WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

A quick breakdown of the competition

All Participants should adhere to state and federal guidelines as well as industry best practices regarding use of all available tools to reduce transmission of pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2. See Terms and Conditions.

#FILMINDALLAS

The Competition

For more details visit our official Terms and Conditions page

Go to “frequently asked questions”
  • The Film and Video
    • Submit a Film of any genre up to 15 minutes max and not over by any measurement. This is including credits
    • Complete a 1 minute to 3 minute behind the scenes “BTS” Video that showcases the talent, culture, and spirit of film in Dallas. (No shorter than 1 minute, no longer than 3 minutes,including required intro)
    • An official “Filmed In Dallas” title card for both videos will become available on December 4th.
    • Director, Writer, Director of Photography/Cinematographer, and producer must be residents of the state of Texas for a minimum of 2 months and the majority of the Film must be filmed within one or more of the following counties: Denton, Tarrant, Dallas, Collin, Wise, Rockwall, Kaufman, Ellis, Johnson, Hood, Parker counties.
  • The Timeline
    • Registration of your Team begins August 19th
    • Submit your Shooting Schedule information once it is determined. Must be at least two weeks prior to Filming.
    • You are given from 2 weeks after Registration to the Rough Cut Deadline to complete all Filming.
    • Rough Cut is due by December 4th. You can submit anytime before this date.
    • Final cut and BTS Video is due by December 31st along with final INFO details listed on submission guidelines. Final Cut submission opens December 4th.
    • Judging will occur in the month of January to determine Finalists
    • Finalists will be announced February 1st, 2021.
    • Critics will take this time to determine the grand prize of “Critics Best Film”.
    • Screening(s) will be in March of 2021.
    • Awards ceremony will be sometime in Late March of 2021 where the “Critics Best Film”, “Audience Film Awards”, and “Category Winners” will be announced.

STEP 1 – Registration

Register your team into the competition using our online form on the Register Page. A Team can be made up of one or more Participants.

    • Registration is before Filming starts (at least 2 weeks prior to your first day of Filming): Filming can happen 2 weeks after Registration so long as the shooting schedule is submitted.
      • Non DFA Member Registration Fees
        • Early Bird – $70 – Ends September 18th
        • Regular – $100 – Ends October 9th
        • Late – $130 – Ends November 16th
      • DFA Member Registration Fees (Member MUST be the Producer, Director, DP/Cinematographer, and/or Writer)

        • DFA sustaining members will receive a 50% discount on registration.

        • You must be a yearly DFA sustaining member or a member for a minimum of 3 months.

Step 2 – Submitting Shooting Schedule and Films

Submit your Shooting Schedule

    • Must be at least two weeks prior to Filming.
    • Login using the account you made at Registration
    • Go to the “Shooting Schedule” page on our website.
    • Submit all required material.
    • You will receive a confirmation email within 48 hours.

Film and Video Submission process

    • Rough Cut Submission due by December 4th BY 10:00PM CST.
      • Login using the account you made at Registration
      • Go to the “Submit Rough Cut” page on our website
      • Submit all required material.
      • You will receive a confirmation email within 48 hours.
      • Do not wait until the last minute to submit.
    • Final Cut, BTS Video, and documents. Opens December 4th and is due by December 31st at 10:00PM CST.
      • Login using the account you made at Registration
      • Go to the “Submit Final Cut” page on our website
      • Submit all required material.
      • You will receive a confirmation email within 48 hours.
      • Do not wait until the last minute to submit.

Step 3 – Finalists and Premiere

Acceptance Timeline

    • Our Judges will narrow down the finalists during the month of January 2021.
    • The Finalists will be announced February 1st 2021. Finalists will also be screened at our Premiere in March of 2021.
    • Our Critics will review the finalists in February and work on determining the “Critics Best Film” and “Category Awards”.

Premiere

    • Screenings will take place at a local theater. A virtual Screening may be scheduled if it is in the best interest of our community’s health and safety.
    • Entry fee to each Screening is $15 per person.
    • Each team will receive two complimentary tickets to the screening their Film is shown at.

Step 4 – Awards and Prizes

    • An Awards/Screening ceremony will be announced where the grand prize winner will be shown and category awards given
    • Awards and prizes include but are not limited to…
      • Trophy and grand prize for “Critics Best Film Award”
      • Trophy for “Audience Film Award” per Screening
      • Category awards such as best Directing, Cinematography, editing, and more. Some may include other prizes.
      • Giveaways from sponsoring companies
    • A third party Critic panel will be appointed by the Dallas Filmmakers Alliance to determine the “Critics Best Film” award.
    • The Main Prize will be the “Critics Best Film” award, in which the critics will be made up of artists, writers, filmmakers, and educators.
    • The “Audience Film Award” with cash prize comes from the Audience by popular decision.
      • Audience members will receive a voting ballot when picking up their admission ticket, each Audience member gets only 1 ticket. It is the Audience’s responsibility to insure they are given the ballot at ticket pickup. No ballots will be given for lost, stolen, or misplaced ballots.
      • Audience members must be present during the entire Screening and submit their vote at the end of the Screening in order for their vote to count, no early voting is allowed for anyone needing to leave early. Audience members may only vote once.
      • Anyone in the Audience can vote for their favorite Film. Although not required, you may work your marketing magic and get as many people in the theater to help your Film win.

FAQs

You may participate, but the Producer, Director, Editor, and Writer must be residents of Texas.

Yes, as a matter of fact we encourage it! Paid or Unpaid productions are all acceptable.

If your film is disqualified, late or does not proceed to the finals, you may submit your work to other competitions or festivals. If it is not late, disqualified, and is proceeding to the finals, you must not premiere the film anywhere else until after the awards ceremony.

Notify Dallas Filmmakers Alliance of withdrawal during the Early Bird or Regular registration period and receive a full refund minus a $15 administrative fee unless your registration was free, at which point no fee will be charged; No Refund will be available for Late Registrations that are withdrawn.

FAQs

This competition is created and managed by the Dallas Filmmakers Alliance, a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit organization.

Minors are allowed to enter the Competition, provided they have the consent of a parent or guardian to enter and participate in the Competition, and provide that parent or guardian’s details upon entry to the Competition for verification by the Dallas Filmmakers Alliance. Participants shall be considered as Minors for the purpose of the Competition if they are over the age of 13 years old and under the age of 18 years old.

Everything is submitted through our website. Login using the account you made at registration to view all the links needed to submit your files. Go to the “Filmed in Dallas” tab in the main menu.

You may shoot your film anywhere but the majority (that is 50%)  must be filmed within one or more of the following counties: Denton, Tarrant, Dallas, Collin, Wise, Rockwall, Kaufman, Ellis, Johnson, Hood, Parker counties.

FAQs

Your film can be as short as you like, if you are able to effectively tell a story in 30 seconds, more power to you!

Animal safety, like cast and crew safety, is an important part of the competition. Films that result in the death or mutilation of an animal may be disqualified.

No, films can be any genre.

There are no strict content guidelines for your Film, but Dallas filmmakers Alliance, in their sole discretion, can disqualify Entries deemed to be too graphic or contain content that is considered inappropriate. Mature Films may be shown towards the end of the Screening as needed.