Cambridge Film Festival

About

Established in 1977, the Cambridge Film Festival (CFF) has been committed to delivering high-quality independent films to the widest possible audience. Bold and imaginative in its presentation of films, the festival is proud to champion stories from local and international filmmakers, while also showcasing its passion for the heritage of cinema.

We embrace new methods of filmmaking and emerging platforms of distribution. Through our open submissions process, we support filmmakers from all across the world as well as locally, providing a platform for new talents to showcase their work. The pandemic has presented many challenges for the film industry, and we are keen to continue our role in supporting filmmakers to help their films reach audiences, and have their work celebrated.

Awards

One of the most notable symbols of Cambridge is its love of punts. They are an icon of the city's landscape which our audience awards are named in honour of. All films that screen at the Festival that are UK premieres are eligible.

Golden Punt Audience Award for Best Feature

Silver Punt Audience Award for Best Documentary

Crystal Punt Audience Award for Best Short Film.

Youth Lab Jury Award

Family Film Festival Audience Award

By submitting your film you’re automatically entered into any awards it is eligible for.

Cambridge Film Festival is a BAFTA recognised Festival.

Rules

1) Submission Eligibility:

Fiction and documentary feature films must not have been released in the UK in any format, including online, or shown on UK television prior to their screening in the Festival.
Shorts should ideally be a UK premiere too, however, this is not required but they should not be publicly available online in the UK prior to their screening in the Festival.

Only films completed within the 18 months prior to the start of the festival are eligible for submission.

All foreign language films must be subtitled in English (the costs of which are to be covered by the applicant).

2) Fees and waivers:

The Cambridge Film Festival is operated by the Cambridge Film Trust, registered charity no. 1120059 and owing to the large number of submissions we receive we charge a submission fee to cover administration costs.

The Cambridge Film Trust in partnership with BFI are committed to supporting local filmmakers and therefore submission fees will be waived for filmmakers (directors and producers) who are based in Cambridgeshire. Please email proof of address (such as a scan/pdf of a current utility bill) with the "FILM TITLE - WAIVER" as subject to submissions@cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk.

Directors and producers who have previously screened films at the Festival are also entitled to a waiver. Please email with the "FILM TITLE (year screened) - WAIVER" as subject to submissions@cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk.

We want to encourage submissions from directors from black and minority ethnic backgrounds and therefore we can offer a 25% discount. Please email with the "FILM TITLE (year screened) - DISCOUNT" as subject to submissions@cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk.

Fees will not be waived under any other circumstances so please do not contact us to request that we make an exception, as we will not be able to do so.
Please note that submission fees will not be refunded.

3) Submission:

All films must be submitted via a secure online screener.
We would encourage filmmakers to include their pronouns in their bio or alongside their submission. E.G. Name: Elle Haywood (She/Her)

The festival reserves the right to change deadlines and to close submissions earlier than stated at our discretion.

4) Selection:

Selection will be carried out by the Cambridge Film Festival team. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the selection process and the decision of the Festival is final. Unfortunately, due to the volume of entries, we do not offer individual feedback or enter into any discussion about your work.

Please, therefore, make sure that we can reach you in the months of August and September so that we can confirm your film's inclusion in the Festival programme.

All successful submissions will be listed on our website when the full programme is announced.

Please do not send any press materials with your submission. Should your film be accepted we will request that you send us digital images and other press/publicity materials including press kits.

5) Festival Screenings and Scheduling:

The 40th edition of CFF is going to be a hybrid festival for 2021 both in-venue and online. Every effort will be made to present all films in venue with additional presentation through our online platform, however, we reserve the right to move the festival online if this becomes necessary due to the changing nature of Covid-19 lockdown laws in the United Kingdom.

Submission to CFF is with the understanding that selection may be for any and all exhibition formats that constitute CFF 2021, including in-cinema screenings, digital exhibition, or both.

All screenings during the Festival period will take place at the discretion of the Festival. We reserve the right to make changes to the advertised schedule at any time for any reason and will not accept liability for any costs incurred as a result of such changes.

You must not withdraw your film from the Cambridge Film Festival programme after its selection/participation has been confirmed and it must not be screened elsewhere before its presentation in the Festival without our prior agreement.

For in cinema presentation the film must be available to screen as a DCP. No other formats will be accepted. DCPs of selected films must be received by the Festival at least 1 month before the start of the Festival.

CFF will also require a digital version (1920 x 1080p h.264 @ 10Mbps mp4 or mov, with closed captions .SRT or .VTT files) for online presentation.

 

Premiere Requirements

No premiere requirement

Jury and Organizers

Cambridge Film Trust