Who can enter?
Anyone can submit a DVD of their three minute presentation regardless of where they live, however, content within the film/video must be shot or created within South Lyon, Lyon Township, Kensington Metropark or Island Lake Recreation Area.

A video may be created outside of the above listed areas but may not be eligible for a cash award.

The festival is open to those who are not professional filmmakers and who do not earn a living working as a professional in television, film or multimedia.  Those who are professionals in the above listed industries are eligible to submit a video entry; however, they may not be eligible for an award.  

Content Restrictions

o Content within the film must be shot or created within South Lyon, Lyon Township, Kensington Metropark or Island Lake Recreation Area.  Content shot outside of that area can be used but those videos may not be eligible for a cash award.

o All films must be family friendly.  Profanity, violence, nudity and any adult content or situations will disqualify the entry.

o If you feel any part of your entry may cross the “Family Friendly” boundaries, please contact us to discuss prior to submitting the DVD.

o DVDs submitted that are considered a solicitation for a specific product or a political endorsement will be disqualified.  

Entry Instructions
Send the completed entry form along with your DVD and entry fee to:

3 Minutes in Lyon Film Festival
875 Westbrooke Drive
South Lyon, MI 48178

Entry fees must be payable to Lyon Film Festival by check only. No cash please.  Entry fees are non-refundable.  

All entries must be received no later than by Friday, May 25, 2012.  Each entry must be a separate submission which includes an entry form and payment.  Multiple entries can be mailed together.  DVDs and other materials will not be returned.

Only videos that have been created solely for the 3 Minutes in Lyon Film Festival are eligible for an award. Content that has been created for submission to prior contests or festivals will not be eligible for an award.  

Please email a still image from your project and a photo of yourself.  These images will be made into a slate (opening credits) which will play just before your DVD at the Screening Night.  This slate will also include your film description.

The official email address of the 3 Minutes in Lyon Film Festival is lyonfilmfestival@gmail.com.


What is the entry fee?
$10.00 per entry.  Please limit the number of producers to two per entry.

Categories
There are three categories classified by age for which the top entry will win:
- 13 and under
 - 14 to 18
- 19 and over
- Entries produced outside the South Lyon Area

Acceptable formats for submission
Please submit videos on a single DVD-R or DVD+R disc as a MPEG-2, MOV or AVI file.  

DVD Label
Please do not attach a label to your DVD.  Use a marker to label directly on the DVD.


What are the list of items I need to send in the mail?
- DVD properly labelled as listed below
- Entry fee check
- Entry Form
- Email a still image from your entry to lyonfilmfestival@gmail.com


Submission Guidelines
The 3 Minutes in Lyon Film Festival is not liable for copyright infringement or unauthorized use.

If your video has been selected to be screened at the Festival AwardsCeremony, we will request a short description (150 words or less) of your video submission.  

If your video is selected to be screened at the Free Screening Ceremony, we ask that it not be viewable online on sites such as Facebook or YouTube before the festival screening.


Awards
All awards will be presented to the producers of the winning videos on at the Festival Awards Ceremony.  Awards are based on the following elements:

- Creativity
- Originality
- The ability of the content to tell a story, entertain and/or communicate the intended message within three minutes.

Jury members reserve the right not to grant an award.

All videos screened at the Free Outdoor Screening are eligible to receive the Audience Choice Award.  One Audience Choice Award winner will be announced at the Festival Awards Night. The Audience Choice Award is based solely on audience voting at the Screening Night.

The staff of the Salem-South Lyon District Library will view all entries and select the winner of the Library Choice Award.  The recipient of the award will receive $250 but is required to create a promotional video for the Library.


What is the preferred format for submission?
Please submit videos on a single DVD-R or DVD+R disc as a MPEG-2 or AVI file.  We prefer that they be sent in a simple paper CD/DVD sleeve.  Please confirm your file plays on a PC before you mail it.  If you have problems in this area, please contact us at lyonfilmfestival@gmail.com.

Please do not use a paper label on your disc! There are many different variables with stickers and paper labels that could render your disc unplayable. A permanent marker (such as a Sharpie) will work just fine.  Discs with text or graphics printed directly on the surface are also acceptable. Please write or print the following information directly on the face of the disc:

 - Your name
 - Phone number
 - Film title


Does the video have to be three minutes long?
The finished video can be anywhere between the minimum of 90 seconds and maximum of three minutes in length (including titles and credits).


Does the content need to be 100% motion?
No. Still images from a digital camera, graphics software, stop action Star Wars Lego-like projects, even PowerPoint are acceptable as long as there is an audio track; music, voice or sound effects to accompany the visuals.


What if the video is longer than 3 minutes?
Any entry that exceeds the three minute maximum time limit will be disqualified.

Who will judge the videos?
The festival jury consists of four professionals in the multimedia industry.  Click here for bios.

After entries are screened, this jury will select the top films to be screened at the Festival Awards Ceremony. The judges will determine the winners and they will be announced at that event. The Audience Choice Award and the Library Choice Award will be announced and awarded at the Festival Awards Ceremony on June 3, 2012.