2010 Banff World Television Festival Awards Rules and Regulations

EARLY BIRD DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: February 1, 2011

EARLY BIRD FEE PER ENTRY: $250 CDN plus 15% Harmonized Sales Tax

The 2011 Banff World Media Awards ("The Rockies") will be presented at the Banff World Media Festival, June 12 - 15, 2011. The Banff World Media Awards includes 23 genre-based categories and 6 interactive categories - a total of 29 distinct categories.

Your program is eligible to enter if:

  • The entry’s first transmission date is January 1st, 2010 - March 1st, 2011 (no earlier than Jan. 1st, 2009 and no later than March 1, 2011).
     
  • Prior to its first transmission, the entry has had no theatrical release. (Entries with limited theatrical release may be considered - contact programcomp@achillesmedia.com).
     

What you need to know:

  • Co-production partners should confer to agree which organization will be the entrant so as to avoid duplicate entries. Duplicate entries will not be refunded.

  • It is the entrant’s responsibility to choose the category which best fits the entry. Your program is judged in the category which you select. It is vital that the program belongs in the selected category: it is a key element of the judging process. Festival organizers urge you to ensure your program is entered in the suitable category. For detailed category definitions, click here. Contact programcomp@achillesmedia.com for assistance if you are unsure of the correct category.
     
  • A program should be entered in one category only, with this exception: a program may be entered in one of the genre-based program categories AND into one or more of the interactive categories. Separate fees are charged for each category entered.

  • Do not resubmit entries from previous years, only new episodes of previously submitted series are eligible. Resubmitted entries from previous years will not be refunded.

  • Entries must be in the English language OR have English subtitles OR have dialogue dubbed in English. SUBTITLES are preferred.

  • Technical Requirements for Submission of Entries:
    • Entries for the 2011 season of the competition can now be entered using our online video link, powered by Calamares. This is the preferred method to submit your entry into the competition. Our system accepts file up to 1.5 GB in size in the following file formats: AVI, MOV, MPG (MPEG, MP4, M4V), 3GP (3G2), WMV (ASF), FLV, or VOB.
    • Acceptable screen sizes are 4:3 or 16:9. Please note 16:9 widescreen aspect images should be in letterbox format so viewing on a conventional aspect (4:3) display is possible.
    • No full commercial or long commercial blacks.
    • No burned-in time codes.
    • Only final cut, as-broadcast productions are eligible; no rough or fine cuts.
    • Avoid copyright disclaimers beyond the start of the program.
       

Fees

Payment is online, by credit card. An additional $25 CDN administrative fee will be charged to both early bird and final entries paid by cheque, bank draft or wire transfer. Please contact programcomp@achillesmedia.com to make this special arrangement.

EARLY BIRD DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: January 28, 2011

A fee of $250 CDN plus 15% Harmonized Sales Tax is due upon submission; please verify the number of episodes/parts required within your entry’s category description.

FINAL DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: February 18, 2011

A fee of $300 CDN plus 15% Harmonized Sales Tax is due upon submission; please verify the number of episodes/parts required within your entry’s category description.

Fees are non-refundable, including fees paid for ineligible or duplicate entries. Please confer with co-producers prior to entering.

Deadline for completion of all video uploads is February 21, 2011.

Judging Process and Prizes

The Banff World Media Festival organizers designate Jury Hosts, organizations from around the world that underwrite and facilitate the judging of one or more categories. The Jury Hosts appoint jury members, and each jury selects the Rockie Award nominees for their category (or categories).

One program in each of the 23 categories will win a Rockie Award as the best in its particular category. All category winners and eligible nominees for special jury prizes will be screened before an International Jury which is convened just prior to the Festival. The International Jury will decide the winner of the Grand Prize as well as Special Jury Awards.

In addition to the International Jury prizes, a Rockie Award will be presented to any independently juried prizes such as the Best Canadian Program, in which Canadian finalists are screened before an independent jury of Canadian television professionals. Other independently juried prizes will be announced in the course of the competition. Eligibility for any such prizes is based on information supplied on your entry form.
 

The Green Grand Prize

The Call for Entries will also allow entrants to submit their work to the newly-created Green Grand Prize. Certain documentaries in the Science and Technology, Environmental and Wildlife categories will be obvious nominee candidates, but any program, from Fiction to Children, new or old media, with strong relevant content could be a nominee.

The criteria for the Green Grand Prize are:

  • Environmentally-oriented content.
  • Originality of subject.
  • Spirit of the production.
  • Ability to persuade viewers on the importance of the subject.

A Selection Committee will review all candidates and create a short list from which a Green Jury will choose the six nominees. A prestigious Green Grand Prize Jury will then determine the winner.
 

Announcements & Notifications

Programs chosen as nominees will be announced in April 2011 in a live press announcement. The nominee list will be posted prominently on our website. Winners will be announced during live award presentations at The Banff World Media Festival in June 2011 and the list of winners will be posted prominently on our website. In both April and June, press releases will be sent to international wire services and the trades.

All nominees will receive notification by email. It is the entrant’s responsibility to update any contact information that may change from time of entry to announcements.

All nominated programs receive 1 (ONE) complimentary registration to the Banff World Media Festival to facilitate attendance at the Banff World Media Awards show. All winning programs will receive a Rockie statuette.
 

Catalogue

The Festival produces an online program catalogue. All online content is taken from original information filled out on the online entry form. The Festival reserves the right to edit all synopses for online catalogues. The Festival accepts no responsibility should its publications reproduce inaccuracies sourced from submitted materials.
 

Rights Clearance

By entering the 2011 Banff Rockie World Media Festival Awards Program Competition the entrant agrees to grant the rights for:

  • The Festival to make available all program entries within a secure online website for screening and judging program entries, as well as for onsite program screenings during the Banff World Media Festival. Unless expressly prohibited, the Festival reserves the right to make copies for archival use only, with no rights whatsoever for commercial exploitation.
     
  • The Festival to use short clips of nominated programs (up to a maximum length of five minutes). These clips may form part of a media announcement and/or be showcased in a conference session highlighting Rockie nominees and/or be webcast on the Banff World Media Festival website. The Festival also reserves the right to use clips from all entries submitted with the express agreement that use of same would be exclusively for Festival promotion and not more than five minutes in length.
     
  • In the case of nominated and winning programs, to use short clips (up to a maximum length of five minutes) in the live awards presentation. The Festival also reserves the right to use these clips to promote the competition, future competitions and the winning programs on the Banff World Media Festival website.
     
  • By entering a program into the competition, the entrant warrants that he or she has the authority to enter the program and that the person submitting the entry or entries certifies that he or she has the full authority to hereby grant the rights for clip usage as stated above and authorizes worldwide, royalty free permission for all above uses. If there are any restrictions on such use the owner or entrant must advise us no later than March 15, 2011 and undertakes to use best efforts to secure suitable clearances.
     
  • Unless expressly prohibited, the Festival may copy any program for use in non-commercial promotional exhibitions including Festival exhibition screenings and any supplemental screenings highlighting the best of the Festival. The entrant warrants that he/she has good and marketable title to the entire submitted work and has secured all music and talent rights for all Festival exhibition screenings.
     
  • The entrant shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless Festival organizers from any and all liability, loss, costs, damage, judgment or expense including attorney fees resulting from or arising in any way out of any such claims by any third parties and/or which are based upon, or are the result of any breach of the warranties in this section.

For any clarification of these requirements, please contact:

Tiffany Rushton | Program Producer, Awards | Achilles Media Ltd.
Tel: +1.416.921.3171 ext. 227
Email: programcomp@achillesmedia.com

The Banff World Media Festival Program Competition staff will be happy to assist you and we look forward to receiving your entry.