Awards & Prizes / Rules

The evaluation process is a three-stage process: 

• Reviewing for official selection by the jury and selection of Finalist. 

• Screening for sets of filmmakers and audience to review and vote the best film. 

• Declaration of Festival Finalist.

• Finalist gets a screening at the annual event and compete with other films for “Best of the Best Picture”

• Rules & Regulations:

• The competition is open to films from Black Filmmakers, or films made by anyone with Black Actors in Key Roles. We also accept all films in the international category, Films made by Canadians.

• Please check individual categories and submit suitable categories to your project.

• Feature films are 30 minutes in length or longer. Short films are under 30 minutes in length. All non-English speaking films must be presented in their original version with English subtitles.

• All Entries with or without distribution deals are welcome.

• Films previously entered and screened at our festival are eligible for one additional re-entry in subsequent years.

• Entries must be submitted for pre-screening online. See our submission section If you use a secured link, you are REQUIRED to keep us updated with passwords.

• Works in progress are accepted. We cannot promise that we will be able to watch re-edited submissions. Please only submit works in progress if submitting close to the final deadline.

• IBDFF confirms that the festival has the permission to exhibit your film(s) during the festival and /or at any other Festival event. Submission of a work implies that the Festival can employ moving image excerpts and reproduce stills of exhibition promotion. Credit will be given to any filmmaker or screenwriter of such material is used in Festival promotion. The original copyright holder retains all rights to their work.

• You may submit multiple entries but must pay an entry fee for each.

• If the movie has nudity or sex. The movie should have a strong storyline; however, we are strictly not accepting any movies about porn, animal cruelty.

• To submit a Film for Festival consideration, Applicants must complete the registration process and pay the required fee by the deadlines. Submissions must be postmarked or online submitted via our various submission platforms. Submitted DVDs must contain one version only of the Film, in the original language of production, with English subtitles if the original language is not English.

• DVDs must be labelled in the following manner: Title. Production company name, phone number, and address. Director’s name. Length in minutes and platform tracking number.

• Where the applicant chooses to forward a DVD instead of an online screener, the Applicant is responsible for ensuring that the submitted DVD screener plays in its entirety on an industry-standard DVD player. If IBDFF is unable to view the DVD, IBDFF is under no obligation, to contact the Applicant in order to obtain a replacement DVD.

• IBDFF will not review multiple versions of a submitted Film. Only one version of the Film may be submitted. If multiple versions are submitted, IBDFF will view only the version that was received first.

• Note! DVD screeners will not be returned.

• All Films must be sent by way of prepaid shipping. IBDFF will not accept cash-on-delivery shipments or be responsible for duties, taxes or customs brokerage. Charges are to be billed to the sender. IBDFF is not responsible for and will not accept shipments incurring expenses for terminal charges, duties, taxes or customs brokerage. Shipping and customs charges are to be billed to the sender. Any shipping charges incurred by IBDFF will be billed back to the Applicant.