ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

The SXSW® Film Conference and Festival is a uniquely creative environment featuring the dynamic convergence of talent, smart audiences and industry heavyweights. A hotbed of discovery and interactivity, the event offers invaluable networking opportunities and immersion into the art and business of the rapidly evolving world of independent film.

2. When is SXSW?

SXSWeek 2012 is March 9-18. Film Festival is March 9-17 (Film Conference March 9-13), Interactive Festival & Conference is March 9-13 and the Music Festival & Conference is March 14-18

SUBMISSION DEADLINES AND FEES

Early Deadline: Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Late Deadline: Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Last Minute Deadline: Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Final Texas High School Deadline: Friday, December 16, 2011.

Keep in mind; these deadlines are on a RECEIVED BY basis (not based on a postmark date). In other words, all 2012 film submissions (not including Texas high school) must arrive at the SXSW offices in Austin no later than NOVEMBER 15, 2011.

2. Can I get a deadline extension?

In rare cases. Please contact us if you need an extension, but be aware we grant very few.

3. What are the submission fees?

Early Deadline - Tuesday, Oct 4, 2011
Shorts - $25
Features - $40
Title Sequence - $10
Texas High School - $10

Late Deadline - Tuesday, Nov 1, 2011
Shorts - $40
Features - $60
Title Sequence - $10
Texas High School - $10

Last Minute Deadline - Tuesday, Nov 15, 2011
Shorts - $50
Features - $100
Title Sequence - $15
Texas High School - $10

Final Deadline for Texas high school - Friday, December 16, 2011
Texas High School - $10

4. May I get a refund?

SXSW, Inc., at its sole discretion, may cancel or refuse registrations/applications/purchases from any individual or company at any time. By clicking on the 'Finish Transaction' button or authorizing payment to SXSW in any form payor agrees to the following SXSW, Inc. policies:
1) Payments are not refundable for any reason including, but not limited to, failure to use SXSW credentials due to illness, acts of God, travel-related problems, loss of employment and duplicate purchase.
2) Discounted prices are based on the date payment is received in the SXSW office.
3) Unused registrations/applications have no monetary value and cannot be credited to future years or events. Be aware no refunds or credits are allowed due to failure to redeem a discounted coupon during the registration process.
4) Badges are issued to individuals and can be picked up and used only by the individual named.
5) A $125 processing fee will be assessed to change the name on a registration.
6) SXSW Registration Badges may not be used as a prize in any form of contest, game, or sweepstakes without written pre-approval from SXSW.
7) Conference registrations include a one-year subscription to SXSWorld Magazine valued at $20.
8) Please read our Terms of Use

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

SXSW will receive over five thousand submissions. Please include everything that is requested on the online submission form including; a 35-word logline, 100 word synopsis, director's bio, cast and crew lists, and list of previous and planned screenings. Do not underestimate the importance of reading and following the instructions.

2. When and how may I submit my film for the 2012 festival?

SXSW will begin accepting Film Festival submissions in early August 2011. Please go here for more information and to submit your film. Note that the very last minute received by deadline for film submissions is Tuesday, November 15, 2011. Please understand that entries received after Tuesday, November 15, 2011 have no guarantee of being viewed for consideration.

3. Do you waive submission fees for student filmmakers and/or artists?

No.

4. What format should I use to submit my film? Can I send you my print for preview?

We only accept NTSC Region 1 or 0-compatible DVDs for preview. We cannot view PAL or BETA tapes, VHS tapes or PAL DVDs. Please be sure to label your DVD with the Film's title, Director's name, and the Date of the cut. If your film is selected to show at SXSW, we will work with you to ensure it is screened in the most appropriate format.

5. Whom should I put down as the Primary Contact?

Whoever is going to be SXSW's sole contact for the next five months. Status of your entry will not be divulged to anyone but this contact person. Make sure we can easily reach this person by phone and email for the next five months. Please understand that in most cases, this contact will be the ONLY person SXSW is in touch with before the festival.

6. When do you need to have my DVD screener?

Entries must be received by Tuesday, October 4, 2011 for the early deadline, received by Tuesday, November 1, 2011 for the final deadline, and received by Tuesday, November 15, 2011 for the last-minute deadline.

7. I have two shorts and they're all on one DVD. Do I have to send them as separate entries?

YES. Each work you submit must be accompanied by a separate entry form and entry fee. One submission per DVD, please. Please be sure to label your DVD with the project's title, SXSW Tracking Number, director's name, and the date of the cut.

8. Should I send stills with my entry?

NO. In keeping with our effort to be a green festival, SXSW requests that you do not send press kits, photo stills, or any other extraneous material. Please ONLY include the submission confirmation e-mail you received from SXSW and your DVD labeled with the project's title, SXSW tracking number, director's name, and the date of the cut.

9. Should I send a SASE for the return of my DVD?

NO. Any materials you send us will not be returned. Please do not send us your one and only DVD copy (sounds silly, but it's been done before).

10. How should my DVD be labeled and packaged when I mail it to SXSW?

Please send ONLY the submission confirmation e-mail you received from SXSW and your DVD labeled with the project's title, SXSW tracking number, director's name, and the date of the cut.

11. You include two addresses to send material to: a P.O. Box and a street address for overnight delivery. Will you be more impressed if I overnight our package?

NO. We prefer for you to send your package to our P.O. box, but some folks insist on sending their package overnight, so we also include our street address.

12. What's the difference between a "registration" and a "submission"?

"Registration" is when filmmakers, film fans and individuals in the film industry purchase a badge to attend and participate in SXSW Film conference panels, workshops, mentor sessions, the Trade Show, Film Festival, Awards Show, and other special events.

A film ""submission"" is the way to be considered for a screening slot at the SXSW Film Festival. You do not need to purchase a registration badge to submit a film.

13. My film won't be done in time for your deadline. Can I just send you a trailer/the screenplay/publicity materials/application now and the completed film later?

NO. All materials relevant to your film MUST be sent in the same package. Under no circumstance will we accept DVDs that arrive after the November 15 deadline, without prior approval, even if we have already received the application. DVDs containing only trailers will not be considered. Please be sure to include the confirmation e-mail you receive from SXSW after completing the submission form when you mail your DVD.

14. Do you play works in progress publicly in your official SXSW Film Program?

NO. Well, not unsolicited and only in very rare occasions. Your film MUST be FINISHED and ready to be shipped to us at least two weeks before the festival begins.

15. I submitted a rough cut and now I want to submit a more polished finished version instead. Can I send a replacement copy?

No. SXSW will not screen multiple updates/versions of your film for programming consideration.

FILM ELIGIBILITY

1. What is the SXSW premiere policy for feature films?

Over half of the over 140 feature films we screened in 2011 were World Premieres. The remaining balance consisted of North American, and U.S. Premieres, along with a limited number of non-US Premieres. Our Narrative and Documentary Feature Competition categories consist solely of World Premieres. So yes, the premiere status of your film is ONE of the factors we pay attention to as we make our programming decisions. On the flip side, if we really love your film, we’ll do our best to try to find a way to show it regardless.

2. What is the SXSW premiere policy for short films?

While it is a factor in our final decision-making, we don't place tough restrictions on the premiere status of shorts. In 2011 we played a number of shorts that had appeared on the Internet and played at other festivals. If we really connect to and love a short film and it hasn't received a huge amount of attention we will try to share it with our audience.

3. I had a cast and crew screening of my film in Austin, but it hasn't played anywhere else in Austin. Does this mean it's ineligible for SXSW?

NO, your film is still eligible. Films that have played in Austin in a theatrical setting to a general-public audience are ineligible. The only exception are shorts that have played solely in conjunction with the University of Texas. Private cast and crew screenings are fine.

4. If my film has had a public screening in Austin, is it eligible for SXSW?

If your film has screened in a theatrical setting to a general-public audience in Austin, it is NOT eligible.

5. I want to submit a film from overseas. Is it eligible for SXSW?

Yes! We accept submissions from anywhere and everywhere in the world. Just make sure you follow all the submission guidelines in the application, and remember that our deadlines are RECEIVED BY deadlines, NOT POSTMARK DEADLINES. In other words, we must have your screener in our hands by the usual deadlines.

6. My film was made in 2009. Is it still eligible?

No - to be eligible for SXSW 2012 your film must have been completed in 2010, 2011 or be on track for completion in early 2012.

FILM CATEGORIES

1. What are your submission categories and how do I choose the right one for my film?

Your only submission choices are "Narrative", Documentary", "short", "feature", "music video", "animated" "title sequence", TX High School. Outside of that, SXSW determines the ultimate screening category for your film. For a sense of the overall program, see 2011 line-up

2. What is the difference between a short and a feature in terms of running time?

We define a short as any film with a runtime less than 40 minutes and a feature as any film with a runtime over 40 minutes. The majority of the shorts we screen are programmed into 90-minute blocks, meaning, that screen time is limited. Keep in mind that the tighter your short, the easier it is to fit into a program and that the longer it is, the more outstanding and unique it has to be.

3. Can I submit my web series?

We currently don't have programming capabilities specifically for web series, although we realize that this is an area of new creative growth. So you can submit, knowing full well that we're not yet officially programming web series, but that will change when we find one we love. In terms of submissions, if you're submitting an episode that can stand alone or a group of episodes that are under 40 minutes, submit as a short. If you're submitting content longer than 40 minutes, that will work in one theatrical showing, submit as a feature. And check this FAQ from time to time because undoubtedly our policy will evolve on this question.

4. Do you have a separate category for student short films?

No, except for the Texas High School student films. Otherwise, student and non-student films are considered and shown together.

5. My film won't be done in time for your submission deadline. Can I submit a rough cut?

Yes. SXSW does accept work-in-progress cuts (picture lock with temp sound, color, etc.) but will not accept subsequent cuts of more complete versions. SXSW will only preview the first submitted cut. Please send your film in the most complete and finished form possible. Do be sure to include an opening slate listing what elements are still to be completed, such as color-correction, sound mix, special effects, etc.

FILM SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION

The SXSW Film Festival is a highly competitive program consisting of several different sections, curated in-house by SXSW Film Programmers. Submissions are accepted from August until mid November. For an idea of our programming tastes, please check our SXSW 2011 archive.

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film@sxsw.com
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support@sxsw.com

3. I submitted a rough cut last year and it wasn't chosen. Can I resubmit?

YES. You can resubmit if you've continued to work on the film. We have shown films that were turned down in previous years.

4. Will I hear from SXSW after I submit my application?

Yes, we will send you a confirmation email when we receive your application form and DVD. Keep in mind that it can take a few days or sometimes a week for us to reconcile your materials with our database, as we expect to receive a high volume of submissions for 2012.

5. I have completed the application process. When can I expect to hear from you regarding the status of my entry?

You will receive an email from SXSW to notify you that we have received your entry. We will notify you when we receive your entry or if your entry is incomplete. All filmmakers will be sent notification of their film's final status no later than Thursday, February 9, 2012.

INSIDER TIP: No news is good news. If you haven't heard from us, it means your film is still in the running. Please don't call us panicked unless you still haven't heard from us at all by Thursday, February 9, 2012. However, it gets pretty hectic around here. If you haven't heard anything by February 9, please feel free to check in with us after that date.

6. Is there any way I can find out the status of my entry early if I call and harass you daily?

NO WAY! Please don't try. We hope to start rolling notifications in December but the majority of the notifications will be in January and early Feb.

7. I've been invited to another festival but SXSW is my preferred World (or N.A./U.S.) premiere. Can I check in with you?

Yes. You are welcome to check in to see where your film is in the submission process if you're weighing an earlier premiere invitation. We can't promise a definitive answer but we can try to give you a sense of where you are in the submission process.

8. You didn't give me a screening, why should I come to your event?

SXSW provides a tremendously useful platform to launch or develop your filmmaking career. Network and converse with industry professionals, emerging and veteran filmmakers, commentators, critics, technicians, and most importantly, your potential audience. Learn how you can benefit from the creative intersection at the heart of the SXSW experience, in a city and environment that is as stimulating and inspiring as it is enjoyable.