RULES FOR ELIGIBILITY

All submitted films must be at least 70 minutes long.

Cost of completed film, including post, must be less than $20 million.  Any variations are at the sole discretion of the nominating committee. (For verification purposes, all films with total budgets exceeding $15 million or films with budgets under $500,000 applying for the Cassavetes Award are required to submit the top sheets from the film's Final Cost Report.)

Eligible films must have either:

- Been shown a minimum of once a day for one week (7 days)  in a commercial theater between January 1 and December 31, 2010; or

- Been shown in 2010 at one of the following six film festivals: The Los Angeles Film Festival, New Directors/New Films, New York Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, or Toronto International Film Festival.Films that have or will have domestic theatrical distribution should be submitted the year of their theatrical run.

Although films may be submitted in any year they are eligible, such as the year they screen in a qualifying festival or the year of their theatrical release, once a film is nominated in any category, it is no longer eligible for submission in subsequent years. It is recommended that films that have or will have domestic theatrical distribution should be submitted the year of their theatrical run.

Except for the category of Best Foreign Film, all nominations go to American productions. The Spirit Awards defines an “American production” as:

a. A film in which U.S. citizens or permanent residents are credited in at least two of the following categories of responsibilities: director, writer, or producer. This can be fulfilled by one person with multiple duties or by separate individuals; or 

b. The film is set primarily in the United States and at least partially financed by a company whose principal office is in the U.S.

Documentary films are only eligible for Best Documentary; foreign films are only eligible for Best Foreign Film.

Eligibility for all awards shall first be determined by credits as they appear on the screen and/or as supplied to Film Independent by way of this submission form, provided by the film’s production company or the distributor responsible for the film.

NOMINATING GUIDELINES

The Spirit Awards nominations are decided by three (3) committees: American Narrative, Documentary, and Foreign. In addition, Film Independent awards three (3) filmmaker grants, Someone to Watch, Truer than Fiction, and Producers, to emerging artists which are determined by three additional committees.    These six (6) committees, which are assembled by Film Independent, consist of industry professionals including directors, writers, producers, actors, cinematographers, casting directors, film critics, and members of Film Independent’s Board of Directors.

The Spirit Awards Nominating Committees apply the following guidelines in making their selections. Any variations of the rules or guidelines are at the sole discretion of the Nominating Committee.

    •    Uniqueness of vision 

    •    Original, provocative subject matter 

    •    Economy of means (with particular attention paid to total production cost and individual compensation) 

    •    Percentage of financing from independent sources

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All submissions must be submitted in one complete package and must include the following:

A hard copy of your complete and accurate submission form with signatures and synopsis. (short synopsis 100 words maximum)

25 DVDs for all American narrative films*; or

15 DVDs for all documentary and foreign films.*

One press kit that includes the following (digital press kits are encouraged):     

     - Representative production stills from the film - color preferred     

     - A full, complete, and authentic list of credits

     - Key crew bios of writer(s), director(s), producer(s), cinematographer(s)

A check or money order made out to Film Independent for the required submission fee:

Early deadline fee (by Monday, September 13, 2010): $350.00 - Film Independent member fee | $375.00 non-member fee

Final deadline fee (by Tuesday, October 5, 2010): $425.00 - - Film Independent member fee | $450.00 non-member fee

* DVDs must be clearly labeled with title, run time, and director's name. All information submitted is confidential. DVDs will not be returned.

Postmark Deadlines Early: Monday, September 13, 2010 | Final: Tuesday, October 5, 2010

VOTING

The registered voting members of Film Independent, past Spirit Award nominees and winners, and the active members of IFP vote upon Spirit Award nominations to determine winners. Voting is done online through a secure third-party website.

Nominations will be announced on Tuesday, November 30, 2010. The Awards Ceremony will take place on Saturday, February 26, 2011. 

NOMINATION REQUIREMENTS

The production company and/or the distribution company responsible for nominated films is required to supply all of the following materials and information within (5) five days of the nominations announcement on Tuesday, November 30, 2010.

1. An EPK with multiple film clips, trailer (textless version), and film title sequence/card for use during the awards show and online promotions.

Format Requirements:

- (1) HD Cam or DigiBeta with split audio tracks (Ch. 1 & 2 Dialogue, Ch. 3 Music, Ch. 4 Effects). No visible timecode.

- (1) DVD viewing copy with visible timecode that match the tape master.

2. Multiple color representative stills from the film (if sent electronically, must be at least 300 dpi).

3. Headshots of each nominee, including director(s) and writer(s) (if sent electronically, must be at least 300 dpi).

4. Title logo for Mac as Quark, tiff, eps, or pdf at 300 dpi file resolution.

5. Soundtrack or music from film on CD.

6. Direct contact information for each individual nominee including:

- home or office phone; fax; email; and complete mailing address, and/or

- contact information for representation (agents/manager/publicist) name; phone; fax; email; and complete mailing address.

7. At least one screening copy of the film (either 35mm or DigiBeta) for screenings in Los Angeles and New York between January 1 and February 15, 2011.

8. 12 DVD copies of the nominated film

NOMINATION CONSIDERATIONS

Nominated films may use the approved Spirit Awards logo and brand in their award season marketing. The approved names and logos are below.

Through Film Independent, there are several opportunities to promote your film to the voting members. These promotions are not required, but are available to you if you choose to participate. For more information on promotional opportunities and rates, contact Laura Segura at 310.432.1243. The Spirit Awards is the annual fundraiser for Film Independent, the non-profit arts organization that produces both the Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival. For information on attending the Spirit Awards, contact Laura Segura at 310.432.1243.

If you would like to become a voting member yourself, you can learn more about Film Independent membership at www.filmindependent.org or contact Evan Ward-Henninger at 310.432.1264.2011