URBAN-15
Enter the Josiah Media Festival
The deadline for film submissions is September 1st, 2023
Submitting a Film is as Easy as 1, 2, 3:
- Download the Josiah Media Festival Guidelines & Entry Form.
- Read through the Guidelines and fill out the Entry and Release Forms in full.
- Completed forms can be sent by email to josiahfestival@urban15.org. The Josiah Media Festival’s FilmFreeway submission platform is also officially accepting film submissions! Please note that, in order to be accepted into the competition, all films entered through FilmFreeway must still be accompanied with your completed Entry and Release forms.
And you’re done!
Submissions may also be entered by mail by sending a completed Entry and Release Form along with a High-Definition copy of your film to the Josiah Media Festival, 2500 S. Presa, San Antonio, TX, 78210.
Festival Guidelines
Who Can Submit
The Josiah Media Festival is open to filmmakers around the world 21 years old or younger! Filmmakers must have been born on or after September 1st, 2002 OR must have been 21 years old or younger at the time the submitted film was completed. All key crew members on the film – writer, director, editor and director of photography – must have also been 21 years old or younger at the time the submitted film was completed (this does not include actors, producers, or any other crew members not listed above). Filmmakers can submit as many films as they like, but each film must be accompanied with an Entry & Release Form.
Film Submission Requirements
- Films MUST be submitted as High-Definition (720p minimum) .AVI, .MOV, .MPG, or .MP4 video files that are downloadable through a supplied link (YouTube, Vimeo, Hightail, Dropbox, Googledrive, etc.) – Playable-DVDs are NOT acceptable.
- All submitted files MUST be PC-compatible; do not use Mac-proprietary codecs or file formats.
- All submitted files MUST be under 2 gigabytes in size; please compress all files larger than 2 GB.
- All films MUST be in English or include embedded English subtitles
- Filmmakers will be asked to resubmit their film if the submitted file’s resolution is too low.
- SD files are acceptable ONLY if the submitted work was filmed in Standard-Definition (480i).
- Films must not exceed 20 minutes total-run-time (TRT includes all credit sequences within the film).
- All music and other copyright material within the submitted film must be used with permission of the composers and/or copyright holders.
- All films MUST use a Stereo audio format/mix.
- All films submitted must have been completed within two years of the September 1, 2023 submission deadline.
- All film submissions MUST be accompanied with a completed Entry Form AND a signed Filmmaker’s Release Form.
- Filmmakers that are accepted into the festival will be asked to provide a picture of themselves (head shot, selfie, self portrait, etc.) that will be shown before the start of their film during the festival screenings.
Entry Form Submission Requirements
Submission deadline is September 1st, 2023. Submissions can be mailed to Josiah Media Festival, 2500 S Presa, San Antonio, TX 78210 no later than September 1st, 2023. Filmmakers can submit as many films as they choose, but each film must be accompanied with a unique Entry & Release Form. If mailed, films should be submitted as high-definition digital files on a thumb drive or Data-DVD – Playable DVDs are NOT acceptable.
Submission materials (forms and films) can also be entered digitally by email. Simply send your completed Entry and Release forms as PDF attachments to josiahfestival@urban15.org and include a link to download your film (via Dropbox, Google Drive, YouTube, Vimeo, WeTransfer, Hightail, etc.). If you have any questions about the online submission process, please email josiahfestival@urban15.org for information.
Please complete ALL applicable areas of the Entry Form and the Filmmaker’s Release Form. All information necessary to verify your eligibility to participate must be provided. Filmmakers that do not send completed entry and release forms for their film(s) will be disqualified.
Primary festival correspondence will be exchanged through the email address provided in the Entry Form. Each filmmaker MUST provide their own current email address and check regularly for festival updates and awards announcements. Faculty/Mentor email is not solely sufficient; please note that filmmakers may not be eligible for prizes if they do not provide their own email address.
Films can also be submitted through the Josiah Media Festival FilmFreeway submission platform available HERE. Please note that any film submitted through FilmFreeway must also be accompanied with completed Entry and Release Form. Completed forms can be submitted by email or mail.
Film Categories
The Josiah Media Festival accepts films into the Narrative, Documentary, Animation, and Experimental categories for competition. Films will compete within each category for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd-place awards.
If the submitting filmmaker is unsure of the category in which to submit their film, the Josiah Media Festival Committee will assign it to the most suitable category. The Josiah Media Festival Committee also reserves the right to reassign the category of any submitted film if they deem fit.
Please Note
The URBAN-15 Group reserves the right to use still-images and/or video from the submitted films for publicity, promotional purposes, or future events in perpetuity.
All submitting filmmakers and their film crew will receive FREE admission to every screening and workshop held during the Josiah Media Festival!
For more information on the 2023 Josiah Media Festival, call our studio at (210) 736-1500, or email us at josiahfestival@urban15.org.
The Josiah Media Festival is supported, in part, by the City of San Antonio’s Department of Arts and Culture, The San Antonio Film Commission, VuTURE ART, and Friends of URBAN-15.
