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*Total of $1,000 in cash prizes based on viewer votes AND judges input: $500 for best "Tight Shorts" (15 minutes or less, any genre), and $500 for best "Loose Shorts" (15-59 minutes, any genre); 
*Many other awards also available; 
*If submission is not accepted, receive feedback and free re-submission for films with sound or video issues that can be corrected/improved. 
*Exposure on WRPN.TV (OPTIONAL)

Welcome to the WRPN.TV Short, Tight and Loose global film festival competition (WSTL), an online venue for shorts only (INCLUDING WEBISODES!), in association with DOFIFF.COM. Check the bottom of this document for entry details. 

WSTL offers a unique opportunity to 'expose your shorts' to a world-wide community of video fans from dozens of countries that filmmakers would not normally have access to. 
Our daily growing free subscription base of viewers and potential voters will go to WRPN.TV to vote for their favorite shorts: Best of Show winners for both Tight and Loose categories are based on their votes PLUS THE JUDGES INPUT, and will each receive $500 cash prize. ONLY ONE BEST OF SHOW IN EACH CATEGORY WILL WIN CASH PRIZE. 
(*Please note: showing your film on WRPN.TV is COMPLETELY OPTIONAL! IT IS NOT A REQUIREMENT! If your film is not shown on WRPN.TV, you will not be competing for cash prizes, but you are still eligible for awards from judges based on the production values of your film) 
This is NOT a popularity contest: while it is very important to build up points toward Best Of Show by collecting votes, additional points will be given by a panel of 10 judges based on 20 professional criteria requirements (i.e., cinematography, editing, sound levels, pacing, creativity, acting, etc.). This evens the playing field between films with high production budgets that may have a lower vote tally, vs. films with lesser production budgets but a higher vote tally. Also, we reserve the right to INCREASE (but not to lower) the top prize. 
In order to make the voting period fair, all entries will be released for viewing on WRPN.TV en masse on January 18th, and shorts fans will go online to vote for their favorites (one vote per IP address) until Febuary 15th. But voting will not be limited to the general audience at WRPN.TV: You can also promote yourself to your Facebook and other social media fans, and have them go and vote for you as well. SHORTS WILL BE POSTED ONTO THE PAGE AND WILL SCROLL IN THE ORDER THEIR EMBED CODES ARE RECEIVED. 
Besides the cash prize, the other advantage to the WSTL competition, is access to Feedback: The one element most festivals ignore. 
Instead of paying submission fees and getting nothing in return, EVERYONE who submits to WSTL will receive these benefits: Either 1): your film is already competition calibre, and gets accepted to compete, OR 2): you will receive a letter outlining exactly what it is about your film that is keeping it from being accepted. 
First time filmmakers: when have you ever gotten a letter back from a festival giving you the chance to fix something and RESUBMIT FOR FREE? 
Giving you the chance to make corrections to your film does 3 things: 
-It gives you the chance to improve your product and make it more marketable. 
-It will enhance your chances of winning/being accepted AT OTHER FESTIVALS BESIDES OURS. That's more 'Official Selection' laurels for YOU. 
-It will give you forethought for your NEXT filmmaking endeavor, helping you to improve your craft (feedback letters also list the GOOD elements in your film that you should make an effort to keep). 

What Makes Us Unique: 

1. A co-founder that is an active Committee Member for the Universal Film and Festival Organization (UFFO.ORG), an international non-profit based in the U.K., founded to support/implement best business practices for film festivals 
2. All Official Selections/Winners have their shorts exposed exclusively on WRPN.TV entertainment news next to Hollywood celebrity interviews (OPTIONAL) 
3. All Official Selections/Winners have their show voted on by a world-wide audience through WRPN.TV (OPTIONAL) 
4. Films are still eligible for judges awards based on production values even if they do not participate in the WRPN.TV competition 
5. Any film that is rejected will receive a personal letter explaining what elements caused the rejection (unlike other fests who never give any explanation at all). 
There are also opportunities for other non-cash awards, such as Awards Of Excellence, Awards Of Merit, and SUB-CATEGORY AWARDS, such as best cinematography, original theme song, script, concept creativity/originality, direction, special effects, research, lead actor/actress, best supporting actor/actress, etc. These sub-category awards will be awarded by the judges panel only, and are NOT part of the audience voting process. 
Any language accepted, either dubbed in English, or with English subtitles. No genre requirements.

Awards & Prizes

*$1,000 total cash prizes: $500 for one top Tight Shorts film “Best Of Show,” and $500 for one top Loose Shorts film "Best Of Show," all based on votes AND judges input. Cash prize can increase, but never decrease. 
*If your shorts are not accepted after they are reviewed by the Official Selection committee, you receive Judges acceptance panel Feedback for a chance to make corrections and RESUBMIT FOR FREE. 
*Free promotion on WRPN.TV Entertainment News (OPTIONAL) 
*In addition to cash prize for the two top "Best Of Show" films, other non-cash awards include "Award Of Excellence," "Award Of Merit," and sub-category awards for exceptional production values (cinematography, editing, sound editing, acting, original concept, etc.)

Rules & Terms

-One "Best of Show" winner in one of each category: one for "Tight Shorts" (up to 15 minutes), and one for "Loose Shorts" (15-59 minutes) based on total points from 1)audience votes, PLUS 2)JUDGES INPUT, for a total of $1,000 cash prize. ONLY ONE BEST OF SHOW IN EACH CATEGORY (Tight and Loose) WILL WIN CASH PRIZE. 
-"Best Of Show" decision based on total point tallies is final 
-while it is very important to build up points toward Best Of Show by collecting votes, additional points will be given by a panel of 10 judges based on 20 professional criteria requirements (i.e., cinematography, editing, sound levels, pacing, creativity, acting, etc.). 
-we reserve the right to INCREASE (but not to lower) the top prize. 
-Once accepted and nominated to compete, shorts will be posted to WRPN.TV en masse on January 18th, in the order in which the embedding codes are received/accepted (the earlier you submit your film and send your embedding code for the film, the closer to the top of the scrolling page your film will appear). 
-Opportunities for other non-cash awards, such as Awards Of Excellence, Awards Of Merit, and SUB-CATEGORY AWARDS (such as best sound editing, cinematography, acting, etc.), will be awarded by the judges panel only, and are NOT part of the audience voting process. 
-Foreign language films (non-English) must have English subtitles or be dubbed in English. 
-All genres compete together 
-If submitting a webisode, please indicate the 'episode #' in the film title (i.e., "The Greatest Movie Ever" ep. 6) 
-No waivers 
-WSTL reserves the right to cancel the festival for insufficient submission applications, with a full refund of submission fees to the submitter. 
-If the festival is cancelled for any reason, no cash prize will be awarded. 
-WSTL Is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for competition at the Festival for promotional purposes. 
-Winning entries may also be streamed on the WRPN.TV website 
-The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations. 
-The Competition reserves the right to refuse entries. 
-The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless WSTL, WRPN.TV, DOFIFF, and ROMAN PICTURES from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered. 
-In order to insure that each film is studied and rated an individual basis, DOFIFF has instituted a system to insure that entries do not compete against each other, but instead are recognized for their own individual merits. For all intents and purposes, they compete against themselves: each entry is judged on individual merits and scored on an inherent value system. We want to insure that the judges focus is on you when it is your turn to be evaluated, not on all the other films that are in cue: this insures that they will not have comparisons going on in their minds when they should be focusing entirely on YOU. 
-Judges score entries on a performance scale and winning entries are recognized and awarded not only for Best Of Show, but also for two Awards of Excellence levels, two Awards of Merit levels, a Kudos Endeavor Award, or no award. 
-Best of Show honors are granted to the top scoring entry/entries for each season; Awards of Excellence are granted to entries with truly exceptional artistic and technical achievements; and Notable achievements are recognized at the Award of Merit and 'Kudos' award levels. 
-The number of awards granted at any given level will fluctuate based on the total number of entries received for each competition deadline.