Submissions for the 2020 SFFILM Festival are now closed. 2021 submissions will be accepted starting in August.
Deadlines
EARLY – received by MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2019
REGULAR – received by MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2019
FINAL – received by MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2019
FINAL (Youth Works only) – received by MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020
General Information for Entries
- All entries must have been completed on or after January 1, 2019.
- Features previously exhibited in the Bay Area, either theatrically, at another local festival, or via television or Internet broadcast are not eligible to apply.
- Bay Area filmmakers are eligible for additional Bay Area awards given in recognition of the rich variety of work that has established Northern California as a center of independent production. Bay Area awards are presented to a documentary feature film and two short films. To qualify for a Bay Area award, entries must have been made by a filmmaker who is a current resident of the San Francisco Bay Area (the area from Monterey to Mendocino: postal zip codes 93901 to 95457). Producers, crew, and cast members are not eligible for entry fee discounts or Bay Area Golden Gate Awards.
- The Festival is unable to waive entry fees or provide discounts beyond those indicated. Entry fees are not refundable.
- Narrative, documentary, and animated short films may also be considered for inclusion in our popular Family Films program. Family films should be suitable for ages seven and up. Selections in this category engage and entertain the entire family. All genres welcome. Programs traditionally mix emerging talent with established filmmakers such as Glen Keane, Moonbot Studios, Bill Plympton, Aardman Animations, and Tonko House.
- Rough cuts or works-in-progress are accepted and reviewed. However, filmmakers are urged to submit as close to the final cut as possible. The Festival will not accept new versions of an entry unless requested by the programming staff.
- All entrants will be notified of the Festival’s decision by March, 2020.
Entry Fees & Awards
Golden Gate Awards Competition
The SFFILM Festival is deeply rooted in the finest traditions of film appreciation both as an art form and as a meaningful agent for social change and is an important showcase for the most searching and innovative films from around the globe.
The Festival’s Golden Gate Awards recognize the best of international and Bay Area talent by honoring innovation in narrative and documentary features, shorts, animation, experimental, family films, and youth-produced works.
Entry Fees by Deadline: Features (50+ mintues)
| Oct 7 | Nov 11 | Dec 9 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Entries | $60 | $75 | $100 |
| Bay Area Residents and College Students* | $50 | $65 | $90 |
| SFFILM Filmmaker members** | $40 | $55 | $80 |
*Must include proof of enrollment status at time of production.
**Verification of SFFILM Membership with Filmmaker Add-On is required.
Debut Narrative Feature (New Directors Prize): $10,000
McBaine Documentary Feature Prize: $10,000
McBaine Bay Area Documentary Feature Prize: $5,000
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature: no cash award
Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature: no cash award
The SFFILM Festival is also a qualifying festival for the 13th annual Cinema Eye Honors for Nonfiction filmmaking, which was founded in 2007 to honor exemplary craft in documentaries.
Short Films
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes SFFILM Festival as a qualifying festival for all short format competitions (live action, documentary, and animated) for the 92nd annual Academy Awards. Note: Previous television or Internet broadcast disqualifies a work from Oscar consideration.
The New Visions category is only for experimental film and video in which personal expression and aesthetic exploration are the primary concerns. If the entry is inappropriate for New Visions, the Festival will reassign it to the proper category.
Entry Fees by Deadline: Short Films
| Oct 7 | Nov 11 | Dec 9 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Entries | |||
| Under 30 min | $35 | $60 | $80 |
| Under 50 min | $45 | $70 | $90 |
| Bay Area Residents and College Students* | |||
| Under 30 min | $30 | $50 | $80 |
| Under 50 min | $40 | $60 | $90 |
| SFFILM Filmmaker members** | |||
| Under 30 min | $25 | $40 | $80 |
| Under 50 min | $35 | $50 | $90 |
*Must include proof of enrollment status at time of production.
**Verification of SFFILM Membership with Filmmaker Add-On is required.
Short Film Awards
Documentary Short — $2,000
Narrative Short — $2,000
Animated Short — $2,000
New Visions Short — $2,000
All short film categories and New Visions works by Bay Area residents are also eligible for the Bay Area Short First Prize of $2,000 and Second Prize of $1,500.
FAMILY FILMS (under 30 minutes)
Suitable for ages 7 and up. Selections in this category engage and entertain the entire family-from first-time moviegoers to grandparents. Past filmmakers include Glen Keane, Moonbot Studios, Bill Plympton, Pixar Animation, Aardman Animations, Weston Woods Studios, and Tonko House. All genres are welcome.
Entry Fees by Deadline: Family Films
| Oct 7 | Nov 11 | Dec 9 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Entries | |||
| Under 30 min | $35 | $60 | $80 |
| Bay Area Residents and College Students* | |||
| Under 30 min | $30 | $50 | $80 |
| SFFILM Filmmaker members** | |||
| Under 30 min | $25 | $40 | $80 |
*Must include proof of enrollment status at time of production.
**Verification of SFFILM Membership with Filmmaker Add-On is required.
Family Film Award — $1,500
YOUTH-PRODUCED SHORT FILMS
Youth Works category submissions must include with the application a copy of a photo ID indicating proof of age (18 and younger) at the time of production. Adult participation in Youth Works is limited to an advisory role.
Entry Fees by Deadline: Youth Works
| Oct 7 | Nov 11 | Jan 13 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 30 min | No entry fee | ||
Youth Works Award — $1,000
Preview Format
For review purposes, entries can either be uploaded on our SFFILM Festival Entry Form, or on FilmFreeway.com. Contact gga@sffilm.org for information on sending a DVD.
Subtitled Entries
All non-English language entries must have English subtitles for preview and for Festival presentation.
Payment
The Festival is unable to waive entry fees or provide discounts beyond those indicated. Entry fees are not refundable. You may submit any number of titles; however, a separate entry form, preview copy, and entry fee are required for each title. If the Festival determines a work is entered in the wrong category and needs to reassign it, any discrepancy in entry fees between the categories must be paid by the filmmaker.
Payment is accepted only in US dollars, by check (payable to SFFILM), money order, Visa, MasterCard or American Express. Checks must have a printed address and telephone number. International entries must pay by Visa, MasterCard, American Express or money order in US dollars. International entrants who do not wish to pay by credit card must contact SFFILM for instructions on sending a bank wire transfer. (There is an additional $20 fee for wire transfers.) Do not send cash.
Send payment or correspondence to:
2020 SFFILM Festival Entries
SFFILM
39 Mesa Street, Suite 110
The Presidio
San Francisco, CA 94129 USA
Questions? Contact a dedicated staff member at GGA@sffilm.org with any questions or submission concerns.