Competition rules

    Entering the Competition

  1. We, LOCOG, are referred to below as "LOCOG", "We", "Us" or "Our".
  2. The Film Nation: Shorts competition is a competition run by the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Limited ("LOCOG") which invites young people to make films that celebrate sport and the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (the "Competition"). By submitting Your film to the Competition (the "Film") you ("You" or "Your") are accepting these terms and conditions and any specific rules including the Competition's Editorial Guidelines entry instructions and other details relating to this Competition or to the prizes published on this website or in any media which features this Competition (together the "Rules").
  3. We reserve the right to amend the Rules at any time.
  4. All Films must be Your own work, must not be copied, must not contain any third party materials and/or content that You do not have permission to use and must not infringe on any copyrights. Films must not be obscene, defamatory or in breach of any applicable legislation or regulations. If We have reason to believe Your entry is not Your own work or otherwise breaches this clause 4, then We may not consider it.
  5. The Competition commences at on 16th August 2011 and the Closing Date of the Competition is on 2nd April 2012 (the "Closing Date"). Entries received after the Closing Date will not be considered.
  6. You are responsible for the cost (if any) of sending Your Competition entry to us.
  7. If You have any questions about the Competition, please e-mail us at filmnation@london2012.com with "Film Nation: Shorts competition queries" in the subject line.
  8. The Competition is open to writers, directors and producers resident in the United Kingdom who are aged 14-25 years at the time of uploading their Film. Other cast or crew members may be younger or older [provided proper clearances have been sought for their work] (together (with the writers, directors and producers) the "Entrants").
  9. If You are submitting Your Film as a team, the director of the Film must fill in the entry form online.
  10. Entrants under 16 must have a parent or legal guardian verify their entry via the online form.
  11. Entrants do not need any prior Filmmaking experience.
  12. By entering this Competition and taking part in the activities forming the prize, You agree to take part in or co-operate with a reasonable amount of publicity or other promotional activity on behalf of LOCOG and agree that LOCOG may publish Your name and home town and any photographs, films and/or recordings made by LOCOG or on LOCOG's behalf and featuring You and/or Your UGC.
  13. The Competition is not open to employees or contractors of Screen WM, First Light, the LOCOG, or any person directly or indirectly involved in the organisation or running of the Competition or their family members.
  14. We reserve the right to verify the eligibility of entrants.

    15. Your Film

  15. Films must be no longer than three minutes in length (including all titles and credits.)
  16. Films should be inspired by, or be relevant to, one or more of the Olympic and Paralympic values: "Respect", "Courage", "Excellence", "Friendship", "Equality", "Determination" and "Inspiration."
  17. Films must comply with the Rules and the Competition Editorial Guidelines. Films will not be accepted if they include any abusive, violent, offensive, bullying, harmful, insulting or inappropriate material and must not contain swearing, drugs' references or bad language.
  18. Films should not give out full names, addresses or contact details of any child. Films should not mention or show surnames, school names, school uniforms, sports club names, addresses, telephone numbers or details of specific places (e.g. names of villages) linked to Entrants.
  19. Any personal information released in the Films that could identify any person under the age of 18 will result in the Film being disqualified. Entrants may submit more than one Film to the Competition but must complete a separate online application form for each Film entered.
  20. 12 Film awards (the "National Awards") will be offered in Best Fiction, Best Documentary, Best Animation and Best Experimental Film categories (the "Categories") in three age groups 14-16; 17-19; and 20-25 (the "Age Groups").
  21. By uploading the Film to the Film Nation website, You agree to have Your Film shown on the Film Nation website and commented on by users. The Film may also be displayed on other social networking sites and Film Nation exhibition platforms.
  22. By uploading a Film, Entrants declare that they have obtained all required permissions and clearances with regards to music, sound and/or images and any other creative work presented in the Film.
  23. Given the costly and time-consuming nature of clearing commercial music, we recommend Entrants use original and/or library, non-commercial music in their Films, providing in all cases that any music has been cleared for use in this way.
  24. Entrants should ensure that all clearances in the Film allow for its use in all known media, throughout the world in perpetuity to avoid clearance issues.
  25. Films should not contain visuals or verbal references to any commercial brands, including large brand names on T-shirts, caps and other items of clothing.

    26. Film of the Month and National/Regional Competitions

  26. Films will also be eligible to win additional 'Film of the Month' and/or 'Best Regional/National Film' awards.
  27. 'Film of the Month' awards will be given to the Film selected by a panel (which may include representatives from the film industry, LOCOG and/or Panasonic but is subject to change from time to time) from the five films with the highest "likes-to-view" ratio that month.
  28. Once a film has won a 'Film of the Month' award it will automatically be entered into the main Competition shortlist to be considered for nomination for a National Award, but may not win another Film of the Month award. If a Film is in the top five but is not selected as a Film of the Month winner it is eligible for consideration in future Film of the Month competitions.
  29. At the Closing Date, the film with the highest likes-to-view ratio from each of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland (the "Nations") and South, South-West, East, East Midlands, West Midlands, Yorkshire, North-West, North-East, London (the "Regions") will also go forward to be considered for nomination for a National Award.

    30. Picking the winner

  30. After the Closing Date has passed, a shortlist will be produced which takes the 6 Films in each Age Group and Category with the highest "likes-to-view" ratio (based on audience voting), winners of the Film of the Month awards (the Entrant who won in the month prior to the Competition Deadline), and winners of the Film from each Nation and Region with the highest "likes-to-view" ratio (the "Shortlist").
  31. The Shortlist will then be reviewed by a group (which may include representatives from the Film industry, festival programmers, LOCOG, Panasonic and Filmmakers from each Age Group but may be subject to change (the "Nominations' Jury"). After reviewing the Shortlist, the Nominations' Jury will vote on which of the shortlisted Films should receive nominations for the national awards (the "Awards' Nominations").
  32. The Awards' Nominations will be made up of 3 Films in each Age Group and Category and will be judged by the Nominations' Jury and an awards jury containing Film industry experts and celebrities (the "Awards' Jury"). Details of the latest judges on the Awards Jury can be found on the Film Nation website.
  33. The decisions of the Nominations' Jury and Awards' Jury are final and no correspondence will be entered into.
  34. Entrants will be notified as soon as reasonably practicable if their Film has made either the Shortlist and/or been nominated for an award once the Awards' Jury has confirmed the final nominations. Unsuccessful Entrants who do not receive a nomination or award will not be contacted.
  35. Nominees for awards will be informed in good time before the National Awards Ceremony once the final nominations have been confirmed by the Awards' Jury. Nominees of any awards may be required to provide follow-up documentation to show that all relevant clearances are in place before being officially nominated.
  36. Nominees of awards may be required to take part in reasonable publicity activities after the announcement of their award on behalf of LOCOG .
  37. Winners of awards agree to be filmed, photographed or recorded and grant Film Council and LOCOG, free of charge, the right to publish the winning Film in part or in its entirety, footage, photographs or audio online and in all media as required for the purposes of promoting the Competition and LOCOG may edit, adapt, translate or remove the Film at any time.
  38. All nominated and winning Films will be kept by the LOCOG and made available to (amongst others) private showings to industry professionals, production companies, agents, distributors and exhibitors, and may feature in public screenings in all known media anywhere in the world at any time.
  39. Details of the winners can be obtained by sending a stamped addressed envelope to the following address:
    Culture Team
    Film Nation Cultural Programme Advisor
    London 2012
    21st Floor
    One Churchill Place
    Canary Wharf
    London
    E14 5LN

    40. Prizes

  40. Winning films will be announced in 2010, 2011 and 2012 and shown at major film festivals regional cinemas, and London 2012 Live Sites
  41. Prizes will be offered within 28 days of winners being notified of winning an award; if a prize offer is not accepted within a further 28 days it may be withdrawn.
  42. Prizes will be listed on the Film Nation website, and are subject to change. We may add or withdraw prizes at any time during the Competition. In the event of unforeseen circumstances or circumstances outside our control, We may offer an alternative prize of equal value. No cash or cash alternatives will be offered.
  43. Prizes cannot be exchanged or transferred by You and cannot be redeemed by You for cash or any other prizes. You must pay all other costs associated with the prize and not specifically included in the prize.

    44. User Generated Content

  44. These terms and conditions incorporate LOCOG's website terms of use relating to User Generated Content (see http://www.london2012.com/about-this-website/terms-of-use.php) ("UGC Terms") and will apply to Your Competition entry as if it were User Generated Content (as defined by the UGC Terms).
  45. By way of summary and without prejudice to the UGC Terms, the effect of the UGC Terms is that You will retain legal ownership in Your Competition entry but that You grant to LOCOG and its successors a non-exclusive, worldwide, sub-licensable, royalty-free and perpetual licence to use Your Competition entry [in all media now and later known] and any other material and/or information submitted with Your entry or otherwise provided by You including Your name, age and town or city of residence for the sole purpose of identifying You as the author of Your Competition entry (together "Your UGC").
  46. LOCOG's right to use Your UGC includes the right to copy, reproduce, modify, adapt, and otherwise communicate it to the public, including via our website and publicity materials, but for the avoidance of doubt we shall not sell or commercially exploit Your UGC without Your consent and, in this respect, the UGC Terms give LOCOG an option to purchase Your UGC from You.
  47. The UGC Terms include provisions in which You warrant that:
    1. Your UGC does not infringe any copyright, right of privacy or any other third-party rights and does not contain anything that is defamatory, obscene or otherwise offensive; and
    2. You own the copyright to Your UGC as its author and represent and warrant that You have (and will continue to have during the duration of the Competition) all necessary licenses, rights, consents, and permissions LOCOG needs to use Your UGC and You will provide evidence of such on our reasonable request;
    3. Your UGC is Your own original work, that it is not defamatory, obscene and that it shall not infringe any third party rights including, without limitation, privacy and You will provide evidence of such on our reasonable request.
  48. We reserve the right not to [publish] or to cease to [publish] Your Film for any or no reason including, without limitation, if we deem that Your entry is in breach of any law or regulation or otherwise may create a liability for LOCOG and/or LOCOG .
  49. LOCOG and/or LOCOG will only use Entrants' personal details for the purposes of administering the Competition, and will not pass them on to any third parties without the written permission of either the Entrant(s) or their parent or legal guardian if under 16.

    50. Some other rules

  50. In the event of a Film being nominated and/or winning an award, Entrants may be asked to sign a witness statement confirming that their Film is an original piece of work and that the Entrant holds all legal rights within the Film. Failure to respond to such a request within 30 days or provision of false information may result in disqualification from the Competition and an alternate winner may be selected. Such statements of winners under 18 years of age at the time of award must be countersigned by a parent or legal guardian. All such statements will be subject to verification by LOCOG.
  51. We take no responsibility for entries that are lost, delayed, misdirected or incomplete or cannot be delivered or entered for any reason. Proof of delivery of the entry is not proof of receipt.
  52. No purchase is necessary.
  53. The Promoter of the Competition is LOCOG and any complaints regarding the Competition should be sent to this address:
    Culture Team
    Film Nation Cultural Programme Advisor
    London 2012
    21st Floor
    One Churchill Place
    Canary Wharf
    London
    E14 5LN
  54. LOCOG accepts no responsibility for any damage, loss, liabilities, injury or disappointment incurred or suffered by any person as a result of entering the Competition or accepting any prize. LOCOG further accepts no liability for any injury or damage to Your, nor any other person's computer relating to or resulting from participation in or downloading or uploading any materials in connection with the Competition.
  55. The Competition will be governed by English law. You irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.