All submissions must be 7 minutes or under in length.

Films may have been exhibited or previously distributed, but you must hold the right to distribute the film on linear and digital channels. For example, the finalist films may screen on YouTube, Facebook, National Geographic, etc.

To enter, you must have a valid Audience Awards account. Signing up for Audience Awards is free of charge. No purchase necessary to enter or claim a prize. A purchase does not increase your chances of winning. Odds of winning will depend on the total number of entries received. Entry via the Audience Awards account and connection is required. You must have the authority to submit the film for our consideration.

Anyone may submit to this contest, but videos will be judged for admittance into the contest before audience and jury voting opens. Preliminary judging will be based on the quality of content and adherence to the assignment. Videos will be judged by a score of 1-3. Videos that score a 1 will not be allowed to compete in the contest. The film must not (i) infringe any rights of publicity or privacy, moral rights or IP rights, including any music-related rights, (ii) be defamatory or indecent, and (iii) violate any applicable laws. You must have obtained and been able to prove that you have all the necessary rights to the music in your film. Creative commons licenses will not be accepted and do not prove that you have the rights to the music on your film.

HOW TO ENTER:

To enter the contest, filmmakers must create an Audience Awards account and follow the instructions from the contest landing page located at

DEADLINES AND FEES:

Early Bird Deadline: Dec 14 - 26, 2017 11:59 p.m. MST - $30
Regular Deadline: Dec 27- Jan 28, 2018 11:59 p.m. MST - $50
Late Deadline: Jan 29 - Feb 4, 2018 11:59 p.m. MST - $70
Extended Deadline: February 4-8, 2018 11:59 p.m. MST - $90

Or, Upgrade to Pro to make your entry fees disappear and receive more space, higher quality uploads and unlimited contest entries starting at only $5/month. Learn More

The contest opens December 14, 2017 and submissions close on February 8, 2018. An industry jury elects the finalists. Global audience voing on the finalist films run June 1-8, 2018.

SELECTION OF WINNERS:

How winners are determined: The films will be juried by an industry panel at the close of submissions. The top 8 ranked films as determined by an industry jury, will be deemed the finalists in the Ocean Film Challenge. Your chances of becoming a finalist depends on how well your entry reflects the judging criteria, as compared to the other entries in the film challenge.

Entries will be evaluated based on the following judging criteria:
* Creativity (45%)
* Technical Merit (30%)
* Adherence to the Assignment (25%)

ABOUT PRIZES: The jury selection of the top 8 films will be considered the "Finalists". From the finalists, awards will be announced immediately following the premiere screening of the finalists at DCEFF. Awards include best film in the challenge, honorable mention, best score, best cinematography and best editing.

The global audience will vote for their favorite finalist films between June 1-8 and the top three audience voted films will be announced at the finalist screening at AudFest 2018 on Blue Out Day.

PRIZE BREAKDOWN

Best Film in Competition: Jury Choice wins $1,500 + 2-round trip tickets on Singapore Airlines* + a meeting with Dr. Sylvia Earle.
Best Film in Competition: Audience Choice wins $1,000 + an all-inclusive 7-day diving trip at VOLIVOLI Beach Resort Fiji for 2.

2^nd place audience choice: $300

3^rd place audience choice: $200

About the Best Film in Competition Jury Choice prizes: Includes 2 roundtrip airline tickets anywhere Singapore Air flies. Example: SFO to Bali. (One layover or less.) The Best Film in competition jury Choice also wins a meeting with Dr. Sylvia Earle (Time/Location TBD) and $1,000 cash.

About the Best Film in Competition Audience Choice: The most voted films wins an all-inclusive 7-day diving trip at VOLIVOLI Beach Resort Fiji for 2.The all-inclusive package includes 7 nights in their Premium Ocean View Studio Bure, two 10 tank diving packages and a 7-day meal plan for two. Check out the opportunity here: https://www.volivoli.com/. Also includes the two 10 tank diving packages and a 7-day meal plan for two. The diving will be normal air only and not Nitrox. Nitrox Packages are available for sale at the resort upon checking in. The trip must be redeemed in 2018. https://www.volivoli.com/

All 8 finalist filmmakers win: an autographed photography book by Dr. Earle and Force Fins autographed by Dr. Earle. The finalist filmmakers also receive two film festival passes to attend IWFF and two festival passes to attend AudFest. (DCEFF is free to attend and does not require a pass.)The approximate retail value of the prize(s) may be based on information provided by the sponsor and the value of any prize awarded to a winner may be reported for tax purposes as required by law. For tax reporting purposes, the winner(s) may be required to provide the sponsor with a valid social security number before the prize is awarded. An IRS Form 1099 may be issued in the name of winner(s) or, if a minor in the jurisdiction in which they reside, in the name of their parent or legal guardian, for the actual value of the prize(s) received. The prizes are awarded “as is” without warranty or guarantee, either express or implied (including, without limitation, any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose). Prizing may be fulfilled by a third party. Prizes are nontransferable and cannot be substituted or redeemed for cash by the winner.

Conditions: Payments of all federal, state, and local taxes are solely the responsibility of the winner. Winner will be required to sign an IRS Form W-9 with the winner’s full social security number or the equivalent. Failure to submit a Form W-9 upon request will result in forfeiture of the prize. Winnings of $600 or more will be reported to the IRS.

In the event a prize is mailed to a winner, it will be with the prior written consent of the winner and therefore, winner assumes the risk of its loss. Sponsor is not responsible for the safe arrival of a prize. Sponsor is not responsible if a potential winner does not receive his/her prize because erroneous, expired, cancelled, fraudulent, or fake information was provided during the Promotion. Only the prize(s) set forth in these Official Rules will be awarded. If, through printing or production error, or for any other reason whatsoever, more prizes are claimed than intended and/or set forth in these Official Rules, Sponsor reserves the right to award only the stated number of prizes from all legitimate, unawarded, eligible prize claims.

REDEEMING PRIZES: Finalists will be notified via email within two weeks of the challenge closing. All winners are subject to verification at the sole discretion of HATCH and Audience Awards. As part of the verification process, Audience Awards or HATCH may, without otherwise altering the grant of rights to contest entities, require potential winners to sign and return an affidavit of eligibility, and except where prohibited by law, a liability and publicity release. Any and all materials submitted become the property of the sponsor and will not be returned. Prizes will be sent out on the day of the DCEFF screening or within 60 days of the DCEFF screening.

NON-EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS PROVISION: We claim no ownership rights over the film(s) you submit or other content made available to others through your account, and you retain any such rights in any film and related content you submit via the Audience Awards platform and services. However, by submitting a film or other content, you acknowledge that such content may be made available to others through the services, and you hereby grant Audience Awards a worldwide, nonexclusive, royalty-free, fully paid license (with a right to sublicense) to use, copy, reproduce, process, adapt, modify, publish, transmit, display and distribute such content for any purpose, commercial or otherwise, without acknowledgment or compensation to you through any or all media or distribution methods (including through a third-party platform), whether now known or hereafter developed. You further agree to execute any documentation required by Audience Awards, at our expense, in its sole discretion, to confirm such assignment to, and unrestricted use and dissemination by, Audience Awards of such other submissions. If we cannot locate you or you refuse to sign required documents, you are hereby granting Audience Awards your proxy. Finalist films may be uploaded to Audience Awards YouTube or other social media channels. Director's name will be credited.

You must have obtained all the necessary rights, including music rights, consents, authorizations and licenses covering the film. There must not be pending or anticipated litigation regarding the film. You may have to provide proof of rights.

All federal, state and local laws apply. By participating, entrants agree (i) to be bound by these Official Rules, including all eligibility requirements, and (ii) to be bound by the decisions of Audience Awards and HATCH, including the interpretations of these Official Rules, which are final and binding in all matters relating to the contest. The Audience Awards and HATCH are not responsible for (i) lost, late, misdirected, deceptive, damaged, garbled or illegible entries; (ii) error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operations or transmission, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to or alterations of entry materials, or for technical, network, telephone-equipment, electronic, computer, hardware or software malfunctions of any kind, or inaccurate transmission of or failure to receive entry information by Audience Awards on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the internet or at any website or any combination thereof; or (iii) any injury or damage to entrant's or any other person's computer related to or resulting from participating in the contest. Audience Awards and HATCH reserves the right to permanently disqualify from this contest any person they believe has violated these Official Rules.

By accepting a prize, each winner irrevocably consents to the use by Audience Awards and HATCH or contest entities of winner's name, likeness and statements relating to the contest, without further compensation, in all worldwide marketing, promotion and publicity carried out in perpetuity by Audience Awards and HATCH and any of contest entities. Any information provided by the sponsor may be used to communicate with an entrant in relation to the contest or on a contest winner’s list. Audience Awards and HATCH reserve the right to terminate, cancel, suspend and/or modify the contest if any fraud, virus or other problems corrupt the administration, security or proper play of the contest, as determined by Audience Awards and _HATCH_in their sole discretion. Any damage made to the website or the Audience Awards service and _HATCH___will be the responsibility of the account holder.

If a contest is terminated before the end date/time, the sponsor will determine the winner from all eligible entries received as of the termination date/time. If any such malfunction, error, disruption or similar damage occurs and impairs the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper play of the contest, Audience Awards, and HATCH___may, in their sole discretion, suspend or terminate the contest by posting a notice at theaudienceawards.com.

You may not post or transmit a caption that contains threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, scandalous, inflammatory, pornographic or profane material or any caption that could constitute or encourage conduct that would be considered a criminal offense, that would otherwise violate any law, or is inconsistent with HATCH brand image. Any response that includes any such material, as determined by HATCH in its sole discretion, will be disqualified.

Entries generated by a script, computer programs, macro, programmed, robotic or other automated means will be disqualified. Entries that are incomplete, illegible, corrupted, false, lost, late or misdirected, deceptive or otherwise not in compliance with the Official Rules may be disqualified from the contest at the sponsor's sole and absolute discretion. In the event of a dispute over the identity of an entrant, the entry will be deemed submitted by the authorized account holder of the email address associated with the Audience Awards account of the entry, which the entrant will have the obligation to establish. Authorized account holder is defined as the person assigned to an email address by an internet access provider, online service provider or other organization responsible for assigning email addresses. All materials submitted become the property of the sponsor and will not be returned. In the event a dispute regarding the identity of the individual who actually submitted an entry cannot be resolved to the sponsor's satisfaction, the affected entry will be deemed ineligible. Illegible and/or incomplete entries and entries submitted by entrants who do not meet the eligibility requirements (including all requirements with respect to age and residence) are void.

VOTING: Voting is open to the public. Voters can vote once a day for as many films as they like. Filmmakers can vote for their own films and any other films they like once a day. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Any questions regarding the determination of a winner will be decided in the sole discretion of the sponsor, which is final and binding in all matters relating to this contest. If a user text verifies, the phone numbers will never be used for any purpose except to protect voting standards.

YOUR ACCOUNT AND VOTING TERMS:

You are responsible for your use of the services and for any content accessed or made available to others through your account, even if that content is accessed or made available by others. Audience Awards will not be held responsible for your use of the services or for any such content. You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account login information and for any activities or actions occurring under your account. Audience Awards encourages you to use a "strong" password (passwords that use a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols) for your account. Audience Awards will not be responsible for any loss or damages resulting from your failure to comply with this obligation.

Each account login may only be used by one person - a single login shared by multiple people is not permitted. Fake email addresses are not allowed. You must be a human. Accounts registered by "bots" or other automated methods are not permitted. One person or legal entity may not maintain more than one free account.

You may not vote on behalf of someone else. Filmmakers and third parties may tell their customers, friends and neighbors about the competition and direct them to Audience Awards to vote for a film. Filmmakers are encouraged to share information they believe is relevant through links to the filmmakers’ Audience Awards pages. Filmmakers are responsible for complying with all applicable terms of each third-party platform, and all applicable laws, in connection with sharing information about its film. Neither filmmakers nor third parties retained by you may solicit or entice others to vote by offering any type of consideration including gifts, awards, bribes or inducements, including merchandise, cash, online currency, discounts, lottery or anything deemed to have value in exchange for votes, including donations to charity. Noncompliance may result in removal from the competition. Soliciting others for votes or sending spam related to voting is not within the spirit of the competition and films may be subject to removal from the competition if it is determined that they have participated in any such activities.

Notwithstanding anything in these rules, filmmakers may purchase print or digital advertisements simply stating that they are participating in the program, and they are encouraged to reach out to their friends, family, and fans to vote. The count of eligible votes by the Audience Awards shall be deemed final. The Audience Awards and HATCH reserve the right to eliminate or disregard any or all votes in excess of stated limits or otherwise not in accordance with the Official Rules or any instructions on the website, including any voting instructions.

The Audience Awards and Hatch____are not responsible for, nor are they required to count, in their sole and absolute discretion, late, lost, misdirected, unlawful or illicit votes, votes cast for a filmmaker later determined to be ineligible, votes cast in violation of the rules, votes achieved through automated means by using more than one account, using another person's name or identity, or votes that are achieved through other fraudulent means, unsportsmanlike conduct or in a manner otherwise inconsistent with these contest rules. If you are caught cheating and you have an entry in a film and video contest, your entry will/may be deleted from the contest and not be eligible to receive a prize. Using vote-collecting websites including, but not limited to, getonlinevotes.com, votesforcontest.com, vapulsemedia.net, etc. is not allowed.

NOTE ABOUT MOBILE: If you participate in the contest via your wireless mobile device (which may only be available via participating wireless carriers and is not required to enter), standard messaging or data rates will apply according to the terms and conditions of your service agreement with your wireless carrier. Other charges may apply and may appear on your mobile phone bill or be deducted from your prepaid account balance. Wireless carriers' rate plans may vary, and you should contact your wireless carrier for more information about rate plans and charges relating to your participation in this contest. Internet and data may not be available from all mobile phone service carriers and handset models. Cellphone service may not be available in all areas. Check your phone's capabilities for specific instructions.

By participating in the challenge, winner agrees to have his/her name, voice, likeness, photograph, statements, opinions, biographical information and/or challenge entry used in any advertising or broadcasting material, whether relating to this Promotion or otherwise, in any media, worldwide, now known or hereinafter developed, in perpetuity, without additional notice, payment, or other compensation unless prohibited by law, and, where legal, to sign a publicity release confirming such consent prior to acceptance of the prize.

Sponsor is not responsible for lost, stolen, mangled, misdelivered, postage due, illegible, incomplete or late entries, telephone service outages, delays, busy signals, equipment malfunctions and any other technological difficulties that may prevent an individual from entering or claiming a prize.

Sponsor, its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any person tampering with the entry process, the operation of Sponsor’s website, or otherwise in violation of the Official Rules. Sponsor further reserves the right to cancel, terminate or modify the challenge if it is not capable of completion as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention or technical failures of any sort. In such event, Sponsor reserves the right, but not the obligation, to award any applicable prize(s) from the entries submitted before the cancellation, suspension, or modification of the challenge. Any attempt to undermine the operation of the Promotion may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Sponsor reserves the right to make changes in the Official Rules, including the substitution of a prize of greater or equivalent value, which will become effective upon announcement.

Failure to comply with the Official Rules may result in Participant’s disqualification solely at the discretion of the Sponsor.

The Sponsor is not responsible for typographical or other errors in the printing, the offering or the administration of the Promotion, or in the announcement of a prize. In any case, the final winner of all prizes will be determined, and prizes will be awarded, within a reasonable time after the end of the Promotion Period, except as agreed between Sponsor and winner.

Indemnification; Limitation of Liability: NEITHER SPONSOR, THE AUDIENCE AWARDS, NOR THEIR SUBSIDIARIES AND AFFILIATED ENTITIES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PRINTING OR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS IN ANY PROMOTION-RELATED MATERIALS OR TRANSACTIONS THAT ARE PROCESSED LATE OR INCORRECTLY OR ARE LOST DUE TO COMPUTER OR ELECTRONIC MALFUNCTION.

SPONSOR IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOST, STOLEN, MANGLED, MISDELIVERED, POSTAGE DUE, ILLEGIBLE, INCOMPLETE OR LATE ENTRIES, TELEPHONE SERVICE OUTAGES, DELAYS, BUSY SIGNALS, EQUIPMENT MALFUNCTIONS AND ANY OTHER TECHNOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES THAT MAY PREVENT AN INDIVIDUAL FROM ENTERING OR CLAIMING A PRIZE.

THIS PROMOTION OFFER IS BEING MADE EXCLUSIVELY BY THE SPONSOR. SPONSOR AND THE AUDIENCE AWARDS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TECHNICAL, HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, OR TELEPHONE FAILURE OF ANY KIND, LOST OR UNAVAILABLE NETWORK CONNECTIONS OR FRAUD, INCOMPLETE, GARBLED, OR DELAYED COMPUTER TRANSMISSION WHETHER CAUSED BY SPONSOR, USER, OR BY ANY OF THE EQUIPMENT OR PROGRAMMING ASSOCIATED WITH OR UTILIZED IN THE PROMOTION, OR BY ANY TECHNICAL OR HUMAN ERROR WHICH MAY OCCUR IN THE PROCESS OF SUBMISSIONS WHICH MAY LIMIT A PARTICIPANT'S ABILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROMOTION. NEITHER SPONSOR, THE AUDIENCE AWARDS, NOR THEIR SUBSIDIARIES AND AFFILIATED ENTITIES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR INJURY INCURRED BY WINNER AND GUESTS AS A RESULT OF WINNING.

BY ENTERING, PARTICIPANTS AGREE TO RELEASE, HOLD HARMLESS, DEFEND AND INDEMNIFY EACH OF SPONSOR, THE AUDIENCE AWARDS, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE PARENTS, SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, AND EACH OF THEIR RESPECTIVE DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS, AND ANY AND ALL OTHER COMPANIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROMOTION (COLLECTIVELY, THE “RELEASED PARTIES”) AGAINST ANY AND ALL LIABILITY, DAMAGES, OR CAUSES OR ACTION (HOWEVER NAMED OR DESCRIBED), RELATED TO OR ARISING OUT OF (I) THE PROMOTION, (II) PARTICIPANT’S PARTICIPATION IN THE PROMOTION, AND (III) THE RECEIPT OR USE OR MISUSE OF THE PRIZE(S) AWARDED HEREIN. POSSIBLE CLAIMS OR CAUSES OF ACTION INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, INFRINGEMENT OF ANY RIGHT OF PUBLICITY OR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY; THREATENED OR ACTUAL INJURY, LOSS, OR DAMAGE TO ANY PERSON, INCLUDING DEATH AND DISABILITY; DEFAMATION OR PORTRAYAL IN A FALSE LIGHT (INTENTIONAL AND UNINTENTIONAL); AND DAMAGE TO OR LOSS OF PROPERTY, ARISING OUT OF SUCH PARTICIPANT’S PARTICIPATION IN THE PROMOTION OR RECEIPT OR USE OR MISUSE OF ANY PRIZE. IN NO EVENT WILL THE RELEASED PARTIES BE RESPONSIBLE FOR OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THIS PROMOTION.

APPLICABLE LAW: The contest and these Official Rules shall be construed and governed in accordance with the substantive laws of the state of Montana, as distinguished from the choice of law rules. By participating, entrants agree that all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, entrant's rights and obligations, or the rights and obligations of the sponsor in connection with the contest shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of Montana, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules. By participating, entrants consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the federal, state and local courts located in Montana.

MISCELLANEOUS:

The names of individuals, groups, companies, products and services mentioned herein, and any corresponding likenesses, logos, and images thereof reproduced herein, have been used for identification purposes only and may be the copyrighted properties and trademarks of their respective owners. The mention of any individual, group or company (including, without limitation, Audience Awards), or the inclusion of a product or service as a prize, does not imply any association with or endorsement by such individual, group or company or the manufacturer or distributor of such product or service and, except as otherwise indicated, no association or endorsement is intended or should be inferred. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these Official Rules will not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision.

In the event that any provision of the Official Rules is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable or illegal, the other provisions will remain in effect and will be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or illegal provision were not contained herein. The sponsor’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules will not constitute a waiver of that provision. To the extent, there is a conflict between these Official Rules and any terms of use or other agreement posted on the sponsor’s website, Audience Awards website or elsewhere, these Official Rules control.

ELIGIBILITY:

The contest is open to the public worldwide. An eligible minor (the age of majority is eighteen (18) in most states but twenty-one (21) in Mississippi and nineteen (19) in Alabama and Nebraska) should obtain a parent or legal guardian’s permission prior to entering. Further, entrants must be members in good standing of the Audience Awards in order to participate in the contest and win the prize(s).

Employees of Audience Awards and/or their affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies, directors, officers and distributors and other prize suppliers and each of their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household (whether legally related or not) are not eligible to enter or win. The contest is governed by U.S. law, is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations, and is void where prohibited.

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Ocean Film Challenge

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