You are cordially invited to be part of the upcoming 58th Annual WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival! The oldest Independent Film Festival in the whole wide world! Venice & Cannes are older but they show Major Studio Films! WorldFest gave first awards to giants of the film industry, including Spielberg, Lucas, Ang Lee, the Coen Brothers, Ridley Scott, John Lee Hancock, Brian de Palma, Randal Kleiser, Oliver Stone, David Lynch and literally hundreds more! We are happy to accept Online FilmFreeway Screeners! We have Big LG 110" Digital Screens for our juries! Not just Interns seeing/judging your entry on little laptops. Since we show our Remi Winners on big Cinemark Theater screens, it seems right that we look at your production on a big flat screen! We do also accept DVD, BLURAY or USB FLASH/PEN/JUMP DRIVE for judging and for Theater Screening. Region Zero, please! (If you win a Remi, you may be screened on big screens to real theater audience!! So we require: a BluRay, Jump Drive or DCP for the DCP screening! Large juries view your entry on a big digital screen, not a little laptop! {Screenplay entries must be bound, but we do accept Online entries!) We will personally confirm your entry's arrival. We will also personally let you know the jury results, and if you win a Remi Award, we will invite you to attend the 58th WorldFest, and you will receive a $1,000 VIP Platinum Pass with our compliments and special deep discounts on Platinum Passes for your associates!

We do prefer Premieres, as we do not want to be Number 11 on your festival list of screenings! We discovered Spielberg, Lucas, Ang Lee, The Coen Brothers, Randal Kleiser, Coppola and David Lynch, with their very first Premieres - those many new festivals did not! Therefore WorldFest requires a Premiere of some level, World, USA, Southwest! If your entry has been all over, we reserve those screening slots for true Premieres, but you could still win a Remi Award. If you have won lots of awards from small, new events, our Congratulations.... but we prefer Premieres! Not being #12 after the 1st Annual Bustleberg Film Festival! (yup, there is a Bustleburg in Virginia! We expect a film festival there any day! (;-)

WorldFest was founded over 60 years ago as Cinema Arts, an International Film Society in August, 1961. WorldFest became the third competitive international film festival in North America, following San Francisco and New York. WorldFest is the oldest Independent Film & Video Festival in the Whole Wide World. It evolved into a competitive International Film Festival in April, 1968.

WorldFest was founded by award-winning producer/director Hunter Todd to present a quality film festival for the Independent filmmakers. Hunter Todd has been honored with more than 115 international awards for creative excellence in film production, and he has been the producer, director, writer and/or cameraman on more than 300 motion picture and video productions. He has served as the member of the International Jury on more than 25 world-wide film festivals, from Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Croatia, Korea, Ireland and Bulgaria. He is the longest running Film Festival Director in the whole wide world! The mission/vision statement of WorldFest is ~ "To recognize and honor outstanding creative excellence in film & video, to validate brilliant abilities and to promote cultural tourism for Houston, to develop film production in the region and to add to the rich cultural fabric of the city of Houston." All members of the WorldFest staff are filmmakers.

WorldFest is one of the oldest and largest film &video competitions in the world, with more than 4,307 category entries received from 70 nations in 2024. Actually WorldFest is 10 Major film & video competitions in one event, unlike Cannes, Sundance and Toronto, which are just 2 competitions for shorts and features only.

You may enter Shorts, Features, Student Films, Experimental Films, Screenplays, Music Videos and New Media via the wonderful FilmFreeway platform. However, if you want to enter the specialized Television & Cable Categories (100 Series), the TV Commercial Categories (400 Series) and the Film & Video Categories (200 Series) (Many specialized TV, Documentary and Corporate/Business Categories, simply visit our main website at https://worldfest.org - click to Enter, then click on Enter Film Festival! You may also print out an Old School Paper entry form and send it in with your entries! Welcome to the 58th Annual WorldFest-Houston International Film & Video Festival!

WorldFest Artistic and Program Director Kathleen Haney stated, “We feel that it is impossible to properly emphasize individual films when the festival screening schedule is too large. We must consider both our festival audience and our independent filmmakers. A huge slate of 150-300 films cannot possibly do justice to each individual film. Further, it is impossible to see more than 25-50 films (with four shows a day) in a six-day festival, so it would be foolish to program more than that.” Haney continued, “We will concentrate on only the very best, selecting new American & Foreign Independent films that truly deserve a premiere at WorldFest. By doing so, we can concentrate on the films and their filmmakers and enable our faithful audience the opportunity to see each and every film!” All films/Digital entries are screened at the Cinemark Memorial City Theatres. WorldFest – the Indie Film Festival for the New Millennium!

In addition to honoring a different country each year, WorldFest will continue with its annual Short Film Showcase, a special review of 80+ new short and student films…from the festival that discovered Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ang Lee, John Lee Hancock, Randall Kleiser, Ridley Scott, Robert Rodriguez, Robert Townsend, The Coen Brothers, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone and David Lynch with their very first awards. WorldFest has emerged as the oldest film festival management in the world, with the same continuous director for more than 57 consecutive years. A few other festivals are older, but they have had as many as ten different directors. WorldFest is uniquely the only film festival in North America that is staffed and managed totally by filmmakers. All staff members have active film and video production experience, which gives them a very unique point of reference in relation to the entering filmmakers and their work. WorldFest, founded in 1961, is the oldest Independent film festival in the world, and the 3rd oldest film festival in North America.

Among the remarkable number of WorldFest discoveries, we include just a few, listed in alphabetical order: John Alvidson, John Badham, Ralph Bakshi, Carroll Ballard, John Boorman, Marty Brest, Michael Cimino, The Coen Brothers, Bryan De Palma, Jonathan Demme, Michael Demme, Atom Egoyan, John Frankenheimer, Leslie Linka Glatter, Charles Guggenheim, John Lee Hancock, Hal Hartley, Randall Kleiser, Ang Lee, Spike Lee, George Lucas, David Lynch, Paul Mazursky, Steve Poster, Robert Rodriguez, John Sayles, Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, Oliver Stone, Robert Townsend, Will Vinton, Peter Weir, Hugh Wilson and hundreds more. The winners this year will be the Spielbergs of tomorrow and you can meet them before they are famous.

WorldFest-Houston…”Fiercely Independent”

WorldFest is one of the oldest film festivals in the world, founded in 1961 as a film society. We do accept productions from 2022, 2023 & 2024.

Awards & Prizes

Because of our 10 major competitions and the 200+ sub-categories, WorldFest does present a lot of awards, but they are both earned and deserved. Only about 15% of total category entries actually win a Remi Award. WorldFest is the only film festival in the world that actually Juries and Scores your entry. If you score high enough, you do win a Remi Award.

An A+ Score equals a Special Jury Award. An A score is a Platinum, and A- score is a Gold, a B+ Score is a Silver and a B Score is a Bronze. We do not make Remi Awards for scores lower than a B. No awards are given in any category unless the scores from the juries are high enough to place for honors. Overall only 15-20% of the total category entries actually win an award at WorldFest.

Those that do not win an award are informed by mail with personal letters prior to the festival. (For Shorts over 15 Minutes, please scroll down to LONG SHORTS to enter. We accept shorts to 69:59 Minutes, after that we consider them to be Featurettes).

Rules & T​erms

WE ACCEPT FilmFreeway STREAMING ENTRIES, PLUS VIMEO & YOUTUBE, DVD/BR & JUMP DRIVES! BUT IF YOU WIN A REMI AWARD, WE DO REQUIRE A BLURAY, USB FLASH DRIVE, OR DCP FOR THEATER SCREENING OF YOUR ENTRY! WE JUDGE ON 110" LG HI-RES DIGITAL FLAT SCREENS AND WE SCREEN WINNERS ON BIG CINEMARK THEATER SCREENS, WITH BIG JURIES - (NOT JUDGED ON LITTLE LAPTOPS BY INTERNS!)

All filmmakers understand and accept that if their film is selected for presentation and screening at the film/video festival, they grant full and unrestricted permission for HIFF, Inc. to screen the film/video at times of the festivals choice and to charge an admission fee for the presentation of the digital video program. All the presented film/videos do win a Remi Award from the festival (HIFF). WorldFest only screens winners!

The Filmmaker understands and accepts that they do not participate in receiving any funds from the Box-office proceeds which are fully retained by the festival to help cover the overall cost of the festival presentation. It should be noted for the record that box-office proceeds never fully cover the actual cost of presentation of the Features and Short Film Programs. The Festival (HIFF) is a non-profit, 501-C-3 Educational/Cultural Organization with Federal, State, County & City Tax-Exemptions.

Required Legal Stuff: The filmmaker releases the festival (HIFF) from any and all liability for damages or destruction of the entered DVD/BluRay/Jump Drive/DCP. The Filmmaker understands that the entered DVD or BluRay will be retained in a secure facility by the festival, and every effort will be taken to protect and control the viewing of this production. The festival assumes no liability whatsoever for theft, copyright violations or piracy of the entry.

The Filmmaker accepts and understands that the festival, in conjunction with Cinemark Memorial City Theatre will do everything possible to present the video in the best possible manner but the festival (HIFF) is not responsible for any and all malfunctions during the presentation of the production at its festival screening. We use Professional Sony & Pioneer BluRay/DVD International playback systems, all formats, all regions, including Region 0. All entries are carefully pre-screened prior to the public showing to assure that the BluRay/DVD does perform to industry Standards. The Festival (HIFF) assumes no responsibility for any technical difficulties in the presentation of this video at the actual event.

The Film Festival (HIFF) reserves the complete right to make changes in the program dates and times and to possibly not screen the video, despite it being selected for screening.

The filmmaker will endeavor to present to The Festival (HIFF) a new and pre-checked BluRay/ DVD / Thumb Drive or DCP for the actual presentation of the video at the festival.

You may send just one DVD/BluRay for multiple category entries. You may combine multiple TV commercial entries on a DVD, with no color bars, no automatic looping feature to begin again and a 5 second break between spots. Make sure their titles and order/sequence are correct on the DVD. Screenplays may now be entered Online as digital entries! We do Not require printed/bound entries, and will be phasing out accepting physical scripts by 2025.

DVD Entries can be NTSC, PAL, or SECAM, – any and all regions. There is no extra charge for PAL or other formats. We accept all regions and all formats. We also accept Thumb Drive and Blu-Ray discs, any region.

A short paragraph, 50-100 word synopsis, is required for all scripts and all entries (except TV commercials, music videos), which is for the jury and if selected, for the program book. Shorts and features are to provide (when requested and selected into program) a color or B/W production digital still photo (resolution of 300 Dots per square inch DPI or higher, higher is much better) for the program book jpeg photo files are OK. (Photos not required for video, cable, TV commercials, website entries, or screenplay entries). If accepted, feature entries should also send several production still photos of a high resolution (300 DPI or better), a press kit, and short CV (resume) with photo of the director(s).

Special note for script entries: We now Accept only Digital Entries via FilmFreeway.com! A Synopsis needs to accompany the script. You may ID the script with title, your name & contact details, and your WorldFest entry ID. We do prefer scripts to be printed in Courier 12pt – 14pt if at all possible. We will not accept loose pages in a box. Unproduced scripts only, please!

WORLDFEST 58 CATEGORIES

INDEPENDENT SHORT SUBJECT-FILMS & VIDEO

‍301. Animated (Classic Cel Animation)

302. Animated (Clay & Other)

303. Shorts – Animated (Anime/Manga)

304. Comedy-Adaptation

305. Comedy-Black / Dark

306. Comedy - Original

307. Comedy - Romantic

308. Computer Generated / CGI/ Mixed Media

309. Documentary (Do consider the 200 series (Film & Video Prdns.) since 309 receives over 500 entries.

310. Dramatic Adaptation

311. Dramatic Original

312. Family / Children

313. Fantasy / Horror

314. Historical

315. Live Action Narrative (Little or no dialogue)

316. Suspense / Thriller

317. Science Fiction

318. Westerns

319. Work in Progress (WIP)

CRAFT CATEGORIES

320. Cinematography - Shorts

321. Directing - Shorts

322. Editing - Shorts

323. Visual / Special FX / CGI / Drones (was 328)

324. Music – Shorts

325. Make-up & Special Effects Design – Shorts

326. Screenplays – Shorts

327. - Shorts - Go-Pro Extreme Sports 

328. - Shorts - Drone Production

‍EXPERIMENTAL SHORTS

‍350. - Experimental - Animated (Classic Cel Animation)

351. - Experimental - Animated (Clay and Other Techniques)

352. - Experimental - Anime / Manga

353. - Experimental – Comedy

354. - Experimental – Computer Generated / Mixed Media / 3D

355. - Experimental – Dramatic

356. - Experimental –  Fantasy / Horror

357. - Experimental – Film & Video Art 

358. - Experimental – Live Action

359. - Experimental – Work in Progress

‍THEATRICAL FEATURE FILMS

‍001. Action / Adventure

002. Animated (Any Technique)

003. Anime / Manga

004. Docu - Drama

005. Documentary

006. Comedy

007. Comedy Black / Dark

008. Comedy - Romantic

009. Christian

010. Dramatic

011. Suspense / Thriller

012. Experimental / Dogma

013. Family / Children

014. Fantasy / Horror

015. First Feature

016. Foreign

017. Historical / Period Piece

018. Low Budget (under $250,000)

019. Mature / Adult Themes

020. Musical

021. Romance

022. Science Fiction

023. Westerns

024. Work in Progress (WIP)

‍

‍FEATURE CRAFT CATEGORIES

‍025. Features Craft ~ Art Direction (additional category only)

026. Features Craft ~ Cinematography (additional category only)

027. Features Craft ~ CGI / Computer Generated SFX

028. Features Craft ~ Directing (additional category only)

029. Features Craft ~ Editing (additional category only)

030. Features Craft ~ Music Score (additional category only)** (For Titles, Trailers, Lead-ins & Logos - See TVC Category #443)

031. Features Craft ~ Make-up & Special Make-up Effects Design (additional category only)

032. Features Craft ~ Screenplay / Script (of entered feature)

‍STUDENT FILM & VIDEOS

‍All may be entered in any one additional category at no extra fee.

601. Graduate Level Student Productions

602. College Level Student Productions

603. High School & Below Student Productions

604. Middle / Grade School & Below

605. Student Screenplays of unproduced films/videos.

‍TELEVISION, CABLE, WEB PRODUCTION

‍101. Animated

102. Analysis / Background of a Single Current News Story

103. Continuing News Story Coverage

104. Feature Made for Television / Cable

105. Individual On-Camera Talent

106. Information, Cultural or Historical Programming - Program

107. Information, Cultural or Historical Programming - Segment

108. Interviews

109. Investigative Journalism

110. Local Public Service

111. Local Television Programming

112. News & Documentary Program Directing

113. News & Documentary Program Editing / Graphics

114. News & Documentary Program Videography

115. News & Documentary Program Research / Writing

116. Pilots

117. Program / Individual / Technical Achievements

118. Public Affairs Programs

119. Reality-Based Programs

120. Religious Programs

121. Single Breaking News Story Coverage

122. Sports

123. Network / Station / Cable Promotion

124. TV Series-Dramatic

125. TV Series-Comedy

126. TV Series-Documentary

127. TV Special-Dramatic

128. TV Special-Comedy

129. TV Special-Documentary

130. TV Series-Family / Children

131. TV Special-Family / Children

132. Infomercials

133. Talk Shows

‍TELEVISION, CABLE, WEB PRODUCTION. CRAFT CATEGORIES

‍135. Cinematography – Television, Cable, Web

136. Directing – Television, Cable, Web 

137. Editing – Television, Cable, Web 

138. Music - – Television, Cable, Web

‍COMMERCIALS AND/OR PUBLIC SERVICE - PSA's

‍401. Animated (cel animation)

402. Animated (computer graphics)

403. Apparel / Accessories

404. Automotive

405. Automotive Products

406. Audio & Video (NEW)

407. Baked Goods

408. Bank / Financial

409. Beverages-Alcoholic

410. Beverages-Non Alcoholic

411. Beverages-Soft Drinks

412. Children's Products

413. Computers / Software / Games

414. Confections / Snacks

415. Corporate Identity

416. Cosmetics / Perfume

417. Dairy Products

418. Direct Response

419. Drug & Alcohol Abuse

420. Education

421. Entertainment / Amusement

422. Environment / Social Issues

423. Fashion / Clothing / Apparel

424. Fitness

425. Foods / Groceries

426. Fuel / Gas / Oil

427. Fundraising

428. Health / Health Care Services

429. Hispanic Market

430. Home Furnishings / Major Appliances

431. House & Garden (NEW)

432. Household Consumer Products

433. Institutional Identity

434. Insurance

435. International

436. Internet

437. Laundry Products

438. Lawn/Garden Products

439. Legal / Legal Services

440. Lottery

441. Local Spot

442. Low Budget (under $5,000)

443. Movie Trailers / Titles / Logos

444. Orphans / Spec Spots (NEW)

445. Personal / Gift Items

446. Pet Products

447. Pharmaceuticals

448. Political / Campaign / Patriotic

449. Professional Services

450. Public Health

451. Public Service

452. Publishers / Media (NEW)

453. Real Estate

454. Recreation

455. Recreation Equipment

456. Regional Spot

457. Religion

458. Restaurants / Food Service

459. Retail

460. Series / Campaign

461. Services (NEW)

462. Sports / Sporting Goods

463. Station / Programs / Openings / Promos / Cable

464. Tourism

465. Toiletries

466. Transportation

467. Travel / Leisure

468. Utilities

469. Universities / Colleges / Schools

470. World Peace & Understanding (NEW)

‍COMMERCIALS AND/OR PUBLIC SERVICE - PSA's ~ Craft Categories

‍471. Use of Cinematography/Videography

472. Use of Copywriting

473. Use of Direction / Art Direction

474. Use of Editing

475. Use of Humor / Comedy

476. Use of Music

477. Use of Special EFX / Computer Graphics

478. Talent - On/off Camera

479. Hi-Def / New Technology

‍FILM & VIDEO PRODUCTION

‍201. Advertising / Promotional

202. Agriculture

203. The Arts / Cultural

204. Biographical or Autobiographical

205. Children's

206. Community Management Urban & Rural

207. Corporate Image & Orientation

208. Corporate Communication

209. Documentary

210. Direct Marketing

211. Ecology / Environment / Conservation

212. Educational / Instructional - Adult

213. Educational / Instructional - Children

214. Entertainment

215. Ethnic / Cultural

216. Flight / Space Travel

217. Family Matters

218. Fund Raising

219. How To's / Instructional

220. History & Archaeology

221. Human Sexuality

222. Independent Video

223. Industrial / Technical

224. In-Flight Cinema

225. In-House Productions

226. Insurance

227. Legal

228. Leisure & Recreation

229. Manufacturing

230. Medical / Health / Fitness

231. Medical / Treatments / Procedures

232. Motivational

233. Nature & Wildlife

234. Nuclear / Energy Issues

235. Oceanography / Marine Biology

236. Performance Arts-Dance, Drama, Music

237. Political / International Issues

238. Public Relations

239. Public Service

240. Public Health

241. Recruiting / Career Guidance

242. Religion & Ethics

243. Safety/ First Aid

244. Sailing / Watersports

245. Sales & Marketing - Consumer

246. Sales & Marketing - Industry

247. Science & Research

248. Social / Economic Issues

249. Sports

250. Substance Abuse

251. Travel / Tourism

252. Training

253. Underwater & Marine Science

254. Women's Issues

‍FILM & VIDEO CRAFT CATEGORIES

‍255. Use of Cinematography/Videography

256. Use of Copywriting

257. Use of Direction / Art Direction

258. Use of Editing

259. Use of Humor / Comedy

260. Use of Music

261. Use of Special EFX / Computer Graphics

262. Talent - On/off Camera

263. Hi-Def / New Technology

264. - Wedding Video Productions

265. - The Lift Off Remi Award - Using NASA Footage 

‍SCREENPLAYS 

‍All Scripts are to be entered via filmfreeway.com

Length should run from 70 to 150 pages for a standard 2 hour feature film unless it is a Short Subject Script or Teleplay.

701. Action / Adventure

702. Biographical

703. Comedy-Adaptation 

704. Comedy-Dark or Black

705. Comedy – Original

706. Comedy - Romantic

707. Dramatic-Adaptation

708. Dramatic-Original

709. Family / Children

710. Fantasy / Science Fiction

711. Historical-Period Piece

712. Horror / Thriller / Mystery

713. Romance

714. Short Film Screenplays (under 60 pages, lower entry fee)

715. Spiritual / Religious / Christian

716. Teleplays / Short screenplays (under 60 pages, lower entry fee)

717. Westerns 

‍MUSIC VIDEOS

‍801. Country & Western (C&W)

802. Children's

803. Christian

804. Classical

805. Group

806. Instrumental 

807. Jazz / Experimental / New Age

808. Latin / Hispanic 

809. New Artist

810. R & B / Soul / Rap / Hip Hop

811. Religious

812. Rock / R&R

813. Special Shows 

814. Stage / Concert Performance

815. Vocalist (Any Genre)

816. World Music / Techno

‍‍MUSIC VIDEO CRAFT CATEGORIES

‍817. Art Direction

818. Cinematography/Videography

819. Copywriting

820. Direction 

821. Hi-Def / New Technology

822. Humor / Comedy

823. Low Budget (Under $5,000)

824. Special EFX / Computer Graphics

825. Talent - On/Off Camera

‍NEW MEDIA (including Websites)

‍901. New Media - Hi-Def / New Technology

902. New Media - Interactive-Adult/professional

903. New Media - Interactive-Business

904. New Media -  Interactive-Children 

905. New Media - Interactive-Educational - Adult/professional

906. New Media - Interactive-Educational – Children

907. New Media - Interactive-Entertainment

908.New Media - Large Format - IMAX ®

909. New Media - Meeting Openers, Breaks, Closings

910. New Media - Multi-Video (3 or more screens, may be entered on composite tape)

911. New Media - Video Walls (may be entered on composite tape)

912. New Media - Websites

913. New Media - Best Copy / Writing

914. New Media- Best Green Website

915. New Media - Best Home / Intro / Welcome Page

916. New Media - Best Website Navigation / Structure

917. New Media - Best Use of Animation / Graphics

918. New Media - Best Website Visual Design – Graphic

919. New Media -  Best Website Visual Design – Function

920. New Media - Cellular Media –Personal Videos

921. New Media - Cellular Media -  Commercial Videos

922. New Media - Video Podcasts

923. New Media - Web Series

‍LONG SHORTS (over 15 Minutes to 60 minutes)

‍301L. LONG SHORTS - Animated (Classic Cel Animation) 

302L. LONG SHORTS - Animated (Clay & Other)

303L. LONG SHORTS – Animated (Anime/Manga)

304L. LONG SHORTS - Comedy-Adaptation

305L. LONG SHORTS -  Comedy-Black / Dark

306L LONG SHORTS - Comedy - Original

307L. LONG SHORTS -  Comedy - Romantic

308L.  LONG SHORTS -  Computer Generated / CGI/ Mixed Media

309L. LONG SHORTS -  Documentary (Do consider the 200 series (Film & Video Prdns.) since 309 receives over 500 entries.

310L. LONG SHORTS - Dramatic Adaptation

311L. LONG SHORTS - Dramatic Original

312L. LONG SHORTS -   Family / Children

313L. LONG SHORTS -  Fantasy / Horror

314L. LONG SHORTS -  Historical

315L. LONG SHORTS -  Live Action Narrative (Little or no dialogue)

316L. LONG SHORTS -  Suspense / Thriller

317L. LONG SHORTS -  Science Fiction

318L. LONG SHORTS - Westerns

319L. LONG SHORTS -  Work in Progress (WIP)

‍LONG SHORTS CRAFT CATEGORIES

‍320L. Cinematography - Long Shorts

320A. The Lift Off Remi Award (Using NASA footage)

321L. Directing – Long Shorts

322L. Editing – Long Shorts

323L. Visual / Special FX / CGI / Drones (was 328) Long Shorts

324L. Music – Long Shorts

325L. Make-up & Special Effects Design – Long Shorts

326L. Screenplays – Long Shorts

‍