SUBMISSIONS
DATES AND DEADLINES for 2023

Dates & Deadlines:
September 1, 2022 - Submissions Open on FilmFreeway
December 10, 2022 - Earlybird Submission Deadline
​February, 3, 2023 - Submissions Close
February 15-18, 2023 - Notification of selection status made
March 31-April 1, 2023 - BisonBison Film Festival at the Burford Theatre in Arkansas City, KS
​BisonBison Student Film Festival proudly accepts entries via FilmFreeway.com, the world's best online submission platform.

FilmFreeway offers free HD online screeners, unlimited video storage, digital press kits, and more.
​Earlybird Entry Fee: $25    
Regular Deadline Entry Fee: $40

Submitter Rules

BISONBISON FILM FESTIVAL

Overview:
The BisonBison Film Festival is open to filmmakers enrolled in accredited colleges, universities and technical schools in the 
Mid-America Arts Region:  Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas. The Festival is an inclusive event which values diversity. Films are accepted regardless of age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, and perspective.
The 2023 Festival will be held Friday March 31 and Saturday April 1, 2023. The schedule is TBA, check this page for updates.

Selection and Awards 
  1. All genres of films will be accepted to the competition. There will not be separate categories for the Awards.
  2. Selection of films to show in the Festival is by the Selection Committee. The decision of the Committee is final. 
  3. These films are then released to the Jury Panel to determine the Award of Excellence recipients. The Jury Panel is comprised of three film/arts professionals. The decision of the Jury Panel is final. 
  4. Three Awards of Excellence will be announced at an awards ceremony taking place at the end of the festival run. Each Award of Excellence will receive $1000. 

ELIGIBILITY
  1. The BisonBison Film Festival is open to filmmakers enrolled in accredited colleges, universities and technical schools in mid-America Arts Region:  Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Arkansas and Texas.
  2. All works must be 40 minutes or less in length, including titles and credits. Any film exceeding this limit will not be considered. 
  3. No works in progress or incomplete entries are accepted.
  4. The work must have been created within the past two years, and the filmmaker must have been an enrolled student at an accredited institution at the time the film was created.

FILMS SUBMITTED BY FILMMAKERS NOT ENROLLED IN AN ACCREDITED COLLEGE WILL BE IMMEDIATELY DISQUALIFIED.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
  1. Each Director or Producer can submit up to two entries, however only one will be considered for viewing in the Festival. 
  2. Any films that contain unauthorized or unacknowledged copyrighted material will be disqualified.
  3. A copy of a valid student ID must be submitted with the entry. The Director or Producer must provide a brief synopsis of the entry, the Motion Picture Association of America rating (G, PG, PG13, etc), and a brief biography of self including the school attending/attended, and a current headshot. All items can be uploaded on FilmFreeway.
  4. The Director or Producer must give permission for the entry to be downloaded for showing.

FEES AND DEADLINE
Check back soon for information about our 2023 festival.

THEMES AND SUBJECT MATTER

The festival values all forms of entertainment and does not wish to impose any limits or forms of censorship. However, we do look for work that: 
  • highlights stories that affect or relate to one’s community, 
  • provokes a response on pertinent issues, 
  • tells an innovative and original story, 
  • displays a personal message that the storyteller wants to impart on an audience, 
  • pushes the boundaries of the medium in an innovative manner,
  • demonstrates overall solid storytelling and mastery of the genre utilized and/or showcases
  • provides a forum for discussion.

Promotional Use

The Director or Producer, by submitting the film, agrees to allow the BisonBison Film Festival to use the film in promotional or informational manner. This includes, but is not limited to: edited compilation of films for viewing on website, showing films at speaking events, showing films to encourage submissions, etc. Only those films selected to be shown at the Festival will be used.
By selecting yes, you agree that you have read both the BisonBison Film Festival Rules and Guidelines and the Filmmaker Etiquette guidelines. You agree to follow all rules and guidelines as set presented. Failure to follow rules or guidelines will result in immediate disqualification. Failure to select yes on this question will result in your film not being considered for the BisonBison Film Festival.

Etiquette

  1. Always read the rules/guidelines/regulations before submitting your film. Each festival has it’s own reason for being, and devises a set of rules in order to make sure no one wastes time. 
  2. Always complete submission details. Filmmakers who only partly complete their submission forms do two things: First, their submission can’t be considered and goes into the ‘incomplete submission form’ pile where it won’t be watched; and second, ties down administration time chasing for the details.
  3. PLEASE send correct email and telephone numbers. It makes it very difficult to contact you, especially if you have been selected.
  4. Please make the effort to be in communication. If you went to all the effort of submitting your film, the least we expect is that you can be reached within a reasonable time. If you can’t be reached or don’t return messages, most film festivals will just give up and won’t accept the film. The flip side is don’t be overly communicative. Contacting the festival immediately to see (a) if the film was received  and (b) what the decision is can be viewed as annoying.
  5. Agree with everyone on the team that the film is being entered and that one person will be the spokesperson for the film. Filmmakers who are having fights with their team about rights or permission with the rest of the cast and crew wastes everyone’s time and puts the festival in an unacceptable position of being in the middle of the dispute.
  6. Have all your permissions to use already copyrighted material in place and cleared. Not only does this protect you from infringement, it also protects the festival and the venue. Our rules specifically state that any films that contain unauthorized copyrighted material will be disqualified. 
  7. Be sure to provide a PROFESSIONAL synopsis, bio and headshot. Meaning, have someone read these things for spelling, grammar and typos before you submit. You are on your way to becoming professional, so this is the time to start presenting yourself professionally.
  8. Don’t be rude. The volunteers of BBFF work their butts off to try and make every single festival a success. Every year at every festival something goes wrong or the ball is dropped. It’s not that we hate you or your film, but we certainly will start disliking you if you can’t be polite. Remember, there is no such thing as Artistic Temperament, there are only bad manners.
  9. Please don’t think you shouldn’t submit because you’re a newbie. As more and more organizations make it a part of their mission to elevate under-represented voices, know that you have to put yourself in front of those festivals. The goal of BBFF is to help you grow as a filmmaker. 
  10. DON’T get discouraged if you’re not accepted. There are so many films, but only so many festival screening slots. The worst thing that happens is when a filmmaker doesn’t get accepted and they unleash a social media barrage.
  11. Please include the festival in your social media network. BBFF is a non-profit with limited budget, so any marketing help you can give is very much appreciated. 

Sources: 
nofilmschool.com 
raindance.org
reddit.com
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