Submission and Rules

• The writer, director, producer or cast of the short or video must be either ethnically/culturally diverse, or of a diverse background (including LGBT community and people with disabilities). Or, the short must have a diverse theme.
• Submitted short films must be in one of the following genres: Comedy, Drama, Horror and Sci-Fi.
• Submitted short films must be labeled with category of genre i.e. Comedy, Drama, Horror and Sci-Fi.
• Shorts must be no longer than 20 minutes in length. We are mostly looking for films from 5 to 7 minutes-hence "Short Cuts" 2 minutes is the shortest. No revisions or updated versions will be accepted beyond the initial submission.
• Showcase screenings will only be shown in DVD and/or Digibeta Formats
• Films in competition may not have had a commercial distribution or broadcast in the United States. The committee reserves the right to waive this rule in the case of small non-commercial, non-publicized showings.
• IMPORTANT: Submitting parties must hold complete rights and ownership of submitted piece
• There is NO FEE for submitting a film to this festival.
• All entries must be received by June 1, 2012.

Entering Procedure:

• Please submit a SECURE ONLINE SCREENER
• No Beta or U-Matic 3/4" submissions.
• Film genre, title and contact information of entrant as well as WithoutABox Tracking Number must be on all video materials and containers.
• Applicant may submit multiple entries: however, those must be accompanied by a separate entry form.
• Collaborative works are accepted and are treated as (1) submission, regardless of how many authors are responsible for creating the work. Should the film be selected as a finalist, only one (1) representative of the film will be eligible to claim the trip to Los Angeles.
• A semi-finalist screening will take place in New York in September. Television/Film makers will be responsible for their own travel costs and arrangements if they would like to attend this event.
• Submission and publicity materials will not be returned. Press Packets should only be sent upon request and will not be considered in primary selection.
• NBCUniversal is not responsible for materials lost or damaged in transit.
• All applicants will be notified of the showcases decision o/a August 20th, 2012.
• Short Cuts based upon its own opinions and voting procedures, reserves the right to cancel the showcase production process if there is no entry that qualifies with sufficient merit.
• Short Cuts shall not be held liable for damages and/or loss resulting from shipping/handling and/or technical problems.
• Withoutabox profiles will be noted with a confirmation of receipt within one week of arrival.
• Films submitted without a Withoutabox profile will automatically be disqualified and will not be returned. You must complete this profile BEFORE mailing in your film.
• In the event your project is selected as a finalist for the Los Angeles showcase, you may be required to provide additional items, such as personal photos (digital and/or hard copy) to be used for program booklet listings, and short bios, along with revised synopses.

(Please note: Only original works are accepted. Submissions may not be based, in whole or in part, on material, fictional or nonfiction, produced or un-produced, published or unpublished, unless such material was originally created and published/produced by the applicant, in another medium.

NBCUniversal Short Cuts Festival prefers online entries submitted via Withoutabox.com, which provides cost-saving, paperless submission to film festivals around the world. Withoutabox's internet-only submission platform features online applications via one master entry form. Fill out one master entry form and take advantage of quick entry and powerful submission management tools. Click to submit your short film today!

Q: How can I attend the Short Cuts Festival Showcases?
A: The finalist showcase in Los Angeles and New York semi-finalist screening are both open to the public.

Q: Why should I submit a short to the Short Cuts Festival?
A: The Short Cuts competition will provide an opportunity for television/filmmakers to screen their original short(s) directly for movie industry, network and cable executives looking for the next hit show/film. In addition, the festival gives aspiring writers, directors, producers and actors a platform to showcase their talent to the managers, agents and other industry figures in attendance. At the end festival, the showcase will hold an award ceremony honoring the shorts and artists that stand out.

Q: Do film industry executives attend? If so, who?
A: Yes. Besides NBC Universal, there will be a call out for all industry to attend.

Q: What if I can't afford to make my short look like shows that are already on television/film?
A: Obviously, a polished short is more impressive than one with low production values, but Short Cuts supports the idea that talent will be the determining factor in what entries are selected as finalists. The showcase organizers and the industry figures attending understand that an independent producer putting together a short does not have the same budget as a studio, so an innovative idea bolstered by strong writing and good performances will be far more important than an expensive-looking short.

Q: Can I expect my short to air on television immediately or get a deal to do a full length version of it following the showcase?
A: The executives are primarily scouting for creative people with whom they would like to work in the future.

Q: Does a producer or production company submitting to the showcase retain the rights to the short?
A: Per our release agreement, the producer retains rights to the material but NBCUniversal may elect to use selected films in promotions for the Short Cuts Festival or the NBCU Diversity Initiative. Filmmaker will be a free agent in taking meetings and negotiating with any producer or company following the finalist festival screening, however NBC will not screen any films for which the submitter or producer do not hold the rights.

Q: Is there a separate category for Student films?
A: There is no category, student shorts are shown with the rest.

Q: What if I have more than one short that I would like to showcase?
A: An applicant may submit multiple entries: however, those must be all individually registered with WithoutABox.com.

Q: Is the submission deadline a postmarked or received by deadline?
A: The submissions deadline is a postmarked by deadline. Submissions received past the postmark deadline will not be considered.

Q: What are the acceptable screening/exhibition formats for your festival?
A: We screen films on 35mm, DigiBeta and BetaSP. We can not screen 16mm film prints. For the submission process, we screen DVDs (Region 0 or 1).

Q: Can I re-submit my film from last year?
A: Only if the previous version was a rough cut and the film has changed substantially since then and was completed in 2009.

Q: If my film is not chosen, may I speak with a programmer for notes or feedback?
A: Unfortunately due to time constraints and the large number of submissions, we are unable to give individual feedback.