ROAD MOVIE FESTIVAL RULES & REGULATIONS
Download the Rules & RegulationsROAD MOVIE FESTIVAL RULES & REGULATIONS
ARTICLE 1 – FESTIVAL PRESENTATION
The Road Movie Festival is an international short film festival dedicated to celebrating the road movie genre and films exploring the themes of travel, the road and mobility.
Organiser: Auto Rétro Cinéma Association
Dates: September 17–19, 2027
Venue: La Teste-de-Buch – Arcachon Bay, France
ARTICLE 2 – FESTIVAL OBJECTIVES
The Festival aims to:
Promote contemporary short filmmaking.
Showcase films exploring the themes of travel, the road and mobility.
Encourage exchanges between filmmakers, film professionals and audiences.
Discover and reward emerging talent.
Create a major cultural event with a strong regional impact.
ARTICLE 3 – FESTIVAL SECTIONS & COMPETITIONS
Films competing for the Road Movie Festival Grand Prize and the official Festival Awards.
15 to 20 short films
Eligibility
Running time: 5 to 35 minutes (including end credits)
Production date: films completed between January 2023 and May 2027
Format: all genres accepted (fiction, documentary, animation, experimental)
Language: submissions from all countries and in all languages are accepted. French subtitles are mandatory for non-French-language films.
Status: completed films, preferably not commercially released in France.
3.2 Special Out-of-Competition Selections
Animation Focus – Animated short films (all animation techniques)
Documentary Focus – Creative documentaries
Carte Blanche – Invitations, retrospectives and tributes
3.3 Young Audience Selection
A programme designed for families and young audiences aged 6 and over.
ARTICLE 4 – THEMATIC CRITERIA
Submitted films must explore at least one of the following themes:
Travel and the road (land, sea or air travel)
The car or any vehicle as a character or narrative space
Mobility in all its forms (train, motorcycle, bicycle, walking, etc.)
Escape, wandering or personal quest
Encounters arising from travel
Transformation through movement
The relationship between people, places and landscapes
ARTICLE 5 – SUBMISSION CONDITIONS
5.1 Submission Procedure
Submission Platforms
FilmFreeway (main platform)
ShortFilmDepot
Festhome
FilmFest
Required Submission Materials
Complete technical information about the film
Short synopsis (maximum 100 words)
Long synopsis (maximum 300 words)
Director’s biography (maximum 150 words)
At least five (5) high-resolution film stills
Film poster (if available)
Trailer or teaser (if available)
Secure private screening link (Vimeo, private YouTube, etc.)
Screening copy (DCP or digital file according to accepted formats)
Accepted Technical Formats
DCP (Digital Cinema Package) – recommended
Video files: ProRes 422 HQ or high-quality H.264
Minimum resolution: 1920 × 1080 (Full HD)
Subtitles: separate SRT file for non-French-language films
5.2 Submission Fees
French productions: €50
International productions: €80
Submission fees are non-refundable, regardless of the Selection Committee’s decision.5.3 Schedule
Opening of submissions: September 2026
Submission deadline: June 2027
Official Selection announcement: July 2027
ARTICLE 6 – SELECTION PROCESS
6.1 Selection Committee
A Selection Committee composed of 4 to 5 film professionals will screen all submitted films and establish the Official Selection.
Indicative composition:
Cinema owner
Film director
Film critic
Distributor or producer
Festival organisation representative
6.2 Selection Criteria
Films will be evaluated according to:
Artistic and technical quality
Originality of both content and form
Relevance to the Festival’s themes
Overall consistency with the Festival programme
6.3 Notification
All filmmakers who submit a film will receive a notification by email.
The Selection Committee is not required to justify its decisions.
Its decisions are final and binding.
ARTICLE 7 – OBLIGATIONS OF SELECTED FILMS
7.1 Attendance
Directors of films selected for the Official Competition are strongly encouraged to attend the Festival in order to:
Present their film
Take part in Q&A sessions
Meet audiences and industry professionals
Attend the Awards Ceremony
Subject to the available budget, the Festival will provide the selected director with:
Accommodation during the Festival (3 nights)
Free access to all screenings
Invitations to official Festival events (cocktail receptions, evening events
7.2 Exclusivity
Selected films undertake to:
Not be publicly screened in France between the announcement of the Official Selection and the end of the Festival
Announce their selection on their social media channels and promotional materials
Use the “Road Movie Festival Official Selection” label on all advertising and press materials relating to the selected film
7.3 Screening Materials
Selected filmmakers must provide:
A DCP or HD screening file (MP4 format)
Burned-in French subtitles or a separate SRT subtitle file (for non-French-language films)
A mandatory technical verification before screening
The Festival reserves the right to withdraw from the programme any film that does not meet the required technical standards.
ARTICLE 8 – RIGHTS AND AUTHORIZATIONS
8.1 Screening Rights
By submitting a film, the director or producer guarantees that they:
Hold all rights necessary for the public screening of the film
Have obtained all required permissions (music, archive footage, etc.)
Confirm that the film does not infringe any copyright, image rights or other intellectual property rights
The Festival accepts no liability for any dispute relating to these rights.
8.2 Authorisation for Use
By participating in the Festival, filmmakers grant the Festival, free of charge and without time limitation, permission to:
Publicly screen the film during the Festival
Use extracts of the film (maximum 3 minutes) to promote the Festival (trailers, reports, social media, etc.)
Reproduce still images from the film in Festival communication materials
Preserve the film in the Festival archives
This authorisation does not grant the Festival any commercial exploitation rights.
8.3 Post-Festival Screenings
Award-winning films authorise the Festival to organise non-commercial screenings within the framework of:
Regional screenings during the year following the Festival
Partner cultural events
School and university screenings
The director will be informed in advance and retains all commercial exploitation rights.
ARTICLE 9 – JURY AND AWARDS
9.1 Composition of the Jury
The Official Jury consists of seven members, recognised professionals from the film industry and the arts:
One Jury President
Six Jury Members (director, cinematographer, editor, composer, programmer, critic, stunt performer, actor, etc.)
The Jury is sovereign.
Its deliberations are confidential, and its decisions are final.
9.2 Awards
Road Movie Festival Grand Prize – €3,000
Awarded to the Best Film, regardless of category.
Jury Prize – €1,500
Special Jury Award.
Best Director Award – €1,000
Awarded for outstanding directing.
Best Original Score / Sound Design Award – €500
Awarded for excellence in original music composition or sound design
Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Award – €500
Awarded to a film produced or directed in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
9.3 Awarding of Prizes
A film may receive several awards, except that the Grand Prize cannot be combined with the Jury Prize
The Jury may decide not to award a prize if no film is considered worthy of it
The Jury may grant Special Mentions (without financial endowment)
The winners are announced during the Closing Ceremony
9.4 Awards Ceremony
Official Awards Ceremony: Sunday evening (final day of the Festival)
Prize money will be paid:
By bank transfer within 30 days after the Festival
To the director or the production company (according to the contract)
Subject to the submission of the recipient’s bank account details
ARTICLE 10 – COMMUNICATION AND PROMOTION
10.1 Communication Materials
The Festival publishes:
An Official Catalogue (printed and digital) presenting all selected films
A Festival Programme distributed to the public
Digital communication materials (website and social media)
Filmmakers shall provide the promotional materials (photographs, texts, etc.) required for these publications.
10.2 Media Coverage
The Festival invites:
National and regional specialist film press
Local general media
Automotive and cultural media
Filmmakers may be invited to take part in interviews before, during and after the Festival.
ARTICLE 11 – ACCREDITATION
11.1 Types of Accreditation
Accreditation is subject to a fee.
Industry Professionals & Press – €30
Industry Professionals
(Distributors, producers, programmers, film critics)
Benefits:
Free access to all screenings
Access to professional events
Press kit
Press
(Journalists, photographers, videographers)
Benefits:
Free access to all screenings
Access to the press area
Press kit
11.2 Accreditation Requests
Applications must be submitted through the online form available on the Festival website.
Deadline: 15 days before the opening of the Festival.
ARTICLE 12 – MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
12.1 Amendments to the Rules
The Festival reserves the right to amend these Rules & Regulations.
Any amendment will be published on the official Festival website.
12.2 Cancellation
In the event of force majeure (pandemic, natural disaster, etc.), the Festival reserves the right to:
Cancel the current edition
Postpone the Festival dates
Organise the Festival in a hybrid or online format
Submission fees will not be refunded.
However, selected films will retain their selection status for the following edition.
12.3 Liability
The Festival cannot be held liable for:
Loss, theft or damage to screening copies
Expenses incurred by filmmakers (travel, accommodation, etc.) in the event of cancellation
Any dispute concerning film rights
12.4 Insurance
Filmmakers are strongly advised to obtain insurance covering:
Their screening copy
Travel and accommodation
Public liability
12.5 Data Protection
Personal data collected during the submission process will be used exclusively for the organisation of the Festival and in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Filmmakers may request access to, correction of or deletion of their personal data.
12.6 Acceptance of the Rules
The submission of a film constitutes full and unconditional acceptance of these Rules & Regulations.
ARTICLE 13 – CONTACT
Auto Rétro Cinéma
5 Rue Fernand Léger
33260 La Teste-de-Buch
France
General enquiries
contact@roadmoviefestival.fr
Film submissions
selection@roadmoviefestival.fr
Press enquiries
presse@roadmoviefestival.fr
Website
Social Media
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ARTICLE 14 – DISPUTES
Any dispute relating to the interpretation or application of these Rules & Regulations shall be subject exclusively to the jurisdiction of the French courts.