1. TERMS OF USE AGREEMENT

This Terms of Use Agreement (“Agreement”) sets forth the legally binding terms for your use of the Services of the Farhang Foundation Short Film Festival (“Festival”), organized by Farhang Foundation. By agreeing to the Agreement, you (“Filmmaker” “Owner” “Sender” “Film Producer”) agree to abide by all applicable laws and by this Agreement. If you wish to submit your film and exhibit it as part of the Festival, you must read this Agreement and indicate your acceptance by checking the box on the submission form.

2. FESTIVAL MISSION

The Festival caters to the art of short filmmaking that visualizes some aspect or aspects of Iranian “Heritage”, which includes the arts, culture, history, crafts geography, cuisine, and lifestyle.

3. FESTIVAL INFORMATION

Submissions are to be less than 15 minutes in length, must visualize some aspect(s) of Iranian “Heritage”, can be of any genre or style, and must refrain from endorsing or opposing any political or religious views. Submissions will be judged for creativity, quality, and originality. Pending approval from Farhang Foundation, select eligible submissions will be posted on the Festival website and available for public viewing upon submission.

4. AWARDS & CEREMONY

The first place winner will be awarded $10,000 USD. Second place winner will be awarded $5,000 USD. Third place winner will be awarded $3,000 USD. Top three finalists will be invited to the official awards ceremony at UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall, where their films will be screened and awards will be presented to the winners accordingly. Travel and lodging expenses pertaining to the awards ceremony will not be provided by Farhang Foundation. Attending the awards ceremony is not mandatory and will not be a factor in determining the winners.

5. DATES & DEADLINES

Submission Opening: April 29, 2024
Submission Deadline: July 29, 2024 – 11:59PM PST
Top 6 Announcement: September 2024
Awards Presentation: September 28, 2024

Submissions may take up to 48 hours to be posted on the Festival website by the Festival Management.

6. SHIPPING

Any and all expenses pertaining to the shipping of the screener copy and related materials, including insurance, are the sole responsibility of the Owner or Sender. The Festival will not return screener copies. The Festival cannot be made liable for any loss or damage.

7. ELIGIBILITY

Submissions are deemed eligible if they meet the following requirements:

  • Subject matter addresses and visualizes some aspect of Iranian Heritage, as explained under the “Festival Mission” subheading
  • Films must be less than fifteen (15) minutes in length excluding end credits
  • Film screeners must be submitted via a public link on YouTube or Vimeo. Private links are not acceptable and will not be reviewed.
  • Films must be available in their original language with English subtitles. “Original language” means the one in which a film is, has been, or will be exhibited in its country of origin. All subtitling expenses are the sole responsibility of the filmmaker
  • The screening format at Farhang Foundation Short Film Festival is DVD quality or above with an aspect ratio of 16:9 or 4:3. For optimal compatibility, make sure to export your movie accordingly.
  • Submitted films cannot be older than 5 years from the date of the festival competition year.
  • The Festival has the right to refuse any submission

8. NOTIFICATION

The Festival will notify selected films by email. All films will be in process of consideration unless notified via email by the Festival organizers that they have been accepted or rejected. If you wish to inquire about the status of your submission, please email Festival organizers at filmfestival@farhang.org. Films that have been selected and deemed eligible cannot be withdrawn from the Festival prior, during, and after the screening. Upon notification of acceptance and within ten (10) days, you are required to send us the exhibition master of your film as specified in detail in the acceptance email. Failure to do so may result in the loss of your spot in the offered Festival program. Expenses for the shipping (both import/export) of your exhibition master, including insurance are the sole responsibility of their Owner or Sender.

9. OWNERSHIP

The Filmmaker must be the sole owner of all rights, titles, and interests in and to the submitted film or have secured all rights in the chain of title. The Filmmaker certifies that he/she has the exclusive, unconditional right and authority to submit the film to Farhang Foundation Short Film Festival, and that no third party is entitled to any payment or other consideration on behalf of this film. The Filmmaker also warrants and represents he or she has secured permission to use whatever intellectual property, including music and/or trademarks is contained in the film and not original to the production. Filmmaker agrees that his or her film may be exhibited by Farhang in public, copied, screened, publicly released, transmitted, displayed, streamed, distributed, or translated in whole or as a part of the submitted work, any captured scene, footage or title thereof, or any personal information of the applicant to the extent required for its operation and public relation activities through any and all media. Any use of the work for commercial purpose, such as paid distribution or recording on DVD for sale purposes among others will be separately discussed and agreed upon. Filmmaker agrees that his or her film may be on a DVD compilation to be given to special audience members for free by Farhang Foundation.

10. LIMITATIONS

Films containing strong language, explicit sexual, religious or politically controversial material will not be accepted. Under no circumstance can the Festival be held responsible of the content of films in competition. The Filmmaker holds the Festival harmless from any claim arising in connection with this.

11. SCREENING ON THE WEB

Select films will be made available online at FarhangFilmFest.org. The order in which selected movies are listed online will be randomly determined. There is no additional cost for this service. The Festival retains the right to discontinue streaming movies on the Farhang Foundation website or any of its affiliated websites at any time.

12. ADVERTISING

The Festival has the right to use any form and type of advertising in promoting the Festival. The Filmmakers do not participate in decision-making in this matter. The Filmmaker gives the Festival unconditional permission to use the trailers and short segments of the films in the competition as well as any information submitted on the entry form and press kit for promotional purposes without any limitation in time throughout the universe.

13. AWARDS AND JURY

The Festival will appoint a jury comprised of a minimum of 3 members. Each juror will vote by secret ballot. Decisions are final and will not be commented upon once they have been announced. The Festival will supply all submissions to the jurors. Upon viewing the films, jurors will vote for the top six finalists and determine the order of the winning submissions (first place, second place, and third place). During the awards ceremony, to be held on September 31, 2023 at UCLA, the six finalists’ films will be screened and the order of the top three winners will be announced accordingly.

14. PRIZES

The Festival will provide the first place winner with $10,000.00 USD, second place winner with $5,000 USD, and third place winner with $3,000 USD. The winners must be present at the awards ceremony or send a representative to pick up their prize. Should no representative be available to receive the awards in person, special arrangements can be made by coordinating with the Festival within a reasonable time frame. The prize and the cash award is given to the film’s director.

Non U.S. Resident Prize Calculations
Under sections 1441, 1442, and 1443 of the Internal Revenue Code, a foreign person is subject to U.S. tax on its U.S. source income. Most types of U.S. source income received by a foreign person are subject to U.S. state & federal tax. The tax is generally withheld (NRA withholding) from the payment made to the foreign person.

15. PRIVACY POLICY

We respect your privacy and the use and protection of your Personal Information. If you have any questions regarding the Festival’s privacy practices, please refer to our Privacy Policy or send your question to us by e-mail to FilmFestival@Farhang.org.

16. DISPUTES

If there is any dispute about or involving the Services of the Festival, you agree that the dispute shall be governed by the laws of the State of California without regard to conflict of law provisions and you agree to personal jurisdiction by and venue in the state and federal courts of the State of California, City of Los Angeles. Either the Festival or you may demand that any dispute between the Festival and you arising out of this Agreement must be settled by arbitration utilizing the dispute resolution procedures of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) in Los Angeles, California.

17. INDEMNIFICATION

You agree to indemnify and hold the Festival, its subsidiaries, and affiliates, and their respective officers, agents, partners and employees, harmless from any loss, liability, claim, or demand, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, made by any third party due to or arising out of your participation in the Festival and/or from a breach of this Agreement and/or any breach of your representations and warranties set forth above.

18. LIMITATION ON LIABILITY

In no event shall the Festival be liable to you or any third party for any indirect, consequential, exemplary, incidental, special or punitive damages, including lost profit damage arising from your participation in the Festival, even if the Festival has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Festival’s liability to you for any cause whatsoever and regardless of the form of the action, will at all times be limited to your actual and verifiable direct damage.