Rules & Other Stuff
- Contest will begin on March 6 and final edited entries are due by 7 pm on March 20. Required elements will be distributed by email to teams on March 6 at 7 pm to officially begin the contest.
- After the contest begins, registration fees are non-refundable.
- Contest is open to all Michigan filmmakers. The entire team does NOT have to be made up of Michigan people as long as at least one of the following key creative positions is a Michigan resident: Writer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor.
- Entries must be shot and edited during the contest Fortnight. That means you must shoot and edit your film only between the dates of March 6-20, 2025.
- Entries must have a maximum total running time of 10 minutes including credits. Minimum total running time is 31.4 seconds. Entries must be returned in person to the Lansing Public Media Center or uploaded via Dropbox BY PRIOR ARRANGEMENT ONLY. If you upload a file that is corrupt or will not play back properly, your entry will be disqualified. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND submitting your entry in person in order to ensure that the file plays properly.
- All music used must be royalty-free, licensed by participants, or an original work by participants.
- There will be required elements distributed by email on March 6. Films must include those elements, as well as abide by any new requirements announced at that time, or they will be disqualified. (Genre will not be one of the required elements – that is entirely up to the individual teams.)
- Any film that is not submitted by the deadline will be disqualified from the competition. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Judging & Prizes
All Fortnight Film Contest submissions will be initially reviewed by a panel of judges including festival staff and industry professionals. This panel will determine which films advance to the second stage of judging. Verification that films contain the required elements will also take place at this stage.
The initial review allows CCFF to refine the selection, ensuring that the full judging panel can dedicate their focus and time to a thoughtfully curated slate. This process highlights films that best illustrate the technical and creative excellence the Fortnight Film Contest is intended to inspire, allowing for a more engaging and attentive evaluation.
A selection of qualifying Fortnight films will move on to a second and final judging round where a panel of 30+ individuals will watch the films in a high-quality theatrical environment and rate them on a numeric scale. The highest average scores will determine the first, second, and third place winners.
The highest-ranked films will be showcased during the festival. Depending on scheduling and the total runtime of selections, an additional block featuring the next highest-ranked films may also screen during the festival. The exact number of films screened in each block will be determined by the total runtime of the submissions and the ratings from the wider judging panel. Immediately following the screenings, an Audience Choice Award will be determined through a voting method detailed at the event.
Questions? Contact us at info@capitalcityfilmfest.com or 517.483.4058