Fees and Deadlines
Preview Formats
Exhibition Format
MVFF FAQS
MVFF Section Profiles
Other CFI Projects
Past MVFF Catalogs
Contact Us
Mill Valley Film Festival
1001 Lootens Place
Suite 220
San Rafael, CA
94901
Email: mvff@cafilm.org
Email Updates
Receive weekly email notices from the California Film Insitute about films and special events happening at the Christopher B.Smith Rafael Film Center and MVFF 31. <more>
Hiring Soon!
The festival season will begin soon and we will be looking for talented people to work with us for the upcoming 31st Mill Valley Film Festival. Check here regularly for postings starting around May 2008.
Home MVFF 2007 Call for Entries Sponsorship Smith Rafael Film Center CFI CFI Membership Mill Valley Film Festival 31
October 2 - 12, 2008
Call for Entries - Opens April 1, 2008
Known as a filmmakers' festival, the Mill Valley Film Festival offers a high profile, prestigious and non-competitive environment perfect for celebrating the best in independent and world cinema. MVFF accepts short and feature length films and videos in the following categories: narrative, documentary, experimental, animation, children's films and youth produced.
How to Submit Your Film
Online Registration
Withoutabox.com will begin accepting entries on April 1st.
Printable Entry Form
An entry form will be available on April 1st.
A Youth Produced entry form will be available on April 1st.
The Youth Produced category is for work by filmmakers 18 years old and younger and is curated by the Young Critics Jury <more information>
Any other questions, please call Holly Roach in our Programming department at 415.383.5256, ext. 139 or email mvff@cafilm.org
[Back to Top]
Fees and Deadlines
Regular Deadline: May 15, 2008
Shorts (30 mins. and under): $30
Mid-Length (31-49 mins.): $35
Features (50+ mins.): $50
Final Deadline: June 16, 2008
Shorts (30 mins. and under): $40
Mid-Length (31-49 mins.) $50
Features (50+ mins): $60
Youth Produced Entry
Filmmakers must be 18 years old & younger. Submissions in this category should be under 15mins.
May 15: $10
June 16: $15
[Back to Top]
Preview Format
VHS (NTSC)
DVD (NTSC: Region 1 or Region 0)
If your entry is not available in NTSC or the specified region, please contact the Programming Department at mvff@cafilm.org.
[Back to Top]
Exhibition Formats
35mm
Beta SP (NTSC)
DigiBeta (NTSC)
Other video formats may be available. If your film has been selected for exhibition and is not available on these formats, please contact the Programming Department at mvff@cafilm.org.
[Back to Top]
MVFF Submissions- FAQS
When can I send in my entry?
Entries may be submitted beginning April 1.
Do you offer any discounts on entry fees?
There is a discount for submissions received by May 15. Submissions received by the final deadline of June 16 pay the full entry fee.
If your film is not finished, but you know you will be submitting, you can avoid the higher fee by sending in your forms early with a note saying the preview copy will follow. Please note all preview copies must be received no later than June 16.
Additionally, our online partner, www.withoutabox.com, offers a discount to its members.
We regret that we are unable to grant fee waivers.
What kinds of films are eligible for MVFF?
We accept features and shorts, narratives, documentaries, animation, video art, experimental film and new media. There are also programs for children’s films and youth produced work.
What is considered a Feature length film?
Our general guideline for feature length films is 50 minutes and over.
Shorts that are under 50 minutes will be considered either for our popular "5@5" daily shorts series, as part of a thematic compilation or as a short before a feature.
What formats does MVFF screen?
Preview formats for submissions are VHS (NTSC) and DVD (NTSC, Region 0 or Region 1). Please contact the Programming Department if your film is not available on these formats.
Exhibition formats for films accepted to MVFF include 35mm, Beta SP (NTSC) and digiBeta (NTSC). DigiBeta may not be available on all screens. MVFF may require a BetaSP exhibition copy. Other video formats may be available by special arrangement.
Does MVFF have any awards?
The Mill Valley Film Festival is a non-competitive festival. However, short narrative films (under 15 mins) that are accepted to MVFF are automatically eligible for the BAFTA/LA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts/Los Angeles) Award for short film. Additionally, MVFF recognizes audience favorites for documentary, narrative and children’s feature films.
My film will not be completed by the final deadline. Can I get an extension?
We occasionally offer deadline extensions, specifically to world premiere narrative features. Please contact the Programming Department to request a deadline extension.
Does MVFF accept works in progress?
Yes. If your film is not completed by the final deadline, you may submit a rough cut, however the film must be finalized by September. Please indicate on your materials that the project is a work in progress.
Can I send an updated edit of my submitted film?
You may send an updated version of a film that has already been submitted, however, depending on where the film is in our selection process, we cannot guarantee that the newer version will be screened. If sending an updated version, please reference the film title and indicate “updated screener” on the outside of your envelope.
When can I expect to hear the status of my submitted film?
Filmmakers will be notified via email of entry status by approximately September 5th.
Is it possible to get feedback on my film once it has been screened?
Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to offer evaluations on films not selected for the festival.
Any further questions, please contact:
Holly Roach
Programming Department
415.383.5256, ext. 139
mvff@cafilm.org
[Back to Top]
MVFF - A Section by Section Profile
The San Francisco Bay Area continues to be a significant market for independent and international film, and the Mill Valley Film Festival consistently provides a forum for introducing new films to West Coast audiences. As the only prominent international fall film festival in the Bay Area, the Mill Valley Film Festival is an important industry resource for fall launches, premiere screenings of upcoming theatrical releases and Bay Area Academy Awards® campaigns.
Official Premiere Selection
A first look at films premiering in the US, the Official Premiere Selection introduces new films from around the world to this country. The vibrant market for independent international films in the San Francisco Bay Area makes MVFF an important launching pad into the American market.
World Cinema
Cinema is a doorway to the world, one that can change our ways of seeing and understanding our global neighbors. Whether their objective is to move, provoke, entertain, amuse or thrill, the films in the World Cinema section tell stories that reveal elements of the universal.
US Cinema
A showcase for new American films, US Cinema celebrates the work of both well-known masters and emerging makers, with a common talent for independent, insightful storytelling.
Valley of the Docs
From the threads of reality are spun some of the most fascinating yarns of all. The Valley of the Docs presents the latest in documentary filmmaking, in which makers from around the world explore truth—and consequences.
Children’s FilmFest
As rich as Swiss chocolate and as satisfying as a perfect summer’s day, this section offers young people an exciting glimpse into international cultures and adventures.
5@5
MVFF’s popular daily forum for short films, 5@5 is a testament to the fine art of the short film. Eclectic in both content and approach to filmmaking, the series features a new guest curator each year who presides over the assortment of filmic gems by emerging and established makers and masters.
V(ision)Fest
The future is the present in the V(ision)Fest—tomorrow’s technology is today’s medium for the imagination. V(ision)Fest media makers come from the school of all possibilities. They are the innovators and experimenters who are ready to shake, rattle and re-boot the state of the cinema.
[Back to Top]
Other CFI Projects
Youth Produced Category
(18 years old and under)
This vibrant collection of work by filmmakers from around the world is juried and curated by the Young Critics Jury <more information>
CFI Education
Some films selected for MVFF may also screen at schools in conjunction with the CFI Education programs. <more information>
[Back to Top]
Past Mill Valley Film Festival Catalogs
Download the 2007 Mill Valley Film Festival PDF Catalog (9MB)
Download the 2006 Mill Valley Film Festival PDF Catalog (7.3MB)
Download the 2005 Mill Valley Film Festival PDF Catalog (9.9MB)
Download the 2004 Mill Valley Film Festival PDF Catalog (10.9MB)
Download the 2003 Mill Valley Film Festival PDF Catalog (2.5MB)
Download the 2002 Mill Valley Film Festival PDF Catalog (1.9MB)
Download the 2001 Mill Valley Film Festival PDF Catalog (1.8MB)