Is there a fee for entry? Expand Yes. Both feature films (documentary and fiction) and short films have an entry fee attached. For features, prices range between $35 and $65, depending on how early you submit. For short films there is a flat entry fee of $35. Full details can be found here.
Can I get a discount for my submissions? Expand If you are a college or institution, or have a number of films you would like to enter, please email [email protected]
Why is there an entry fee? Expand Every year the Virgin Media DIFF programming team receives hundreds of entries and devotes hours of free time to making sure every film is watched and considered fairly. The team is passionate about film (many of us are filmmakers ourselves), and understands the costs and the personal expenses associated with creating even the shortest of shorts. The fees you pay for entry go straight back into the costs of curation, including venue hire, promotion and production.
What premiere status must my film have? Expand For feature films and feature-length documentaries your film must have Irish premiere status. For shorts your film must have Dublin premiere status.
My film is online – can I still enter? Expand Any film available publicly online is not eligible for entry. We accept secure and password-protected links only.
Is there a minimum or maximum run time for feature and shorts submissions? Expand The minimum run time for features is 60 minutes. The maximum run time for short films is 30 minutes.
Can I post you a DVD instead of making an online entry? Expand Yes! Please pay for your submission on FilmFreeway and label your DVD clearly with the code. See our FilmFreeway page for further details. Post your submission to: Digital Hub, Office 2.3, 157 Thomas Street, Dublin 8, Eircode: D08 T91Y
Can you return my Blu-ray or DVD to me once you’ve finished watching it? Expand No. We do not return submissions; please make sure that you send a copy.
How long after completion date is my film still eligible? Expand DIFF accepts films that are within 1 to 1.5 years of their completion date.
Are there any awards or competitions? Expand There are a number of awards for which your film may be eligible, including the Virgin Media Audience Award (Feature and Short Film), the Discovery Award (available to Irish talent only), the Short Film Award, the Documentary Competition, the ICCL Human Rights Film Award, the Dublin Film Critics’ Circle Awards (Features only), the Fantastic Flix Children’s Jury Award and the Young Programmers’ Choice Award. Learn more about our awards here.
May I submit my project as a ‘rough cut’? Expand You can submit a rough cut, however we recommend submitting your film as close to completion as possible before the submission deadline.
My project was not accepted last year. Can I submit again? Expand Yes, but we do not recommend entering again unless it has changed significantly.