Moondance 2016 Submission Guidelines

The Moondance International Film Festival cordially invites all talented US & International filmmakers, writers and music composers to submit their films, written works and film scores to its 17th annual season.

The Moondance film festival is planned to take place in September, 2016. The fabulous & memorable festival event location venues to be announced, shortly.

Moondance is dedicated to promoting the boldest and most innovative work, and films that challenge the boundaries of filmmaking. The annual film festival celebrates, encourages, inspires, and supports original independent films, written works and music, not just during our film festival but throughout the year. Moondance always screens only the very best in independent cinema from the US and around the world. Our super-productive workshops, pitch-panels, networking events and gala awards ceremony and reception are very popular and well-attended.

SPECIAL REMINDER: 

The 2019 Moondance will not have a theatrical venue this season. All winning & selected films will be screened only via our private viewing room site. 

~ Thanks for helping to make Moondance a world-class event, and in the US & international entertainment community spotlight!

SUBMISION CATEGORIES LIST
AWARDS CATEGORIES LIST
AWARDS BENEFITS

 

HOW TO SUBMIT
Submissions are via the official Moondance entry form only:

OFFICIAL ENTRY FORM

Feature, short, documentary and animation films may be submitted by the screenwriter, director, producer, production company, distributor, animator, editor, lead actor(s), film score composer and/or cinematographer/DP.

Films, written works & music can have been completed or produced at any date.

• If mailing in your submission &/or entry fee, please send to:

MOONDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
970 9th STREET
BOULDER, CO 80302 USA

SUBMISSION DEADLINES AND FEES:

• REGULAR: JANUARY 1 through MAY 31, 2016, – $50 ENTRY FEE
• LATE: JUNE 1 through JUNE 30, 2016 – $75 ENTRY FEE
• EXTENDED:  JULY 1 THROUGH JULY 15, 2016 – $100 ENTRY FEE

The Submission Fee Must Be In US$ And Is Non-Refundable

SUBMISSION FORMATS:

• FILMS: DVD in NTSC or PAL region 0 or 1. Digital film submissions are also accepted. A link to your film on Vimeo + password is preferred. Please preview your DVD before submitting it, to make sure it plays correctly! INFO NEEDED: film title, director name, genre, total running time of film (TRT), logline, and your contact info. Two new 2016 film categories are for short drone productions as a narrative or documentary film. Running times: Short – up to 30 minutes, Feature: 30-120 minutes, Music Video – up to 5 minutes, Animation – up to 15 minutes. Films not in the English language must have English subtitles. No dubbed films will be accepted.
• TRAILERS: DVD in NTSC or PAL region 0 or 1. Digital film submissions are also accepted. A link to your film on Vimeo + password is preferred. Please preview your DVD before submitting it, to make sure it plays correctly! INFO NEEDED: film title, director name, genre, total running time of film (TRT), logline, and your contact info. Two new 2016 film categories are for short drone narrative or documentary film productions. Running times: up to 10 minutes.
• WRITTEN WORKS: on paper, bound. Digital written submissions are also accepted. Send written submissions in standard industry format, with a logline and one-page synopsis. The script logline and synopsis can be attached in the script, after the title page. Please have the writer’s name and contact info (including e-mail address) on the title page. Short stories do not need a synopsis. Digital written submissions are also accepted. Screenplays based on other literary material, i.e. adaptations, are accepted & welcomed.
• ORIGINAL TV PILOTS: Please send the pilot script, a logline and one-page synopsis of the pilot, a one-page character list and brief notes on the characters, one page of loglines or mini-synopses of several subsequent, proposed episodes, and title page with your contact info. You may bind the entire package in with the pilot script. Digital television script or filmed submissions are also accepted.
• SHORT STORIES: You may submit up to three short stories with a single entry form and for a single entry fee, and you are strongly encouraged to send at least three short stories. Digital short story submissions are also accepted.
• ORIGINAL MUSIC & FILM SCORES: Spec CDs accepted. The music does not have to be produced in a film. Send CD and NTSC format DVD, if you wish, and if the film with your music has been produced. Digital music submissions are also accepted.
• TREATMENTS: for screenplays or films can be up to a maximum of 10 pages, double-spaced. Please include a brief logline & a cover page, with a logline & synopsis, and your contact info. Digital treatment submissions are also accepted.
• RADIO PLAY DRAMA/COMEDY/DOCUMENTARY: Spec radio play scripts and/or produced radio plays on CD accepted. Digital radio submissions are also accepted.

All submissions will be acknowledged via email. Include the emails for all individuals named on the entry form who may be interested in learning the results of the competition.

Do not send promotional material, media kits, or film stills with your submission. If your film is selected for screening, we will request the stills at that time.

SELECTION:

Submissions are reviewed, judged and selected under the following criteria:

• Quality of narrative and production values
• Independent nature of the project
• Unique story, well-told
• Cinematic & Entertainment value
• Audience, producer & distributor interest

WINNER, FINALIST & SEMI-FINALIST ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Contest winners will be announced prior to the festival event, and awards will be presented to the winners during the Moondance Film Festival awards ceremony. The semi-finalists, finalists and winners will also be announced in the Moondance newsl-blog and the winning entries will be posted on the Moondance website. No individual e-mail or letter announcements to finalist or winners will be sent out. It’s up to you to subscribe to and read the news-blog and check the website for the status of your submission.

NOTIFICATION:

Moondance endeavors to complete all selection procedures in August, 2016, and to inform all submitters, via the Moondance news-blog and the website, If your film submission is selected for screening at the film festival, you will be contacted by e-mail with a request for a DCP & a BLU-ray or DVD back-up, more details, screening time, venue, time and date. and how to make the most of participating in the festival.

 

FILMMAKERS PLEASE NOTE: SELECTED FILMS FORMAT:

Selected filmmakers MUST provide a Digital Cinema Package (DCP) promptly when requested, in order to be screened at the Moondance Film Festival, as well as a back-up Blu-ray or DVD. All films will be screened at the film festival event in DCP format.

 

• Moondance reserves the right to decline selecting a semi-finalist, finalist or winner in any category and at any stage of the judging if there are no acceptable winning, finalist or semi-finalist entries in that category.