Mental Health Channel's Online Film Festival

by Mental Health Channel TV

The Mental Health Channel's Online Film Festival (MHC OFF) celebrates and promotes filmmakers who, through excellent storytelling and filmmaking, raise awareness and understanding of mental health issues.

MHC

About The MHC Online Film Festival:

The MHC OFF is a creation of the Mental Health Channel (MHC), a new online network creating engaging, enlightening, informative programming to help all viewers improve their mental health.

Quick Highlights:

- Celebrates and promotes filmmakers whose work aligns with the MHC mission of awareness and public benefit.

- All styles welcome: Documentary, Narrative, Animated, Experimental or Music Video

- All Official Selections will be webcast on the Mental Health Channel, potentially to millions of viewers, and promoted through MHC web and social media networks

-1st place winner will receive $1000, 2nd place $500, 3rd place $250

- Short films only - 20 minutes or less

- Filmmakers may submit multiple entries

- High production value required

- Films may have been produced anytime in the last 10 years

- Films must be submitted online

What Is The Mental Health Channel (MHC)?

Film Festival Awards & Prizes

Our selection criteria are broad. MHC will choose as Official Selections films that:

-are related to mental health, illness or wellness in some way

-offer a meaningful viewing experience to our audience

-demonstrate good filmmaking skills and high production value

There is no maximum or minimum number of films that we will select.

All Official Selections will be presented by MHC through our web, newsletter, and social media presence to potentially millions of viewers. They will then be webcast from December 1, 2016 (the festival start date) through November 1, 2017 (when the next festival begins).

New since 2015, the festival now offers 1st through 3rd place awards, with a higher grand prize.

1st place will receive $1000, 2nd place $500 and 3rd place $250.

MHC staff and jurors will choose the award winners from Official Selections. Award-winning films will remain online for 3 years, and recognized as the 2016 Award Winners.

The MHC OFF reserves the right not to award any or all of these awards if we do not receive submissions of sufficient storytelling or production merit.

Film Festival Past Winners

VISION AWARD 2015: Leben! (Touching Life), Directed by Carolin Färber

JURY AWARD 2015: The Mermaid, Directed by Sara Werner

Festival Rules

1. Only works with a maximum running time of 20 minutes or less are eligible.

2. There is no minimum running time.

3. All genres are welcome (documentary, narrative, animated, experimental, or music video).

4. Filmmakers may submit multiple entries as long as each film is submitted with its own Entry Form, online screener and paid Entry Fee.

5. We accept short films from all regions. Non-English films must have English subtitles.

6. Works-in-progress will not be considered.

7. We accept films shot in any format, however, submissions must be provided via online screener.

8. Only online submissions are accepted.

9. Entry Fees are nonrefundable.

10. Entries will not be considered without a paid Entry Fee.

11. No Checks are accepted to pay submission fees. Online payments only , through FilmFreeway.com.

12. All filmmakers who submit films grant MHC OFF the right to retain a copy of the film as part of our Festival library and for media, promotional and educational purposes.

13. If your film is selected we will ask you to email us still images and press kit, if available.

14. All films chosen as Award Winners will grant MHC OFF the non-exclusive right to screen them online for 12 months without any form compensation beyond the publicity and recognition that that Selection provides.

15. Films chosen as Jury Award Winner or Audience Award Winner will grant MHC OFF the non-exclusive right to screen them online for 36 months without any compensation beyond the publicity and recognition that that Selection provides. The cash awards that the Award Winners will receive are prizes for exceptional filmmaking. They are not and should not be considered compensation for the rights to webcast the associated films.

16. All films chosen as Official Selections will grant MHC OFF the rights to use clips/trailer for promotional purposes.

17. For a complete list of rights granted to the Festival related to the screening and promotion of Official Selections, see the Terms and Conditions.

18. Award Winners and Official Selections will be notified on or before December 1, 2016.

19. MHC reserves the right to decline naming Official Selections and to grant awards in the event that we do not receive enough submissions meeting our standards of storytelling or production value.

20. Submission deadline: November 15, 2016