FAQs
- WHEN DO REGISTRATIONS CLOSE FOR 15/15?
Registrations for the 2008 festival close at 5pm March 5, 2008.
- WHEN IS 15/15 HELD?
15/15 is traditionally held in mid March. The 2008 festival will be held on Saturday 8th March.
- WHAT ARE THE SECRET OBJECT AND QUOTE FOR 2008?
The secret bject and quote are just that - a secret! They are not announced until 8am on the Filming Day, and the object must appear in 85% of all shots. This ensures all entries we receive were made on the filming day. We strongly encourage a creative interpretation of the object!
- WHY DOES MY FILM HAVE TO FEATURE THE SECRET OBJECT AND QUOTE & HOW CAN I USE IT?
The secret object and quote shows that your film was made specifically for the festival - as one of 15/15's aims is to encourage production, not just exhibition. Try not to just put the object in the background of each shot - including them as part of the story somewhere will help your chances of winning.
- WHAT HAVE THE PAST OBJECTS AND QUOTES BEEN?
Check the Festival History page for past objects and quotes!
- WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM LENGTH FOR 15/15 FILMS?
15 minutes INCLUDING titles and credits.
- IS THERE A MINIMUM LENGTH?
No.
- CAN I SUBMIT MORE THAN ONE FILM FOR COMPETITION?
Yes - there is no restriction on number of entries.
- DOES 15/15 ACCEPT INTERNATIONAL ENTRIES?
Yes. We're a truly international film festival, accepting, awarding and screening films in their country of origin.
- DOES 15/15 ACCEPT ANIMATIONS?
Yes.
- DOES 15/15 ACCEPT DOCUMENTARIES?
Yes.
- ARE THERE OTHER RESTRICTIONS?
15/15 must be your film's first public screening. This means that the film must not have been screened at any other film festival, on free-to-air or pay TV, the Internet, in cinemas or any other public arena. This restriction does not include cast and crew screenings.
- CAN I RE-EDIT A FILM THAT HAS ALREADY SCREENED SO IT FITS THE 15/15 GUIDELINES?
NO! We consider this a different version of the same film. Therefore, if your film has screened previously, it is not eligible for enry in 15/15.
- WHAT FORMAT DO I HAVE TO SHOOT ON?
You can shoot on any format you like (or can afford) - from MiniDV to 35mm... whatever is available and within your means.
- WHAT FORMAT DO YOU ACCEPT FOR ENTRY?
You must deliver your entry on a single MiniDV tape. In some emergency cases we may accept films in other formats as long as you submit an identical MiniDV copy soon after. We highly recommend that you do a playback test of your submission BEFORE you submit your film. Further info about DVD formats can be found at http://www.dvdrw.com/information/cetips1.htm
- DOES 15/15 PLACE RESTRICTIONS ON SWEARING OR SEXUAL/VIOLENT CONTENT?
15/15 receives an M 15+ classification rating from the Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC), so we advise you follow the appropriate guidelines for that rating. For a complete rundown of the guidelines please visit http://www.oflc.gov.au. If in doubt, grab a copy of a DVD from previous 15/15 festivals from the 15/15 shop and use past films as a gauge.
- DOES IT COST ANYTHING TO ENTER?
No, we don't think it's fair to charge our participants for submitting their hard work to the festival.
- DO I HAVE TO OBTAIN COPYRIGHT CLEARANCE FOR THE MUSIC?
YES! The filmmaker must own all copyrights for, or have written permission to use, any music, performances or scripts. If you would like further advice on music, performance or script clearances consult your Regional Coordinator.
- CAN I USE ANY PIECE OF MUSIC AS LONG AS I HAVE PERMISSION?
You can use most pieces of music granted you have received the necessary permissions. Well known/published music can become very expensive to use. You will need to have cleared rights to use the piece of music in "all media" and in "all territories". 15/15 may broadcast entries from the festival as well as act as a distributor for finalist and shortlisted films following the festival. You must have cleared all music in order to participate in such activities. It is important to note that you are not just asking for a "festival clearance" of the music. AMCOS administer the rights for production music libraries and they do have a special festival rate for production music. However, this does not apply to 15/15 films simply because the festival has grown so large the demand for the films extends beyond the night of the festival. Try to use local or original music in your film. It means that local musicians and composers can benefit from 15/15, as well as every one else, and it is usually easier to organise. Don't limit the life of your film by making hasty music choices or leaving this until the last minute. Music should be one of the first things you consider when planning your production. Contact us for clarification on any of the above.
- WHAT WILL THE PRODUCTION STILLS BE USED FOR?
The stills you provide will be used in publicity materials produced by 15/15 and in our festival catalogue.
- WHAT RATIO WILL MY FILM BE SCREENED AT?
15/15 screens all films at 4:3 ratio. Therefore, if you shoot your film 16:9 you will need to have it letterboxed or centrecut.
- WHAT IF MY FILM CONTAINS SUBTITLES?
This is fine, and in some cases we will require you to submit a dialogue script for subtitling anyway. Please bare in mind the film is screened in a very large environment, with many audience members a great distance away from the screen. You should double the size of subtitling and avoid yellow shades. White on black is best in terms of visibility.
