FILM SUBMISSIONS FAQs

How do I submit my film to MIFF?

We only accept film submissions on FilmFreeway. If you are new to FilmFreeway, your first step will be to create an account and then to create a “project” for your submission. Check out FilmFreeway’s help pages for more information on how to get started submitting to festivals.

Please do not email us your films. We cannot consider any project that has not been officially submitted through FilmFreeway.

We strongly suggest that you have a permanent member of the crew submit your film (preferably the director or a producer). Please use an email address that is checked regularly in case we need to get in touch with you throughout the submission process. If there is an issue with your submission and we are unable to get in touch with anyone on the filmmaking team by our final submission deadline, we will be forced to disqualify your submission (without refund of submission fees). 

When is the submission deadline?

You can find a full list of deadlines under the “Dates & Deadlines” section of our FilmFreeway page. 

Please keep track of deadlines closely if you plan on submitting within a certain submission window. All deadlines are set for 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time (with the exception of our final deadline at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time).  

Any submissions that are incomplete by our final deadline will be disqualified without refund of submission fees.

Does my film need to be a South Carolina Premiere to submit?

We strongly prefer to program works that have not yet screened in the state of South Carolina. Exceptions to this rule may be made on rare occasions and are solely at the discretion of the programming team.

How many films can I submit?

You can submit as many projects as you would like, as long as they are all eligible to screen at the Moonless International Film Festival. However, you must pay a separate submission fee for each submission. 

I’m not sure which category I should submit my film to. Can you watch it and tell me?

Descriptions and eligibility requirements for each submission category are listed on the sidebar of our FilmFreeway page under the “Categories and Fees” section.

We’re unable to pre-assess films in advance for category fit, however if we think your film should be considered in a category other than the one to which it has been submitted, we will re-assign its category, so it can be properly assessed.

Is there a difference if I submit early?

If you submit early, you will spend less money on your submission fee. Submitting early won’t increase or decrease your chances of getting accepted. All submissions are evaluated equally, and every year we program films that were submitted all throughout the submission period.

What are your submission fees?

You can find a full list of submission fees under the Categories & Fees section of our FilmFreeway page.

What screener formats do you accept?

All FilmFreeway submissions must include a streamable online screener of the full film. We do NOT accept DVDs, Blu-Rays, or files. We cannot evaluate your film based on a clip or trailer alone.

Online screeners may be uploaded directly to FilmFreeway or embedded from a third-party streaming platform (Vimeo, YouTube, etc.).

The submitter is responsible for ensuring that their screener link and password is active through at least the Notification Date. In the event of a password or screener URL change after submitting, email us immediately. If we discover an error with the screener, we will attempt to email the submission contact for an update. Failure to respond by the final submission deadline will result in disqualification without refund of submission fees.

How do I submit Virtual Reality films and how are they reviewed?

For 360° video — please provide either or both:

• Private 360-enabled screener (Vimeo, YouTube or Oculus Media Studio.)

• Downloadable video link.

For tethered/PCVR and other room scale/interactive projects: We REQUIRE a full video recording of the experience. While you may include app links and builds alongside that, the video screener is the primary format for consideration. Lastly, please detail any technical requirements for the exhibition (such as schematics, compatible HMD/tech, etc.).

Do you accept rough cuts/works-in-progress?

Yes. Just be sure to mark the submission as a rough cut/work-in-progress/WIP both in your cover letter and in the screener file itself (preferably as an intertitle before the start of the film). Please note which elements are incomplete (e.g. color correction, score, missing shots, etc.) 

We watch and consider incomplete versions of films all of the time, and our programming staff is used to looking past some technical roughness to assess the substance of a submitted film. Just keep in mind that if your film is selected, you’ll need to be prepared to deliver the final cut to us shortly after we notify you of your film’s selection (usually in mid-August).

I submitted last year and wasn’t accepted. Can I resubmit?

We do not recommend re-submission of films that we’ve already seen in previous year, unless the current version being submitted is a radically different cut or if the previous submission was a work in progress with lots to be done.

In practice, it’s rare for us to select a resubmitted film the following year. If you do resubmit, please note in your submission that the film was previously seen by us, and indicate what changes were made to the new cut.

Can I have a waiver?

MIFF only issues full fee waivers to alumni of the Moonless International Film Festival and filmmakers from countries in which international sanctions prevent them from paying a fee. If either of these terms apply to you, please email us at submissions@moonlessiff.org.

A submission fee guarantees your work is properly viewed and considered, and neither submission fees nor waivers guarantee acceptance. Submission fees support competition cash prizes, festival travel for attending filmmakers, and the team of programmers that watch and assess the submissions each year.

Do you offer student discounts?

Yes, there is a discount for student work. This discount can be activated on FilmFreeway by selecting the "Student" option during checkout. To qualify, you must have completed the film while enrolled as a student.

Do you offer discounts for South Carolina filmmakers?

We offer a discounted submission fee for any project that meets the following requirements: 

• The film was least partially filmed in South Carolina AND the director of the film resides in the state of South Carolina.  

• Films that are not live-action are also eligible for the discount if the director resides in the state and produced the film at least partially in South Carolina. 

If your film meets the above criteria, email sc@moonlessiff.org with proof of South Carolina residency to receive your discount code.

How do I know you received my submission?

In your FilmFreeway account, under Submissions, you can locate your submission to MIFF. As long as the Submission Status is listed as “In Consideration”, your film has satisfied all of our requirements and is under review.

Why is my Submission Status listed as “Incomplete?”

Films that are listed “Incomplete” at the time you submit are most likely missing a screener. Please check your submission again to ensure that your screener was uploaded properly. 

Reasons a submission will be considered incomplete include (but are not limited to) the following:

- Screener is missing

- Screener has been deleted or password has been changed

- Screener is missing subtitles (if in a non-English language), audio, image, or any feature that prevents us from properly judging it

If we discover an issue with your submission during the submissions process we will reach out to the submitter to correct the problem. If your film is listed as “Incomplete” and you did not receive an email disclosing the reason, please reach out to us at submissions@moonlessiff.org.

I want to withdraw my film, can I get a refund?

Once a project is listed “In Consideration” on FilmFreeway, we are unable to offer refunds for any reason, including (but not limited to):

• Submission to the wrong category

• Change in premiere status or distribution

• Duplicate submissions

• Failure to pay the full submission fee by the final deadline

• Failure to provide a working screener by the final deadline

• Project’s failure to comply with submission Rules & Terms (as specified on our FilmFreeway page)

• Improper use of a discount code or waiver

• Rejection from the festival

• Withdrawing your submission for any reason (including changes of heart)

Can we send you updated versions of our already-submitted film?

Yes, but: 

You must replace the embedded or uploaded screener in your FilmFreeway project with the updated version. If you only email us the new version without switching it out on FilmFreeway, it won’t get seen by us. For more info on replacing your screener, see this FilmFreeway help topic. 

When you submit your film to MIFF via FilmFreeway, it immediately goes into our queue for consideration, and is assigned to screeners and programmers at their earliest availability. Once we’ve seen and considered your submission, re-screening to assess subsequent versions of your film is not guaranteed.

When will filmmakers be notified of the final decisions for the 2026 Moonless IFF?

Our Notification Date is listed on our FilmFreeway page. In the unlikely event that we need to change this date, we will notify, in writing, all filmmakers who have submitted to us.

All submitted filmmakers will hear from us with a final selection decision on or before our posted Notification Date. If you haven't heard from us yet, your film is still in consideration for MIFF.

How will we be notified?

Accepted films will receive an invitation letter by email. Films that are not accepted to screen may receive either an automated email from us via FilmFreeway or directly via email from MIFF.

It’s past your notification date and I still haven’t heard anything, what’s the deal? 

We almost definitely tried to notify you by email, but it missed your inbox.  

Please make sure the email address associated with your submission remains active throughout the submission process. Also, please add each of the following accounts to your address book to prevent MIFF communication regarding your submission from going to spam: submissions@moonlessiff.org.

If my film is programmed, am I guaranteed a theater screening?

All accepted films will screen at least in person once during the festival, with the possibility of an encore screening for select films/shorts blocks when appropriate. All scheduling, screening venues, digital platforms, and time slots are at the discretion of the MIFF staff and are subject to change.