Submit Your Work to the TriMedia Film Festival
Call for Entries is Closed
 The call for entries
for the 2008 TriMedia Film Festival is closed. We'll notify submitters about selections
by July 19, and announce the official schedule by August 1, 2008.
2008 Guidelines
Anyone may submit (provided you're the authorized agent for the work), and you
may submit multiple entries as long as you pay the entry fee for each.
The final production budget for your film or TV work must be less than
$2 million US. A final production budget must be submitted for all works over
60 minutes in length upon request.
The TMFF is devoted to nurturing, promoting, presenting, and distributing
truly independent films from truly independent filmmakers who know what it is
to spill blood, sweat, and tears into their projects. Awards for winning
entries in the TMFF include:
- Festival Directors' Award - Best of Festival
- Jury Award - Best Short Film
- Jury Award - Best Feature Film
- Jury Award - Best Documentary
- Jury Award - Best TV Pilot/Special
- Jury Award - Best Student Film
- Jury Award - Best Theatre
- Jury Award - Best Actor - Film
- Jury Award - Best Actor - Theatre
- Audience Choice - Best Short Film
- Audience Choice - Best Feature Film
- Audience Choice - Best Documentary
- Audience Choice - Best TV Pilot/Special
- Audience Choice - Best Theatre
- Audience Choice - Best Student Film
Official winners of the categories listed above will be announced at the
2008 TMFF event, 5-7 September 2008 in Fort Collins, Colorado, and posted
on this Web site afterward. Other specialty awards may be added closer to
the festival.
Judging Criteria
Judging criteria include the overall quality of:
- Production Quality
- Story & Character
- Writing
- Acting
- Cinematography
- Music/Score
- Directing
The judges will also consider
- Production value on screen
- Level of difficulty
- "Watchability" or replay value of a piece
- Consistency with film festival guidelines and objectives
Content Guidelines
The TMFF is looking for works that would be rated no more than PG-13, and that
avoid gratuitous sex, violence, or language. Ignoring these guidelines will
make it very less likely your entry will be accepted for the festival. We also like
a balanced approach to most subjects, rather than hearing only one side of
the issue. For scheduling reasons, we will not accept film/TV entries that run longer
than 105 minutes (1 hr. 45 mins.). Also see our
Festival Philosopy section below.
2008 Categories, Deadlines, and Fees
The call for entries starts 1 February 2008 and ends 31 May 2008.
- Early entries: 1 February 2008 - 15 March 2008
- Regular entries: 16 March 2008 - 30 April 2008
- Late entries: 1 May 2008 - 31 May 2008
(WithoutABox "upgraded" members have until 7 June 2008)
Your entry must be postmarked by the entry deadline to qualify for the
entry fee you paid, and MUST be postmarked by 31 May 2008 (or 7 June 2008
for upgraded WAB members) to be considered at all.
FILM (FEATURE, DOCUMENTARY, ANIMATION, INTERNATIONAL)
- Shorts (under 30 mins.)
- Early $30
Regular $39 Late $55
- Full-length (31-105 mins.)
- Early $40
Regular $50 Late $75
TV PILOTS/TV SPECIALS
- Short (under 30 mins.)
- Early $30
Regular $39 Late $55
- Long (31-105 mins.)
- Early $40
Regular $50 Late $75
THEATRE -- By Invitation Only
- Scripts (3 to 20 minutes)
- Entry fee $16, and deadline is 31 May 2008
We cannot return anything you send us, including your entry, photoes, etc. While
we will make every effort to stay organized, please don't send us your one and only copy of
anything, because that's sure to be the one we'll lose.
2008 Entry Rules and Guidelines
FILM & TV Entries
- All submissions must be through
WithoutABox (WAB), using their entry forms.
Registration is free, there are no extra fees to pay, and you can track your
submission progress in WAB's system.
- We encourage the submission of international film/TV entries, but all entries must be
in English or have English dubbing or subtitles.
- Film/TV entries must have been completed no earlier than 1 January 2005.
- Film/TV entries must be available for screening during the festival, 5-7 September 2008.
- Film/TV entries may not run longer than 105 minutes (1 hour 45 minutes).
- Film/TV entries produced, financed, or initiated with a budget over $2 million US
dollars are ineligible to be exhibited or awarded a prize. If you lie about
your budget and we catch you at it, we will strip your award, require you to
return any prize(s) and may start legal action if you don't.
- By submitting a film/TV entry to TMFF, you agree to allow highlights or excerpts
of your entry (e.g., a trailer) to be placed on the TMFF Web site at for
marketing and promotional purposes, and on the TMFF's "Best of..."
or other promotional DVD.
- You may submit as many entries as you like. Each entry requires its
own entry fee.
- Finalists will be selected based on excellence in conformity to content
guidelines (e.g., the PG-13 rating limit), judging criteria, and festival philosophy.
- We accept preview entries in DVD or VHS. Finalists must submit 2 copies
of their entry on a DVD (Region 0 or Region 1 compatible) or on a BetaSP tape
-- no exceptions. Please write your WAB entry number on anything and everything
you send us.
- We will notify you that your entry has been received via WithoutABox.
- Preview or final exhibition materials will not be returned.
- In accordance with both TMFF and WithoutABox policies, the entry fee
is non-refundable. You will not be allowed to enter your work unless you
agree to abide by the terms and conditions of the TMFF.
- Awards will be presented to the winning entries on 7 September 2008
during the TMFF awards presentation ceremony. All awards are based on the
overall merit of the entries. The decision of the judges is final.
- Finalists will be notified by around July 15, 2008 if their entry will be
screened at the 2008 TMFF and considered with the other finalists for
the top awards. Please understand that acceptance in the festival will
in no way guarantee that you, your actors, or your crew will be offered
paid transportation or lodging for the event.
- All finalists will have their entries screened at the 2008 TriMedia
Film Festival and will be featured in the festival program. In addition,
excerpts of your work may be included in the "Best of TMFF" DVD.
Please note that we may, at our discretion, accept films or TV entries that have
distribution deals, but if they have been exhibited or aired in Northern Colorado, they
will not be eligible for awards.

Questions? Check the Frequently Asked Questions page first, then the
WithoutABox
instructions. If you still need help, use the Contact Us form
to send us email.
THEATRE Entries - By Invitation Only
The TriMedia Film Festival accepts theatre script entries by invitation only.
We work primarily with local and regional theatre groups, writers, and
others to program the original theatre track.
If you are a playwright, screenplay, or teleplay writer in Fort Collins or
Northern Colorado, and are interested in submitting your work to the festival,
please email
, TriMedia Film Festival Co-Director, for more information.
2008 Entry Rules and Guidelines
- All submissions must be through WithoutABox (WAB), using WAB entry forms.
The deadline for theatre scripts is 31 May 2007.
- All scripts must be in English, and submitted electronically in Word,
ASCII text, Final Draft, or PDF form. Performance time for the script must
be between 3 and 20 minutes. Scripts with fewer characters are much preferred and
are more likely to be accepted.
- Scripts must have been written no earlier than 1 January 2005.
- Scripts must be available to be produced during the festival, 5-7 September 2008.
Performance(s) will be on 6 and/or 7 September 2008.
- Finalists will be notified by around 15 June 2008 if their script has been
accepted for production at the 2008 TMFF and considered with the other
finalists for awards. Please understand that acceptance in the festival
will in no way guarantee that you will be offered paid transportation or
lodging for the event.
- We will accept theatre script entries that have been produced before,
but if produced for public audiences in Northern Colorado, they will not
be eligible for awards.
- We strongly encourage you to perform or produce your own work,
and we will help you as much as possible. If you would like to the TMFF to produce
your script at the festival, you must let us know in your cover letter
when you submit your script. If your entry is selected for the festival, we will
recruit local actors and directors to produce the scene.
- By submitting a script to TMFF, you agree to allow videotaped highlights or
excerpts of the production of your script to be placed on the TMFF Web site at for
marketing and promotional purposes, and on the TMFF's "Best of ..."
or other promotional DVD.
- Finalists will be selected based on excellence in conformity to content
guidelines (e.g., the PG-13 rating limit), judging criteria, and festival
philosophy.
- You may submit as many entries as you like, and perform in as many as you
like. Each entry requires its own entry fee.
- In accordance with both TMFF and WithoutABox policies, the entry fee
is non-refundable. You will not be allowed to enter your work unless you
agree to abide by the terms and conditions of TMFF.
- Awards will be presented to the winning entries on 7 September 2008
during the TMFF awards presentation ceremony. All awards are based on the
overall merit of the entries. The decision of the judges is final.
- All finalists will have their scripts produced at the 2008 TriMedia Film
Festival and will be featured in the festival program. In addition,
videotaped excerpts of your work may be included in the "Best of TMFF" DVD.

Questions? Check the Frequently Asked Questions
page first, then the WithoutABox instructions. If you still need help, use
the Contact Us form to send us email.
Festival Philosophy
Our ideology stems from the following principle: STORY is vitally important.
Definition:
sto·ry (n)
1. An account or recital of an event or a series of events, either true or
fictitious
2. A usually fictional prose or verse narrative intended to interest
or amuse the hearer, viewer, or reader; a tale.
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| American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language -
Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin
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"Story" does not necessarily entail all those things you
were taught in school about plot, point of view, characters, conflict,
denouement, and so forth. We encourage rich and vibrant storytelling
that piques, amuses, or provokes the viewer. There is nothing like
a good story to capture the interest and imagination. The most beautifully
shot work will seem empty if a story is not embraced and effectively told.
Please, though, don't neglect production values -- do your best to
make sure that most of the hard-earned money for your project ends up
on the screen, not in someone's pocket. Even the most richly detailed
and emotionally powerful story is lost if you can't hear the actors or
see what's happening. TMFF audiences have come to expect excellent
production values, and your work must be up to that standard to be
selected for our festival.
We like documentaries that are balanced. What does that mean? It means
that if your entry blatantly advocates one side or point of view over
another, it isn't balanced. We don't expect you not to have an opinion, but
we do expect you to give screen time to credible opposing views. For example,
if your story is about destruction of a habitat, you should include fair
interviews with people who believe there are good reasons to do so.
And lastly, we're serious about our PG-13 rating limit. Based on
our interaction with our sponsors, with filmmakers, and our community,
there is a strong preference for knowing the work shown at the TMFF
won't contain over-the-top violence, gratuitous bad words, or explicit
displays of naughty bits (a.k.a., genitals). If your work contains "R"-rated
content, there are plenty of other film festivals that will be happy to
see your work.
One final note: If your film is not selected for our festival, it could be that
your film meets all the above criteria, but we just couldn't find a place for it
in the program. We wish we could show everything we like, but we only have a
limited number of hours and venues, and we can't fit everything in. If your
entry is turned down, it's sometimes frustruating not to know why; therefore, we
will offer to provide you with the comments we received from our screeners and
selection committee on your work.
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