70-120 minutes); narrative fiction (all genres) and documentaries
Early Bird (16th March, 2020) €20
Late (28th September, 2020) €30

Feature films between 70-120 minutes in length, all genres considered (narrative fiction and documentaries)

Matchmaking

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