Warsaw Short Film Festival Rules and Terms 2027

1 Organiser and festival

1.1 The Festival is organised by Warsaw Short Film Festival - ELWI Sp. z o.o., registered in Poland, referred to as the Organiser. Contact for submissions, complaints and rights matters: wsff@cuffilms.com.

1.2 The first edition will take place in Warsaw, Poland. Screenings and the gala are planned for 18 June 2027. The date is provisional and the exact venue will be announced after confirmation.

1.3 Submission is through https://filmfreeway.com/warsawshortfilmfestival. FilmFreeway is a separate platform with its own terms governing its services and payment processing. Its terms do not expand the film rights granted to the Organiser under these Rules.

1.4 Submission, official selection, nomination and an award are distinct stages. An entry fee purchases consideration of an eligible submission; it does not guarantee selection, a screening, an award or distribution.

2 Eligibility

2.1 The submitter must be at least 18 years old on the submission date and must be the rights holder or a representative authorised to submit the film and grant the permissions in these Rules. International submissions are welcome. Amateur, student and professional productions are eligible.

2.2 Only films completed in 2025 or 2026 are eligible. The completion year must be stated accurately in the submission. Earlier works reissued or re-edited in 2025 or 2026 are not automatically eligible; the Organiser may request evidence of the production and completion dates.

2.3 The total running time, including opening and closing credits, logos and other included material, must not exceed 30 minutes. The more specific limit and film type for the chosen category also apply. There is no additional runtime tolerance.

2.4 Films previously screened at other festivals or made available online are eligible. A premiere is not required. The submitter must ensure that earlier distribution arrangements allow the Festival uses described in these Rules.

2.5 Films must be complete and viewable. False information, missing authorisation, unresolved third-party rights or a film that cannot lawfully be screened may make a submission ineligible. Artistic subject matter alone is not a ground for exclusion.

2.6 A submitter may enter any number of different films, provided that each film independently meets all submission and category requirements. Each film requires its own submission, materials and applicable fee; the rules for entering more than one category remain as set out in Section 3.5.

3 Competition categories

3.1 The following 14 categories form the competition. Duration bands for the 12 format categories are mutually exclusive. Films of exactly 1, 8 or 15 minutes belong in the band ending at that duration.

3.2 Narrative films primarily tell a fictional or dramatised story. Documentary films primarily address real people, events or subjects. Animation films use animation as their principal storytelling form. The dominant form determines eligibility for hybrid films; the submitter should describe the approach in the application.

3.3 The Warsaw category accepts narrative, animation and documentary films up to 30 minutes. A film must meet at least two of these criteria: it was substantially filmed or produced in Warsaw; its director, producer or another principal creative author is based in Warsaw; or Warsaw is a central setting or subject that materially shapes the film. A passing reference or an incidental shot alone is insufficient.

The submission must briefly explain the connection; the Organiser may request reasonable supporting information.

3.4 The Slavic Culture category accepts narrative, animation and documentary films up to 30 minutes that substantively explore Slavic traditions, folklore, mythology, languages, history, artistic practices or contemporary cultural identity. A creator's nationality alone is insufficient; the cultural connection must be evident in the film and explained in the submission.

3.5 A film may enter its applicable duration and format category and either or both thematic categories if it independently satisfies their criteria. Each selected category requires a separate submission and fee unless a published FilmFreeway offer states otherwise. The same film may win more than one eligible category.

3.6 An incorrect category does not automatically entitle a film to transfer or a fee refund. Where practicable, the Organiser will allow correction or propose an eligible category before rejecting the submission. A transfer requiring an additional payment will not be made without the submitter's agreement. A category with no eligible submissions will not produce a winner.

4 Deadlines and notifications

4.1 The regular submission deadline is 28 February 2027. The Organiser may open an extended submission period ending no later than 31 March 2027. The extension is optional and is valid only if announced on the Festival profile.

4.2 Selected filmmakers will be notified by 10 May 2027 through FilmFreeway and/or the email supplied with their submission. The submitter must keep that address accurate and monitor messages, including spam folders.

4.3 The jury will be announced on the Festival website and/or official social media no later than one calendar month before the confirmed event date. If the event remains on 18 June 2027, this deadline is 18 May 2027.

4.4 Submission deadlines close at 23:59 in the Europe/Warsaw time zone on the stated day. The FilmFreeway schedule must reflect these deadlines. Any extension, confirmed venue or change to the event date will be announced promptly; affected selected filmmakers will also be contacted directly.

4.5 Films submitted after the final applicable deadline are not eligible. A change to the event date does not itself reopen submissions or expand the permitted production years.

5 Submissions and technical materials

5.1 The Organiser may request a poster, stills, a trailer, a filmmaker biography and proof of authority or rights clearances.

5.2 The screener must remain accessible to authorised Festival reviewers until the selection process is complete. Password changes must be communicated promptly. A broken link, inaccessible file or missing password may prevent assessment. Where possible, the Organiser will provide a reasonable opportunity to correct a technical problem before exclusion.

5.3 English subtitles are required for every film, including films whose dialogue is in English. A film in Polish may be submitted without English subtitles, but, if selected, must provide them with the screening materials. For a film without dialogue, any text essential to understanding it must be accompanied by an English translation.

5.4 Selected filmmakers must provide a technically suitable screening copy and accurate English subtitles by the deadline in the selection notice, normally no later than 14 days before the confirmed screening. The Organiser will specify file, sound and subtitle requirements. Poor translation or an unusable copy may lead to removal from the screening programme if not corrected in time.

5.5 The selected screening version must substantially match the assessed film. Material changes require approval and may result in reassessment. The submitter must retain backups; submitted files are not a substitute for the filmmaker's own archive.

6 Entry fees, withdrawal and refunds

6.1 Fees, currencies, discounts and submission periods are those shown for the selected category on FilmFreeway before payment. Unless an announced offer says otherwise, each film and category entry is charged separately. The amount already paid is not retrospectively increased by later fee changes.

6.2 Non-selection, failure to win an award, dissatisfaction with artistic assessment or inability to attend do not themselves create a right to a refund once the submission service has been provided. Refunds may nevertheless be required by applicable law, an applicable FilmFreeway policy or a specific written agreement.

6.3 Statutory consumer rights, including any applicable right to withdraw from a distance contract, remain unaffected. A request to begin assessing an entry before the applicable withdrawal period ends and an acknowledgement of any resulting loss of that right must be obtained separately where required by law. Acceptance of these Rules alone does not replace those statements.

6.4 A submitter may request withdrawal by contacting the Organiser. The Organiser will stop further assessment or future screenings where operationally possible; withdrawal does not automatically require a fee refund or terminate licences already validly granted. Applicable statutory withdrawal and termination rights remain unaffected.

6.5 If the Festival is cancelled, the Organiser will communicate how submissions, fees and any services already performed will be settled in accordance with applicable law and platform policies. FilmFreeway's optional Submission Protection is governed by FilmFreeway's own terms; these Rules do not restrict it.

7 Selection, jury and decisions

7.1 The Organiser appoints a jury of short film specialists and industry practitioners. Jury members must disclose material conflicts of interest and must not assess a film in which they have a direct creative, financial or personal interest that compromises impartiality.

7.2 Selection and awards take account of storytelling, artistic execution, originality and the film's effectiveness within its form and category. Production budget, professional status and country of origin do not themselves determine the outcome.

7.3 The Organiser sets the programme and jury process. Official selection does not automatically mean an award. Nominations, screenings and winners will be identified accurately in the relevant notices.

7.4 Artistic and competition decisions, including the jury's decisions to admit or not admit a film to the official selection and to grant or not grant awards, are final within the Festival's assessment process and are not subject to appeal. No internal appeal or reassessment of the artistic merits of those decisions is available. The Festival is not required to provide individual jury notes or scores.

This does not prevent complaints about a procedural breach, rights infringement or the performance of a contracted service, or limit statutory remedies.

7.5 A film may be excluded, or its selection or award withdrawn, if material false information, fraud or a substantiated breach of eligibility or third-party rights is discovered. Before taking a final adverse decision, the Organiser will ordinarily state the reason and allow the submitter to respond. Immediate suspension may be necessary to avoid an unlawful screening.

8 Awards, attendance and collection

8.1 Each winning film in each competition category will be awarded an official Festival trophy and non-cash prizes. The specific non-cash prizes will be announced once confirmed. Additional cash awards depend on secured sponsorship and are not guaranteed.

8.2 The trophy and physical non-cash prizes for a winning film are collected in person at the designated award ceremony by one representative who is at least 18 years old on that date. The representative must be a holder of rights to the film entitled to collect the award or a person acting under that rights holder's written power of attorney authorising award collection.

The Organiser may verify the representative's age, identity and entitlement and request the relevant authorisation before handing over the prizes.

8.3 If no representative attends, the film retains its award title. The winner will receive an electronic certificate and official laurels at the submission email address, together with any additional prize included in the award that can be delivered electronically, subject to its announced conditions. Physical trophies and physical prizes will not be shipped and are not converted into cash or substitute benefits.

8.4 Where a category award is shared, each film formally declared a winner is subject to the same prize and attendance rules. Travel, visas, accommodation and related attendance expenses are the representative's responsibility unless separate written support is offered.

8.5 Cash awards, if provided, are subject to applicable tax requirements and lawful deductions. A recipient may be asked for information necessary to identify the beneficiary and lawfully deliver the award. Publicly announced confirmed prize commitments are not retrospectively reduced solely because a sponsor changes its arrangements.

8.6 Official selection, nomination and winner laurels must be used only for the status and edition actually granted. They may not imply a different award, endorsement or an affiliation that does not exist.

8.7 The two main Festival awards are the Jury Award for Best Film of the Festival and the Audience Award for Best Film of the Festival. In addition to these main awards, a Best Film award is presented in each competition category listed in Section 3.1. The winning film in each such category receives the trophy and non-cash prizes specified in Section 8.1.

8.8 The Festival also presents awards for Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Screenplay, Best Lead Performance and Best Editing. These awards recognise achievements in films competing across all competition categories and are presented without a category division.

8.9 Every film admitted to the official selection receives official Warsaw Short Film Festival Official Selection laurels, with permission to use them in the subsequent promotion of the film to indicate its Official Selection status, subject to Section 8.6.

9 Rights holder declarations

9.1 The submitter represents that they are authorised to submit the film and grant the permissions below, including for its music, screenplay, footage, performances, images, artwork and subtitles, to the extent those permissions are needed for the specified Festival uses.

9.2 All necessary third-party permissions must have been obtained. The submission must not infringe copyright, related rights, privacy, image rights or other protected interests. Any restrictions or additional permissions required for lawful screening or promotion must be disclosed before submission.

9.3 The Organiser may request evidence of authorisation or clearances and may suspend use while a credible rights claim is investigated. The submitter must promptly notify the Organiser of any change affecting the availability of the rights granted.

9.4 The submitter is responsible, to the extent provided by applicable law, for loss and reasonable documented costs caused by their false declarations or breach of these rights obligations. This does not transfer to the submitter liability for the Organiser's own wrongful conduct or permit unilateral determination of disputed claims. Mandatory remuneration administered by collecting societies remains subject to applicable law.

10 Nonexclusive royalty free Festival licence

10.1 By submitting, the authorised rights holder grants the Organiser a nonexclusive, royalty-free licence for the purposes and uses expressly described in this section. Ownership remains with the rights holder, who may continue to license and distribute the film elsewhere. No contractual screening fee or promotional licence fee is payable for these permitted Festival uses.

10.2 The licence permits digital recording and reproduction of the film and supplied materials solely as necessary for secure submission handling, jury assessment, technical preparation, backups, authorised Festival screenings and the promotional uses below. Full screener access is limited to authorised reviewers and operational service providers.

10.3 For selected films, the licence permits public cinema screenings of the complete film at the Warsaw edition to which the film was submitted, including its official screening programme and gala. This covers cinema screenings in Warsaw during the announced event period, including a reasonably rescheduled edition notified under these Rules. It does not cover subsequent unrelated screening tours, television broadcasts or public online access to the complete film.

10.4 For promotion of the Festival, its programme, nominated films and award winners, the licence permits use of the film's title, credited creators' names, synopsis, poster, stills, supplied trailer and selected film excerpts. It permits reproduction in printed and digital Festival materials; public display and playback of those materials; and making them available on the Festival website, social media, Festival video channels and in press or media coverage at a place and time chosen by the audience.

10.5 Unless separately agreed, excerpts used in any single promotional item must not exceed the shorter of 60 seconds or 10% of the film's total running time. A trailer expressly supplied for promotional use may be used in its supplied length. The complete film must not be uploaded publicly under this promotional licence.

10.6 Promotional use is permitted worldwide because internet and media communications cross borders. It must relate to the Festival and may include promotion of later editions by reference to the film's actual participation or award. It does not permit unrelated product advertising or an implied personal endorsement by a filmmaker.

10.7 Promotional permission applies from submission until five years after the confirmed end of the relevant edition. Where Article 68(2) of the Polish Copyright Act causes a licence granted for more than five years to become indefinite after its fifth year, the parties agree that it may then be terminated on three months' notice in documentary form. In every case the Organiser will cease active promotional use no later than five years after that edition ends, unless a new agreement is made.

Mandatory earlier termination rights remain unaffected.

10.8 The Organiser may authorise cinemas, technical providers, designers, PR providers and media partners to perform only the uses necessary for the screenings or promotion covered here. These parties receive no wider exploitation rights; the Organiser remains responsible for permissions it grants. Delivery of a full film to a potential distributor is governed separately by Section 11.

10.9 The Organiser may resize stills, format materials, create the permitted excerpts, add accurate credits, Festival branding and subtitle translations, and make technical format conversions necessary for authorised uses. It must respect authorship and the film's integrity. Changes to the story, dialogue or final cut require separate approval. Copyright notices must be retained where practicable.

10.10 When promotional permission ends, the Organiser will cease new publication and remove material under its control within a reasonable period. A private copy may be retained only where necessary for legal, evidential or compliance purposes, without public exploitation. Lawful copies previously circulated in print and third-party publications are not retrospectively recalled; the Organiser will not authorise fresh exploitation after permission ends.

10.11 The royalty-free nature of this licence concerns contractual remuneration to the granting rights holder. It does not waive nonwaivable statutory remuneration, moral rights or other rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.

11 Festival packages and prospective distribution

11.1 Where a film is formally nominated or awarded, the rights holder additionally grants the Organiser a nonexclusive, royalty-free permission to include it in curated Festival film packages for presentation to potential distributors, television broadcasters, online platforms and other prospective licensees.

11.2 This permission covers necessary digital copies and technical packaging, inclusion of the film's promotional information in a catalogue or offer, and access-controlled delivery or private streaming of the complete film solely for professional assessment and licensing discussions. It does not authorise public exhibition, broadcast, public online availability or commercial exploitation by recipients.

11.3 This package and assessment permission runs from nomination or award for five years. The Organiser will identify recipients and restrict their assessment access. A full film must be shared through a secure link or delivery with written conditions limiting use to assessment, prohibiting onward sharing and requiring deletion or closure of access when no longer needed, normally within 90 days unless the rights holder agrees otherwise.

11.4 By accepting these Rules, the submitter agrees that a nominated or awarded film may be proposed for further distribution and that the rights holder will be approached to negotiate the necessary licence. The Organiser has no power under these Rules to conclude a public exploitation agreement on the rights holder's behalf or compel acceptance of unknown terms.

11.5 Before any third party broadcasts, publicly screens or makes the complete film available online, a separate agreement with the authorised rights holder must specify the licensee, exploitation methods, territory, term, screening or broadcast limits where applicable, exclusivity if any, remuneration or an expressly agreed royalty-free arrangement, any sublicensing permissions and reporting or technical requirements. The Organiser may act as an intermediary only under a separately agreed mandate.

11.6 Nomination or an award does not guarantee distribution, a television broadcast, platform placement, paid licensing, industry introductions or commercial results. No distribution commission is imposed by these Rules; any such fee requires a separate express agreement.

12 Promotion and industry support

12.1 The Organiser intends to support awarded films through Festival communications, cooperation with local media and assistance in identifying potential distributors and industry contacts. The availability and scope of these activities depend on actual opportunities and partner cooperation.

12.2 The Organiser does not guarantee press coverage, attendance by particular industry representatives, a distribution agreement or subsequent employment. Film packages and any resulting third-party exploitation remain governed by Section 11.

13 Programme changes, cancellation and force majeure

13.1 The Organiser may make reasonably necessary changes to the event date, venue, screening order or programme for technical, safety, venue-availability or other substantial operational reasons. Participants will be informed of material changes promptly. The Organiser will not substitute public online screenings for agreed cinema screenings without the rights holder's separate consent.

13.2 Events beyond reasonable control, such as legal restrictions, a serious emergency or failure of an essential venue, may require postponement or cancellation. The Organiser must take reasonable steps to limit the consequences and communicate the arrangements for affected submissions and awards.

13.3 A change or cancellation does not automatically remove statutory refund rights or excuse breaches unrelated to the circumstances. Any settlement of entry fees or unperformed services will follow Section 6 and applicable law.

14 Responsibility and complaints

14.1 The Organiser must exercise reasonable care in assessing entries, handling files and delivering announced Festival services. It does not guarantee uninterrupted availability of independently operated platforms or prevent every unauthorised act by third parties. It remains responsible for matters for which applicable law makes it responsible.

14.2 A participant should notify the Organiser promptly of an inaccessible submission, rights concern or service complaint, stating the film title, submission reference, relevant facts and requested remedy. Complaints may be sent to the Organiser's contact address; a FilmFreeway message may also be used to initiate contact.

14.3 The Organiser will respond without undue delay and within any mandatory statutory deadline. No internal complaint deadline removes a legal claim or a consumer's statutory rights. An artistic disagreement alone does not require the jury to reassess the film.

14.4 Nothing excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, including liability for intentional wrongdoing. The Festival does not assume the participant's travel, visa or accommodation costs merely because the participant was selected.

15 Personal data and event photography

15.1 Personal data will be used for submission administration, communications, selection, screenings, award delivery, accounting where applicable and the establishment or defence of claims. Names, film titles, credits and award statuses may be published as part of the Festival programme and results, in accordance with the applicable legal basis and privacy notice.

15.2 Before accepting submissions, the Organiser will provide a separate privacy notice identifying the actual data controller and contact details, processing purposes and legal bases, recipients, international transfers where applicable, retention periods and participants' rights. These Rules are not a substitute for that notice.

15.3 Festival administration and copyright licences must not be presented as blanket consent to unrelated direct marketing. FilmFreeway and other independently operated services have their own privacy information. Requests concerning Festival-controlled data should be directed to the controller identified in the Festival privacy notice; applicable rights include a complaint to the competent supervisory authority.

15.4 The Organiser may photograph and film the screenings, gala and related Festival events to document the event and promote the Festival, its programme and later editions. Participants will be informed about recording. The submitter's permission for use of their likeness recorded at the gala is granted on the terms of Section 15.6. In other cases, any required permission must be obtained from the person depicted before publication.

15.5 A consenting adult participant authorises the Organiser, without remuneration, to record and publish their likeness in photographs and audiovisual recordings made during the event, including award collection, and their recorded voice and statements where expressly included in the consent.

The permission covers Festival-related reporting and promotion in printed materials, on the Festival website, its social media and video channels, and through media partners, worldwide until five years after the relevant edition ends, unless withdrawn earlier. It permits necessary cropping, editing, captions and technical processing without distorting the person's statements or violating their dignity. It does not cover unrelated advertising or an implied endorsement of a sponsor's products.

15.6 By submitting a film and accepting these Rules, the adult submitter consents to the Organiser recording and publishing, without remuneration, their own likeness in photographs and audiovisual recordings made during the gala, conditional on both the film being admitted to the official selection and the submitter personally attending the gala. The consent covers only the purposes, channels and period specified in Section 15.5; the privacy information must be provided before submission.

No separate checkbox or signed statement is required under these Rules for this consent. The submitter does not thereby consent on behalf of other filmmakers, an award representative or other attendees; any permission required from those persons must be obtained separately. Consent may be withdrawn at any time by contacting the Organiser through the same or an equally accessible channel; this does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

Refusal by another person or withdrawal of consent does not affect submission, selection, an award or entitlement to collect it. The Organiser will cease further use based on that consent and remove controlled online publications without undue delay, subject to any independent lawful grounds and applicable rights. Already distributed printed copies are not retrospectively recalled.

15.7 Where a person is merely an incidental detail of a larger public event, image publication may fall within a statutory exception to the permission requirement. Identifiable persons' data must nevertheless be processed on an appropriate legal basis and in accordance with the privacy notice. These provisions do not grant broader film exploitation rights than Sections 10 and 11.

16 Applicable law and changes to these Rules

16.1 Polish law governs these Rules, without depriving a consumer of mandatory protection under otherwise applicable law. Disputes are heard by the courts competent under applicable law; no exclusive Warsaw jurisdiction is imposed on a consumer.

16.2 The Polish and English texts should be read consistently. In the event of an unresolved translation discrepancy, the Polish wording is the reference text, subject to mandatory consumer protections and the terms validly communicated to the particular submitter.

16.3 These Rules may be amended for necessary legal or organisational reasons or to correct errors. The Organiser will publish the updated version, its date and effective date on the Festival website and/or FilmFreeway profile. Material changes must also be communicated directly to affected participants.

Changes must not retrospectively expand a granted licence, increase a paid fee or remove a confirmed prize or statutory right without a lawful basis and, where required, the participant's express agreement.

16.4 If a provision is unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue to apply to the extent legally possible. No provision authorises use of a film beyond the permissions actually granted by its rights holder.