Film Entry

1. General Information

The Oldenburg International Film Festival is a non-competitive film festival, curated to provide a platform for unique discoveries and the bold and innovative works of both established and emerging filmmakers worldwide. With a tradition of covering film in all its aspects, feature films, short films and documentaries of all origins are embraced.

2. Key Dates and Submission Deadlines

The 31st Oldenburg International Film Festival takes place from September 10-14, 2025.

There are three submission deadlines:
Earlybird: Monday, March 28, 2025
Regular: Friday, May 23, 2025
Late: Friday, June 13, 2025
*Please note – submission fees are non-refundable

3. Festival Sections

Festival sections include the following categories:
Independent, International, Midnite Xpress, Shorts, Retrospective, Tribute.

4. Selection of Films and Notification

The Oldenburg International Film Festival selection committee decides which films will participate in the Festival. The committee's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. Selected films will be notified by August 22, 2025, approximately.

5. Film Length

Submitted short films should not be longer than 49 minutes; submitted feature films must be longer than 49 minutes.

6. Screening Format

For screening purposes DCP, Blu-ray, ProRes all PAL European standard.

7. Entry and Eligibility

At the time of entry (if not submitted via FilmFreeway) a preview DVD (PAL or NTSC) should be sent at the sender's expense to:
Oldenburg International Film Festival
Lange Strasse 53
26122 Oldenburg
Germany
(or via a secure link to: submissions@filmfest-oldenburg.de)

Along with the screener we welcome you to send us the following material:
* a detailed synopsis of the film
* the biography, filmography and a recent photo of the director
* photographs or transparencies of the film
* press materials and posters
* a listing of participation and awards received at any other film festivals.

The Festival is not responsible for returning support material and DVDs.

To be eligible for consideration, submissions must meet the following requirements:

* All films must be available in German, English or with English subtitles if not in German or English.

* Films must NOT have been (or will not be) broadcast on television or publicly distributed or made available online in Germany before the Festival dates.

8. Awards

The "German Independence Award – Best Film"
All films selected for the Independent section are nominated for the award. The award is voted for by cinemagoers attending public screenings.

The "German Independence Award – Best First Film"
Eligible are all first Feature Films in the Festival program. The award is decided by an international jury of film professionals appointed by the Advisory Board and Festival Director.

The "German Independence Award – Originality, Daring, and Audacity"
The award is decided by an international jury of film professionals appointed by the Advisory Board and Festival Director.

The “Seymour Cassel Award- Outstanding Performance”
Named in homage to indie icon and longtime Festival friend and supporter, Seymour Cassel, the award honors a Female and Male actor for ‘Outstanding Performance’. All performances by artists in films selected for competition in the Independent Section are eligible for nomination. The awards are decided by an international jury of film professionals appointed by the Advisory Board and Festival Director.

The "German Independence Award – Best Short Film"
All films selected for the Short Film section are nominated for the award. The award is decided by a jury of film professionals appointed by the Festival Director.

Note: Winners of the above awards consent to include the logo of the Festival and corresponding award laurels when advertising the film (i.e) on posters and in advertisements.

9. Shipping – for selected films only

If selected, the exhibition copy of your film must be available for shipment from August 22, 2025.

The Festival agrees to cover the cost of shipping and insuring prints in both directions. The exceptions are shipment to or from other festivals, in which case standard practice of cost sharing will apply. All prints will be returned to the address indicated by the sender within three weeks of the last day of the Festival.

10. Liability

In case of loss or damage to a print, the obligation of the Festival is limited to compensating the producer or distributor only to the cost of making a new print. Prints are fully insured during the period of possession by the Oldenburg International Film Festival, normal wear and tear excepted.

The Festival Director has the right to rule on all cases not foreseen by these regulations as well as allowing for exceptions. By submitting the entry form the assigned accepts these regulations.