USMAFF FILM CONTEST

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Film Competition Entry Rules & Regulations

 

1.  Submission Categories

A platform for the exchange of creative expression and martial arts entertainment, USMAFF (the “Festival”) supports emerging and established voices, discovers award-winning martial arts filmmakers, curates historically valuable cinematic and serial media, and introduces new ideas through panels, premieres, exhibitions, and live demonstrations.

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The USMAFF Film Festival 2025 and the USMAFF Film Contest 2025 is administered by the World Martial Arts Film Federation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

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Projects selected as finalists from all categories will be presented to the public at the USMAFF Film Festival currently scheduled to take place on April 24 to April 27, 2025 ("USMAFF25”). Since submission of a project constitutes acceptance of these Entry Rules & Regulations (by you and your agents), please review this document carefully. USMAFF25 is open to people world-wide residing in any country who are eighteen (18) years or older at the time of entry. Employees of the World Martial Arts Film Federation are not eligible for the competition. The Competition is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Submitting an entry and participation by any person constitutes the entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules and any decisions rendered by the Festival Program Director, which are final and binding in all matters related to the Competition.

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Submitted projects must not:

• have screened or exhibited publicly in the Southwest Region of the US ( includes Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah)

• have had ANY public screening, broadcast, distribution, or exhibition before January 1, 2025.

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Feature and Short Films

The Festival showcases short and feature films from emerging talent and established filmmakers with distinct voices and bold new ideas. Films invited to participate in the USMAFF25 will be shown in the section determined most appropriate by Festival programmers, in their sole discretion. Feature and short films will also be considered for our online premieres section.  Eligible projects include feature films (runtime ≥ 40 minutes), short films (runtime < 40 minutes) Episodic Serial Works (runtime >30 minutes per episode, for pilot or episode created for broadcast or streaming)  including:

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• Action

• Comedy

• Thriller

• Animation

• Documentary

• Fantasy

• Horror

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Selections and winning submissions will be judged in the following grouped categories:  (1) Action, Thriller, Fantasy, Horror (2) Comedy (3) Animation (4) Documentary. Within each category awards for Best Picture, Best Fight Scene, Best Actress and Best Actor will be issued. Finally, one submission will be selected as Best of 2024, across all categories and genres.

2. Key Dates and Entry Fees

Feature Film (film length ≥ 40 minutes) Short Film (film length < 40 minutes) Episodic Serial Works (episode length >30 minutes) submissions open November 4, 2025.

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                    Extra Early Bird Deadline          December 14, 2024          $35

                    Early Bird Deadline                     January 3, 2025               $45

                    Official Deadline                          February 1, 2025              $60

                    Extended Deadline                     March 7, 2025                   $115

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Student Feature Film (film length ≥ 40 minutes) Short Film (film length < 40 minutes) Episodic Serial Works (episode length >30 minutes) submissions open November 4, 2025.

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                     Extra Early Bird Deadline            December 14, 2024         $25

                     Early Bird Deadline                       January 3, 2025               $30

                     Official Deadline                            February 1, 2025              $40

                     Extended Deadline                       March 7, 2025                  $95

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The Festival requires that all projects be submitted via Film Freeway. Submissions that do not comply with length and/or runtime requirements may be deemed ineligible.

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Entry Fee Note: Entry fees are in U.S. Dollars, are per project and are non-refundable. The Festival reserves the right to disqualify a submission, without refund of any kind, if eligibility requirements are not met including if eligibility status changes post-submission.

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Students Note: Student directed entries may submit at the discounted rates published. Students may, at the discretion of the film maker, enter the general film competition for the general film competition fees, as published. Students will need to provide a scanned copy of a current and valid student ID card or a letter from an accredited school verifying the entrant’s enrollment in a PDF or JPG file, on or before March 1, 2025 to info@worldfilmfederation.org. Failure to submit the current valid student ID card or letter from an accredited school may subject the student to disqualification.

3. Eligibility

To be eligible for consideration:

ALL CATEGORIES:

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(1) You must fully comply with these Entry Rules & Regulations, including all deadlines, project length, entry material, and other requirements.

(2) Non-English language projects must submit an English language script of the submission at the time submitted. English subtitles are encouraged.

(3) The project MUST maintain at minimum a “Southwest Regional” premiere status prior to USMAFF25 (“Premiere”; Southwest Region includes United States regions of Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah).

(4) Both prior to and throughout USMAFF25 (except as otherwise expressly noted below), the project must meet the following criteria (see applicable chart below)

The series, feature or short can have already debuted in streaming or in theaters, but the submission to the Festival must maintain a Southwest “Premiere” theatrical status.

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FEATURES, SHORTS, EPISODIC ELIGIBLE OR INELIGIBLE

ANY public screening, broadcast, distribution, or theatrical exhibition in the Southwest Region before January 1, 2025 is ineligible. Any broadcast available to US audiences in streaming or other platform may be eligible if granted an exception by the Festival committee. Any digital broadcast available to US audiences (including via a non-password protected website, whether commercial or personal, e.g. Vimeo, YouTube, etc.) is ineligible. Private, invite only screenings (i.e. screenings for family or cast or screenings for feedback) are eligible. Academic screenings for students/faculty in a classroom or in-person, school-based film festival are eligible. For SELECTED films: theatrical, DVD, TV, digital and/or festival screenings scheduled to be held DURING USMAFF25 but after the Feature’s Premiere, if approved in advance and in writing by the Festival are eligible. Projects that participated in virtual festivals in 2024 are still eligible for submission IF the projects were only up online and streaming for a set period during the applicable USMAFF25 dates and not a selection of a Southwest-based film festival.

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Eligibility Note: If at any point following its initial consideration, the Festival determines that a submission no longer meets all the eligibility criteria described above, such submission will be deemed ineligible.

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4. How to enter

Apply online via FilmFreeway at www.filmfreeway.com and, after fully completing the online entry form, click “submit”. All entry materials as required by Film Freeway must be submitted for an application to be deemed complete. All appropriate fees must be paid for a submission to be considered complete. If submitting as a student, a scan of the student ID or enrollment verification must be provided on or before March 1 and emailed to info@worldfilmfederation.org.

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Note: It is your sole responsibility to ensure that your online entry form is properly submitted. If you have submitted through FilmFreeway, please make your project status is marked as “IN CONSIDERATION”, otherwise you have not completed your submission. all entry materials MUST be received by the Festival no later than the applicable deadlines. The Festival reserves the right to disqualify any submission, without refund of any kind, if it is not completed in accordance with these Entry Rules and Regulations.

Multiple Entries

FEATURES/SHORTS/EPISODICS/STUDENT

Each project must be individually submitted and accompanied by its own completed online entry form at Film Freeway. Any attempt to submit multiple projects under a single entry may result in all such projects being disqualified.

Re-Entry

If your project was submitted and considered for previous editions of the Festival, you may re-enter it if you have made significant changes and if all applicable eligibility requirements are met at the time of entry for USMAFF25.

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5. Invited Projects

Festival programmers may select and invite projects to be presented at USMAFF25, with Premiere status considered. Invited creators will be notified by email or phone, via the information provided on the Film Freeway submitted entry form. Make sure to update the Festival with new contact information or any other festival invitations prior to USMAFF25 at info@worldfilmfederation.org. If your project is invited, your attending and Premiere status will be confirmed with you and locked. Should you accept any other festival invitation that breaches this Premiere status commitment, the Festival reserves the right to rescind the invitation.

IF YOUR PROJECT IS SELECTED

If your project is selected, you must fulfill the following requirements by the date(s) designated by the Festival: (1) You must execute a release agreement wherein you (i) accept responsibility for obtaining any and all clearances necessary to exhibit and promote your project and any promotional materials provided by you in connection with USMAFF25; (ii) warrant that you have the rights necessary for the Festival to exhibit and promote your project and use any promotional materials provided by you in connection with USMAFF25; and (iii) indemnify and hold harmless the World Martial Arts Film Federation, the Festival, its parent company, its affiliates, and subsidiaries and any of their respective directors, officers, employees, and representatives against any claim arising out of exhibition and promotion of your project for violation of copyright, trademark, license or any other legal liability claim in connection with USMAFF25.

(2) For all projects  you must deliver to the address(es) designated by the Festival (i) one (1) exhibition copy (technical specifications must be confirmed by the Festival in advance) of the invited work; (ii) two (2) backup copies, as required by our technical department; and (iii) additional exhibition copies, if requested by the Festival (to allow for judging and multiple screenings at more than one venue). We recommend you ship all exhibition copies via courier in order to permit the tracking of your project once it leaves your hands. The required exhibition formats and delivery date deadlines will be confirmed by the Festival after invitations have been extended and confirmed. Please check in with the Festival staff before creating your Festival exhibition copies to ensure the format and technical specifications are correct.

(3) The Festival will not return exhibition copies. All exhibition copies will become the property of the World Martial Arts Film Federation with a corresponding perpetual non-exclusive license to display and/or broadcast the submission at the World Martial Arts Film Federation Library, or any future Festival event or panel, which license will never expire.

(4) You must provide a properly completed and signed official USMAFF25 “Festival Information Form” including all press and publication assets as specified in the “Materials Checklist” (the “Festival Information Form” and “Materials Checklist” will be provided by the Festival).

(5) You must provide a downloadable link of the final, completed project for Festival archives and internal purposes.

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6. Winner Selection

USMAFF25 may select up to five (5) entries in each category as finalists. However, if the quality is not sufficient, USMAFF25 is not required to select any entrants to protect the integrity of the selection process. One (1) winner in each category will be selected from all finalists. Selections are based upon the level of originality, creative sensibilities, technical execution of fight choreography and related FX, use of weapons, if any, and other factors pertaining to the Entry, as determined in the sole discretion of USMAFF25. For a complete list of all prizes, see the USMAFF25 website for details. All prizes are nontransferable. Potential winners must continue to comply with all terms and condition of the contest Rules. Winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements. In the event a potential Winner is disqualified for any reason, USMAFF25 may award the applicable prize to an alternate winner from among all remaining eligible entries.

7. Festival Sections

Projects invited to participate in USMAFF25 will be shown in the section determined most appropriate by Festival programmers, in their sole discretion. Part or all of the USMAFF25 program may be available online on a secure streaming platform for a limited number of screenings, geo-blocked to the United States. The Festival will discuss with the filmmakers whose films are chosen as Official Selections the possibility of including their film as part of the online component.

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In Competition

FEATURE FILMS

US Narrative Competition

• Open to narrative films produced in the US having a Southwest “Premiere” at USMAFF25 (see eligibility requirements above).

• Eligible for: Best Narrative Feature, Best Fight Scene, Best Actor Lead, Best Actress Lead.

• Open to narrative films produced anywhere in the World having a Southwest “Premiere” at USMAFF25 (see eligibility requirements above).

• Eligible for: Best Narrative Feature, Best Fight Scene, Best Actor Lead, Best Actress Lead.

DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

• Open to documentary films from anywhere in the World but must be a World “Premiere” at USMAFF25.

• Eligible for: Best Documentary Feature

SHORT FILMS

Narrative, Documentary, and Animated Short Films

• Open to projects from anywhere in the World but must at least be a Southwest Regional “Premiere.”  World premiere films are given priority.

• Eligible for: Best Narrative Short, Best Documentary Short, and Student Visionary Award.

• Student Shorts must be produced through an accredited educational institution.

• Shorts will play either in a Shorts program or before a Feature film.

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Out of Competition

The Festival committee in its sole discretion may select any project for display during the Festival that is also not in competition for any contest awards. The Festival committee will nominate certain Out Of Competition projects for certain awards not available as part of the film contest awards for any submissions via Film Freeway for USMAFF25.

Screening projects, whether in competition or out of competition, the scheduling and number of screens for display for each project is determined at the sole discretion of the Festival committee. All screenings are invitation-only and may feature advanced screenings of anticipated films or any other project. Many screenings may be followed by talks or panel discussions after the screenings.

Episodic projects may be represented by a single or up to three (3) episodes, selected at the discretion of the Festival Committee.

8. Awards

• Awards for the USMAFF25 contest include cash and prizes. Awards for USMAFF25 may be modified at any time, even after the close of submissions, at the discretion of the Festival Committee.

• Unless otherwise agreed by the Festival in writing, awards will be given to the winning film director or producer (as identified in the Festival Information Form) on behalf of the film, except for Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Fight Scene. The Best Fight Scene awards will be given to the winning stunt director or fight choreographer as identified in the submission. Best Actress and Best Actor awards will be given to the individuals.  All awards will be fulfilled approximately 12-16 weeks after the closing date of USMAFF25.

• Award eligibility is subject to any restrictions or conditions imposed by applicable laws and regulations (international, federal, state or otherwise), and the award recipient is responsible for all applicable taxes, customs, tariffs, insurance and similar charges or costs (if any).

• All new Features are eligible for the “Audience Award,” regardless of section.

The above listed awards are subject to change for USMAFF25 by the Festival in its sole discretion.

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9. Entry Conditions and Release

By entering, each participant agrees to: (a) comply with and be bound by these Rules and the decisions of USMAFF25, which are binding and final in all matters relating to the Contest and competition; (b) release and hold harmless the World Martial  Arts Film Federation, USMAFF25, its parent, subsidiary, and affiliated companies, prize suppliers, and any other organizations responsible for sponsoring, fulfilling, administering, advertising, or promoting the USMAFF25 contest, and all of their respective past and present officers, directors, members, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, including but not limited to negligence and damages of any kind to persons and property, including but not limited to invasion of privacy (under appropriation, intrusion, pubic disclosure or private facts, false light in the public eye or other legal theory), defamation, slander, libel, violation of right of publicity, infringement of trademark, copyright or other intellectual property rights arising out of or relating to a participant’s Entry, participation in the contest and/or acceptance or use or misuse of a prize; provided however, that such release will not apply to any commercial exploitation of the entry by a Released Party in violation of your rights under applicable copyright law; and (c) indemnify, defend and hold harmless the World Martial Arts Film Federation, USMAFF25 and related entities from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to an entrant’s participation in the competition and/or entrant’s acceptance, use or misuse of a prize.

Except where prohibited by law, participation in the contest constitutes each winner’s consent to WHAM25’s use of winners’ names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration. All use of winners’ information is in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.