2008-2009 Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers

Rules & Guidelines

Southern Circuit provides independent filmmakers with the paid opportunity to tour throughout the Southeastern United States, screen their work for new audiences, and engage those audiences in discussions about the work and its creation.

I. The Tour

Filmmakers selcted for the 2008-2009 Southern Circuit will recieve:

• A $300 fee for each screening on the tour. Total screening fees average between $1,800 and $2,400.
• Paid travel expenses (domestic airfare and car rental) for the tour.
• Per diem for meals and lodging expenses.

In return, selected filmmakers will agree to:

• Travel to designated venues throughout the Southeastern United States over approximately a 10-day period.
• Present a screening from approximately 45 - 150 minutes in length. Filmmakers may submit multiple works to comprise a screening time that fits within this window.
• Engage audiences in a 30-minute post-screening discussion of the work, their filmmaking process, and their lives as artists.
• Participate in program-related events coordinated by the host venues on the tour, such as private dinners, public receptions, etc.
• Participate in the Southern Circuit weblog and podcast interviews to further promote the tour.
  

II. Eligibility

1. Applicants must be living in the United States with a valid driver’s license.
2. Southern Circuit accepts submissions in all genres of film – fiction, documentary, experimental, and animation.
3. Filmmakers must submit a feature-length work OR a collection of works whose combined screen time reaches feature-length. Southern Circuit defines feature-length as no less than 45 minutes and no more than 150 minutes.
4. If submitting a single work, the film must have been completed after January 1, 2004. If submitting a group of works, the most recent film in the group must have been completed after January 1, 2004.
5. To tour on Southern Circuit, a work may not have a confirmed distribution deal at the time of submission. Works that receive distribution deals after they are submitted for consideration to Southern Circuit remain eligible to tour.
6. Both preview screeners and exhibition prints must either be in English or have English subtitles or commentary.
7. Southern Circuit does not have any premiere requirements. However, the program does take previous screenings and broadcasts into consideration during the selection process. It is the filmmaker’s responsibility to notify Southern Circuit of any change in premiere status during the submission process.
8. If your film is selected, Southern Circuit will only screen in DVD format on the tour due to the available equipment at certain venues.

III. Deadline & Fees

Early Deadline:

January 18, 2008 ($25)

Entries POSTMARKED after January 18, 2007 will be charged the Standard Deadline fee.

Standard Deadline:

February 1, 2008 ($30)

Entries POSTMARKED after February 1, 2008 will be charged the Late Deadline fee.

Late Deadline:

February 15, 2008 ($40)

Entries POSTMARKED after February 15, 2008 may not be considered.

IV. Submission Requirements

Entry Form: Southern Circuit participates in the online submission service Withoutabox (WAB), which has become the industry standard for connecting filmmakers with festivals and other opportunities. Filmmakers may register with WAB for free.

All entries MUST be submitted via www.withoutabox.com. Applicants will register in the Fiction, Documentary, Animation or Experimental categories.

Press Kit: Southern Circuit’s online application requests a a digital or online press kit. Please note that the items required for entry are: two (2) digital stills from the film(s), one (1) digital photo of the filmmaker, and either a resume or a brief biographical paragraph about the filmmaker. Additionally, we recommend including any press related articles or reviews regarding the submitted work(s).

Press kits may either be uploaded onto Withoutabox when you complete your online entry or sent on a disc with your preview screeners. Southern Circuit will not accept paper press kits. Please DO NOT send them as they will be discarded.

Preview Screeners: Southern Circuit requires two (2) preview screeners per submission. Preview screeners are accepted on DVD (region 0 or 1) only. Other formats of any kind are not accepted and will not be considered for submission.

NOTE: If you are submitting a collection of short works, you may either send all of the short works on one DVD (send 2 copies) or as a collection of DVDs (send 2 copies of the entire collection).

V. Rough Cuts

Southern Circuit strongly encourages filmmakers to submit a finished version of their film whenever possible. Should you decide to send a rough cut, please be aware that Southern Circuit will not consider it a placeholder. The rough cut will only be acceptable for the first round of adjudication.

When submitting a rough cut, please be sure to clearly mark all of the elements missing from your film directly on the DVD or VHS case.

Southern Circuit does not exhibit works-in-progress. Your film must completed with a screener of the new version sent POSTMARKED by April 21, 2008 in order to continue to the second round of adjudication and remain eligible for the 2008-2009 tour.

VI. Rights & Clearances

Southern Circuit expects all applicants to secure music and talent rights to their films for public exhibition.

Applicant represents and warrants that all materials submitted shall be original work of the applicant (and its employees, if any), and not of any third party. Applicant warrants that it has good and marketable title to the entire submitted work. Applicant shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Southern Circuit from any and all liability, loss, costs, damage, judgment, or expense (including reasonable attorney fees) resulting from or arising in any way out of any such claims by any third parties and/or which are based upon, or are the result of any breach of the warranties in this section.

VII. Selection & Notification

Once a submission has been received, it enters into the first round of adjudication where it is reviewed by a team from one of the tour cities to determine if the work will advance to the next round and appear before the full selection committee.

In April 2008, a selection committee comprising of representatives from host venues on the tour will meet to review those applicants who advanced to the second round. From this group of applicants, the committee will decide which works will be featured on the 2008-2009 Southern Circuit – Tour of Independent Filmmakers.

The primary contact listed on the entry form will be notified of their film’s status via email by May 11, 2008. It is the primary contact’s responsibility to update Southern Circuit with any change in their relevant contact information