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

• 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)

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

1. 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.
2. We encourage the submission of international film/TV entries, but all entries must be in English or have English dubbing or subtitles.
3. Film/TV entries must have been completed no earlier than 1 January 2005.
4. Film/TV entries must be available for screening during the festival, 5-7 September 2008.
5. Film/TV entries may not run longer than 105 minutes (1 hour 45 minutes).
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. You may submit as many entries as you like. Each entry requires its own entry fee.
9. Finalists will be selected based on excellence in conformity to content guidelines (e.g., the PG-13 rating limit), judging criteria, and festival philosophy.
10. 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.
11. We will notify you that your entry has been received via WithoutABox.
12. Preview or final exhibition materials will not be returned.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. 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

1. All submissions must be through WithoutABox (WAB), using WAB entry forms. The deadline for theatre scripts is 31 May 2007.
2. 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.
3. Scripts must have been written no earlier than 1 January 2005.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Finalists will be selected based on excellence in conformity to content guidelines (e.g., the PG-13 rating limit), judging criteria, and festival philosophy.
10. You may submit as many entries as you like, and perform in as many as you like. Each entry requires its own entry fee.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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:

"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.