Rules

Rules

Competition Rules

  • Eligibility

    The Team Leader must be a legal resident of an island in the Caribbean region. Proof of residency may be requested. A team is not eligible if either the Team Leader or any Team Member is one of the following: contractor, director or officer of Paradise48 Film Festival; XR Entertainment, LLC; distributors, web design, advertising, fulfillment, judging or agencies involved in the administration; development; fulfillment, and execution of the Festival; or the immediate family member of any Festival Organizer (e.g. spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandparent, or step child) or those living in their same household. Void where prohibited.

  • Official Filmmaking Weekend

    The 2024 official filmmaking weekend begins on Friday, July 12 at 8PM and ends on Sunday, July 14 at 8PM.

  • Participation of Minors

    Minors are encouraged to participate, however, at least one person on the team must be 18 or older.

  • Production Costs

    All costs associated with the production of the Entry are solely the responsibility of the Entrant.

  • Collaboration

    If any team decides to collaborate on an Entry, the newly formed team must designate one person to agree to the Official Rules, sign the Participation Agreement, and accept the prize on behalf of the group. P48FF is not liable for any disputes between collaborators arising out of or related to the Festival.

  • Awards

    There are 8 categories in which participants can win awards: Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Score, Paradise48 Fan Fave, and the grand prize winner, Best Picture. Cash prizes will be awarded to the Best Picture & Paradise48 Fan Fave. Trophies and other prizes will be awarded to other categories.

  • How to Enter

    Teams must register via the Paradise48 Film Festival website.

  • Withdrawing From the Competition

    If a team needs to withdraw from the competition, refunds are issued by the following stipulations: • Notify the Festival Organizers more than 30 days prior to the competition weekend, receive a full refund minus a $25 administration fee. • Notify the Festival Organizers 7-30 days prior to the competition weekend, receive a full refund minus a $35 administrative fee.  • No refunds less than 7 days prior to the Kickoff event. Special considerations will be made for circumstances due to acts of God.

  • Participation Agreement

    All teams are required to have their Team Leaders sign the Participation Agreement. If the Team Leader is under legal age, a parent or guardian must sign the Participation Agreement on the minor’s behalf. As a condition of entry, Participants must agree to the Participation Agreement, which sets forth the right of Entrant and P48FF with respect use of Entries by P48FF. Entries that do not include all required information and adhere to the foregoing and following requirements will be considered void and will not be considered in the Paradise48 Film Festival. To qualify as an official entry, each group’s film must be in the genre and contain all the required elements within the official time limit prior to the end credits. 

  • Kickoff Event

    All Team Leaders must be present at the Kickoff Event. The whole team can attend, but it is important for Team Leaders to be present.  For participants who do not attend the Kickoff Event in person, there will be a Virtual Kickoff Event. Information will be sent to all participants on how teams can attend the Virtual Kickoff Event.

  • Selection of Winners

    There will be two rounds of judging. Festival Managers will create a shortlist from the teams who submitted their films by the deadline. Only 10 teams will make it to the final round. From those 10 films, the guest judges will decide the winners of the festival. Entries will be judged on the Adherence to Genre, Use of Required Elements, Creativity,  Originality, Production Value, Technical Merit, Entertainment Value, and Character Development.  The audience (in person and virtual) will also receive a chance to vote on their favorite film. The film with the most votes will win the distinction of being the Paradise48 Fan Fave! 

  • General Conditions

    By participating, all Entrants agree to these Official Rules which are final and binding in all respects.

Filmmaking Rules

  • Filmmaking Times

    The 2024 Paradise48 Film Festival competition weekend will take place July 12 - 14, 2024. The film must be created between 8pm Friday, July 12th and 8pm Sunday, July 14th. This is the Official Shoot Weekend. All participating teams must complete their films by the deadline Sunday, July 14 at 8pm, and deliver it digitally through a portal which will be announced.  Only submissions that meet the deadline will officially be a part of the competition.

  • Footage

    Any footage shot must be filmed during competition weekend. Stock footage or footage shot or created at another time is allowed, however, it must be part of a post-production effect or on a background monitor, i.e., a television, as long as your team has permission to use the footage, and the stock footage is placed over or under footage that is shot within the Official Shoot Weekend.  Stock footage that is allowed includes explosions, fires, chromakeyed backgrounds, bullets, etc. Stock footage of people or other performers is not allowed. Pre-made sequences or compositions that are available for public use via purchase or download are permitted if a majority of the frames contain content (text/images) created within the Official Shoot Weekend. The pre-made portion of the sequence may not include people or other performers. Still photographs are permitted once your team has the rights to the photos. The photos do not need to be created during the Official Shoot Weekend, but still created outside the Official Shoot Weekend may not be used in sequence to create the illusion of motion. All allowed stock footage, pre-made sequences, and still photographs must be accompanied by the Materials Release Form showing that the team has the rights to use the photos.

  • Required Elements

    All teams will be assigned required elements that must be included in their film such as a genre, character, a prop, line of dialogue, and a famous landmark.
    • All submitted films must be in the genre teams select for the film to officially qualify for the competition.
    • The required Character must be seen on screen and should be easily identifiable either by being directly shown or by context. The Character’s name does not have to be said out loud or written on the screen.
    • The required Prop must be seen on screen. It should not be placed in the background as it then becomes a part of the set dressing and does not qualify as a prop. A picture of the required prop is also allowed.
    • The required Line of Dialogue must be used verbatim. It is allowed to be spoken, sung, and/or written. It may be in any language, but it needs to be clear that it is the required line, and captions/translation should be used.
    • The Famous Landmark has to be a place in the Caribbean that is easily recognizable.
    To qualify as an official entry, each group’s film must be in the genre and contain all the required elements within the official time limit prior to the end credits. 

  • Volunteers

    Everyone on each team must be volunteers. This includes cast and crew.

  • Total Running Time

    The finished film must be a minimum of 4 minutes in duration and a maximum of 8 minutes –this includes end credits. The official run time begins after the required P48FF slates. The required slates do not count towards the minimum time of 4 minutes. P48FF reserves the right to shorten any film that exceeds the maximum length for screening purposes.

  • Required Media Formats

    Your film must be submitted via Dropbox. Uploads begin by 7PM on Sunday, July 14. Your final file can be submitted in one of the following formats: mp4, mov, wmv, avi or flv.

  • Team Leader’s Agreement

    The team leader must submit a Team Leader’s Agreement with the completed Film, acknowledging adherence to all Official Rules.

  • Pre- Screening Distribution

    Teams should not distribute their entries in any way prior to it receiving it’s official P48FF premiere screening. The entry should not be uploaded to any website or screened for any groups other than the team.

  • Creative Process

    All creative works must take place during the Official Shoot Weekend. Any creative work that takes place prior to competition weekend is strictly prohibited. Creative work includes, but is not limited to:  
    • Writing the script
    • Rehearsing
    • Costume/ Set Design
    • Shooting
    • Editing
    • Sound Design
    • Rendering
    • Outputting to tape or other media
    The only work that can be done in advance of the Official Shoot Weekend is:
    •  Organizing Cast
    •  Organizing Crew
    •  Securing/ Scouting Locations
    •  Securing Equipment

  • Participation Agreement

    All teams must have a team leader. The team leader must sign a Participation Agreement that must be submitted by the Kickoff Event. Teams cannot participate until this agreement has been submitted.

  • Equipment

    Any type of video or film camera may be used. There is no limit to the number of cameras that can be used to film. The use of any kind of film equipment is also allowed. This includes drones, jobs, cranes, gimbals, etc.

  • Music Rights

    Teams are encouraged to work with local composers or musicians to create music for their films. Teams are allowed to use pre-recorded music, but the team must secure the rights to any music that is used in their film. Releases must be provided for all music that is used. Sound effects are also permitted, but teams must have the right to use them. Song parodies (identifiable pre-existing composition with new or altered lyrics or music) cannot be included in the film without a signed release from the composition’s rights holder. This rule applies without regard to whether the song parody arguably constitutes “fair use” under US or international copyright law.

  • Credits

    BEFORE YOUR FILM
    • 5 seconds of black
    • Title Card: ‘Film” title, Team name, Genre, and City
    • Team intro, any length up to 20 seconds (OPTIONAL)
    • The official P48FF animated opening OR a title card with: “This film was made for the Paradise48 Film Festival 2024. www.paradise48.com”. This can also be included during the opening credits of your film (if any), but it must be seen before your film’s story begins.
    • 2 seconds of black
    OPENING CREDITS
    After the beginning slates, you are allowed to have opening credits. Your opening credits are considered part of your film, and will count towards the eight minute maximum.
    END CREDITS
    Your end credits are limited to a maximum of 60 seconds. The end credits are considered apart of your 8 minute maximum total run time. P48FF reserves the right to shorten any end credits that exceed the maximum length for screening purposes.  The end credits must include: “This film was made for the Paradise 48 Film Festival 2024. www.paradise48.com” For future screenings, online or otherwise, films should retain the title card that says: “This film was made for the Paradise 48 Film Festival 2024. www.paradise48.com

  • Production Documents

    Your team must have all the rights to all material that appears in the Film. Release forms must be signed for all actors, locations, music, and any other applicable releases that permission is needed for use in your Film. The Team Leader must submit these documents with the completed film. The film will not be screened before the Festival Organizers receive the signed releases.

  • Eligibility

    To be eligible for Paradise48 Film Festival, all entries must be the original work of the registered team. Entries may not contain any copyrighted elements other than as owned by the registered team and/or P48FF; must not contain obscene or pornographic material; and may not contain defamatory statements or invade privacy or other rights of any person, company, or organization. Entries containing prohibited or inappropriate content as determined by P48FF, in its sole discretion, to be inappropriate will be disqualified. P48FF reserves the right to make the final determination as to which Entries are eligible. P48FF reserves the right to refuse to screen the film or to make a disclaimer at the screening regarding the content of the film. P48FF reserves the right to alter a film in order to remove or delete offensive or defamatory content.

  • Returns

    No entries will be returned. This includes media or documents.

The safety of all of our participants is of the utmost importance for us at P48FF.  Each team is responsible for making sure that each person on their production is safe. All team leaders should ensure their team members are following safety protocols. It is recommended that each team leader do a safety briefing with their team at the beginning of the production. 

Creating a short film in only 48 hours can be extremely tiring. So ensure that you team takes regular breaks, and the work is equally shared. Accidents are more prone to happen when everyone is tired and burnt out. Think ahead! After your script is written, it is important to be proactive and think about what dangers may happen on set. Have a plan. Note ways your team can minimize any mishaps or disasters while on set. Do not put your team at unnecessary risk.

SAFETY IS THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY ON SET!!

Below is a list of regulations that we provided to assist in ensuring teams have a safe and productive production.

Health & Safety Rules

  • Fires

    The use of fireworks is prohibited.  If your team plans on using open flames of any sort, it is imperative that you have adequate firefighting equipment available. Never leave the fire unattended. If filming indoors and using smoke effects or hazers, check your fire alarm system. It may be hard to turn it off once triggered. Remember, fires can get out of control very easily. FILMING REQUIRES CONTROL.  You can also work around having an actual fire by doing an illusion of fire with a lighting effect.  If you have any questions or concerns, contact your local fire department.

  • Roads

    Do not put team members or members of the public at risk or break the law by filming on roads or impeding traffic. Shooting on any public street that would present a distraction and or disturbance is prohibited without the proper permits and safety procedures. Equipment shouldn’t obstruct any walkways or paths. All vehicles that are used should be driven and parked legally.  Any shot sequences that involves moving vehicles should be planned for in advance in a way that assures safety. Typically, local law enforcement should be notified of the shooting of moving vehicles on public streets that way they can restrict traffic in the production area. However, since teams only have 48 hours, it may be difficult to get approved access in such short notice. So keep that in mind when creating your story.

  • Alcohol

    Working while under the influence of alcohol or any other intoxicating substance is not permitted. Any drinks that are consumed on camera by must be non-alcoholic.

  • Craft Services & Catering

    • Food and drinks should be available for cast and crew throughout the shoot. Craft services (or crafty) provide your cast and crew with sustenance in between the catered, hot meals. Pizza, sandwiches, fruits, cookies, etc. are all considered crafty. It is important that your crew has everything from water to various snacks. Also provide healthy options. Film hours are long and arduous, so you need to ensure that your cast and crew are energized while on set because losing focus and energy can be a potential hazard.
    • Catering is the hot, sit down meals that are served typically twice a day. General rule of thumb is that catered meals are offered 6 hours after the production starts with the next meal following six hours later.
    • Finally, bear in mind the dietary needs of persons on your set. Compile a list of everyone’s needs and allergies. You don’t want anyone to have an allergic reaction while on set. That would put a serious damper on what is supposed to be a fun weekend.

  • Filming in Public Spaces

    Filming in public always attracts attention from onlookers. People are curious to what is happening on set. You have to be mindful how people may perceive what is happening on your set, especially when using prop weapons, conducting stunts, or if people are acting angry or distressed. It is a good idea to have members of your crew posted so they can let the public know what is happening. Always make sure that you have permission from owners if you are filming in front of their place of business, and be sure not to obstruct the way of any potential customers. Permits has to be granted to film on certain beaches and National Park lands, so make sure you follow the proper channels to gain permission to film in those spaces.

  • Water

    Working around water is very risky. Keep your electrical equipment away from water to avoid any accidents. If your actor/actress is expected to swim, make sure they are competent. If applicable, check the water for hazards that include riptides, dangerous marine life, waves, and objects in the water. All crew members working in or around water should have the ability to swim and appropriate water safety devices should be available for each member of the cast and crew. Make sure your crew or cast are not fatigued when required to work in or around water. If anyone has to dive, all divers need to have appropriate training and certifications. Your team should have a qualified life-saving personnel present for the duration of your water shoot.

  • Drones

    Without getting permission, no drones should be flown over private property. Do not fly in restricted airspaces. Always keep your drone in sight, and fly at or below 400′ in a controlled airspace. Do not operate your drone dangerously by interfering with emergency responses or law enforcement activities. Practice good judgement. It is your responsibility to ensure that you fly safely. Following the FAA rules will be the best way to make your flying experience enjoyable and legal. For more information on how to operate your drone safely, check out the FAA website.

  • Stunts & Weapons

    All stunts should be planned by a professional. Crew members need to be knowledgeable of all aspects of any stunts before execution and should be on the lookout for any possible hazards. If prop weapons of any kind, including guns, swords, and knives are to be used on a production, local law enforcement should be notified. The use of functioning firearms, even with blanks, are prohibited. Realistic muzzle flash can be easily added in post. When not in use, weapons should be stored in a secure container by the Weapons Wrangler. The Weapons Wrangler should always be knowledgeable of the whereabouts of each weapon at all times. If filming in public with weapons, the production set must be securely locked down and warning signs must be posted that prop weapons are in use to avoid any possible misunderstandings.

  • Proper Attire

    All crew members need to be wearing proper set attire. Closed-toe shoes are the only type of footwear allowed on set. Sandals or high heeled shoes are not permitted.

  • Animal Safety

    Animals can be part of your films. However, animal safety is very important. Films that result in the real life death or mutilation of an animal will be disqualified.

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