FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. When and where is the 2010 NaFF? The 2010 Festival will be held April 15-22 at the Regal Green Hills Stadium 16 in Nashville, Tennessee.

2. What are the submission deadlines? We have three deadlines. Earlybird Deadline: July 15, 2009, Regular Deadline: Oct. 15, 2009, and Late Deadline: November 15, 2009.  The earlier you get your submission in, the lower the fee. Note that these are postmarked deadlines, but please don't wait until the last minute and send it the slowest way possible. It's always best to assume the worst with the USPS.  We always suggest applying early, as the majority of films arrive near the deadline and programmers like to start looking at entries as early as possible. If you submit your film through Withoutabox.com, you are eligible for a Withoutabox Extended Deadline. See Withoutabox.com for details.

3. What is Withoutabox.com? Withoutabox.com is NaFF's preferred method for receiving film submissions.  Withoutabox is a free online submission service that lets you submit to NaFF and hundreds of other festivals online quickly and easily, as well as allowing you to upload online press kits, photos and more.  Visit withoutabox.com for complete details.

4. What if I want to submit but my film will not be completed by the final deadline? We do accept works in progress. Let us know before the final deadline, and we can let you know how late we can wait before we receive the final version of your film for consideration.

5. Will you confirm receipt of my entry? We will IF you send us a self-addressed, stamped postcard along with your entry (but please note that if you are in another country, your stamps won't get you very far). We will allow foreign entries to email us to inquire receipt of their entry. All entries submitted through Withoutabox will be confirmed when we receive them.

6. Do you grant fee waivers? Out of fairness to other filmmakers, it is our festival's policy not to give fee waivers or reductions.

7. What if my film has played other festivals or been broadcast on TV? While our festival doesn't require a premiere for the films it screens, we do require that it not already have had a LOCAL (Nashville area) theatrical screening or broadcast. (Excludes locally produced shorts.)

8. How recently does my film have to have been produced? We require that your film be completed after January 1, 2008. If you shot some of the film earlier than that, no problem- just as long as it was completed after that date.

9. What makes the Nashville Film Festival different from other festivals? NaFF presents an eclectic lineup of US and international films.  We are known for a strong documentary line-up, numerous short-form film programs and we are especially unique in that we highlight films about music, or that emphasize music in some way. (And not only country and rock music!)  We also have numerous diverse prizes such as awards for best Hispanic filmmaker,  best black filmmaker and an award for the film with the best LGBT content.  We are the biggest and most international film festival in the mid-South region.  Filmmakers that have attended the Nashville Film Festival always seem to complement us on our warm Southern hospitality: friendly staff and filmgoers, good organization, and cheerful help and advice.

10. What type of films are you looking for? We look for a fresh point of view in the narrative and/or subject matter that is presented in a creative way, regardless of budget. The Festival strives to present a lineup of films diverse in as many ways as possible. We also have special sections for family films, Hispanic films, music-related films, gay/lesbian themed films and locally produced and local interest films.

11. Do I need to send a press kit with my entry? No.  We do ask for a short synopsis, but copious amounts of marketing material and expensive press kits are not needed.  If accepted, we will ask for the material specifically needed.  You may email us with any updates about the film (what festivals have accepted it, new awards won, etc.), but note that we do not choose films by how many festivals it has played, awards it has won, or celebrities it involves.

12. My narrative feature film is not a 35mm print. Does it still qualify for the Regal Cinemas/Nashville Film Festival Dreammaker award? Yes. If your current screening format is on video and you can guarantee a 35mm print by September of 2009, your film can qualify for the Dreammaker Award. Otherwise, you are still eligible for other feature film awards, such as the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature and the NPT Human Spirit Award.

13. Do you have a category for college students?  While we don't have a specific category for college students, we do give students discounted entry fees and we have a special award for the Best College Student Short Film (open to any short form category).  College students are also eligible for awards in other categories (except for directors 18 years and younger, who would qualify for the Young Filmmaker category).

14. If I was 18 or under when my film was made, but am now over 18, does my film still qualify for the "Young Filmmaker" category? Yes, as long as it is the DIRECTOR who is (or was) 18 or under and the film was made after January 1, 2008.

15. Does the Festival show films for children?  Even though NaFF shows many films suitable for the entire family (such as our Family Shorts Program), we do not have a special section for children only.  NaFF is always looking for great films suitable for all age groups!

16. How do you distinguish shorts from features? In keeping with the guidelines for the Academy Awards®, we define a short film as under 40 minutes and a feature-length film as 40 minutes and over. Generally, the narrative shorts that we tend to program are under 30 minutes, while the animations, experimental films and films by young filmmakers we program are usually even shorter. Of course, there are always exceptions every year.

17. What is the preferred submission format? DVD, REGION 1 or 0 STANDARD.  (Region 1 is used in the US and Canada, while Region 0 is "all-region"). NTSC or PAL formats are acceptable.  Be sure to send your DVD in a 5 1/4" by 7 1/2" case. (Smaller, thinner cases can cause your DVD to get lost in the shuffle.)  If you are burning a consumer disc, write your Project Title, Film ID# (if Withoutabox entry) and Contact # on the disc with a Sharpie pen. PLEASE test your consumer-burned DVD on several makes and models of players BEFORE sending it to our offices. Technical problems can delay the completion of your submission.

18. How do I know if my film is NTSC or PAL format? Depending on the part of the world that you live in, you either have NTSC or PAL broadcasting formats. Most of North America and many Asian countries (Japan, South Korea) favor the format NTSC, which is short for National Television Standards Committee, while Europe, Australia and some parts of Asia use a competing format called PAL, or Phase Alternating Line. An NTSC formatted DVD won't play on a PAL player and vice versa. Our Festival accepts DVDs in both formats for pre-screening purposes. However, if your film is accepted, we CANNOT accept PAL versions of either DVD, Digibeta, or Beta as a festival screening format. (And we don't accept VHS as a Festival screening format.) Transfers are able to be made from one format to another, but you may want to check on the cost of such transfers in your area.

19. Do you accept 'rough cuts' or 'works in progress'? We do accept rough cuts or works-in-progress, as long as your film will be completed in time to screen at the festival. However, please submit your work-in-progress only if you feel the heart of the film is present. Please indicate which production elements are missing on your entry (for example, "the submitted version has scratch music"). If you have submitted a work-in-progress and find that it won't be ready by the time of our Festival, you may submit it the finalized version to us the next year.

20. What if I have not obtained rights to some of the music in my film? You are responsible for the music rights to your film. We assume that you have taken care of this when you submit your entry. If we are contacted by any record company or music publisher about the music rights in a film we are showing, we will refer that company to the filmmaker.

21. Can I re-submit a previously rejected film? You can only re-submit a film if it has been significantly re-edited from the last submission. Please indicate this if you are re-submitting.

22. How many films can I submit? There is no limit to the number of films you can submit. Just be sure to fill out a separate entry form and pay an entry fee for each entry.

23. How many films are submitted each year? How many are accepted? In 2008 there were over 1700 films submitted. The Festival presented over 215 narrative features, documentaries and short-form films (narrative, animation, experimental, and films by young filmmakers.)

24. Can I speak with someone about feedback of my film? Due to the high volume of films submitted, we cannot commit to speaking individually with filmmakers about why we did not select their films.

25. When will I find out if my film has been selected? We will notify everyone by email whether their film has been accepted or rejected no later than early March, 2010. Please be sure to keep us updated regarding any changes to your contact info.

26. Will my submission be returned? If you supply us with a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your entry, we will return your entry, otherwise, your entry will not be returned. Do not send original prints or tapes. We do not return any other submission materials such as press kits and stills. Entry fees are also non-refundable. Also, please note that we do not keep rejected films. Do not wait until after the Festival has passed to ask for your film back.  If your films is accepted, we ask to keep your submission for our archives.

27. If accepted, does the Festival pay to bring the filmmaker to the event? Unfortunately, our travel budget does not allow us to provide travel and accommodation for all filmmakers. Filmmakers whose films are selected into the Festival who wish to attend will be given an All-Festival Laminate. We have a travel coordinator to assist with any flight or hotel reservations and we will coordinate transportation to and from the airport, if needed. We do provide attending filmmakers with shuttle service from the Regal Green Hills to any off-site Festival functions, but if you want to do some local touring, renting a car is the way to go.

28. Is there a market component to the Festival? There is no official market but we are in touch with many distributors who are very interested in what Festival films receive awards or are well received. We also have had distributors and other notable people in the independent film world serve as jurors or panelists at the Festival, including Deborah Zimmerman, Executive Director, Women Make Movies; Neal Block, Director of Distribution, Magnolia Pictures, Cathy Fischer, Senior Producer, ITVS Interactive, Liz Ogilvie, Docurama marketing manager; Isil Bagdadi, president of distribution and marketing, Cavu Pictures; Nancy Gerstman, co-president, Zeitgeist Films; independent film consultant and producer Robert Hawk; Gail Silva, Film Arts Foundation; and independent film consultant and producer Lynda Hansen.

29. Just what is the music connection to the Festival? In addition to the Music Films in Music City films and awards, NaFF works with Music Row to bring in guests from the music industry. The 2008 NaFF included a panel with music supervisors, live music showcases, and receptions that gave the opportunity for filmmakers to network with local songwriters and composers. Such notable musicians have appeared with various films at the Festival through the years including Rob Thomas, members of the Silver Jews, Lambchop, Rocco Deluca, Emily Saliers (Indigo Girls) Billy Joe Shaver, Jude Cole, Rick Wakeman, and T-Bone Burnett as well as many local musicians such as Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Mark Slaughter, Billy Ray Cyrus, Béla Fleck, Mark Collie, Brooks & Dunn, Alison Kraus, Emmylou Harris, Marty Stewart, Cowboy Jack Clement, the late Jimmy Martin, Earl & Randy Scruggs, Tom T. Hall, Natalie Cole, Tracy Nelson and many others.