We're shaping the program for the Bay Area Film Festival — screening online in December 2026, with a live celebration in the Bay Area in February 2027 — and we'd love to hear from filmmakers, artists, and composers who want to be part of it.

Submissions open July 1 and close September 30, 2026.

* Dates are subject to change as we finalize festival details.

We welcome short films across narrative, documentary, animation, experimental, student, and music-video forms — from the Bay Area and beyond.

Categories

We're accepting short films under 40 minutes in the following categories. Feature-length films will join the lineup in future years.

• Narrative Short
• Documentary Short
• Animated Short
• Experimental Short
• Student Film
• Music Video
• AI / Generative

A special Best Original Score award is selected across all entries — no separate submission needed; just tell us about your composer.

On AI: we welcome work made with AI — the AI / Generative category is its home, and every entry discloses how AI was used. Films are judged on their merits, not for or against AI. Work that simulates a real person without consent, or that infringes copyright, isn't eligible.

Who Can Enter & What We Accept

A few things to check before you submit:

• Completed short films only, 40 minutes or less — no rough cuts or works-in-progress.
• Finished on or after July 1, 2024 (within the last two years).
• You're 18 or older at the time you submit.
• No high school films or films made through a high school program. (We hope to add a youth and student program in future editions.)
• Not in English? Include English subtitles burned into the video file.
• Digital only — submit a private screener link or file. We don't accept or return physical media.
• One submission per film. Enter each film once; revised cuts and resubmissions aren't accepted.

Good news — there's no premiere requirement, so films that have screened elsewhere or online are welcome. All submissions are governed by our Terms of Service.

Entry Fees

Your first film is the full entry fee; each additional film is discounted. Enter early to save.

All entry fees are non-refundable.

How to Submit

Step 1. Complete the entry form below, including a private screener link (an unlisted or password-protected Vimeo or YouTube link works perfectly).

Step 2. Pay your entry fee using the matching button in the payment section just below the form. We'll confirm your entry by email.

Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 2026

Bay Area Film Festival, a division of X DOT 25 Music LLC (“we,” “us,” or “our”), operates the website bayareafilmfestival.com. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit the site, submit a film, join our mailing list, or pay an entry fee, and how we use and protect it.

Information We Collect

We collect the information you voluntarily provide through our forms, which may include:

• Your name and email address
• Organization name (for partnership or sponsorship inquiries)
• Film submission details — title, category, runtime, country of origin, synopsis, composer, and your AI-use disclosure
• A private screener link (and password, if provided) so we can view your film for judging
• Anything else you choose to include in a message

When you pay an entry fee, your payment is processed by Stripe. We do not collect or store your full card details — Stripe handles that directly. We receive a confirmation that includes your name, email, the amount paid, and the film title.

Our own website does not use cookies, tracking pixels, or third-party analytics. Stripe's secure checkout pages, which open on Stripe's own website, operate under Stripe's privacy policy.

How We Use Your Information

We use your information to evaluate your film submission, communicate with you about your entry, process and confirm your payment, run and administer the festival, and respond to partnership, sponsorship, and general inquiries. Submission details and screeners may be shared with our programmers and jurors for the sole purpose of evaluating your film. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information, and we will not share it except as needed to operate the festival or as required by law.

Third-Party Services

We rely on a few trusted services that have their own privacy practices, which we encourage you to review:

• Netlify hosts our website and processes our form submissions (netlify.com).
• Stripe processes entry-fee payments (stripe.com).

Screener Links

You provide a link to your film hosted on a third-party platform such as Vimeo or YouTube; we recommend using an unlisted or password-protected link. We access it only to evaluate your submission, and how your film is stored and protected on that platform is governed by that platform's own terms.

Data Retention

We retain submission and inquiry information only as long as necessary to evaluate your entry, administer the festival, meet our record-keeping and tax obligations, or until you request removal. You may request deletion of your information at any time using the contact form, subject to records we are required to keep.

Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, or delete the personal information we hold about you. California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), including the right to know what we collect and to request deletion; we do not sell personal information. To exercise any of these rights, please use the contact form on this website.

Age

Entrants must be at least 18 years old at the time of submission. Our website is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their personal information. If you believe a child has provided us information, please contact us so we can remove it.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date.

Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please use the contact form on this website.

Terms of Service

Last updated: June 2026

Welcome to bayareafilmfestival.com. By accessing or using this website, or by submitting a film, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please do not use this website or enter the festival.

Use of This Website

This website is operated by Bay Area Film Festival, a division of X DOT 25 Music LLC, a California limited liability company. Its content is provided for informational purposes about the festival, its program, partners, and activities. You may browse and use this website for personal, non-commercial purposes only.

Intellectual Property

All content on this website, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, images, and the overall design, is the property of the Bay Area Film Festival or its respective partners and content creators, and is protected by applicable copyright and intellectual property laws. “BAY AREA FILM FESTIVAL” is the subject of a pending trademark application (U.S. Serial No. 99900693) on the Principal Register of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The festival’s logo and other brand elements are protected under applicable copyright and trademark law. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from any content on this site without prior written permission.

Eligibility

To enter, your film and your submission must meet all of the following:

• Be a completed short film of 40 minutes or less that falls within one of our published categories. Rough cuts and works-in-progress are not eligible.
• Have been completed on or after July 1, 2024.
• Be the work of a filmmaker who is 18 years of age or older at the time of submission.
• Not be a high school film or a film produced through a high school program.
• If the film is not in English, include English subtitles burned into the video file.
• Be submitted digitally through our submission platform. Physical media such as DVDs, drives, or tapes is not accepted and will not be returned.
• Be submitted only once, with its own entry form and entry fee. Revised cuts or resubmissions of the same film are not accepted.

We have no premiere requirement; films that have screened elsewhere, online, or at other festivals remain eligible. If your film is selected for screening, you may be asked to provide a high-quality digital master, and films chosen for the live event may be asked to provide a specific delivery format, which we will provide to you.

Your Rights and Warranties

By submitting a film or other materials, you confirm and warrant that:

• You own or have secured all rights necessary to submit and exhibit the work, including rights to all music, footage, images, and other content it contains;
• You have the consent of any identifiable individuals appearing in the work;
• The work does not infringe the copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other rights of any third party;
• The information you provide, including your AI-use disclosure, is accurate and complete;
• The film was made lawfully and with respect for the safety, dignity, and fair treatment of everyone involved in making it.

If asked, you agree to promptly provide written proof that you have cleared all rights in your film, including music, footage, and images. If a dispute is raised about your film, you must provide this proof on request, and we may suspend or remove any film whose rights cannot be confirmed.

You keep your copyright. You retain full ownership of your film. Submitting it does not transfer any ownership to us.

License You Grant Us

By entering, you grant the Bay Area Film Festival a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to view and evaluate your film for selection. If your film is selected, you additionally grant us the non-exclusive, royalty-free right to screen and exhibit it as part of the festival, and to use its title, your name, still images, short excerpts, the trailer, and the poster to promote the festival across any media. No screening fee or other payment will be owed to you for participation. Selected films may be subject to a separate screening agreement. If your film is selected, you also agree to identify it as an official selection of the Bay Area Film Festival and to display the festival laurel we provide in your film’s promotional materials.

Entry Fees and Payment

Entry fees are charged per film and are processed securely by Stripe; Stripe's terms apply to the transaction. All entry fees are non-refundable — including if your film is not selected, is withdrawn, is found ineligible, or is disqualified. Paying an entry fee does not guarantee selection, screening, or a response. As a US-based organization, we cannot accept entries or payments from individuals or entities in countries or regions subject to US sanctions or trade restrictions, and payments are processed subject to applicable US law.

Use of AI

Every entry must disclose its level of AI use. Work made with generative AI is welcome in the appropriate category, but must not infringe any copyright or simulate a real person without their consent. Inaccurate disclosure or non-compliant AI content may result in disqualification without refund.

Selection, Disqualification, and Changes

All decisions about eligibility, selection, and removal rest with the Bay Area Film Festival alone. Our decisions are final and binding, and we are not required to give reasons for them. We are under no obligation to screen, respond to, provide feedback on, or retain any submission. Paying an entry fee does not guarantee selection, screening, or a response.

We may decline or remove any film, at our discretion and without refund, that we consider ineligible, in violation of these terms, inaccurate in its information, or inconsistent with the festival’s standards and values — including content we regard as infringing, unlawful, hateful, or otherwise harmful. We make this judgment on our own behalf, as to what we are willing to associate with the festival, and we are not required to establish that any law has been broken.

Once a film is selected and announced, it may not be withdrawn except with our agreement, and entry fees remain non-refundable. We may remove a selected film from the program in exceptional circumstances, and we may decide any situation these terms do not directly address. Festival dates, venue, format, and schedule may change at our discretion without liability to you.

You agree that any decision to select, decline, or remove a film is made at our discretion, and you release the Bay Area Film Festival from any claim arising from such a decision.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Bay Area Film Festival, its organizers, partners, and staff from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your submission or your breach of these terms, including any claim that your film infringes a third party's rights.

Disclaimer of Warranties

This website is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. The Bay Area Film Festival does not warrant that the website will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Bay Area Film Festival shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of this website, your submission, or your inability to access the site.

Third-Party Links

This website may contain links to third-party websites, services, and social media platforms, including Stripe and the platforms that host your screener. These links are provided for convenience only, and we assume no responsibility for the content or practices of any third-party service.

Governing Law

These Terms of Service shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California and the United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms of Service at any time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. Your continued use of the website or participation in the festival constitutes acceptance of any updated terms.

Contact

If you have any questions about these Terms of Service, please use the contact form on this website.