PTFF FILM ENTRY FORM
General Information
Please read ALL the following information carefully!
-Deadline: September 30 (postmark)
-There is NO entry fee
-Please fill out a separate Entry Form for each film (which includes “Film Information” and “Film Release” forms)
IMPORTANT: FILM SUBMISSION FORMAT
ALL FILMS MUST BE SUBMITTED AS A VIDEO FILE AND UPLOADED TO PTFF AS PER THE INSTRUCTIONS BELOW
· Other formats may be admissible, subject to approval by the festival director
· Wherever possible, please send the festival the highest quality copy of your film
Please email production photo(s) for use in our printed catalog to:
For best photo quality, we prefer hi-res TIFF format (high quality JPEG is also acceptable). Please make sure your photo file has the title of your film in the filename.
If you choose to mail your film, film file, Entry Form, and/or production photos, please send them by September 30 (postmark) to:
Sheryl Lenthall
Picture this…film festival
c/o Calgary SCOPE Society
219 – 18 Street S.E.
Calgary, Alberta
T2E 6J5 CANADA
Phone: (403) 717-5610 Fax: (403) 291-4087
If you are sending your film by mail from outside of Canada, please mark your package “NCV-No Commercial Value-Film Festival Entry” (so the festival does not incur duties and taxes when the package is brought into Canada).
NOTE: No materials received by mail will be returned.
Entry eligibility and final category placement is at the sole discretion of the festival director and/or the festival jury.
Please fill out a separate entry form for each production.
Picture this…film festival is an annual event in February in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
VIDEO FILE UPLOADING INSTRUCTIONS
BEFORE EXPORTING YOUR FILM TO A VIDEO FILE
We strongly suggest you check your film for the following elements:
Title:
· Place your film's title at the beginning of the film (unless having a different placement is an important component of your creative vision).
· The filename should include your film title.
Opening and Closing Slates:
· Include 3-5 seconds of "silent black" before and after your film. We do not require a countdown, colour bars or tone
Audio Levels (if applicable):
· Audio level must not exceed: 0 dB
· Total audio mix: -3 dB to -6 dB
· Principle speaker(s): -6 dB to -12 dB
· Sound effects: -12 dB to -18 dB
· Music (underscore): -18 dB
EXPORTING YOUR FILM TO A VIDEO FILE
Please follow the following guidelines & specifications for creating a video file. We use modified Vimeo compression guidelines.
Important: Keep in mind that if your film is selected, it will play on a large screen in front of an audience. The information below is to ensure your film looks best on a large screen.
File Format:
· Preferably MPEG-4 (your film title.mp4) or Quicktime (your film title.mov)
· Important: Choosing the above file format (.mp4 or .mov) does not automatically select the desired Codec when exporting your film. Please see below.
Codec:
· H.264 - please set to high quality (also see Bit Rate settings below, if applicable)
· Important: A codec is the format in which your video will be encoded; it is not the same as File Format (please see above)
Acceptable Frame Rates:
· 24 (or 23.976), 25, or 30 (or 29.97) Progressive (please de-interlace any interlaced footage)
· Encode your video at the same frame rate as the original footage. However, if your footage exceeds 30 FPS (frames per second), you should encode your video at half that frame rate. For example, if you shot your film at 60 FPS, you should encode your final video at 30 FPS. If you don't know what frame rate you shot at, set your frame rate to either "Current" or 30 FPS.
· Important: Always choose "constant" frame rate instead of "variable" frame rate
Bit Rate:
· When you have the option, choose a VBR (variable bit rate) and set the target to:
◦ 5,000 kbit/s or 5 mbit/s (SD)
◦ 10,000 kbit/s or 10 mbit/s (720p HD)
◦ 20,000 kbit/s or 20 mbit/s (1080p HD)
· Important: Please ensure your data rate is in bits, NOT bytes
Resolution:
· Output your film to the highest resolution possible without exceeding a resolution of
1920 x 1080 px (pixels)
· The most common resolution settings are:
◦ SD video: 640 x 480 px (4:3 aspect ratio) and 640 x 360 px (16:9 aspect ratio)
◦ HD video: 1280 x 720 px and 1920 x 1080 px (16:9 aspect ratio)
· Important: If you "up-convert" your film to a higher resolution, make sure the final version has the appropriate aspect ratio and Bit Rate
Audio (if applicable):
· Codec: AAC-LC (Advanced Audio Codec-Low Complexity)
· Data rate: 320 kbit/s
· Sample rate: 48 kHz
When in doubt about the quality of your video file:
1. Export your finished film to Vimeo (vimeo.com). Select "Video Settings/Video File - Upgrade this video" and enable "highest quality" and "1080p", if applicable.
2. Verify that your film plays properly and is at a quality suitable for the festival's large screen.
SENDING/SHARING YOUR FILE WITH PTFF
Please remember to fill out PTFF's Film Entry Form and submit it on or before the festival deadline (September 30).
Option 1: Vimeo
1. Export your finished film to Vimeo (vimeo.com). Select "Video Settings/Video File - Upgrade this video" and enable "highest quality" and "1080p", if applicable.
2. Verify that your film plays properly and is at a quality suitable for the festival's large screen.
3. In your PTFF Entry Form (under “Film Information”), provide PTFF with a link to your film on Vimeo.
4. Allow PTFF to download your film from Vimeo. Select “Video Settings/Privacy – What can people do with this video?" and enable "Download the video". If you want to password-protect your film, select “Video Settings/Privacy – Who can watch this video?” and enable “Only people with a password”. Type your password in the box provided. Please remember to provide this password to PTFF.
Option 2: Dropbox
1. Verify that your film plays properly and is at a quality suitable for the festival's large screen.
2. Export your finished film to a folder in Dropbox (dropbox.com).
3. Share the film’s folder with the festival (use when “inviting” the festival director into your film’s folder).
If you have questions regarding any of the above information,
please contact the festival director at
Thank you!
PTFF FILM ENTRY FORM
Film Information
Please print clearly or type in English.
Film Title: ______
Description (maximum 75 words): ______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
______
Intended audience: ______
Filmmaker(s) [person(s) with creative control over this work]: ______
______
Contact person: ______
Address: ______
City: ______Province / County / State: ______
Postal Code: ______Country: ______
Phone: ______Fax: ______
Email: ______
Website: ______
Link to your film on Vimeo (if applicable): ______
Vimeo password (if applicable): ______
Film has a disability theme : _____ (Yes or No)
Film was created by a disabled filmmaker(s): _____ (Yes or No)
Genre: (check/mark ONE genre only)
Documentary____, Drama____, Performance____, Animation____, Educational____
Total Running Time (TRT): hh_____, mm_____, ss_____
Release date, or date film was completed: Year______
What country(s) should the film be considered from?______
Language: MUST be English _____ (Yes or No) OR English sub-titles _____ (Yes or No)
Accessibility:
We encourage all filmmakers to include as many accessibility features that budget and technology will allow. Please check below:
Captioned: _____ (Yes or No)
(Captioned means that the sound is transcribed/described as text on the screen)
Visual description: _____ (Yes or No)
(Visual description means an additional narrative audio track that describes the visuals)
If you are sending your film by mail from outside of Canada, please mark your package “NCV-No Commercial Value-Film Festival Entry” (so the festival does not incur duties and taxes when the package is brought into Canada).
If you have questions regarding any of the above information,
please contact the festival director at
Thank you!
PTFF FILM ENTRY FORM
Film Release
Please print clearly or type in English.
Film Title: ______
I agree to the following:
I allow Picture this…film festival to exhibit my work and/or accompanying material (e.g., production photo, poster, etc.) for no fee when part of Picture this…film festival, Picture this…film festival on the road, and/or Picture this...video library.
I allow Picture this…film festival to exhibit my work and/or accompanying material before, during and/or after the festival for the purposes of promoting my work and Picture this…film festival.
All entries are automatically added to Picture this…video library, an extension of the festival. Information regarding the library is on www.ptff.org. If you do not want your film included in the video library, please check the following:
Do NOT include my film in the library: ______
I, the undersigned, have the legal authority to represent the above mentioned film.
Signature: ______Date: ______
Name: ______
Picture this...film festival is an initiative of the Calgary SCOPE Society, a registered Non-Profit Society (Charitable Status #11882 4135RR0001)
Festival Director: Sheryl Lenthall ()
Contact Info:
Sheryl Lenthall
Picture this…film festival
c/o Calgary SCOPE Society
219 – 18 Street S.E.
Calgary, Alberta
T2E 6J5 CANADA
Phone: (403) 717-5610 Fax: (403) 291-4087
Picture this…film festival is an annual event in February in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Page 1 of 6 - Film Entry Form
Picture this… film festival - Canada’s longest-running international disability film festival!
web: www.ptff.org email: phone: (403) 717-5610