SUBMissions have now closed

For Watersprite 2024 

Free Submissions

Over the past fourteen editions of the festival, Watersprite has received submissions from over 100 countries across the world. Submissions are completely free and films are automatically considered for a wide range of awards.

Films can be submitted into one of four genres and once submitted, the student status of every student on the crew of the film will need to be submitted for verification.

Before we close submissions, filmmakers will also get the chance to apply to the Watersprite Mentorship programme. Scroll down to find out more!

  • At least two out of the following three must have been students during film production: Director, Producer & Writer. Additionally, films will only be considered for technical awards if the student responsible for that category was a student at the time of production. Filmmakers will need to submit proof of student status shortly after submitting their films on FilmFreeway.

  • All films must be under 2 minutes in length.

  • Films should be in English or have English subtitles.

  • If you would like to apply for the Watersprite Mentorship programme (scroll down to find out more), a form will be sent to you after you have submitted your film.

GENRE CATEGORIES

We accept films across four genre categories: Fiction, Documentary, Animation & Experimental. Films can only be submitted to one category.

FICTION

Fiction films often use a narrative to convey a story. They may be a drama or a comedy, or any other narrative subgenre. They involve real people and animals, rather than animated ones.

ANIMATION

Animated films involve a narrative in which more than 75% of the running time involves character and/or abstract animation. It may involve, although is by no means limited to, cel animation, stop motion, puppetry or CGI. Photorealistic animation is also considered as animation.

DOCUMENTARY

Documentaries are non-fiction films which concern real-life events, experiences and issues. They often are told in a journalistic style and express opinions or advance views on a particular subject.

EXPERIMENTAL

Experimental films are films that break away from traditional cinematic boundaries and conventions. They employ unusual or groundbreaking aesthetic and technical elements and generally do not follow predictable narrative form. They allow for ambiguity and complexity of thought and use abstraction or lyricism in their execution. These films often expand the language of cinema.

“an excellent festival! great and welcoming Committee. high standard for the movies. and a lot of cool and interesting talks and people! will definitely go again! thanks for an amazing time :D ”

— Maja Kjellstad Aanonsen,
2023 Winner of Animation Award and Neil Gaiman Film of the Year Award

AWARDS

Watersprite will select up to four nominees for each award. Films are automatically considered for all awards they are eligible for. To qualify for a technical award, a student must have been responsible for that technical category. The winner of the performance award does not need to be a student, but does need to be an amateur.

GENRE AWARDS

  • The best film submitted to the Fiction genre category.

  • The best film submitted to the Animation genre category.

  • The best film submitted to the Documentary genre category.

  • The best film submitted to the Experimental genre category.

TECHNICAL AWARDS

  • The film with the best directing. Director must be a student.

  • The film with the best screenplay. Writer must be a student and the screenplay must be submitted along with the film on FilmFreeway.

  • The film with the best cinematography. Cinematographer must be a student.

  • The film with the best editing. Editor must be a student.

  • The film with the best performance. Performer must be an amateur (but does not need to be a student).

  • The film with the best production design. Production Designer must be a student.

  • The film with the best sound design. Sound Designer must be a student.

  • The film with the best costume design. Costume Designer must be a student.

  • The film with the best original music. Composer must be a student. The film’s entire score must be original work by a student.

SPECIAL AWARDS

  • The winners of the fiction, animation, documentary and experimental awards go head-to-head to determine the Film of the Year!

  • This is given to a film with a clear humanitarian subject matter that critically engages audiences, raises awareness about an issue and allows viewers to reflect on the importance and social impact of the topic that is presented.

  • Voted for by audiences who attend the screenings at the festival.

Kickstart your filmmaking career.

MENTORSHIPS

The Watersprite mentorship is a year-long programme designed to pair a Watersprite filmmaker with industry professionals who can guide them at a pivotal moment in their career as they take the first steps towards establishing themselves in the screen industries.

The mentorships sit alongside our awards and are designed to support the career development of underrepresented filmmakers and address inequality in the screen industries, forming part of Watersprite’s objectives to strive towards a more inclusive, diverse future of film and support emerging talent. Each year we offer three mentorships for filmmakers who identify as belonging to marginalised groups or have experienced disadvantage in their careers.

  • Filmmakers who identify as belonging to a marginalised group, including (but not limited to):

    1. Women: including cisgender women, trans women, genderqueer women, and non-binary people who are significantly female-identified;

    2. LGBTQIA+: including individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary, and intersex;

    3. People who have experienced racism or disadvantage on the basis of their ethnicity. This includes but is not limited to: people of African or Caribbean heritage, people of South Asian heritage, people of East Asian heritage, people of Central Asian heritage, people of West Asian heritage, people of Latin American heritage, and Roma and traveller people; 

    4. People with physical or mental disabilities;

    5. People from a low-income background.

    Applications are also open to those who have experienced a disadvantage due to: 

    6. Age;

    7. Marriage or civil partnership; 

    8. Pregnancy and maternity;

    9. Caring responsibilities;

    10. Religion or belief; 

    11. Regional precedence.

  • After submissions close, an email will be sent to all filmmakers inviting them to apply to the mentorship scheme.

  • We try to match mentees with the kind of mentors they are looking for. Suggestions are welcome!