2010 Banff World Television Festival Awards Rules and Regulations

Submissions have now closed. Thanks to all who entered. 

The 2010 Banff World Television Festival Rockie Awards will be presented at the 31st Banff World Television Festival, June 13 – 16, 2010. The Banff World Television Awards includes 21 genre-based categories and two interactive categories – a total of 23 distinct categories.

Your program is eligible to enter if

• The entry’s first transmission date is January 1st, 2009 – March 1st, 2010 (no earlier than Jan. 1st, 2009 and no later than March 1, 2010).

• Prior to its first transmission, the entry has had no theatrical release. (Entries with limited theatrical release may be considered – contact programcomp@achillesmedia.com)

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 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 handling fees are assessed 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 2010 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, of the following file formats: AVI, MOV, MPG (MPEG, MP4, M2V, M4V), 3GP (3G2), WMV (ASF), FLV, or VOB.

  • Acceptable screen size 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 can be shown.

  • No full commercial or long commercial blacks.

  • No burned-in time code.

  • 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: February 1, 2010

A fee of $250 CDN plus 5% Goods & Services Tax is due upon submission; please verify the number of episodes/parts required within your entry’s category description.

FINAL DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: February 15, 2010

A fee of $300 CDN plus 5% Goods & Services 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 20, 2010

Judging Process and Prizes

The Banff World Television 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; 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 by 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 where Canadian finalists are screened by 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 select the category for their program and a newly created Green Grand Prize. Certain documentaries in the Environmental, Science and Technology, 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 of 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 2010 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 Television Festival in June 2010 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 Television Festival to facilitate attendance at the Banff World Television 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 2010 Banff Rockie World Television 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 Television Festival and, 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 Television Festival website. The Festival also reserves the right to use clips of all entries submitted with the express agreement that use of same would be exclusively for Festival promotion and not more than five minutes will be used for such purposes.

• 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 Television 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, 2010 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:

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

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