Sleepy Hollow International Film Festival

A celebration of outstanding genre cinema in the historic cradle of the American supernatural.

2021 SUBMISSIONS

DEADLINES AND FEES

DEADLINES CLOSE 11:59 PM (PST)
EARLYBIRD DEADLINE: MAY 1, 2021
REGULAR DEADLINE: JULY 2, 2021
LATE DEADLINE: AUGUST 3, 2021
EXTENDED DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 3, 2021

FEATURE FILMS (Over 75 min in length):
EARLYBIRD DEADLINE: $35
REGULAR DEADLINE: $50
FINAL DEADLINE: $60
EXTENDED DEADLINE: $65

SHORT FILMS (8 to 20 min in length):
EARLYBIRD DEADLINE: $30
REGULAR DEADLINE: $40
FINAL DEADLINE: $45
EXTENDED DEADLINE: $50

Film submissions selected for Sleepy Hollow International Film Festival (SHIFF) will be notified no later than September 14, 2021.

UNPRODUCED ORIGINAL FEATURE SCREENPLAYS (No shorter than 70 pages, no longer than 135)
EARLYBIRD DEADLINE: $35
REGULAR DEADLINE: $35
FINAL DEADLINE: $40
EXTENDED DEADLINE: $50

Final round SHIFF screenplay submissions will be notified no later than August 20, 2021. Winning submissions will be notified no later than September 14, 2021.

ELIGIBILITY (FILMS)

Films must have been finished after January 1, 2019

Premiere status is a factor in considering a film’s inclusion in Sleepy Hollow International Film Festival (SHIFF). Films (features and shorts) must be one of the following: A world, U.S., New York State, or a Westchester County, NY premiere.

Films (features and shorts) may not have had any kind of public or festival exhibition within the borders of Westchester County, NY, prior to SHIFF.

Films (features and shorts) must have had no previous commercial exhibition or release in the US – This includes theatrical, television, streaming, VOD, internet, home video or otherwise.

Films (features and shorts) can be of any genre, but the submission must have, at the very least, a hint of the unknown, supernatural, sci-fi or the fantastic within. If the feature or short is a documentary, then the subject(s) explored must have at least a tangential connection to the same.

Short films must be at least 2 minutes long, but no longer than 20 minutes.

Feature films must be no shorter than 75 minutes, but no longer than 180 minutes.

Non-English Language Films (features and shorts) must be subtitled in English for exhibition at SHIFF.

Film submissions may be rough cuts, or works in progress, but only if the completed film will be available to the festival no later than September 30, 2021

Film submissions selected for Sleepy Hollow International Film Festival (SHIFF) will be notified no later than September 14, 2021.

ELIGIBILITY (UNPRODUCED SCREENPLAYS)

Screenplays must be longer than 70 pages, but no longer than 135 pages.

Screenplays can be of any genre, but the submission must have at the very least – a hint of the unknown, supernatural, sci-fi or the fantastic within.

Make sure your screenplay’s cover page has the following information – Title, writer(s) and writer’s contact info, including address, e-mail and phone number.

Screenplays are to be submitted through our festival listing at FilmFreeway in pdf format only. No hard copy paper script submissions will be accepted. Include part of the script’s title and writer(s) last name(s) in the file name.

Winning SHIFF screenplay submissions will be notified no later than September 14, 2021.

LOCAL STUDENTS SHORT FILMS

Open to all Sleepy Hollow, NY area (Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Ossining, Irvington, NY) High School, Middle School and Elementary students from grades 1 through 12, the 2021 SHIFF Student Shorts Competition is primed to have the next generation of Hudson Valley storytellers tap into the unknown by creating their own short film, the winner of which will be showcased at a special screening at the Sleepy Hollow International Film Festival. Local student short film submissions are free.

Eligibility — The competition is open to all Sleepy Hollow, NY area (Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Ossining, or Irvington) students from grades 1 through 12, and are due by midnight, September 4, 2021. Students will be judged in three separate categories—high school, middle school and elementary—allowing for winners in each, all which will be shown at the festival. A grand festival winner will be chosen among the winners. There is no cost for submission. Students under 18 will need permission from a parent or guardian to submit their film.

Participation in the competition constitutes entrants’ full and unconditional agreement to and acceptance of the rules and the decisions of SHIFF, which are final and binding. Winning a prize shall be contingent upon complying with the rules and fulfilling competition requirements of film submission. SHIFF reserves the right to disqualify any entrant who fails to comply with all official rules.

Topic categories — Student short films can be of any genre—horror, comedy, drama, etc.—but the submission must in some way touch on the unknown, supernatural, sci-fi or the fantastic, and be connected in some way to the historic Hudson Valley.

Film length — Entrants may submit a film of 2 to 20 minutes. SHIFF will accept and consider short animated films. The minimum length for animated submissions is 1 minute.

Film performances — Participants performing in the film submissions must be comprised of 50% or more of Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, Ossining, or Irvington, NY residents.

Prizes — The main Competition winner will receive the Legend in the Making Award, receive a $250 cash prize, and have his or her film screened at the Sleepy Hollow International Film Festival’s main venue, the historic Tarrytown Music Hall sometime during Oct 16 or 17, 2021. If students choose to submit an entry together, only one prize will be awarded to the group as a whole if selected as winner.

Judges will check to adherence to these submission rules, including compliance with film length, topic, etc. Student short films will be judged by the SHIFF board and local participants based upon quality and content of the film and its ability to uphold the artistic inspiration and achievement set in place by Washington Irving and his immortal classic.

Enter in one of the local student short categories (elementary, middle or high school) through SHIFF’s Film Freeway page. There is a limit of one (1) entry per person or per group. Any additional entries will be void.

Entrants agree that the winning entry can be used for future promotion and events held by SHIFF and on SHIFF’s website.

Films and screenplays IN ALL CATEGORIES can only be submitted to SHIFF through FilmFreeway.

AWARDS

SHIFF will announce winners, and award SHIFF official trophy statuettes, on closing night of the fest in the following categories:

BEST PICTURE
BEST DIRECTOR
BEST SCREENPLAY
BEST SCORE
BEST DOCUMENTARY
BEST SHORT
BEST LOCAL FILM STUDENT SHORT

BEST PICTURE, BEST SCREENPLAY and BEST SHORT awards also receive an InkTip script listing so the winners can promote themselves and their scripts to InkTip’s large network of producers and reps.

1st, 2nd and 3rd place UNPRODUCED ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY SHIFF awards receive an InkTip price package that includes an InkTip script listing, and an InkTip magazine listing, so writer(s) can promote themselves and their script to InkTip’s large network of producers and reps.

Every InkTip producer has been vetted via resume and references and demonstrated the ability to get movies made. Companies who are InkTip members include ABC, Anonymous Content, APA, CBS Films, HBO Films, ICM, Paradigm, Paramount Pictures, Hallmark Channel, FX, Universal, WME, Echo Lake, Zero Gravity, Bad Robot, and 20th Century Fox.

SHIFF will announce UNPRODUCED ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY winners on closing night of the fest in the following categories:

BEST UNPRODUCED ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY (GOLD PRIZE)
Includes $500 cash, InkTip prize package and SHIFF original trophy statuette.

BEST UNPRODUCED ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY (SILVER PRIZE)
Includes $250 cash and InkTip prize package.

BEST UNPRODUCED ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY (BRONZE PRIZE)
Includes $250 cash and InkTip prize package.

Winners in ALL categories will be posted on SHIFF’s website, announced on SHIFF’s socials, and official “winners” press release blast to media outlets, as well as published in SHIFF’s local media partner, River Journal.

SCREENING REQUIREMENTS

If your film is selected for exhibition at SHIFF, we will require the following:

An unencrypted DCP (DCI compliant) and a Blu-ray Disc of your film delivered by September 30. This is a hard deadline.

Synopsis, cast and crew list
Headshot and short bio of the Director(s)
Production and Key Art stills
Trailer link

NOTICES

Entry fees are in U.S. Dollars, for each film and are non-refundable. SHIFF reserves the right to disqualify any submission, without refund of any kind, if eligibility requirements are not met including if eligibility status changes post-submission.

All entries that are selected into SHIFF grant SHIFF the right to use any footage from the screener and all submitted publicity photos, key art and any other materials sent to us pertaining to this entry for SHIFF’s promotional purposes, without limitations.

All DCP’s and Blu-rays are to be retrieved after the screening and signed for by the filmmaker. If you attend SHIFF and don’t collect your DCP and Blu-ray, you will be responsible for the shipping costs.

PARTICIPANT AGREEMENT: I, the undersigned, represent and warrant that I have full legal right and authority to submit the heretofore mentioned film/video and/or screenplay project for consideration by SHIFF, and that all necessary consents, licensing and approvals have been obtained with respect thereto. I agree to hold SHIFF and its sponsors harmless in any and all matters pertaining to the consents, licenses, and approvals of heretofore film/video and/or screenplay project. I understand that my submission is in no way a guarantee of acceptance or nomination into and at SHIFF. No one from SHIFF or its sponsors has guaranteed me admission into the festival. I, the undersigned, have read the terms and conditions appearing herein, and agree, without exception, to all the terms and conditions stated.