WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival

By submitting a project to the 60th Annual WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the following Rules & Terms.

The 60th Annual WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival is scheduled for April 30 – May 8, 2027. Festival venues, programming schedules, and activities are subject to change.

• All submitted projects must have been completed after April 1, 2024.

• WorldFest-Houston accepts completed projects only. Works-in-progress, rough cuts, unfinished edits, and incomplete projects are not eligible.

• Filmmakers may update their submission materials through January 15, 2027. If significant changes are made after submission, entrants should notify the festival so we can coordinate with the jury process.

• Submissions must be entered through FilmFreeway or other approved submission platforms designated by the festival.

• Screening links may be hosted on FilmFreeway, Vimeo, YouTube, or similar platforms but must remain active and accessible, including any required passwords, through May 2027.

• Foreign-language projects must include English subtitles.

• WorldFest strongly encourages captions or subtitles whenever available to improve accessibility for all audiences.

• WorldFest prioritizes World, International, North American, U.S., Regional, Texas, and Houston premieres whenever possible. Films that have screened elsewhere remain eligible for competition and awards consideration. Public screenings are curated at the discretion of the programming team. We especially love discovering World Premieres at WorldFest.

• The International Autism Filmmakers Showcase welcomes submissions from filmmakers who identify as autistic or as members of the autism community. Participation is based on good-faith self-identification. No diagnosis, documentation, or disclosure of personal medical information is required. WorldFest-Houston created this category to amplify autistic voices and asks entrants to honor the spirit and intent of the program.

• Student entries must have been completed while the director, producer, writer, or primary creator was enrolled in an educational institution. High school, undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and professional degree students are welcome. WorldFest-Houston may request proof of enrollment, such as a student ID, transcript, enrollment verification letter, or equivalent documentation.

• WorldFest-Houston reserves the right to determine final category placement for all submissions.

• WorldFest-Houston is committed to a thoughtful and thorough review process. Every submitted project is reviewed by at least two qualified screeners composed of filmmakers, educators, critics, artists, and industry professionals. Projects that advance receive additional review by members of the programming team and jury.

• To preserve the integrity of the judging process, juror identities are generally released after the completion of festival programming.

• Jurors may be recused from evaluating projects where a conflict of interest exists.

• Projects are evaluated using the WorldFest Creative Excellence Matrix, which considers originality, storytelling, artistic vision, technical execution, emotional resonance, overall impact, and audience engagement. As our founder Hunter Todd often said, we are looking for "a good story, well told."

• Authentic voices representing a broad range of cultures, experiences, and perspectives are valued and encouraged.

• Award levels are determined through cumulative jury scoring and programming review.

• WorldFest-Houston presents Grand Remi, Special Jury Remi, Platinum Remi, Gold Remi, Silver Remi, and Bronze Remi Awards.

• While WorldFest-Houston is committed to encouraging filmmakers and celebrating artistic achievement, awards are earned through a competitive jury process and are never guaranteed. The festival's mission is to recognize creative excellence and emerging talent, not simply participation.

• Jury decisions are final.

• Selected films must provide an exhibition copy in an approved screening format, including DCP, Blu-ray, or digital file as specified by the festival. WorldFest does not exhibit films from screener links.

• WorldFest-Houston works diligently with selected filmmakers to obtain exhibition materials and resolve technical issues whenever possible. However, filmmakers are ultimately responsible for providing screening materials by festival deadlines.

• Failure to provide required exhibition materials, press materials, or technical deliverables by stated deadlines may result in removal from the festival schedule.

• The festival reserves the right to decline exhibition of projects that fail technical requirements, cannot be successfully tested, or arrive after stated deadlines.

• Selected filmmakers will be required to provide an Electronic Press Kit (EPK), including:

High-resolution film stills (.png or .jpg) Official poster artwork Film synopsis in English Director biography in English Director headshot Film credits Social media handles and website information (if applicable)

• Films are exhibited in professional theatrical venues using cinema-grade projection and sound systems.

• Accepted projects grant WorldFest-Houston the non-exclusive right to:

Exhibit the project during festival screenings and related festival events Use approved stills, trailers, clips, posters, and promotional materials for festival marketing, publicity, educational, and archival purposes.

• Participation in any festival streaming, virtual screening, educational distribution, or online exhibition program requires separate filmmaker consent. WorldFest-Houston will not stream accepted projects without permission.

• The entrant confirms that they possess all necessary rights, licenses, permissions, and clearances required for exhibition of the submitted work, including music, images, trademarks, and third-party content.

• The entrant accepts full legal responsibility for the submitted work and agrees to indemnify and hold harmless WorldFest-Houston, its staff, volunteers, jurors, sponsors, venues, partners, and affiliates against any claims arising from the exhibition, promotion, or distribution of the project.

• Entrants retain all ownership and intellectual property rights to their work.

• Projects incorporating generative AI tools remain eligible for consideration. WorldFest-Houston may request disclosure of significant AI-generated imagery, voices, performances, animation, or other creative elements for programming, educational, awards, or transparency purposes.

• WorldFest-Houston is not responsible for damage, loss, theft, corruption, technical failure, or inability to exhibit materials provided by the entrant.

• No screening fees, rental fees, or exhibition fees will be paid for accepted projects.

• Projects may be withdrawn prior to notification. Once accepted into the festival program, withdrawal requests will only be considered under extraordinary circumstances. Unauthorized withdrawal after acceptance may affect eligibility for future WorldFest-Houston participation.

• WorldFest-Houston reserves the right to reschedule, relocate, postpone, modify, or cancel screenings, events, festival activities, venues, dates, or programming as necessary. The festival shall not be liable for costs, damages, travel expenses, accommodations, lost profits, or other losses resulting from such changes.

• Screenplays must be submitted electronically through FilmFreeway.

• To maintain judging integrity and support anonymous review, screenplay submissions must not contain the writer's name, contact information, or identifying information within the script document.

• Scripts that do not comply with anonymous submission requirements may be disqualified or returned for correction at the festival's discretion.

CONDUCT & PROFESSIONALISM

• WorldFest-Houston is committed to creating a welcoming, safe, inclusive, and professional environment for all participants.

• Harassment, discrimination, threats, abusive conduct, intimidation, or inappropriate behavior directed toward festival staff, volunteers, jurors, sponsors, attendees, venue personnel, or fellow filmmakers may result in disqualification, removal from festival activities, forfeiture of awards, and/or ineligibility for future participation.