The Narrows Center for the Arts, in collaboration with JKB Entertainment Group, of Dartmouth, Mass., is hosting the first Not Your Average Short Film Festival on Saturday, September 3, 2016, at 7 p.m. The Festival is now accepting films of all genres and lengths between 30 seconds and 18 minutes from current and former residents of New England.

The Not Your Average Short Film Festival is sure to excite all kinds of movie enthusiasts. This event promises to engage and entertain the audience, while helping short filmmakers to take their creative vision to new heights.

As a juried competition festival, all short films will be handpicked by a committee. The chosen films will be submitted to a three-member panel of established filmmakers and industry professionals who will judge the shorts and select a Jury Prize for “Most Outstanding Short Film.” Those in attendance will also be able to vote for the one film they think is best. These awards will be presented at the conclusion of the event.

For those wishing to submit a short film, here are the guidelines and details. Click HERE for a copy of the entry form.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

• Films must have a completion date of January 1, 2015, or later.
• Running time for all shorts must be less than 18 minutes, including credits.
• All non-English language films must have legible English language subtitles.
• A separate entry form and additional entry fee must be submitted for each film.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• We accept online screeners through a private Vimeo or YouTube link. Please send it to NYASFF@gmail.com
• Entries received late or incomplete will be disqualified.
• Entrants are responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses, royalties, release forms, clearances, and permits necessary to present their work.
• Every precaution will be taken to safeguard all materials sent to the Festival, but the Festival is not responsible for damage to submitted materials incurred by shipping to or from the Festival.

SELECTION

• Short films are selected by a Selection Committee, a volunteer group of filmmakers, film enthusiasts and critics.
• If a film is accepted for screening, the Festival office will contact the entrant by the e-mail provided on the entry form on or before August 1, 2016. The Competition is not liable for e-mails delayed by spam filters, server rejections or outdated e-mail addresses.

JUDGING & AWARDS

• Accepted short films will be submitted to a volunteer, three-member, judging panel of established filmmakers and industry professionals. The judges will be announced on June 1, 2016.
• The following awards will be presented at the Festival:

Judge’s Award for Outstanding Short Film
All short films will be judged on script/story, direction, cinematography, and editing in creativity and originality.

Audience Award for Favorite Short Film
This will be voted on by audience members at the event.

SCREENING FORMATS

• If accepted, the short film must be submitted as a high resolution AVI or MP4 video file using Dropbox, Google Drive or We Transfer. In select circumstances, we may consider acceptance via mail on a USB flash drive. The flash drive can be picked up at the Narrows Center after the Festival.
• Films with incomplete materials by the deadline will forfeit their ability to screen in the Festival.

PUBLICITY AND MARKETING

• All selected films may be excerpted for publicity purposes. The Festival reserves the right to promote any film or script through print, broadcast or internet media.

ENTRY FEES

• Each entry must be accompanied by the appropriate entry fee and form.  Click HERE for a copy of the entry form.
• Entry fees are non-refundable.
• Fees cover registration, notification that your entry has been received, and production costs associated with the event.
• Fees may be paid by check or money order, made payable to Narrows Center for the Arts, or by PayPal (using the e-mail address jkbbooking@gmail.com). Please be sure to include your name and film in the memo of the check or in the PayPal payment memo.

E-mail entry form to:
NYASFF@gmail.com

Mail entry fee and form to:
Not Your Average Film Festival
c/o JKB Entertainment Group
P.O. Box 79263
Dartmouth, MA 02747

DEADLINES

• Early Deadline by Friday, May 13, 2016. $15 entry fee.
• Regular Deadline by Friday, June 17, 2016. $20 entry fee.
• Final Deadline by Friday, July 15, 2016. $25 entry fee.

The Narrows Center is located at 16 Anawan Street in Fall River, Mass. Tickets to the Festival are only $15 and can be purchased online at http://www.narrowscenter.org or by calling the box office at 508-324-1926. For those wanting to purchase tickets in person, box office hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 12 noon to 5 p.m., and during show times.