RULES, REGULATIONS, ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS,
AND ENTRY FORM GUIDELINES

The applicant must be enrolled as a student in a West Virginia elementary, middle, or secondary school, or a college or university. WV resident home-schooled students are also eligible; a signed acknowledgement by the parent/guardian/instructor is required.

The competition is divided into three divisions: (a) Division I - kindergarten through 8th grade, (b) Division II - 9th through 12th grades, and (c) Division III - college level, including graduate students. (Each division will be judged separate from the other.)

Entries will not be judged on a particular genre (category). Entries will be judged against each other, no matter the category, in the Division in which they are submitted. It is still requested that the applicant indicate a category on the entry form.

"NOTE: Derogatory language towards any ethnic group is prohibited."

In general, Division I and II entries are expected to adhere to the dialogue and subject matter restrictions observed by primetime network TV.  More leeway will be given to Division III entries.

Each applicant may submit no more than two (2) works. There is no restriction on when the film or video was completed, except that it must have been created and completed during the Division to which you are applying. For example, if you graduated from college and you completed the film/video in your senior year (Division III), you may submit the film/video in Division III so long as the project was completed before your graduation date.

Entries submitted in prior years may not be submitted again for consideration and will be disqualified.

In addition to the entry form, each entry must be accompanied by a  50 words or less synopsis of the film/video, a list of actors, and a list of the crew. (This is referred to as a "press kit.")
By signing the entry form, the applicant (a) certifies that the exhibition of the submitted entry will in no way violate any copyright laws or any other rights of any person, film, or corporation and (b) accepts all responsibility relating to - and indemnifies and holds harmless WVIFF from - any and all disputes and liabilities arising from any such claims by a third party.

The applicant must have prime artistic responsibility for the film or video submitted. Roles considered to have prime artistic responsibility are director, producer, writer, or editor. Teachers may submit a work on behalf of a class in Divisions I and II, as long as the class had prime artistic responsibility for the work.

Although any shooting format may have been used to produce the original film or video, the only acceptable submission format for consideration is a VHS videotape (one-half inch) or DVD. Do not send original prints, stills, or other materials related to the entry. WVIFF will not be responsible for damage to videos resulting from shipping, handling, judging, or screening.

If an applicant wishes to have a video returned by mail after the competition, a self-addressed, stamped envelope (sufficient to ship a VHS video or DVD, whichever is applicable) must be included with the entry; otherwise, the video will be destroyed. In the alternative, the applicant may include an additional $5.00 (over and above the entry fee) for each video requesting to be returned. (The applicant may also just pick up the entry following the screenings at the awards program in the WVSC Capitol Center Theater, 123 Summers Street (date and time to be announced) during Charleston's 2008 June 20 thru June 29 FestivALL.)

Entries will be judged by a media professional(s) selected by the WVIFF Board of Directors. Entries will be judged on originality, creativity, and completion of thought. Cash prizes will be awarded, in whole or in part, to the entry or entries that represent an overall outstanding achievement in each Division (there may be more than one winner selected in each Division). The decision of the judge(s) is final. Certificates of Achievement will be issued to each winning selection.

The entry fee for each video submission is Ten Dollars ($10.00) and must accompany the entry form. Do not send cash. Fees may be sent by money order, personal check, or school check, and be made payable to the West Virginia International Film Festival (or WVIFF). If an applicant is submitting two entries, two separate entry forms and press kits must be submitted (entry fees may be combined for this purpose, however).

The deadline for receiving entries is May 31, 2006. Completed entry forms and press kits with proper entry fees must be postmarked by this date. To enter the competition, fill out the attached entry form and send the entry form(s), press kit(s), and proper entry fee(s) to:

WVIFF SPRING 2008
STUDENT FILMMAKING COMPETITION
P.O. BOX 2165
CHARLESTON, WV 25328-2165

ENTRIES MUST BE POSTMARKED BY May 15, 2008.