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Report a Festival

Help protect filmmakers by reporting fraudulent or misleading festivals. All reports are reviewed by our team.

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Common Red Flags

Not sure if a festival is legitimate? Here are warning signs to watch for.

Guaranteed Selection

Legitimate festivals have competitive selection. If acceptance is guaranteed or near-guaranteed after paying, it's likely an award mill.

Excessive Categories

Festivals with 50+ award categories often exist to sell laurels. Legitimate festivals focus on a curated selection of awards.

Monthly Deadlines

Real festivals run annually or bi-annually. Monthly editions with rolling deadlines suggest a fee-collection operation, not a festival.

No Physical Screenings

A festival that never screens films for an audience is not really a festival. Online-only “festivals” with no events are a major red flag.

Reports are reviewed before any action is taken. False reports may be disregarded. If you have questions, visit our research tool to learn more about a festival.