Banff Mountain Film Competition

Deadline: 2 August 2023
Open to: Creative Filmmakers
Benefits: $5,000 among other award categories

DESCRIPTION

The Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival is a programming-driven, competitive event bringing the best films and books on mountains and the spirit of adventure from around the world to the mountain town of Banff, Alberta.  The Festival provides an opportunity for filmmakers and writers to meet and exchange ideas.

Located in the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains, the Festival is a programming-driven, competitive event bringing together the best films and books on mountains and the spirit of adventure from around the world. The 2023 festival will be a combination of in-person theatre events and virtual online screenings.

ELIGIBILITY

1. Completed films need to be uploaded at the time of entry. Rough cuts, trailers or unfinished projects will not be accepted and are unable to consider new versions of films once they’re entered. Please refer to the late entry application process in the section below.
2. Films produced in the year 2021, 2022 and 2023 are eligible for competition.
3. If English is not the original language of the film, it MUST be entered into competition with English subtitles, or be dubbed in English.
4. Films must be entered into one category only. Do not submit the same film to multiple categories.
5. Any film submitted must fit the criteria of one or more of the subject-based categories. The Mountain Film Competition reserves the right to make the final decision on the category of any film entered.
6. The same film may only be entered once in the Mountain Film Competition.
7. All entries will be viewed prior to the Festival by a pre-selection committee chaired by the Director – Festival and World Tour. Finalists chosen by this committee will be screened by an international jury and viewed by the public at the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival.
8. All Banff Centre staff are excluded from submitting entries.
9. Film finalists agree to have their film screened on the online streaming platform in Canada and the USA and locally at multiple live venues and on multiple dates within the festival period, October 28 – November 8, 2023.
10. Award winners agree to have their film screened on the online streaming platform and locally in theatres after the Festival dates as part of an award winners series. A separate licensing agreement with an agreed fee will be made directly with the film entrant.
11. All submissions may be retained by the Festival for adjudication, on-demand and archival purposes.
12. All film entries submitted via FilmFreeway, along with available film overview, credits, specifications and distributor information may be made accessible for viewing during the Festival to filmmakers, distributors, festival directors, Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour hosts, and media.
13. Film finalists will be made available to the public post-Festival in Banff Centre’s Paul D. Fleck Library and Archives (restricted viewing on site for research purposes only).
14. The Entrant grants the Festival and its successors, licensees and assigns the right to copy and version the entry in its entirety to facilitate technical operations of the Festival, in and through any and all media formats now known or hereafter devised.
15. The Entrant grants the Festival and its successors, licensees and assigns the right to use up to three minutes from the entry AND accompanying photos submitted to the Festival for promotional purposes of the Festival and its activities in or through any and all media formats now known or hereafter devised, including, but not limited to, the Internet throughout the universe.
16. An admission charge will be made to the public for online and live festival events in order to defray the costs of the Festival.
17. The Entrant acknowledges and agrees that all matters will be decided by Festival organizers or the Festival jury at their sole discretion.

BENEFITS

Grand Prize: $5,000
Best Film, Adventure: $3,000
Best Film, Climbing: $3,000
Best Film, Environment: $3,000
Best Film, Mountain Culture: $3,000
Best Film, Mountain Sports: $3,000
Best Film, Snow Sports: $3,000
Best Short Film: $3,000 – Under 20 minutes in length
Best Feature Film: $3,000 – Over 70 minutes in length
Creative Excellence: $3,000 – showcasing creativity and the arts in exploring the spirit of adventure.
Audience Choice Award: $3,000 – chosen by the festival audience.

*All prize amounts listed in Canadian dollars

• Entries are not limited to one award.
• Awards may be presented to the director or the producer of the film.
• In the spirit of being a true Audience Choice award, votes are cast by virtual and in person festival ticket holders only. If person(s) in connection to your film are found to be sharing information on how to vote (via social media or otherwise), your film will be disqualified from receiving this award.

HOW TO APPLY?

Filmmakers are required to submit their completed film for pre-screening at the time of entry via FilmFreeway.

For more information and to apply, visit the official website.