Streaming Can Disqualify Your Film from Festivals

 Quick Tip:

I'm not sure who needs to hear this (I know some of you do) but, If your film is publicly streaming (not password protected) on YouTube, Vimeo, or any other platform, it will be disqualified by most reputable film festivals. There may be some exceptions to this rule:

- Web series / New media categories are usually exempt from this.

- Music Videos are also often exempt from this rule.

- Some smaller festivals may not mind if it’s publicly streaming.

Just remember to read all the rules for each festival before you submit. If you pay the submission fee and realize too late that you didn’t read the rules, the festival won’t reimburse your money.

If your have read the rules, acknowledge they don’t allow it, and still want to submit (while keeping your streaming video up), I recommend reaching out to the festival directly before, and discussing it. It’s possible they could bend their own rules; maybe they will allow it to screen out of competition. It doesn’t hurt to ask, just be honest with the programmers and informed on your end.