There are questions you may need quick answers to and we hope this space helps you find the answers you are looking for. You can always email us at [email protected] but first, take a look and you may just find that your questions are answered below.
Questions about eligibility
Who can participate in The Possible Futures Film Contest?
Questions about submissions
Are there any rules for what I can or cannot submit?
What are the dates of the video contest?
How long should entries be and in what format should they appear?
Is a fee required to submit a film?
How do I submit my video(s)?
Do I need a Vimeo account to submit a video?
Do I need to compress my film before submitting?
Do I need to subtitle my video if it’s not in English?
Do I need to edit my submission into a completed film?
Can I submit more than one film?
Does my video have to be fiction? Can it be animation, fantasy or set as a documentary?
What about subject matter that is racy or dangerous?
Do I need permission to record other people in my video?
Where can I view other people’s submissions to Possible Futures Film Contest?
How is the contest judged?
When will I know if my video is selected into the contest?
How will the winners be notified?
Questions about the future use of the collected work
Will The Pachamama Alliance use every video that is submitted to the contest?
Who owns my video if it’s selected to be in the film contest?
Questions about eligibility
Who can participate in The Possible Futures Film Contest?
Anyone, of any age, can submit footage. If a participant is less than 18 years of age, by having your parent or legal guardian sign and sending us the parental/guardian permission form, we can accept your film. However, if you are a person or legal entity restricted by US export controls, sanctions programs or other applicable law, you are excluded from participation, and your entry (and any award) will be disqualified. Please check international restriction laws. If you’re working with your school to create a film, the school must enter as an organization, and that entity will be responsible for receiving and processing all minor releases to the contest.
Questions about submissions
Are there any rules for what I can or cannot submit?
Your video(s) should follow Vimeo’s Terms of Service (“http://vimeo.com/terms”) and Community Guidelines (“http://vimeo.com/guidelines”), as well as the contest’s Official Rules & Regulations and the various creative criteria for this project. Remember that this must be your own work and cannot contain any third-party content that you don’t have the rights to use. Film your vision and how you would like to see it become a reality. Let your dream begin.
What are all the important dates of the contest?
Submissions: Video submissions are accepted starting on Tuesday, March 29, 2011 until 11:59 p.m. PST on June 21, 2011 (the “Submission Period”).
Voting: The general public may vote for their favorite entries based on the criteria described on the voting page beginning at 11:59 p.m. PST from June 28 through 11:59 p.p. PST July 19 , 2011 (the “Public Voting Period”).
Judging: Our panel of industry leaders (the “Grand Judges”) will screen the top 20 entries, which are compromised of the most watched and professionally critiqued films, by the contest’s pre-judging teams. The pre-judges, who come from the film, advertising and social activism industries, will be taking into consideration those most ‘liked’ by the general public as well as top team selections made throughout the entire submission process. The Grand Judges will not know which videos have the top votes as they screen the final collection of the top 20 entries, which will be compromised of five entries, from each of the four (4) categories, which will determine the two Grand Winners (the “Possible Futures Award” and the “The Pachamama Award”).
Winners will be announced at a live event in San Francisco July 25, 2011 and will be posted immediately online at the end of the awards ceremony.
How long should entries be and in what format should they appear
Entries must be 60 seconds to 5 minutes long. Entries will be accepted through upload at (“http://possiblefuturesfilmcontest.org”). You must register on Vimeo and all entries must be in one of the following formats .wmv, .avi, .mov, or .mpg and be less than 100 MB in size.
Is a fee required to submit a film?
No. In the spirit of opening this contest to all the people in the world, there is no fee required to become involved. There is no charge to entrants or other participants.
How do I submit my video(s)?
At any time during the Submission Period (defined above), simply click the “Submit” tab on our Vimeo channel link and upload the footage directly from your computer. The “Submit” tab will become activated at the beginning of the Submission Period. Remember that you first need to register to the contest and establish your free account on Vimeo. If you are shooting and submitting in HD there is a slight upgrade charge for this feature from Vimeo.
How can I create a Vimeo account to Submit a Video?
Your Vimeo account, which is absolutely free, must be created in order to upload your footage. For information on creating a Vimeo account, (“http://www.vimeo.com/help“)
What is compression and do I need to do this?
Yes, you also will need to compress your video/film and that information and how to can be found at (“http://www.vimeo.com/help/compression“)
Do I need to subtitle my video if it’s not in English?
Yes. Please subtitle your footage if possible. You can easily attach the (“dotSub.com”) feature to your film by going to (“http://dotSub.com“) and inviting others to translate your work for you. Please include a title card before the video denoting the language and country of origin, entrant name and date of completion.
Do I need to edit my submission into a completed film?
Yes, please edit your work. You can follow these instructions (“http://www.vimeo.com“”) from Vimeo’s film school which will help you immensely to accomplish this final stage of completing your work.
Can I submit more than one film?
Feel free to upload multiple works to the contest, but please note that you can only submit one film entry per category. However, with four categories that means four stories of the future that you can tell. Your footage may fall naturally into a category, and you must select the category that you would like each of your film submissions to be considered in. We encourage you to be as expressive in as many categories as you feel moved to participate in.
Does my video have to be fiction? Can it be animation, fantasy or set as a documentary?
We are asking for you to envision the future in a positive way. It can be in any format you think is best to fully express your story. Videos may be comprised as fictional storytelling or simple animation, but if you think that your world is best captured through as documentary footage, it’s entirely up to you.
What about subject matter that is racy or dangerous?
It is absolutely prohibited for any participant to engage in dangerous, reckless, illegal or otherwise negligent behavior in any aspect of the creation of your movie.
Any such behavior will lead to immediate disqualification from the competition.
Is nudity allowed ?
We say, No! Vimeo standards say tasteful nudity is okay but due to the broad age range of involvement for this contest, nudity is not permitted. So, no, no, no, keep your buttons buttoned and your clothes on.
Do I need permission to record other people in my video?
Eventually you will need permission from all individuals in your video, so you may as well do it while you are shooting, since you’ll have everyone with you. Should your story be chosen as a finalist, we cannot utilize your work in exhibitions that are being planned through The Pachamama Alliance unless this detail is taken care of. In fact, failure to promptly submit all required signed appearance releases for all individuals appearing in your entry will result in disqualification. Please have people in your film sign the Actor’s Release.
Where can I view other people’s submissions to Possible Futures Film Contest?
As of April 12th, you will be able to browse submitted videos on the site: http://possiblefuturesfilmcontest.org
Remember, you can also comment on, generate buzz for and post films to your Facebook page, on YouTube, and tweet (and retweet) to your heart’s content.
How is the contest judged?
During the public voting period, global citizens can vote for their favorite entry in each of the four contest categories. In voting, we ask that you consider the same criteria (described below) that our Judges will use during their official review and judging. When voting, you should also ask yourself if the film is one that you would choose to share repeatedly, widely, to communicate this particular vision with the world. Currently our panel of Judges includes: Neil Huxley - art director, Avatar; Trudie Styler - rainforest activist, actress and filmmaker; Annie Leonard - activist, filmmaker; Chris Eyre - Cheynne/Arapho awarding-winning filmmaker and storyteller; Geshe Yong Dong - Spiritual Director, Sherab Chamma Ling, Canada. The Possible Futures Film Contest reserves the right to change any or all of the Judges in its sole and absolute discretion at any time. Judges will be judging based in part on the following criteria: • Overall impact (message about each category, emotional grab, feeling after watching) • Creativity in telling the story • Creativity in use of visuals (photos, video effects, b-roll, etc.)
In the event of a tie, the tied entries will be re-judged by the Judges and the tied entries ranked in relation to each other. By participating in the contest, entrants agree to be bound by the decisions of the Judges, which shall be final and binding in all respects.
When will I know if my video is selected into the contest?
An email will be sent to you once your film has been received. If release forms are not included with your entry, you will be sent a notice requiring you to have our official releases signed, by signature (or mark) by everyone who appears in your video, confirming that they gave you permission to film them, and if asked for, by The Pachamama Alliance, will return all signed releases to us. If you are a minor, and you forgot to include this when you registered for the contest online, you will also be required to have your parent or legal guardian sign and promptly return a release form on your behalf.
You will also be required to sign (or if you are a minor, have your parent or legal guardian sign) and return to us releases concerning use by The Pachamama Alliance of your video in related activities. If you are unable to get these releases signed and returned to this organization when required, your video will not be eligible to be considered to win once voting begins in June, and any award which it would otherwise have been eligible for will be rescinded and re-awarded to another entry.
How will the winners be notified?
It is very important to give multiple sources on how we may connect with you, the entrant. Winners will be notified by phone, mail and/or e-mail. Prizes are awarded “as is” with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied by The Pachamama Alliance. Prizes are not transferable. No substitution or transfer of prizes is permitted, except at the sole discretion of The Pachamama Alliance, which reserves the right to substitute a prize (or portion of prize) of equal or greater value in the event any prize is unavailable. Taxes related to prizes are the sole responsibility of the Winners. All other expenses and costs not expressly listed in the prizes section are the winners’ sole responsibility.
The Pachamama Alliance will make three (3) attempts to contact the potential winners seven business days following the final determination of the winners by the Judges and the awards ceremony. If The Pachamama Alliance is unable to reach any potential winner within this time frame, he/she will be disqualified and an alternate winner will be determined (based on the results of the Judges panel). Winners (or the winner’s parent/legal guardian if a winner is a minor in his/her state of residence) will then be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Liability/Publicity Release (except where prohibited by law) within five (5) days (including weekends) of notification attempt or the prize will be forfeited and an alternate Winner will be determined (based on the results of the Judges panel). Affidavit package will be mailed via overnight mail with a pre-paid overnight return envelope included or sent via email. Return of prize notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification of the winner and an alternate winner will be determined (based on the results of the Judges panel).
Questions about the future use of the collected work
Will the Pachamama Alliance use every video that is submitted to the contest?
In addition to the award winners, The Pachamama Alliance may also select from among the most distinctive and compelling videos submitted those which it believes drive an encouraging view of the future to us all, and will utilize them in furthering the voice of the positive future throughout the world. We can’t wait to begin sharing your messages and ideas with the world, of which we are all citizens.
Who owns my video if it’s selected to be in the film contest?
You will retain ownership, but you agree in the Official Rules and related signed releases to grant The Pachamama Alliance the right to include your short film and excerpts therefrom in future media productions. In uploading your video, you are also agreeing to grant certain rights to Vimeo, as set out in their Terms of Service ( http://www.vimeo.com/terms).
Karen RedHawk Dallett
Project Manager
Possible Futures Film Contest
The Pachamama Alliance
415.561.4522 x112
San Francisco, CA
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