For Filmmakers
Submit
We only accept submissions on Film Freeway. Emailing us a link will not be considered. Please read all rules for submission below. Also, review submission FAQs for more information.
2022 Deadlines
May 1 - Sept. 14
Early Bird Deadline
Sept 15- Nov. 30
Regular Deadline and final Student deadline
Dec. 1 - Dec. 31
Late Deadline for all categories except Student.
About Oxford Film Festival
Named a Top 50 Film Festival worth the entry fee over several years by MovieMaker magazine, Oxford Film Festival in Oxford, Miss., exhibits over 200 quality films from across the globe and has been praised for its hospitality. In 2008, the Oxford Film Festival became an independent non-profit organization with 501c3 status committed to celebrating the art of independent cinema.
Submission FAQs
+ When do I submit my film?
The submission dates for 2022 are:
- May 1 - Sept. 15 = Early Bird Deadline
- Sept. 16 - Nov. 30 = Regular Deadline and final Student deadline
- Dec. 1 - Dec. 31 = Late Deadline for all categories except Student.
+ How do I submit my film?
We only accept submissions on Film Freeway. Emailing us a link will not be considered. Click here to submit on Film Freeway.
+ Are discounts offered?
All genres have a $5 student discount other than in the student category.
Films created by people with disabilities, and/or featuring performers with disabilities receive a 50% discount using code REELOXFF21
Films directed by women also get 50% discount using code BlacheOXFF21
Films directed by BIPOC get a 50% discount using ZeitgestOXFF
+ Can I get a fee waiver?
You might be able to from May 1-Sept. 30 if you reach out to Justina Walford (Justina@oxfordfilmfest.com). No fee waivers are given after early bird deadline.
+ How does your film screening process work?
We have a screening team of about 50 volunteers made up of a cross-section of the Oxford community as well as some national and international screeners including students, retirees, filmmakers, industry and more. Three people are required to watch the film completely and then submit their review using our internal system. Then head programmers for each category make final decisions using this feedback and their own viewing. The feedback from screeners is shared with filmmakers who request this service at the time of acceptance or rejection. At the festival we are looking above all else for a good story but technical proficiency, acting, editing, length of film, uniqueness and other factors are taken into consideration when screening.
Roughly 90-95% of the films programmed are selected through the submission process. We do select 3-5 films each year as special screenings that we invite to the festival outside of the submissions.
We do not pay screening fees for juried competition films. Please do not submit and accept and then ask for us to pay to screen your film. We do share data with you of our audience and split virtual screening costs.
For the Short Screenplay competition, our volunteers read each script and determine the semi-finalists and top finalists based on ranking of scores. The readers are made up of actors, filmmakers, writers and regular audience members.
+ Can I get my money back if my film is not accepted?
No, that is not our policy.
+ When is notification?
We consider films fully before making a decision. We try to notify once decided rather than waiting only until the final notification date. Decisions are made in two rounds during our 6 month submission process. However, we will notify all filmmakers by or before Jan. 31, 2021 via mail. Please check your account on Film Freeway for any notifications or check your email. Films that request feedback will receive it.
RULES FOR FILM SUBMISSIONS (READ THESE!)
FOR COMPLETED FILMS: To be considered for the Oxford Film Festival, the filmmaker must provide a working link (with or without password) to a digital screener on Vimeo, YouTube, or equivalent through FilmFreeway. DVD and E-mail submissions are not considered at all.
We have signed the Seed&Spark 2020 Film Festival Survival Pledge, Film Festivals and Distributors support the independent film community affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, by pledging:
ONLINE ELIGIBILITY: Temporarily revise policies prohibiting screening of films that were once available online to now make any films that screen online in an official ticketed festival capacity screening and competition-eligible.
PREMIERE STATUS: Uphold the intended film premiere status for a festival, in the event that festival moves their program online.
GEOBLOCKING WAIVER: If a film screens online for a preceding, non-geographically competing festival in an official ticketed festival capacity (when geoblocking technology is unavailable), temporarily waive policies requiring geographically-based premiere.
PRODUCTION TIMELINE: When accepting submissions for the 2020-2021 festival cycle, temporarily waive policies limiting screening and competition eligibility of films produced within a specific timeframe to include films that were eligible in the previous festival cycle.
COMMITMENT TIMELINE: Uphold these commitments until the independent film community at large determines that operations have returned to the status quo.
DISTRIBUTOR CLAUSE: A distributor can further strengthen this pledge by committing to recognize that by screening online in a fixed-term, pay-wall enforced, official festival capacity (that is geoblocked to a particular area), a film is not earning revenue or being sold to consumers in a traditional VOD market and, therefore, remains viable for future sales opportunities.
We do not pay screening fees except through negotiations from a distributor or sales agent. We do however split ticket sales for the virtual component with all filmmakers.
For best viewing for programmers, please enable the “Watch Later” feature on Vimeo. This makes it possible for our screeners to watch your films on the largest screen available to them.
Shorts must be under 30 minutes. Features must be under 130 minutes.
To be considered for the Mississippi categories, the filmmaker should indicate their "Mississippi connection" in the cover letter section. If you answer yes that your film was made in Mississippi, we ask that you submit in the Mississippi categories. If you submit in a regular category but your film was at least 50% filmed in Mississippi, we will move you to this category.
All films in a language other than English must be subtitled in English for festival presentation. English speaking films that are selected also now require an srt file or include open captions for accessibility when we present the film. We require it for public exhibition.
All submission fees are non-refundable, even if we do not select your film. Any film submitted in previous years but be a significantly different version to be re-considered. Re-submitted, previously rejected films will not be considered.
In submitting a completed film, the filmmaker represents that they are authorized to submit this film for screening at the 2021 Oxford Film Festival. They acknowledge that the film may be screened more than once during the festival and if a winner could be screened at our Best of events (we will ask permission first). They grant the Oxford Film Festival the nonexclusive right to use submitted materials in connection with any and all publicity and promotional materials regarding the festival. They warrant that the submitted film does not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any person or entity and agree to hold harmless and fully indemnify and defend the Oxford Film Festival and its representatives against any and all claims made for such infringement or any other violations of law. They also acknowledge that the film submission fee does not guarantee acceptance and no refund will be provided if your film is not selected.
Upon acceptance, Oxford Film Festival will ask for fest deliverables:
1) Feature films require either a DCP or a BluRay for the physical festival. If unable to deliver a DCP, we partnered with a company to provide a discount to have a DCP made.
2) Short films require a ProRes 422 file. Selig Polyscope Company will then create a shorts block. We do not want a DCP for your short as we create our own DCP blocks.
3) For the Virtual Festival component, we partner with Eventive and Cinesend which uses a DRM protected platform to upload a digital file.
If the filmmaker does not comply with delivery deadlines, the film may be pulled from the festival lineup.
Acceptance does not guarantee a juried slot, but the filmmaker will be notified upon acceptance if their film was selected for competition or out-of-competition screenings.
We suggest reading emails from the festival.
International entries - all entries from outside the US should be sent Air mail Registered or by a parcel express service (DHL, UPS, Fed Ex, etc.). We cannot accept entries shipped via air-freight if customs and delivery fees have not been paid.