Before you enter

Rules & Terms

Submitting a film or a screenplay means agreeing to all of this. It is short, so please read it.

General eligibility

Language: Films whose dialogue is not in English must carry accurate, burned-in English subtitles. An unsubtitled film is disqualified without a refund.
Completion date: We accept projects completed after 1 January 2023.
Premiere status: There is no premiere policy. Work that has screened elsewhere or is already online is eligible. We care about the craft, not about exclusivity.

Fees are final: Submission fees are non-refundable. We do not refund projects that are not selected, nor entries that turn out not to meet the eligibility rules.
No waivers: We do not grant fee waivers or discounts on request. From time to time the festival announces discount codes of its own. A discount changes only the fee, never how an entry is judged.
Multiple entries: You may enter as many projects as you like. Each one is a separate submission with its own fee.

Format: Screenplays are submitted as a PDF in standard industry format.
Genres and drafts: All genres are welcome. Once a script is in, we cannot accept an updated draft or a rewrite unless a new submission fee is paid.

Rights are yours to hold: By submitting you declare that you hold every right, clearance and permission for the content of your work, including music, archive footage and trademarked imagery.
Responsibility: The Rotterdam Indie Festival and its organisers are not liable for copyright infringement or legal disputes arising from a public screening of your work. The submitter carries full legal and financial responsibility.
Organiser and venue: The festival is organised independently. The venue of the live event has no role in the festival's organisation, selection, awards or these terms.

Equal jury review: Every submitted project goes through the same jury review under the same criteria, whatever its category, deadline or fee. No fee, discount or paid service affects the jury's decision, and no project is selected or awarded without that review.
Jury decisions: Selections and awards are decided by the festival jury, and its decisions are final.
No feedback: We do not provide personal feedback, scorecards or notes on work that is not selected.
Exhibition formats: If your film is selected for the live screening you must supply a high-quality exhibition copy (DCP, ProRes, or a high-bitrate MP4 or MOV) by the date we ask for it. A film that arrives late or in the wrong format may be pulled from the programme.

Attendance is not required: Selected filmmakers and screenwriters are welcome at the live event, but you do not have to attend to win an award.
Costs: The festival does not cover travel, accommodation or visa costs.

Write to the festival mailbox, or enter on FilmFreeway when you are ready.