1. Online Festival Dynamic: Underground Cinefest is an exclusively online film contest that operates ​annually with a unique structure featuring up to three classification periods throughout the year, ​depending on overall intake of submissions. The culmination of these periods leads to a final Results Day, ​on which all individual award category winners are announced. While Underground Cinefest does not ​routinely stream films as part of its contest, we reserve the right to request permission to showcase the ​Best Picture winners during a designated short window. This potential showcase is subject to the ​following conditions to ensure the security and integrity of the films:

a. Copyright Confirmation: Filmmakers must provide express consent and confirm copyright ownership ​for any streaming of their audiovisual project, ensuring that all necessary rights are in place for public ​exhibition.

b. Secure Viewing and Anti-Piracy Measures: In the event of streaming, audiovisual projects will be ​protected with encryption, making them safely viewable without risk of unauthorized access or ​distribution. The streaming platform will employ robust anti-piracy measures, including but not limited to ​geoblocking capabilities and digital rights management (DRM) to prevent downloading and illegal sharing.

c. Limited Accessibility: The streaming window will be brief, and access will be tightly controlled and ​limited to a specified audience, ensuring exclusivity and respect for the filmmakers’ work.

2. Use of Stills and/or Clip Fragments: You certify that your work is ready for festival exhibition (all music, ​fonts, visuals, etc. are cleared worldwide, in perpetuity, multi-platform), and that the intellectual ​property is yours. If you are acting as a distributor, you affirm you've secured permission from the ​copyright owner. You allow us to use stills and short clips from your audiovisual project on the festival's ​digital platforms, including our website and social media channels, exclusively for promotional, non-​commercial, and educational purposes.

3. Downloading: You grant permission to the Festival Director and Jury to download your audiovisual ​project(s) to assist with offline viewing and to fulfill the festival's programming needs. There may be an ​opportunity for your audiovisual project to be showcased, to be confirmed, in those events you permit us ​to showcase your audiovisual project online with appropriate encryption and password protection.

4. IMDb: Underground Cinefest's team can update your awards/nominations on your IMDb pages, but will ​not initiate the creation of project pages if they don't exist.

5. Code of Conduct: You pledge to maintain respect and courtesy toward all involved.

6. Feedback: While we don't provide feedback on every submission, we do offer a critical review option.

7. No Refunds and Sportsmanship: No refunds will be provided based on dissatisfaction with final festival ​decisions.

8. One-Time Fee for All Categories: A singular fee ensures your project is evaluated across all festival ​categories for potential awards/nominations.

9. Accepted Submission Types: We accept a broad spectrum of submission formats.

10. Submission Permissions: Filmmaker teams can enter multiple projects in the same festival round.

11. Submission Restrictions: Once an audiovisual project has been submitted to a particular edition, it ​cannot be re-submitted in subsequent ones.

12. Film Reviews: To request a written critique, your audiovisual project must have been submitted to the ​competition.

13. Official Selection: A submission does not automatically grant "Official Selection" status.

14. Mailing List: By submitting to Underground Cinefest, you automatically join our newsletter.