2026 Terms & Conditions

Acceptance of Terms

By accessing this website and/or submitting an entry to the Focus on Ability Short Film Festival (the Festival), you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions (Terms). If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not participate in the Festival or use the associated website or submission channels.

These Terms apply to all entrants, participants, visitors, and users.

Organiser

The Festival is operated by NOVA Employment Limited (NOVA, we, us, or our).

Entry and Cost

1. Entry to the Festival is free of charge.
2. No purchase or payment is required to submit a Film.

Eligibility and Entry Limits

1. Each entrant must submit no more than three (3) Films per person, school, or film group.
2. A Film must not have been submitted to this Festival in any previous year.
3. Entrants must have the legal capacity to enter the Festival or have obtained appropriate parental or guardian consent.

Film Requirements

1. Films must have:
   • An ability or disability-related theme, or
   • People with disability as the primary actors or subjects.
2. Films must:
   • Have a maximum running time of 5 minutes, excluding credits
   • Any Film exceeding this duration will not be considered
3. Captions are strongly encouraged to support hearing-impaired audiences but are not compulsory.

Submission Requirements and Deadlines

1. Each entry must:
   • Be accompanied by a fully completed entry form
   • Be received by 1 July 2026 (closing date)
2. Submissions should preferably be made electronically:
   • High-resolution MP4 files are preferred
   • Files under 800MB are recommended
   • Other formats may be accepted at NOVA’s discretion
3. Submissions should be emailed to: [email protected]
4. NOVA recommends using file transfer services such as WeTransfer.

Confirmation of Entry

Confirmation of receipt will be issued via email within seven (7) days of submission.

It is the entrant’s responsibility to ensure contact details are accurate and kept up to date. A valid, non-school email address is strongly recommended, as most correspondence occurs electronically.

Screening and Publication

1. Films that meet the entry requirements may be:
   • Uploaded to NOVA’s website
   • Identified publicly as official Festival entrants
2. NOVA reserves the right to determine which Films are published or screened.

Content Standards and Exclusion

NOVA reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to exclude any Film it considers inappropriate. This includes, but is not limited to, Films that contain:

• Racist, sexist, violent, or discriminatory material
• Content likely to offend community standards
• Unlawful or defamatory material

Decisions regarding exclusion are final.

Intellectual Property and Ownership

1. Upon submission, all Films become the property of NOVA Employment Ltd, subject to the licence and copyright provisions below.
2. Entrants retain full copyright in their Films and may submit them to other festivals.

Licence Grant

Entrants grant NOVA a non-exclusive, non-transferable, worldwide, royalty-free licence for a period of ten (10) years, commencing from the date of the announcement of the Festival winners, to:

• Use
• Publish
• Communicate

the Films online and offline, including as part of NOVA’s training and promotional resources, solely for the purpose of:

• Promoting the Festival
• Promoting NOVA and its programs
• Supporting NOVA’s advocacy for people with disability

(Permitted Purpose). Any use beyond the Permitted Purpose requires the entrant’s prior written consent.

Attribution

Wherever NOVA uses a Film, it will provide attribution in the following format:

• Name of Film
• Year of Production
• Name of Entrant

Rights and Clearances

Entrants are solely responsible for ensuring that:

• All necessary copyright permissions
• Performer consents
• Music, image, and third-party rights

have been lawfully obtained prior to submission. NOVA accepts no responsibility or liability for any failure by an entrant to secure required permissions.

Judging and Decisions

1. All judging decisions made by NOVA and the appointed judging panels are final and binding.
2. No correspondence or discussion will be entered into regarding judging outcomes or prize decisions.

Costs and Insurance

Entrants are responsible for all costs associated with:

• Film production
• Postage
• Submission
• Transit insurance

If submitting physical media, USB devices must not be posted in regular envelopes due to risk of damage.

Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, NOVA is not liable for any loss, damage, or expense arising from participation in the Festival, including but not limited to technical failures, data loss, or third-party actions.

Nothing in these Terms excludes rights under Australian Consumer Law that cannot be excluded.

Privacy

Personal information collected in connection with the Festival is handled in accordance with NOVA’s Privacy Policy.

Amendments

NOVA reserves the right to amend these Terms at any time. Updated Terms will be published on the Website, and continued participation constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of Australia, and the courts of the relevant Australian jurisdiction have exclusive jurisdiction.