WINTON ARTS FILM FESTIVAL CONTEST RULES & TERMS

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES
The Winton Arts Film Festival [Festival] will accept entries from December 1st, 2025 at 8:00 AM through February 2nd at 11:59 PM. Entries submitted outside this period will be considered ineligible.

ELIGIBILITY
To participate, entrants must complete the entry form in full and adhere to the requirements outlined herein. Entries received after the stated deadline will not be considered and will be deemed ineligible.

Entrants must reside in OR attend school within Contra Costa County, California, to be eligible for participation in the contest.

PERSONAL INFORMATION
To submit an entry, participants must provide their first and last name, current school and grade level, city of residence, and email address. This information will be used solely for contest administration and winner notification purposes. It will not be shared with third parties unrelated to the Festival.

SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION OF WINNERS
Film award nominees will be notified via the email address provided on the entry form by mid-February 2025. Winners will be announced during the Winton Arts Film Festival on March 6th, 2026 Winners will be selected based on the merits of their entries, as determined solely at the discretion of the Festival organizers.

RULES FOR ENTRY

• Entries must be original works created by the entrant and must not infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks, privacy rights, publicity rights, or other intellectual property rights of any person or entity.

• If an entry includes materials not owned by the entrant, such as third-party music, images, or appearances, the entrant is responsible for securing all necessary permissions, releases, or licenses prior to submission. This includes obtaining permission for the use of any names, likenesses, locations, or copyrighted material included in the submission.

• The Festival reserves the right to request proof of these permissions at any time. Failure to provide requested documentation may result in disqualification.

• Entries not in English must include English subtitles.

• By submitting an entry, the entrant represents and warrants that all persons appearing in or identifiable within the entry have consented to its use as described herein.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF SIMILARITY
By participating, entrants acknowledge that the Festival may receive multiple entries with similar themes, ideas, or formats. Entrants waive any claims that such similarities entitle them to compensation or other recourse.

PRIZES
Prizes are non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash or substituted for other items. Odds of winning depend on the number and quality of submissions.

GENERAL CONDITIONS
By entering the contest, participants agree to:

1. Abide by these rules and the decisions of the Festival, which are final and binding.

2. Release and hold harmless the Festival, its affiliates, Carondelet High School, and its representatives from any claims, damages, or liabilities arising from participation in the contest or acceptance of a prize.

3. Permit the use of their name, voice, performance, photograph, and/or likeness for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, in perpetuity, without compensation or prior notice (unless prohibited by law).

4. Indemnify the Festival and its representatives against any claims or liabilities resulting from their participation in the contest.

OWNERSHIP AND USE OF SUBMISSIONS
By submitting an entry, participants grant the Festival a royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, and sub-licensable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, and display their submission in whole or in part. This includes the right to exhibit the entry during the Festival, use it in promotional materials, and distribute it in any medium now known or developed in the future.
Entrants retain ownership of their work but acknowledge that the Festival is under no obligation to use or display any submission.

PARENTAL PERMISSION (FOR MINORS)
If an entrant is under 18 years of age, they must obtain permission from a parent or legal guardian to participate in the contest. Parents or legal guardians must also agree to these terms and conditions on behalf of the minor. By submitting an entry on behalf of a minor, the parent or legal guardian acknowledges and accepts these rules, agrees to be bound by them, and assumes full responsibility for the entrant's participation, including compliance with contest rules and permissions related to the submission.

LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY AND CONTEST ADMINISTRATION
The Winton Arts Film Festival and its affiliates (collectively referred to as the "Released Parties") are not responsible for any issues that may affect or interfere with participation in the contest or the processing of entries. This includes, but is not limited to, lost, late, incomplete, damaged, stolen, or misdirected entries; technical failures such as server disruptions, network connectivity issues, or hardware and software malfunctions; and errors in entry transmission or submission caused by compatibility problems or system interruptions. The Festival is not liable for unauthorized access, tampering, or hacking that may corrupt or alter entries or participant data, nor for typographical, printing, or other errors in contest materials or communications. Participants assume full responsibility for ensuring their entries comply with all legal and safety requirements during production and waive claims for injuries or damages incurred during filming. The Festival reserves the right to disqualify entries that violate rules, contain offensive or inappropriate content, or fail to meet submission criteria. Additionally, decisions by the Festival regarding eligibility, selection, and prizes are final and binding, and participants waive the right to dispute outcomes. In the event of extraordinary circumstances, such as natural disasters, pandemics, technical disruptions, or other force majeure events, the Festival reserves the right to modify, suspend, or cancel the contest. Entrants acknowledge and agree that the Released Parties will not be liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from participation in the contest or related activities, nor for any losses or inconveniences caused by circumstances beyond their reasonable control.

CONTENT GUIDELINES AND COPYRIGHT COMPLIANCE

Content Guidelines
All submissions must adhere to the rules and codes of conduct of the participant's school and must be suitable for teen audiences, equivalent to a PG or PG-13 rating. Submissions containing inappropriate content, including but not limited to harmful material targeting any individual or group, or depictions of vaping, drugs, alcohol, weapons, violence, sexual content, or profanity, will not be accepted. Such submissions will be disqualified from the festival and ineligible for awards.

Carondelet and De La Salle High Schools reserve the right to reject any submission that does not align with their mission, or faith-based principles. Any entry failing to meet these standards will not be judged or screened at the Winton Arts Film Festival.

Copyright and Licensing Compliance
All music, images, footage, titles, and other copyrighted materials included in a submission must be properly licensed. Entrants must secure the necessary permissions and rights for any third-party content used. Submissions incorporating unlicensed copyrighted material will be disqualified.

To ensure compliance, participants are encouraged to create their own original content or use royalty-free materials. Royalty-free content can be sourced from platforms like Unsplash, the YouTube Audio Library, and the Internet Archive. However, note that content marked as "free" online is not necessarily royalty-free. Royalty-free content allows use without ongoing royalty payments but often requires attribution to the creator, and some may involve a one-time licensing fee.

Copyright Myths and Fair Use
Participants should be aware of common misconceptions regarding copyright. For example, using 30 seconds or less of copyrighted material without permission is not legally permissible. The “fair use” doctrine is limited to purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. School-based festivals do not generally qualify as “fair use.” For fair use to apply, the copyrighted content must be repurposed to educate, critique, or inform others, as seen in news reporting or documentary-style productions. For more detailed explanations of fair use, refer to trusted resources on copyright law.

Special Rules for Music
Music often has specific licensing requirements. Social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram have agreements with copyright holders to license music for use on their platforms, often compensating artists for plays. If you include music from these platforms’ libraries in your submission, you must provide the URL to the published video as proof of proper use. Do not download these videos and upload them to a non-licensed platform (e.g., Google Drive), as this would violate copyright laws.

Restrictions for Public Performance
To avoid violating public performance restrictions, submissions with copyrighted music or other licensed materials may only be shown in private viewing settings during the festival. These videos will not be displayed on large public screens or shared on the schools’ YouTube channels after the event.

RSVP Disclaimer 

PARTICIPATION AGREEMENT AND RELEASE OF LIABILITY

Description of Activity/Program: Carondelet High School – FILM FEST 2025
Date of Activity/Program: March 6, 2025

In consideration of my participation (or my child’s participation) in Carondelet High School’s FILM FEST 2025 (“Program”), I agree to the following terms:

1. Assumption of Risk:
   I understand and acknowledge that participation in the Program involves inherent risks, which may include but are not limited to minor injuries (e.g., scratches, bruises, sprains), major injuries (e.g., eye injuries, joint injuries, heart attacks, concussions), and catastrophic injuries (e.g., paralysis or death). These risks may arise from the activity itself, the actions or omissions of others, defective premises, or unavailability of emergency care. By signing this agreement, I voluntarily assume all foreseeable risks associated with participation in the Program, except for those arising from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of Carondelet High School employees or agents.

2. Waiver of Liability:
   I waive any and all claims I may have against Carondelet High School and its agents under laws designed to protect individuals from releasing unknown claims. Specifically, I waive the protections of California Civil Code Section 1542, which states:
   "A general release does not extend to claims which the creditor does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release, which, if known by him or her, must have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor."

3. Indemnity and Defense:
   I agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Carondelet High School, its trustees, directors, officers, employees, volunteers, and agents ("Indemnitees") from any claims, damages, injuries, or liabilities arising out of my or my child’s participation in the Program. This includes, but is not limited to, property damage, personal injury, or death resulting from my or my child’s actions or omissions.

4. Representatives:
   This agreement binds me, my heirs, assigns, and legal representatives.

5. Insurance:
   I understand that Carondelet High School does not provide insurance coverage for injuries or losses sustained during the Program. I am responsible for any damages to property or equipment arising from my or my child’s participation.

6. Medical Care:
   I consent to emergency medical treatment if needed during the Program, provided by faculty, staff, adult supervisors, or medical professionals. I also allow Carondelet High School to share my or my child’s medical information with relevant parties to facilitate care. I agree to indemnify and hold Carondelet High School harmless from any claims arising from the provision of emergency care, including any alleged negligence.

7. Severability:
   If any provision of this agreement is found to be unenforceable or invalid, it shall not affect the remaining provisions, which will continue in full force and effect.

8. Photographs and Media:
   I grant Carondelet High School the unrestricted right to use photographs, videos, and audio recordings of me or my child for school publications, websites, and media outlets. These materials may be edited and reused by the school or authorized parties without compensation to me or my child. I waive any claims related to privacy violations or the use of such media.

9. Media Release of Student Work:
   I grant Carondelet High School the right to use, edit, and publish movies, short films, or other creative works submitted by me or my child as part of the Program. These materials may be used on the school’s website, other websites, or media outlets without compensation. I waive all claims related to privacy, copyright, or usage of these materials.

10. Content Suitability and Parental Discretion:
    The content presented during the WINTON ARTS FILM FEST 2025 is intended to be suitable for audiences under PG and PG-13 guidelines. However, parents/guardians are responsible for evaluating the suitability of the material for children under these guidelines. While efforts have been made to ensure appropriateness, parental discretion is advised.

11. Acknowledgment of Understanding:
    I have read and understand this agreement, including the assumption of risks, waiver of liability, and release of legal rights. I freely and voluntarily agree to its terms. I also acknowledge that participation in the Program is entirely voluntary.