DATES & DEADLINES

Opening Date:
– November 2nd, 2025

Earlybird 1:
– November 30th, 2025

Earlybird 2:
– December 28th, 2025

Earlybird 3:
– January 25th, 2026

Regular 1:
– February 22nd, 2026

Regular 2:
– March 29th, 2026

Regular 3:
– April 26th, 2026

Extended 1:
– May 31st, 2026

Extended 2:
– June 28th, 2026

Extended 3:
– July 26th, 2026

Notification Date:
– August 30th, 2026

Screening:
– Planned for autumn 2026 in Tokyo, Japan
– Venue and screening date to be announced once confirmed

CATEGORIES

Best Feature (Live Action)
Best Feature (Animation)
Best Feature (Documentary)
Best Short (Live Action)
Best Short (Animation)
Best Short (Documentary)
Best Film for Kids
Best Film of Japan
Best Music Video

No prize money involved.

RULES & TERMS

1. Eligibility
-Films of all genres and durations are eligible.
-Submissions are open to filmmakers, students, distributors, and other authorized representatives from any country.
-There is no restriction on the production year of the film.
-The film must comply with applicable laws and the ethical standards of BonDance International Film Festival.
-The applicant must hold all necessary rights, licenses, permissions, and clearances required to submit the film and, where applicable, authorize its screening and promotion.

2. Ethical Standards
BonDance International Film Festival promotes respect for life, diversity, human dignity, animal welfare, and freedom of expression.

However, to maintain the values and integrity of the festival, we reserve the right to disqualify or decline any film that:
-Contains excessive or gratuitous violence, abuse, or discriminatory content.
-Shows serious disrespect toward human rights or animal welfare.
-Contains explicit pornographic content.
-Promotes hate speech, exploitation, discrimination, or violence against individuals or groups.
-Is primarily intended to incite harm or unlawful conduct.

The festival reserves full discretion in determining whether a submission is appropriate for its program.

3. Language & Subtitles
-Films not in English must include clear and accurate English subtitles for the selection process.
-Embedded (burned-in) English subtitles are preferred for online screeners.
-Subtitles must be properly synchronized with the dialogue.
-For films selected for screening, the festival may request a separate English subtitle file (.srt preferred) for Japanese subtitle preparation.

4. Submission Materials
-Only online screeners submitted via FilmFreeway will be considered for the selection process.
-Applicants are requested to provide a poster and a short synopsis for promotional purposes.
-A trailer is recommended but not mandatory.
-The festival may request additional promotional or screening materials from selected filmmakers.

5. Selection & Screening Agreement
-By submitting a film to BonDance International Film Festival, the applicant confirms that they are authorized to submit the film for consideration and grants the festival permission to screen the film if it is selected for an official festival screening program.
-No additional screening permission will normally be required from the applicant after submission, provided that the screening is conducted as part of an official BonDance International Film Festival program.
-Selection, nomination, an Award, or an Honorable Mention does not automatically guarantee inclusion in a public screening program unless specifically stated by the festival.
-If a film is selected for an official screening program, the festival will notify the applicant and provide the necessary screening details and delivery instructions.
-The applicant may request withdrawal before the film is publicly announced as part of an official screening program.
-Once a film has been publicly announced as part of an official screening program, withdrawal will only be accepted in exceptional circumstances approved in writing by the festival.
-Judging and selection decisions are final, and individual comments or detailed feedback will not be provided.

6. Screening Format
-The preferred screening format of BonDance International Film Festival is digital MP4 using the H.264 codec.
-The film should preferably be encoded in progressive scan, with stereo audio (48 kHz) and a resolution of 1920×1080 (Full HD) or higher.
-Other common digital formats, including MOV and ProRes, may be accepted upon prior consultation with the festival.
-Screening materials must be delivered digitally using the method specified by the festival.
-The festival does not normally accept physical media such as Blu-ray discs or USB drives unless specifically requested.

7. Fees & Withdrawals
-All submission fees are non-refundable, regardless of the outcome of the selection process.
-An applicant may request withdrawal of a submission before the film is publicly announced as part of an official screening program.
-Withdrawal after a film has been publicly announced as part of an official screening program will be considered only in exceptional circumstances.

8. Promotion & Publicity
By submitting a film, the applicant grants BonDance International Film Festival permission to:
-Use the film title, trailer, poster, still images, synopsis, filmmaker information, and reasonable excerpts from the film for the purpose of promoting the film and the festival.
-Share approved promotional materials with festival partners, media organizations, and related promotional platforms.
-Feature the film and filmmaker on the festival’s official website, printed materials, social media channels, and other festival-related communications.

These permissions are granted solely for festival-related promotional and non-commercial publicity purposes.

9. Rights, Liability & Indemnification
-The person or entity submitting the film represents and warrants that they are authorized to submit the film and have obtained all necessary rights and permissions required for submission, screening, and permitted promotional use.
-The applicant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless BonDance International Film Festival, its organizers, representatives, and affiliates from claims, liabilities, losses, damages, or reasonable expenses arising from any breach of these representations or from copyright, trademark, screening, or publicity rights relating to the submitted materials.
-The festival will not be responsible for loss, corruption, damage, or delay of digital materials during transmission, or for disruptions caused by technical failures, server outages, natural disasters, pandemics, war, or other circumstances beyond the festival’s reasonable control.

10. Amendments
-BonDance International Film Festival reserves the right to amend these Rules & Terms when reasonably necessary for the operation of the festival.
-Any material changes affecting selected filmmakers or announced screening arrangements will be communicated where appropriate.
-Submission of an entry constitutes acceptance of the Rules & Terms applicable at the time of submission.

End of Document