Official Instructions and Rules

General Information
Rules and Regulations
CINE Categories
CINE Competition Entry Fees
Download Competition Entry Form (pdf)

Enter the Competition Online. Use our secure server to submit your entry electronically.

Spring Deadline:	Early Bird: February 1	Regular: February 15
Fall Deadline:	Early Bird: August 1	Regular: August 15

General Information

Who Should Enter?

• Professional filmmakers and video producers, as well as bona fide students, and independent filmmakers.
• Networks, distributors and sponsors
• Individual craftspeople, such as directors, screenwriters, editors, etc.

What are the criteria for the CINE Golden Eagle Award?
CINE Golden Eagle entries do not compete against each other, rather they are judged against a high standard of excellence. Criteria include: storytelling, production value, artistry, purpose (communication to its intended audience) and overall excellence.

How do I enter?

• Read the rules and regulations carefully.
• Complete the entry form.
• Submit entry form to CINE by mail with check or credit card information.
• Or Fax the entry form with credit card information.
• Or, enter online — for credit card submissions only
• DO NOT SUBMIT a film or video with your entry form. Approximately 30 days after the final deadline, a letter will be sent to you with instructions for shipping your non-returnable NTSC 1/2 VHS tape or commercial grade DVD. Please see below for details on DVD formats.

CINE Golden Eagle Awards
A production worthy of a CINE Golden Eagle will be clear and concise in its structure and writing, with strong visuals, sound elements, and editing. Visuals and sound will be creatively and appropriately employed, with camera work, audio recording, narration, music, and graphics of a high technical quality that support the writing and editing to achieve a cohesive final production that fulfills the stated purpose of the project.

CINE Golden Eagle entries do not compete against each other; rather they are judged against a high standard of excellence. Judging criteria include: storytelling, production value, artistry, purpose (communication to its intended audience) and overall excellence.

CINE Special Jury Award
CINE Golden Eagle winners from the Spring and Fall competitions during a calendar year automatically become nominees for a CINE Special Jury Award in their particular category.

CINE Master Series Award or the CINE Award of Excellence
CINE Special Jury Award winners automatically become nominees for the CINE Masters Series Awards, and the CINE Award of Excellence (for the Student Division winner), which recognize the best of the best in these divisions. A specially selected and prestigious judging committee will determine these winners.

Winners of all upper level awards will be announced at the annual CINE Golden Eagle Awards Event. CINE reserves the right not to give a special award in any given category or division.

Do I receive an Award when I win?
All entries which meet CINE's strict standards for excellence will receive the CINE Golden Eagle award.

• CINE Golden Eagle winners receive two free CINE Golden Eagle Certificates and may also purchase the highly prized CINE Golden Eagle Trophy.
• CINE Special Jury Award winners receive four unique free certificates. They may also purchase a distinctive trophy that recognizes this high level achievement.
• CINE Masters Series Award and CINE Award of Excellence winners receive a special, prestigious and elegant trophy. CINE Masters Series and Award of Excellence winners will also share in cash and product grants from our sponsoring organizations.

Additional trophies and certificates can also be purchased. Contact the CINE office.

Prestige in Excellence
Since 1957, CINE, a non-profit [501(c)(3)] organization, has been dedicated to recognizing the work of outstanding filmmakers, videographers, producers, directors and other craftspeople in the film and video industry. The competition, conducted by a unique multi-stage jury process, functions much like academic or scientific peer reviews. Over 400 jurors nationwide participate in the semi-annual screenings. Upholding such high standards and integrity account for the CINE Golden Eagle's unparalleled reputation of excellence.

Rules and Regulations

CINE Entry Divisions and Categories
Each entry must be entered in the category that best describes the production

• Select a Division that reflects your program's status as TELECAST or NON-TELECAST.
  In order to be considered TELECAST, the production must have already been telecast (by broadcast, cable or satellite), or be intended for telecast. After determining that you meet this qualification, then choose whether the program qualifies for the NON-FICTION, NEWS Division.
  
  The remaining Divisions are NON-TELECAST.
  
  To be considered in this NEW MEDIA Division, the production must have been produced exclusively for a website and/or for mobile devices such as cell phones or mp3 players. Promotional tie-ins for telecast productions (commercials, featurettes, etc.) are eligible as long as they are intended solely for use on the Internet or mobile devices and are not telecast.
  
  To be considered in this NON-FICTION Division, the program will have been produced by or for a business, educational, government, or non-profit entity or for school use.
  
  To be considered in the INDEPENDENT (non-affiliated) Division, the production must not have been produced by or for a commercial studio, nor by or for a broadcast, business, educational, government, or non-profit entity. There is a reduced rate for this Division, but a budget figure must be attached to the entry.
  
• If this is a STUDENT production, choose that Division. These shows may be entered at a reduced rate. A student is defined as one who is enrolled at an accredited high school, undergraduate, or graduate school, including such programs as AFI. A student is not required to be a film or video major, but must identify their school and year of study on the entry form. No student production can have been produced as a work for hire.
  
• If you're not sure which is the most appropriate category, contact the CINE office for assistance. Enter each title only once. CINE reserves the right to reassign an entry to a category it deems more appropriate than the category requested on the entry form. If this involves a change of entry price, the entrant will be notified in advance.

Eligibility
To be eligible, a production must have been completed or originally aired in the 12 months prior to the final entry deadline.

Formats
Entries are accepted on NTSC VHS tape or DVD and will not be returned. DVD entries must adhere to professional production standards that will ensure compatibility and playback on standard consumer desktop DVD players. DVD RW discs have the lowest compatibility with consumer players and will not be accepted for judging by CINE. PAL DVD discs cannot be accepted by CINE and only DVDs that have Region 1 or No Region encoding can be submitted. It is the entrant's responsibility that the program that is entered can be easily identified on the DVD menu. If a DVD is found to be incompatible with available playback equipment, the entrant will be given the opportunity to submit a VHS tape of their production.

All entries must be submitted in NTSC format and will not be returned. Whenever possible, programs with non-English soundtracks should be submitted with subtitles. Otherwise, an accompanying English language script translation is required.

Compliance
The CINE entry form must be signed. This signature indicates acceptance of the requirements outlined herein and further stipulates that the person or organization entering the production in the competition has the authority to do so.

CINE is not responsible for notifying any parties other than the entrant, through its contact person, of entry status or of any questions or determinations regarding the entry. For winning programs to be exhibited at CINE events or other promotional and educational programs, however, specific rights may need to be provided and rights holders may need to be contacted. Please provide information on rights-holder(s) on the Entry Form.

Video Shipment
DO NOT SEND any entry media until instructed. Approximately 30 days after the deadline, you will be requested to send a non-returnable copy of your entry to a Stage One Jury at a designated address, before a specified date. It is the entrant's responsibility to deliver the entry to the specified CINE jury on time. Late entries may be deferred to a later competition, or rejected if no longer eligible, and the entry fees forfeited. Do not submit any press materials or accompanying books, etc., with the entry form or to the jury. No media or written material submitted as part of the entry process will be returned.

Worldwide Entries
Entries to CINE's competition may be submitted from any source worldwide. All entry fees, tape transfers, duties and other applicable fees must be paid by the entrant prior to the production being judged. All entries, regardless of original format of production, must be submitted on NTSC VHS tape or DVD for judging. English voice-track is preferred, but programs may be sub-titled. If this is not available, an English translation script must be provided.

Competition Results
Every entry is judged. Each entrant will be notified of the competition results by mail at the completion of the entire judging process, which takes approximately four months.

CINE Competition Entry Fees

Professional (based on length of production):
• Up to 5:00 min = $ 85
• 5:01 to 15:00 min = $110
• 15:01 to 30:00 min = $140
• 30:01 to 60:00 min = $175
• Over 60:01 min = $175 plus $40 for every additional 15 min

Student/Independent:
(Parent or Faculty member signature required below if under 18.)
• Student Films= $45
• Independent Shorts (E1 & E3) = $75
• Independent Features (E3 & E4) = $100

FINAL DEADLINE FEE:
Spring Competition: Entries arriving AFTER Feburary 1 and NO LATER than Feburary 15 ﾅ\ Fees listed above, plus $25
Fall Competition: Entries arriving AFTER August 1 and NO LATER than August 15— Fees listed above, plus $25

CINE Award Categories

Enter each title only once, choosing the category which best fits your entry. If it qualifies for more than one category, note the alternate choices. Entries do not win awards for specific categories. The category designation is used so that the most qualified jurors evaluate your entry. A new category will be reassigned by the jury if the category chosen is not the most suitable for the entry.