ACFF Film Submissions

Our next Festival will open on March 24, 2021 and run through March 28. We are pleased to be moving to a recurring spring schedule so note that we will NOT have a Festival in 2020. Instead, we will be showcasing films around the region on a monthly basis. Check the event schedule here for more info»

Submission Schedule:

May 15, 2020 – Film Submission Opening Date
July 1, 2020 – Early Bird Deadline
August, 1, 2020 – Regular Deadline
September 1, 2020 – Late Deadline
December 5 , 2020 – Notification Date
March 24 – 28, 2021 – The Festival!

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Sarah Koenigsberg, Filmmaker: The Beaver Believers

Bertie Gregory, Filmmaker: Wild Life: Resurrection Island

ACFF invites film submissions from all over the world and in all genres, provided they have a conservation theme. Of special interest are the myriad ways humans interact with wildlife and wild places, issues driven by natural resource conservation, humans as part of the environment, living in a continuum of cultural tradition, lifestyles in conjunction with changes in the natural world and how youths encounter and understand the natural world.

The next Festival will take place March 24 – 28, 2021 in multiple venues, providing screenings for a wide range of conservation films, some of which rarely receive a wide showing. ACFF attracts emerging and seasoned filmmakers alike by offering hands-on workshops and expert seminars on the craft of conservation filmmaking that run concurrently with the festival.

Our selection teams consider documentaries and narrative films of most any run time, provided they address one of broad themes listed below.

Climate Change
Consumption & Waste
Cultural Connections & Indigenous Traditions
Energy
Nature-Oriented Family Fare
Food & Agriculture
Health & Well-being
Conservation History & Heroes
Marine Life
Rivers & Streams
Wildlife & Wild Places

2019 Awards

In 2019, ACFF selected several outstanding conservation films to receive awards. Films were eligible to receive more than one award and all awards came with laurels and a monetary prize. Click here to see a list of our award winners.

Green Fire Award

$500

Our most prestigious award, The Green Fire Award, named in honor of Aldo Leopold, is bestowed upon the film that exhibits an extraordinary level of excellence in filmmaking and helps us look anew at our relationship with our environment. Films are selected on the strength of their conservation message, storytelling, and visual impact.

Student Filmmaker Award
$500

Supporting new and emerging filmmakers is a major tenet of ACFF. We actively encourage student filmmakers to submit their work for review and potential inclusion in the festival. The Student Filmmaker Award Winner receives a $500 cash prize sponsored by Friends of the National Conservation Training Center.

Short Conservation Film Award
$500

ACFF looks to recognize compelling conservation stories that engage, inform and inspire viewers in less than 40 minutes.

Green Spark Award
$500

Multiple Green Spark awards may be granted annually. This award is reserved for films that distinguish themselves in one of three ways:

by drawing attention to a conservation hero
by highlighting a pathway to environmental sustainability
by inspiring the next generation that will take on conservation challenges

Foreign Conservation Film Award
$500

This award is granted to an outstanding conservation film from outside the U.S. that illuminates conservation issues in a unique, provocative and impassioned way. Multiple factors are taken into consideration when determining international eligibility such as primary shooting location, language(s) spoken in the film, and/or the nationalities of key members of a film’s cast and crew.

Audience Choice Award
$500

Attendees vote for their favorite film of the festival! This film is often honored with multiple screenings at Best of Festival events throughout the year.

2021 Entry Fees

Early bird $35 // Regular $40 // Late $45

Student films can be submitted FREE (see requirements)

Submission Guidelines

ACFF’s preferred method of submission is by secure online screener via ACFF’s FilmFreeway account. Film submissions registered via ACFF’s FilmFreeway account are also accepted through the mail. Entrants may send a labeled NTSC DVD (region-free or region 1) to the address below, however submitted DVDs will not be returned.

DVD entries must adhere to professional production standards that will ensure compatibility and playback on standard, consumer desktop DVD players. It is the entrant’s responsibility that the program that is entered can be easily identified on the DVD menu.

All films being submitted to ACFF shall have completed production after May 15, 2018 and may be duplicated for internal use by the selection committee and board of directors.

One of the elements selection committee members look for is careful editing. While fully respecting artistic license, if given the choice between a long cut and shorter cut, the team usually opts for the version that conveys the message in a concise manner.

Films that are selected by ACFF are chosen by a committee of media and conservation professionals. The quality of storytelling, production value, aesthetics and topic are principle factors in the selection of films for ACFF.

A film that is received in time, with submission fee paid in full and free of technical issues with either digital upload or physical disc will be treated in exactly the same manner as all other films, regardless of which deadline you choose.

Submission Rules

Entry Materials:
(1) A secure online screener or labeled NTSC DVD (region-free or region 1/ N. America) copy of the work
(2) Contact information for the filmmaker or person handling the submission– name, mailing address and e-mail
(3) Student filmmakers must provide school affiliation with submissions and contact info for advisor on the project.

Deadlines are the dates by which we must receive your film. They are not postmark deadlines. We must receive your digital upload or physical disc by the deadline date for which your film has been registered.

Films with non-English soundtracks must be submitted with embedded subtitles.

If your submission is a student production, be sure to choose that designation on the online submission application. A student is defined as one who is enrolled at an accredited high school, undergraduate, or graduate school, including such programs as AFI. A student is not required to be a film or video major, but must identify their school and year of study on the entry form. No student production can have been produced as a work for hire.

ACFF is not responsible for notifying any parties other than the entrant, through its listed contact person, of entry status or of any questions or determinations regarding the entry.

It is the sole responsibility of the entity submitting the project to secure permission from the copyright holders of the material contained in the film.

Multiple entries will be accepted, provided they are submitted individually.

Entrants may resubmit film(s) submitted in the past that were not accepted as long as the film has been completed in the past 2 years.

All selected films and solicited materials by ACFF will be programmed into the fall festival. All selected films will be screened in public venues.

If your film is officially selected, you may be asked to provide:

A high resolution file download via Dropbox, Google Drive or Vimeo that is 1920 x 1080 pixels, 23.97fps, 48kHz Audio, Progressive scan, .mp4 format – with closed captions whenever possible
2 exhibition-quality NTSC DVDs (region free or region 1) or 2 Blu-rays of the invited work. One of each is preferred.
A digital press kit including film stills in high resolution jpg format, a synopsis, production credits and director bio
A link to a publicly-accessible online trailer, although an exception will be made for very short films

Note: If materials are not submitted by the applicable deadline, we reserve the right to secure substitute materials from other sources.

Shipping

If you choose to submit your work on a NTSC DVD (region-free or region 1) you will be responsible for delivery of playable disc to the shipping address below by the designated submission deadline. If submitting multiple films, please put each on its own DVD. Your disc must be authored as a DVD and not a video data file. Please make sure your DVD plays all the way through, then label pack your media carefully. All submissions must be sent prepaid, including any applicable customs fees.

After you have completed the online application, all we need from you is a single copy of your film, labeled using a permanent marker. We recommend placing your disc in a paper sleeve or slim jewel/clamshell case and mailing it in a small padded envelope.

Shipping via US Postal Service:

American Conservation Film Festival
Submissions Division
P.O. Box 889
Shepherdstown, WV 25443

Shipping via Fed Ex or UPS:

American Conservation Film Festival
Submissions Division
203 North Duke Street
Shepherdstown, WV 25443

Notification Date: December 5, 2020

Contact Information:

Hilary Lo, ACFF Festival Coordinator
Email: hilary@conservationfilmfest.org

ACFF Film Submissions

2019 Awards

Green Fire Award

$500

Student Filmmaker Award
$500

Short Conservation Film Award
$500

Green Spark Award
$500

Foreign Conservation Film Award
$500

Audience Choice Award
$500

Categories

Conservation Film – Feature

Conservation Film – Short

Student Conservation Film
No Submission Fee

2021 Entry Fees

Submission Guidelines

Submission Rules

Shipping

Shipping via US Postal Service:

Shipping via Fed Ex or UPS:

Notification Date: December 5, 2020

Contact Us:

ACFF Film Submissions

2019 Awards

Green Fire Award

$500

Student Filmmaker Award $500

Short Conservation Film Award $500

Green Spark Award $500

Foreign Conservation Film Award $500

Audience Choice Award $500

Categories

Conservation Film – Feature

Conservation Film – Short

Student Conservation Film No Submission Fee

2021 Entry Fees

Submission Guidelines

Submission Rules

Shipping

Shipping via US Postal Service:

Shipping via Fed Ex or UPS:

Notification Date: December 5, 2020

Contact Us:

Student Filmmaker Award
$500

Short Conservation Film Award
$500

Green Spark Award
$500

Foreign Conservation Film Award
$500

Audience Choice Award
$500

Student Conservation Film
No Submission Fee