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Film Festival

BYU London We Have Two Lives Ben Dorrough

Share Your Film

Have you studied abroad recently or plan on going soon? Share a one-minute video of something you learned during a BYU international study program and you could win up to $1,000 in cash prizes!

We want to see how your experience on an international study program was one (or more) of the following:

  • Spiritually Strengthening
  • Intellectually Enlarging
  • Character Building
  • Leading to Lifelong Learning and Service

Life abroad opens our eyes to new perspectives, traditions, experiences, and lifestyles. We want to see what you have learned and how it relates to one of the points above from the Aims of a BYU Education. Be creative and engaging in sharing your take on this year’s topics. Your film may include personal stories, interviews, action shots, etc. It might be thought-provoking, inspiring, hilarious, or exciting. The possibilities are endless! Just make sure your video addresses one or more of the themes in the bulleted list above. Winning videos will be screened during our International Study Programs Film Festival event held in November during International Education Week (IEW) 2023.

Prizes

Winning films will receive the following prizes:
1st Place: $1,000 Scholarship
2nd Place: $500 Scholarship
3rd Place: $250 Scholarship
Honorable Mentions: Gift cards

Eligibility

All enrolled BYU Provo students who have participated in a BYU International Study Program from fall semester 2022 through summer term 2023, or 1 September 2022 through 31 August 2023, are eligible to submit one film for prizes. Videos made during independent travel or from mission experiences will not be considered.

Deadlines

The deadline to submit a film has been extended to Monday, 2 October 2023 at midnight. You must complete the submission form (which includes the link to your video) before that time to be eligible for prizes. Late videos will not be considered.

Format and Length

Submissions don’t have to be professional entries, but will be evaluated for sound and visual quality. We urge you to submit the highest quality video possible. Videos will be uploaded to YouTube, so make sure yours is in the appropriate format.

Film entries must be no longer than one minute. We will not accept any submissions over sixty seconds.

Audio/Music

All audio/music included in video submissions must be original content, come from a free source such as those listed on the BYU Copyright website, or have a usage license for every copyrighted audio/music component included in the film. Videos that use copyrighted music without a license or which violate the license terms of use will be disqualified. You will be required to list your audio/music source(s) and attach a copy of the audio/music licenses for those sources (if applicable) on your submission form, so be sure to keep track of that information.

Submission Instructions

We are not accepting any hard copy submission forms or discs, so please carefully read and follow all of the steps below to be considered in the competition:

  1. Fill out a submission form. At the end of the form, it will ask you to upload a high-quality version of your video. Be sure to title your entry for upload and in the submission form in the following style: Entry Title_Your First Name_Your Last Name. An example would be Lifelong Learning_John_Smith. You will also need to have your audio/music source(s) and accompanying licenses (if applicable) ready to enter at that time.
  2. Complete the submission form and upload your video before the deadline on Monday, 2 October 2023 at midnight. Early submissions are gladly welcomed, but late videos will not be considered.

The submission form provides areas for you to select tags and a creative title to increase your video’s visibility and optimization on the Internet. Choose wisely!

If you have any problems or questions about the submission form or uploading your video, please email kennedy.marketing@gmail.com for help.

Judging Process

Your film will be reviewed by a panel of Kennedy Center judges. They will evaluate films based on storytelling elements, theme adherence, video and sound quality, overall content, and organization. Prize winners will be notified by email no later than Wednesday, 1 November 2023.

Winning videos will be screened during our International Study Programs Film Festival event held in November during International Education Week (IEW) 2023. You do not have to be present to win.

If you do not win a prize, your video might still be featured at the film festival, on the BYU Stories Abroad YouTube Channel, on Kennedy Center social media channels, and/or on the Kennedy Center website. Following the film festival, all approved videos will be uploaded to the BYU Stories Abroad YouTube Channel. *The Kennedy Center reserves the right to discount spam comments or irrelevant repeated commenters.

Legal Terms and Conditions

Original Content
All film entries must be the original creation of the entrant. The video must not have been previously submitted, distributed, aired, or have won any other award in any other competition. All entrants will be required to sign an affidavit verifying the originality of the video and compliance with contest rules. 

Appropriate Content 
Entry may not defame or invade the rights or privacy of any person, living or deceased, or otherwise infringe upon any third-party personal or proprietary rights. Any entrant whose work includes likenesses of third parties or contains elements not owned by the entrant must be able to provide legal releases for such use. Entry must not be offensive or contain questionable or inappropriate content, as determined by judges in their sole discretion. Films which violate these terms will be disqualified.

Copyright
You retain all copyright interest in, and ownership of the video submitted; however, by submitting the video, you irrevocably grant and assign to BYU and its affiliates a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual and royalty-free license to use, modify, reproduce, publish, and distribute your video in any form of media and/or technology now known or to be developed, without limitation or restriction.

Publicity and Privacy Rights
By submitting a video, you hereby grant to BYU, and its affiliates and assigns, the right to use your name, picture, voice, silhouette, likeness, and biographical information in connection with your video submission, including any and all rights to exhibit or distribute recordings or edits thereof in whole or in part without restriction or limitation, and in any medium whether now known or yet to be discovered. By submitting a video, you hereby release BYU and its affiliates and assigns from any and all claims and demands related to such use of your talent, image, voice or performances, including any and all claims for libel or invasion of privacy, in connection with the video.

Kennedy Center Rights
In the event there are not sufficient submissions or films of good quality, the Kennedy Center reserves the right to cancel and/or postpone all awards and the Film Festival.

Consent to Terms
By entering, you acknowledge compliance with these official rules, including all eligibility requirements, and give consent to the David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies to use your film for marketing purposes, which may include use on the kennedy.byu.edu website, YouTube channels, and on Kennedy Center social media platforms.