7th NFB Short film Online Contest

Contest rules for Cannes 2011 Online Contest – a presentation of the National Film Board of Canada in collaboration with the Short Film Corner & in association with Youtube.

1. HOW TO ENTER

From May 5 to 18, 2011 (midnight – Paris time), the National Film Board of Canada, in collaboration with the Short Film Corner and in association with Youtube, presents an online short film competition on .

Registration is from February 15 to April 10, 2011.

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) team will choose 10 shorts selected from among those registered for the Short Film Corner to enter the competition on the Web site and those of its partners.

Unless an exception is made, only the makers of shorts that meet the following criteria are eligible:

1. A. Registered at the Short Film Corner 2011 with the appropriate box checked off on the film registration page at to indicate that the entrant wishes to participate in the online competition
2. B. Work produced after January 2010
3. C. Originally made in French, English or without words OR subtitled in French or English
4. D. Less than 12 minutes long
5. E. Each entrant shall confirm and guarantee that all rights associated with the short submitted, including copyright, performance rights and music rights, are clear, so that the film can be distributed by streaming from the Web site for a maximum of 15 days. The winning short film will be showcased on and its partners Web sites for 30 days after the contest closes.
6. F. The winner must provide an original version of the film and a transcript of the dialogue with time code.

The video and soundtracks should be copyright free. If existing visual and/or musical sources are used, participants must obtain a consent (or licence) signed by the creators of the visuals and/or music, allowing their use in the film and allowing the unlimited distribution of the film worldwide, in perpetuity. In particular, such consent or licence must allow the Internet distribution (in transit mode) of the film on the following Web sites: and youtube.com.

The presence of actors, extras and participants in the film or soundtrack must not prevent the distribution of the short film on and its partners’ sites; moreover, any royalties relating thereto must have been paid.

Although participants enjoy freedom of expression in creating their works, their productions must not:

1. A. contain hateful, racist, sexist, offensive or defamatory statements
2. B. cause harm to anyone
3. C. constitute an invasion of privacy

Participants must be the authors of the works; any plagiarism will result in automatic disqualification.

The National Film Board of Canada shall take care of subtitling the films selected as finalists.

To be valid, submissions must be received no later than midnight, April 10, 2011 (Paris time).

Each participant shall be notified by e-mail when his or her film is put online prior to the beginning of the competition.

The participant shall be invited to view the film and signify by e-mail his or her consent for the film to be put online. Failure to reply within 24 hours following the sending of the e-mail shall signify consent for the film to be put online on the competition Web site.

By this consent, the participant agrees to the conditions for showing the film on the competition Web site and waives any recourse against the NFB, the Short Film Corner, the Cannes Festival or its service providers.

Once a short film has been entered in the online competition, it may not be withdrawn.

2. CONDITIONS OF ELIGIBILITY

Participants must be at least 18 years old.

Employees of the National Film Board of Canada, Short Film Corner, Cannes Festival– and their partners, as well as their immediate family members or persons residing with them, are not eligible for this contest.

3. METHOD OF SELECTING WINNERS

From May 5 to 18, 2011, the 10 short films selected as finalists will be made available online on and youtube.com, for purposes of an online competition. The grand prize winner will be selected by the public, who will vote by liking or unliking a short film on Youtube. The film with the highest net result (number of « likes » minus the number of « unlikes ») wins. Internet users will be able to vote until midnight on May 18, 2011. Only one vote per e-mail address will be accepted. The winner will receive the audience award.

The winner will be announced on on May 19, 2011. The prize will be awarded on May 20 at the Short Film Corner if the winner is in Cannes; otherwise it will be sent in the month following the Short Film Corner.

4. DESCRIPTION OF AWARDS

The winner of the online competition will be determined by the votes of the Internet audience and will receive a mini HD pro-sumers camera and a computer with post-productions software. The winner will be announced on on May 18, 2010.

5. GENERAL RULES

5.1 The persons who receive an award must, if required, consent to the use of their name and/or image, including their photograph and/or voice, for advertising purposes relating to this contest, the whole without remuneration.

5.2 Winners will be required to sign a document showing their compliance with the conditions of eligibility set out in section 2 of these rules and releasing the NFB, Short Film Corner, Cannes Festival, as well as their affiliated companies and agencies, from all liability for any damage or loss arising from their participation in this contest or arising from the granting, acceptance or use of the award.

5.3 The refusal to accept an award will release the NFB, Short Film Corner, Cannes Festival, as well as their affiliated companies and agencies and their employees and authorized agents, from any and all liability.

5.4 The National Film Board of Canada, Short Film Corner, Cannes Festival, as well as their affiliated companies and agencies, assume no liability for the loss of short films or for delays, mistaken addresses on mail received, printing errors, poor technical operation, technical mistakes, poor technical quality, software or hardware failures, fraudulent calls or other errors.

5.5 The National Film Board of Canada, Short Film Corner, Cannes Festival, as well as their affiliated companies and agencies, assume no liability of any kind whatsoever if their inability to act results from a fact or situation beyond their control, including, but without limitation, a strike, lockout or other labour dispute in their establishments or in the establishments of institutions or businesses whose services are used to hold this contest.

5.6 Participating in the contest or being declared a winner does imply or create any employment or contractual obligation towards the participant or winner on the part of the NFB, Short Film Corner or Cannes Festival.

5.7 The rules of this contest are available on the following Web sites: .

5.8 In their advertising and publicity materials, the winner and the distributors undertake to mention the prize as defined in the chart available on the official Web site, .

5.9 All entrants in the online competition shall abide by these rules and the pre-selection rules.

5.10 In case of any disagreement over the interpretation of these rules, the French wording shall prevail.

5.11 These rules and all issues and questions concerning the interpretation, enforceability, application, validity and effects of these rules shall be governed by the laws in force in Canada. All claims and legal proceedings in relation to these rules and to the contest shall be within the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Canada. All notices or other communications that shall or may be given under these rules shall be given in writing and sent by facsimile or by prepaid mail or certified mail with acknowledgement of receipt to the following address: National Film Board of Canada, Marketing and Communication branch, 3155 Côte de Liesse Road, Montreal, Quebec, H4N 2N4, 514-283-8971 (fax).