We welcome submissions in the following categories:

• narrative features
• short films
• documentaries (feature and short)
• animation
• experimental; any length up to 2 hours in all categories
• High School Student Film Showcase and Competition (films up to 30 mins.) – Free Submission to November 25th, 2014 deadline.
• Please Note: Student films under 20 mins. are free up until the September 30th, 2014 submission deadline with a valid student I.D., but there is a fee for submissions from November 01-December 10, 2014.

We are open to films of any genre except adult films and in any language (with subtitles). We do not have a section dedicated to family films, but love films that appeal to the child in us all.  We always have a horror film section, in honor of a genre that has been an important launching point for independent filmmakers. DCIFF 2014 also welcomes open source films, art films and interactive films and the wide spectrum of documentary formats and issues including advocacy films.

Stipulations: We put a great deal of effort, time and attention into promoting the films selected for screening and competition and in this way, have aided many a filmmaker on the road to success, more success, awards, distribution and networking, but we can only do so if the following rules are followed:

Metro DC Film Premieres required (we do accept films that have had private screenings in DC), East Coast and US Premieres preferred; all films completed within one year of the date of submission to DCIFF; if your film is still in process we will accept submission but DCIFF will remove a film from final selection if it is not completed by the end of December 2014; while we have screened films that are available in their entirety for public viewing online, this is not our preference and we check every film we select accordingly.  Our reasonable submission fees are entirely used to cover the cost of filmmaker support: press, screenings, seminars and outreach. DCIFF is a volunteer-run festival with a fifteen year track record.