top of page

FiveFest Guidelines
2024

pdf

Overview

Hlabeard Productions, in collaboration with the SATO48 Film Challenge, presents “FiveFest”—a dynamic festival dedicated to celebrating the art of short films with a maximum length of five minutes. 

​

Submission Guidelines

​

1. Film Duration and Content

  • Films must be exactly 5 minutes or less in length including credits. You are not allowed to upload a file that is longer than 5 minutes in duration. 

  • Non-English dialogue films must include English subtitles or be dubbed in English.

  • Do not upload works in progress. Uploaded films must be complete and theater-projection ready. 

  • The film’s genre must be one of the following five: Animation, Comedy, Drama, Horror, Musical.

2. Technical Requirements

  • The minimum resolution is 720p. 

  • Submitted films must have clear audio quality.

  • A film Poster and any other Promotional Materials are encouraged (though not required) to be uploaded.

3. Eligibility

  • Open to all filmmakers, regardless of age, region, production date of film, or content within specified genres.

4. Submission Process

  • FilmFreeway.

 

Judging and Awards

​

5. Judging Panel

  • A select group of industry professionals and esteemed members of the filmmaking community will judge the entries. 

  • Registered team members from last year’s SATO48-Challenge are automatically opted IN and therefore may participate as Academy Judges if they so elect.

​

6. Prizes

Best Animation

Best Comedy

Best Documentary

Best Drama

Best Experimental Film

Best Horror

Best Music Video

Best Musical

​

Venue and Event Details

​

7. Festival Locations (depending on needed capacity)

  • Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

​

8. FiveFest Programming

  • All films are accepted into FiveFest, as follows:

  • Accepted films will receive a FiveFest Scorecard detailing, in the aggregate, how the Academy Judges responded to their film and an exclusive month-long online screening.

  • Some films will be selected for (a) an in-theater screening at a Festival Location, and (b) acknowledged as a Nominee at the Recognition & Awards Ceremony.

  • The winning film in each genre — for whom a representative of the film is present and checked in at the Awards Ceremony — receives the following: 

    • Statuette

    • On-stage acceptance speech opportunity

    • Backstage interview

 

9. Notification of Your Acceptance Level

  • You are notified via email of your film’s Acceptance Level.

​

10. FiveFest Dates To Save

  • January 17, 2024 — Submission opens. The submission closing date is on a date to be announced.

  • Wednesday, May 29, to Sunday, June 2, 2024 — In-theater screening, if applicable to your film, takes place at a date/time to be determined by capacity of Festival Locations.

  • Saturday, June 1, 2024 — Recognition & Awards Ceremony at the Gillioz Theater.

  • June 3 to July 1, 2024 — Online viewing, applicable to all films, takes place.

​

Legal Terms and Conditions

​

11. Film Rights

  • Entrant must own all rights to their film and its content.

  • All Entrants grant Hlabeard Productions and SATO48:

  •  In-theater screening and paywall online usage rights for the duration of SATO48-2024 FiveFest (end date: July 2, 2024).

  • Free online usage rights within Festival Manager and promotional usage rights in perpetuity.

  • Entrant holds Hlabeard Productions, SATO48, and all other parties connected to SATO48, harmless in all respects.

 

12. Endorsement

  • Participation in FiveFest by Entrant is not an endorsement by Hlabeard Productions, nor SATO48, of the film’s content.

​

13. Liability

  • Hlabeard Productions and SATO48 are not liable for any losses or damages incurred for any reason by Entrant.

​

14. Cancellation & Delays

  • In case of unavoidable cancellations or delays, efforts will be made to reschedule. No liability by Hlabeard Productions nor SATO48 is assumed for losses incurred due to such cancellations.

​

Accessibility and Inclusion

 

15. Accessibility

  • FiveFest venues are wheelchair accessible.

​

16. Inclusion

  • FiveFest is committed to diversity and inclusion.

 

Contact Information

​

17. Inquiry Handling

END

bottom of page