About / Rules

COMPETITION CATEGORIES
1. Post-apocalyptic films that meet eligibility requirements (outlined below).
2. Alternative films that meet eligibility requirements.
The alternative category would cover such films as cool weird/cult films: Think Videodrome, think H.P. Lovecraft, think Alejandro Jodorowsky, Takashi Miike, or even something you could see playing in a Fallout Game (some over-the-top 50s parody). This does not mean bad films that are so bad they’re good, like Troll 2. This means quality films that are offbeat, but have a sort of weird charm to them.
3. Music Video, the more post apocalyptic or stylish, the better.
4. Action Film, one of the more open ended categories (last year’s winner was a martial arts through time and space film)
5. Audience Award, any film can qualify for this, including the features.

EXHIBITION-ONLY CATEGORIES
1. Post-apocalyptic and alternative films that don’t otherwise comply with competition guidelines (too long, for example).
2. Films in OTHER categories (horror, science-fiction, edgy drama, etc.) if there is room left in the schedule and enough on-theme films are not available.

Please note: Zombie-related films will usually be considered horror (even if they take place in a post-apocalyptic world) and would therefore fall into the “other” category.

SUBMISSIONS
Filmmakers should include a short (100 words or less) description of their film (including year produced and other places it has been exhibited). You may also include some information about the filmmakers (100 words or less). Please be sure to list the category your film best fits when you submit. However, the Wasteland Film Festival reserves the right to categorize your film as we see fit.

FILM FORMATS
Select digital formats (AVI, Mov – H.264, or high quality divx/xvid). Contact us first if you want to send dvd/blu-ray, as those take special consideration. We do not accept tapes under any condition. We reserve the right to discard any dvd or blu-ray that doesn’t outright play without further notice, so please make sure it plays on multiple players if you choose to go with that format and that there aren’t any errors.

ELIGIBILITY
To be eligible for award consideration, films must be under 45 minutes in length. Films that have previously appeared online (youtube, etc.) or in film festivals are eligible for prizes, but must have been made after Jan 1st, 2007. Films made prior to 2007, but after 2000 are also eligible, but ONLY if they have never before been publicly shown online, on DVD/video, or in a film festival. Basically, you made it a long time ago, but this is the first time it’s been shown anywhere.

Films longer than 45 minutes, or that otherwise don’t fit eligibility requirements may still be submitted for screening as exhibitions only (assuming the submitter controls exhibition rights to the film as outlined below).

Filmmakers do not need to be present during the screenings at wasteland weekend in order to be eligible for awards.

WAIVERS
Waivers will only be offered to anyone who fits the following:
A. If you attended any of the last three years of Wasteland Weekend.
B. If you have had a film previously accepted and screened in any of the previous years of the Wasteland Film Festival.
C. If you have communicated with the film fest coordinator during any previous year of the festival, some special consideration might be made.

No other inquiries will be accepted (so you better have a good reason for contacting us for a waiver if you do not fit the above).