Please carefully review the following regulations before submitting your film or inquiring about submissions.
1. SUBMISSION DEADLINES
Submissions will be accepted from June 10, 2024, to July 7, 2024.
2. DEFINITIONS
Short Film: This category is designated for films (fiction, documentary, experimental, live action, animation) with a runtime of 60 minutes or less (including credits).
Feature Film: This category is reserved for films (fiction, documentary, experimental, live action, animation) with a runtime of 60 minutes or more (including credits).
3. PREVIEW SCREENER FORMATS
Film submissions must either be directly uploaded to FilmFreeway using their Secure Online Screener system or provided as a password-protected Vimeo link or an unlisted YouTube link, entered directly into the FilmFreeway online application form.
Some important notes:
- The ORSON AWARDS does not accept screeners via email; you must upload them directly to FilmFreeway or a third-party site like Vimeo or YouTube.
- If the password changes at any point before September 2, 2024, the Submitter must promptly notify the ORSON AWARDS via email. Any film submitted with an incorrect or outdated password cannot be considered, leading to disqualification, and any fees paid will be forfeited.
- For Vimeo links, please ensure that the privacy settings are updated such that embedding is allowed; this ensures that the ORSON AWARDS can view the film via FilmFreeway. You can do this while logged in to your Vimeo account and navigating to Settings > Privacy > Where Can This Video Be Embedded? and selecting 'Anywhere'.
4. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
In order to be considered, all submissions must meet the following criteria:
- Films must have been completed after July 2023.
- Films cannot be released in theaters, television, online platforms, physical media or any other format until November 26, 2024. Previous screenings as part of film festivals are permitted.
- Films must be in their original language; if the original language is not English, English subtitles must be provided.
Please note:
- The ORSON AWARDS reserves the right to program films that do not adhere to the above eligibility requirements.
5. AUTHORISED USE AND INCLUSION OF MATERIALS
It is the sole responsibility of the Submitter to:
- Secure permission from the rights holders of any and all copyrighted and/or trademarked content or materials included within the film.
- Clear all content within the film from any and all actual or potential legal claims and issues, including, without limitation, claims based on theories of libel, defamation, invasion of privacy, violation of rights of publicity, theft of trade secrets, breach of confidence, breach of confidential relationship, and breach of express or implied contract (“Third Party Claim/s”).
The ORSON AWARDS will not be held responsible for any unauthorised inclusion of:
- Any copyrighted and/or trademarked content or materials within or relating to the submitted project, including any content or materials that are or may become the basis for any Third Party Claim/s for copyright infringement and/or trademark infringement, trademark dilution or unfair competition.
- Any content or materials within or relating to the submitted film that are or may be the basis for any Third Party Claim/s.
If any unauthorised inclusion of materials as set out above applies to a submitted film, the ORSON AWARDS reserves the right to forego consideration of that film, or to withdraw the film from confirmed programming – in which case any and all fees paid prior will be forfeited.
6. WORK-IN-PROGRESS AND 'ROUGH CUTS'
If a work-in-progress (WIP) is being submitted, please read the following carefully.
The ORSON AWARDS does accept submissions of WIPs only if the following conditions have been met:
- The film must be at least at picture-lock stage.
- The Submitter accepts that the rough cut is the ONLY VERSION that can be submitted.
The ORSON AWARDS will not accept further cuts of the film as they are completed. Please think very carefully about whether or not you should submit the film as a WIP.
If you have any queries regarding WIPs, please email submissions@orsonawards.com
7. SELECTION
- Our careful selection committee will choose 16 exceptional films: 8 shorts and 8 features, ensuring a highly intriguing curation.
- All Submitters will be notified of an outcome by September 2, 2024. Festival programmers select and invite all films presented at the ORSON AWARDS. If the Submitter’s contact details change during the submissions period, you must inform the ORSON AWARDS via
- If the film is selected to screen at the ORSON AWARDS, it must be made available in one of the following formats, received by the ORSON AWARDS no later than close of business (5pm AEST) September 9, 2024:
- If the film is selected to screen at the ORSON AWARDS, the ORSON AWARDS strongly encourages the Submitter to supply closed captions and/or audio description so that the film can be viewed by audiences with access requirements.
- If the film is selected to screen at the ORSON AWARDS, the Submitter must provide a minimum of three (3) digital copies of stills from the film via email or WeTransfer (minimum image specifications: 300dpi, JPGs or JPEGs only). Electronic Press Kits (EPKs), digital posters, director headshots and social media handles may also be supplied to the ORSON AWARDS, but are not mandatory. Please note: ORSON AWARDS may supply these materials to third parties for the purpose of editorial coverage of the ORSON AWARDS. These materials may also be used for the ORSON AWARDS publicly available print publications and print products as well as online media (the ORSON AWARDS website/s, the ORSON AWARDS mobile application/s and the ORSON AWARDS social media channels), where they will remain available without any time or territorial restrictions. Please be aware that the ORSON AWARDS cannot make photographer attributions within our printed or online guides.
- The ORSON AWARDS' selection decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into. ORSON AWARDS does not provide critical analysis or feedback.
8. AWARDS
50% of the ticket sales profits will be distributed to the awarded films as follows:
Short Film Categories
- Best Short Film - 5%
- Best Directing - 2%
- Best Acting - 1%
- Best Screenplay - 1%
- Best Cinematography - 1%
- Best Production Design - 1%
- Best Film Editing - 1%
- Best Sound - 1%
Feature Film Categories
- Best Film - 13%
- Best Directing - 6%
- Best Acting - 3%
- Best Screenplay - 3%
- Best Cinematography - 3%
- Best Production Design - 3%
- Best Film Editing - 3%
- Best Sound - 3%
9. CORRESPONDENCE
All correspondence from the ORSON AWARDS regarding FilmFreeway submissions will be sent via FilmFreeway, directly to the email address of the Submitter, or through third-party email campaign software. Please do not unsubscribe from the ORSON AWARDS communications, as you may miss key updates.
Although the ORSON AWARDS takes every precaution to ensure that messages are sent to the Submitter via email, the ORSON AWARDS disavows any responsibility for messages not delivered to the email address supplied. The ORSON AWARDS recommends that Submitters regularly log in to FilmFreeway to ensure that the submission has been completed (including, but not limited to, payments and screener uploads), that the supplied email address is correct and up-to-date, and that the film’s status has changed to ‘In Consideration’ within two weeks of submitting.
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If you need further assistance after reading the above regulations please email the submissions team via submissions@orsonawards.com. If you have a FilmFreeway Tracking Number, please ensure you quote it in the subject line so that the team can assist you with your query as quickly as possible.