2024 FILM SUBMISSIONS CLOSED

Submissions for the Montrose LandxSea Film Festival 2024 are now closed. Entries for the 2025 Festival will open in February. 

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Submissions to the Montrose LandxSea Film Festival (13-15 Sept 2024) are open until 22nd April. 

We’re seeking films that embody the spirit of environmental change — films that can captivate and inspire our passionate Scottish audiences.

This is your opportunity to showcase your work at the renowned Montrose Playhouse. Engage in meaningful discussions with audiences; participate in our lively events; and network with visiting filmmakers and eco-experts from around the world. Plus, compete for awards that celebrate your commitment to environmental storytelling. 

DEADLINES

Early Bird: 26 February

Regular: 25 March

Late: 22 April

LandxSea prefers online entries on FilmFreeway. However, you can also submit to us by email by downloading the Entry Form and following the instructions below.

Questions? Please email us at [email protected]

About Montrose LandxSea Film Fest 2024

Join Scotland's leading event for films & discussions about people and the planet.

LandxSea is Scotland's first environmental film festival, which launched in September 2023. Based in the coastal town of Montrose in North East Scotland, we present an inspiring weekend of new films, guests, discussions, and special events. Our focus is the deep connection between land & sea, showcasing environmentally-focused films from diverse global perspectives. The festival is hosted at the Montrose Playhouse, a community-owned, state-of-the-art multi-screen cinema & arts venue that opened in 2021. The 2nd Annual Festival will take place from 13-15 September 2024.

LandxSea is proud to be the first UK member of the Green Film Network, a international coalition of 32 film festivals in 23 countries promoting environmental protection through cinema.

Here's What Our 2023 Guests Are Saying

“It was such a pleasure to share the film with the Montrose audience. I carry back a lot of warmth and love. Every film seeks its right audience and my film found it in Montrose.” ~ Nishtha Jain, director of The Golden Thread

“It was a delight to spend 2 days in Montrose at the inaugural LandxSea Fest!” ~ Graham Fellows (aka John Shuttleworth), director of Father Earth

“Great to meet the lovely people of Montrose at the LandxSea Fest screening of Riverwoods yesterday. And thanks too for the searching questions.” ~ Peter Cairns, producer of Riverwoods

“What a weekend spent in Montrose explore some lesser known parts of Scotland. My heart is so full, so thank you for everyone who has been a part of it - new or old - I think it is going to take a few days to process all of it. Thank you to the incredible LandxSea Fest for having me and let's hope we can turn this into an annual visit.” ~ Becca Harvey, star of The Ice Mile

See more feedback from audiences, partners, and press at landxsea.org/reactions

FILM SUBMISSION GENERAL RULES

ELIGIBILITY

• To qualify, productions MUST have an environmental topic or angle.

We welcome productions focusing on environmental topics, particularly those that explore the relationship between land and sea or coastal cultures. Our spotlight is on stories that represent diverse communities and environmental justice, in Scotland and beyond. We are also eager to showcase films with strong female leads and indigenous cultures from around the globe that are spearheading climate initiatives. Stories presenting innovative economic models are also of great interest.

Topical areas include but are not limited to:

• Climate Action
• Coastal Cultures
• Environmental Justice
• Energy Transition
• Healthy Food Systems
• Oceans & Rivers
• Outdoor Activities
• Sustainable Living
• Wildlife Conservation
• Youth Activism

All submissions should adhere to the following:

• Completed after January 1, 2022.
• Dialogue in English or accompanied by English subtitles.
• There are no restrictions on length or genre: documentaries, narratives, animations, features, shorts, student works, etc. are welcome. Feature films are considered to be 50 minutes or over.
• Films at the 'work-in-progress' stage may be entered, clearly noting what is incomplete or subject to change.
• Multiple entries are permissible with each submission accompanied by its own entry form and fee.
• Youth Filmmakers (age 18 and under) can submit for free!

SELECTION NOTIFICATION

All entrants will receive notification by July 1.

EXHIBITION FORMATS

Selected films must be provided in one of the following formats for screening at the Montrose Playhouse: DCP (preferred) or digital file (ProRes, H264).

SHIPPING

The responsibility for shipping your film materials to Montrose for the Festival screening rests with you. LandxSea will cover the cost of return or forward shipping.

CATEGORIES

• Features: Features anchor our festival programme. We consider a feature film to be 50 minutes or over in length. This includes documentary, narrative drama, and animation.
• Mid-Length: For films between 20-50 minutes. This includes documentary, narrative drama, and animation. These films may screen in a programme by themselves or as part of a shorts programme.
• Shorts: We know that good things can come in small packages, and each year's Festival showcases an array of new, International shorts. We consider a short film as under 20 minutes in length. This includes documentary, narrative drama, and animation. Shorts may screen with features or in a shorts programme.
• Shorts (3 mins and under): Short Films of 3 minutes or less can submit for free!
• Young Filmmaker Competition: Are you a young filmmaker sharing your environmental story? We want to give you a chance to share your film on the big screen in front of our festival audience. To qualify, the film's director must be age 18 or under on September 15, 2024. Competition Details & Entry Form.

AWARDS & PRIZES

In Competition:

NORTH LIGHT AWARD

• Juried award for Best Scottish Environmental Film with a £500 cash prize.
• This award recognises the best in independent filmmaking in Scotland, honouring innovative storytelling and fresh perspectives on environmental issues.
• Films of any length are eligible for the award. To qualify, the submitted film must either be created by filmmakers (director or producer) who are currently resident in Scotland, or the film itself must significantly feature Scotland in its content.
• Finalists will be announced in August and showcased at LandxSea 2024.

YOUNG FILMMAKER COMPETITION

• Juried award for filmmakers age 18 and under.
• Seeking short films that offer positive solutions to the challenges of climate change.
• A £150 cash prize and the Young Filmmaker Award will presented to the best film.
• Competition Details & Entry Form.

ADDITIONAL AWARDS AT LANDxSEA 2024

• Best Feature
• Best Short
• Audience Award

All submitted films are eligible for these awards, as determined by the Festival.

HOW TO ENTER

DEADLINES & ENTRY FEES

Early Bird: before 26 February 2024
Feature: £15
Mid-Length: £10
Shorts: £5

Regular: before 25 March 2024
Feature: £17.50
Mid-Length: £12.50
Shorts: £7.50

Late: before 22 April 2024
Feature: £20
Mid-Length: £15
Shorts: £10

**Age 18 and under: Free

Discounts are available for Students and FilmFreeway Gold members, check FilmFreeway for details.

TO SUBMIT ONLINE (preferred)

Please submit electronically at filmfreeway.com/LandxSeaFest

TO SUBMIT BY EMAIL (alternative to FilmFreeway)

If you prefer not to submit online at FilmFreeway, please download the Entry Form to return to us by email and select from these payment & preview screener options.

Entry Fee Payments:

Payments must be in UK POUNDS only. The submission fee is non-refundable. Submissions with unpaid entry fees will not be considered for selection. 

1. Credit Card: Pay securely online with your credit card or Google Pay at landxsea.org/filmentrypayments

OR

2. PayPal: Make a secure payment at paypal.me/landxseafest

OR

3. Bank Transfer or Cheque: contact us at [email protected] for our information.

Please note that any international exchange rates are determined on the date of the transaction. Please add any bank fees to the entry amount.

Preview Screener by Email:

These are the options for submitting a preview screener to our screening team. Choose ONE option that will work for you.

1. Submit a link to watch your film online (such as on Vimeo, YouTube, or IMdb) on the Entry Form and include any necessary passwords for access.

OR

2. Submit a media file attached to an email or via Dropbox. Email the file or link to [email protected]. Please include the title of your film and name of the director in the body of the email.

At this time, we regret that we are unable to receive film entries by mail, such as paper entry forms, DVDs or thumb drives. Please contact us if you need help with your film submission.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. LandxSea retains the discretion to determine the eligibility of any project submitted.

2. All submitted materials will become the property of LandxSea for internal use and archiving.

3. If your film is accepted, you are responsible for providing one of the prescribed presentation formats: DCP or digital file (ProRes, H264). You agree to bear the cost of shipping these materials to Montrose for Festival screening. LandxSea will take care of the return or forward shipping.

4. By submitting a film, you confirm that all necessary rights and clearances have been obtained, any copyrighted material included in the work has been legally cleared for use, and that LandxSea bears no responsibility for any copyright infringement resulting from public screenings.

5. Submission of a film grants LandxSea the right to copy any submitted material and use images and trailers for non-commercial purposes. This may include featuring a clip from any accepted film in a radio or TV program or in a festival trailer for LandxSea Film Fest.

6. While every effort will be made to safeguard all submitted materials, LandxSea cannot be held responsible in the event of loss or damage.

7. Awards & Prizes will be given to the winning film director(s). The disbursement of any cash awards will be fulfilled approximately 4-6 weeks following the Festival’s closing night. The recipient of any award involving a cash prize is solely responsible any applicable taxes on the prize. LandxSea reserves the right to modify Awards & Prizes and their eligibility criteria at its sole discretion.

8. By submitting a film, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to abide by the General Rules and Terms & Conditions of the LandxSea Film Fest.

Questions? Please email us at [email protected]

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Photo credits: Anthony Baxter; Graham Black; The Montrose Playhouse; BGS_Photography