Hey, you–the one who made a fan film! Want to get it into an actual Film Festival?
This is the kickoff year for the BERLIN SCIFI FILMFEST, and they’re seeking out fan films (in English!) to join a slate of science fiction films being entered by independent producers from around the world!
Usually, fan films are relegated just to conventions and small fan gatherings. But the folks at the Berlin SciFi Filmfest are reaching out to fan film folks like me specifically to spread the call for entries for their inaugural festival on November 17th and 18th of this year at the Babylon Cinema in the heart of Berlin, Germany.
When I was first contacted, I noticed their rules had only one category for fan films with a run-time requirement of 25 minutes or less. I mentioned that some of the best fan productions in the Star Trek genre were at least a half hour and potentially at long as 100 minutes (I was thinking Star Trek: Horizon). So they divided fan films into TWO categories:
- Short Fan Film (max. 30 minutes)
- Feature Fan Film (min. 30 minutes).
Initially, I was concerned when I saw this rule:
You must have all copyright clearances, including music, for all the work you submit to us.
But then I noticed the very next rule:
Fan films are an exception as they are always homages to existing franchises. We do accept and want Fan-films in the festival.
Whew!
I also checked to confirm that there is no release date requirement for any entry. So even if your fan film was made three, five, or even ten years ago, it’s eligible.
Entry fees for submissions made before July 15 are a very reasonable $15 per film. After that, it goes up to only $20 through August 15, $30 through September 15, and an extended deadline until October 10 of $40.
You can enter your fan film in just a few minutes right here.
This is a full list of categories and rules…