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THE BEST SHORTS:
A BETJ Showcase Entry Info
Official Contest Rules
Please read these official rules ("Official
Rules") before entering the contest
Eligibility
Only individuals who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry, may participate
in the The Best Shorts: A BETJ Showcase (this "Contest"). This Contest is void where prohibited by law, or where
the registration or filing requirements of any state or local jurisdiction have not been complied with. This Contest is not
open to employees or directors of BET J, or any of its parent companies or subsidiaries, or members of their immediate families
or households.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. You are not
required or encouraged to purchase any product or service in order to enter this Contest.
To Enter. You may submit more than one short film at a time to this Contest, but each submission must be accompanied
by a separate submission form.
To enter, you must:
(1) Read these Official Rules - Submission of an entry for this Contest confirms your agreement;
(2) Click on the 'Submit Film' tab found at the top of
the BETJ website (www.betj.com) and complete the online submission form (Please include your current address and telephone
number). Print out and sign the completed submission form and include it with your short film submission. All short film submissions
must be on DVD-R (AVI or Quicktime), or VHS format. Please send a copy, NOT your Master; and
(3) Send your completed submission form along with your short film submission to the following address: The Best
Shorts: A BETJ Showcase, Attn: Short Film Submissions 423 W. 55th Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10019. (Please include the
name and year of the film festival (if any) where your short film has played.) All film screener submissions will become the
property of BET J and will not be acknowledged or returned. Please do not send your originals.
Please note that by entering this Contest, you represent and warrant that you are the sole creator of your film submission
and that you own all right, title and interest in and to the film footage contained in your film submission. Further, you
hereby consent to being contacted by BETJ via email regarding this Contest and other related topics and to BETJ's use
of the information contained in your submission form in accordance with BETJ's Privacy Policy. (www.BETJ.com/about/privacy_policy.jsp)
Short Film Submission Requirements. Any film that is 40 minutes
in length or less is eligible for this Contest. Participants may use any visual, including without limitation film, animation
and digital photography, to create the short film submitted for this Contest. A film submission will be ineligible for this
Contest if it contains any: (i) Stock/file film or photo footage or any footage that is not originally created material; (ii)
Copyrighted works without authorization of the copyright owner, or if any such works were used without authorization in the
production of the film; or (iii) Commercial endorsements. Any film submission that does not comply with the requirements set
forth in this paragraph will be deemed disqualified.
Right
to Display Short Film Submissions
By entering this Contest, you hereby
grant, without additional consideration, to BETJ (and its agents, licensees, parent companies, subsidiaries, successors and
assigns) (i) the non-exclusive right to print, publish, broadcast, use, make available, publicly display, publicly perform
and otherwise distribute your film submission in or through any medium whatsoever, now known or hereafter devised, in accordance
with the BETJ 'The Best Shorts: A BETJ Showcase' license agreement, attached hereto and made a part hereof; (ii) consent
to submit your film submission for consideration for national broadcast syndication; and (iii) except where legally prohibited,
the right to use and publish your name, photograph, likeness, voice, address (city and state), biographical information and
testimonials, in any medium whatsoever, now known or hereafter devised, in perpetuity, in connection with the promotion of
your film submission, this Contest and BETJ and its services.
Contest
Submission Period
Submissions must be received by BETJ between March 24,
2007 at 12:01 a.m. PST, and June 7, 2007 at midnight PST, except that entries submitted by mail must be postmarked on or before
June 7, 2007 at midnight PST and must be received by BETJ by June 8, 2007 at 5:00 p.m. PST (the "Submission Period").
BETJ is not responsible for any lost, stolen or undelivered entries, or any entries that are not received within the Submission
Period. BETJ reserves the right to (i) suspend, modify or cancel this Contest, or any contestant's participation in this
Contest, at any time in its sole discretion if a computer virus, bug or other technical problem corrupts the administration
or security of this Contest, or for any other reason and, if this Contest is cancelled, to select winners from among the eligible
entries received prior to the cancellation date; (ii) modify these Official Rules in any way, at any time, by providing notice
of such modification on the BETJ 'The Best Shorts' contest page located at www.BETJ.com; and (iii) extend the Submission
Period, by providing notice on the BETJ 'The Best Shorts' contest page, located at www.BETJ.com, if BETJ determines
that an insufficient number of Contest entries has been received.
Winner
Selection
THIS IS A CONTEST OF SKILL. ALL WINNERS WILL BE SELECTED ON
AN OBJECTIVE BASIS AS DETERMINED BY CRITERIA ESTABLISHED BY BETJ. THE ODDS OF WINNING ANY PRIZE DEPEND ENTIRELY ON THE CONTESTANT'S
FILMMAKING SKILL. The BETJ reviewing committee will watch all eligible film submissions and will judge the submissions on
the basis of creativity, technical merit, storytelling ability and innovation. BETJ will select one (1) first prize winner
and one (1) second prize winner. The judging period will be one month from the end of the Submission Period. BETJ reserves
the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any contestant that it finds has tampered with, or has attempted to tampered
with, the submission process or the operation of the Contest, or to be in violation of these Official Rules. ALL DECISIONS
OF BETJ AND THE REVIEWING COMMITTEE ARE FINAL.
Winner Notification
BET J will attempt to notify contestants who are selected as winners by e-mail,
phone or first-class mail within five (5) business days of their selection. If a contestant does not respond to such notification
within five (5) business days, another contestant may be selected as the winner. BETJ shall not be liable for (i) failed,
returned or misdirected notifications due to inaccurate information provided by a contestant, (ii) submissions and responses
to winner notifications which are lost, late, incomplete, illegible, unintelligible, misdirected, damaged or otherwise not
received, in whole or in part, by BETJ. To be entitled to receive a prize, each winner must execute (a) an Affidavit of Eligibility
and Release and (b) all income tax documentation provided by BETJ. Failure to return these documents to BETJ within five (5)
business days after receipt may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner. Prizes will be delivered
to each qualified winner within sixty (60) days of BETJ's receipt of these documents signed by the winner.
Prizes
The first prize
winner will receive $20,000. The second prize winner will receive $10,000. Receipt of any prize is conditioned upon compliance
with all applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations. All federal, state and local taxes associated with
the receipt or use of any prize is the sole responsibility of the winner.
Official Rules and Winner's List
The Contest winners'
names and film submissions may be posted on www.BETJ.com. For a list of Contest winners or a copy of the Official Rules, send
a self-addressed stamped envelope to: The Best Shorts: A BETJ Showcase, 423 W. 55th Street, 8th Floor, New York, NY 10019.
Specify whether you would like a copy of the winner's list or Official Rules.
Contest Restrictions
By participating
in this Contest, you hereby agree to release and hold BETJ (and its directors, employees, shareholders, parent companies,
subsidiaries, customers, licensees and agents) harmless from any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs and expenses,
including attorneys' fees and costs, arising in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from your participation in the
Contest or any Contest-related activity or acceptance, possession, use or misuse of any prize. You further agree to indemnify
BETJ from and against any third party claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs and expenses, including attorneys' fees
and costs, arising from or relating to this Contest. BETJ shall not be responsible for any malfunction, failure or delay of
any telephone or other communications network or computer system, equipment, software or program, or any combination thereof,
including any injury or damage to your or any other person's computer related to or resulting from downloading or other
activity in connection with your participation in this Contest.
Miscellaneous
These Official Rules shall be interpreted in accordance with California law without
regard to its conflicts of laws provisions. You agree that the state and federal courts located in Los Angeles, California
shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising from or relating to these Official Rules, this Contest or your
participation in this Contest. If you have any questions regarding these Official Rules or this Contest, please send your
query by email to BETJ: thebestshorts.betj@gmail.com or visit www.myspace.com/thebestshorts
VOID WHERE PROHIBITED
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FILM COMPETITION F.A.Q.s
Do I need to make
a new short film for this contest?
No. We consider old works as much as we do recently made ones.
Can my short film have screened at more than one film festival?
Yes, your
short film can have screened at more than one film festival, although your one film submission to BETJ still represents one
entry for the contest. If you've had more than one film on the festival circuit, please feel free to submit those also
indicating the film festival and year that it played. The contest is open to short films that have screened at any film festival
or broadcast. What constitutes a short film?
A
short film is any film up to 40 minutes in length. What are
the contest dates?
The entry submission period for this season ended on June 7, 2007! Each entry must be submitted
on either DVD-R (AVI or Quicktime) or VHS format. Please send in a copy, NOT your Master! We are currently accepting submissions
for next season.
Who determines the winners?
The BEST Shorts reviewing committee will watch and judge each entry and choose the winners. The judging period will be one
month from the closing date for submissions for the contest. I'm
interested, what do I do next?
Read The Best Shorts: A BETJ Showcase Official Contest Rules located to the left. Submit your short film to The Best Shorts by going through the simple and fast BETJ submission
process. Go to www.betj.com/thebestshorts, click on the 'Submit Film' tab found at the top of the site and it will
walk you through the steps to complete the online submission form. Once you've completed
the submission process and you're ready to send your entry in. Good Luck!!
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