The rules are simple

1. Your film must be shot entirely on a smartphone or tablet, or a 360 camera for SF360. The only exception is a small amount of drone footage may be used in your film. The amount is discretionary but must be an insignificant amount of your film and used only sparingly.
2. Films for the SF3 Official Selection Gala Awards must be no longer than 20 minutes including titles and credits. There is no minimum time limit.
3. Films for our feature film category must be a minimum of 40 minutes in length, no maximum time limit.
4. All 360 and VR entries to SF360 must be a maximum of 20 minutes with no minimum time limit.
5. Films for our Mini Category must be a maximum of 3 minutes and our theme for 2023 is Up. This is merely a jumping off point and can be interpreted as you like. You also do not have to use this prompt if you so wish.
6. SF3 accepts any and all genres, except X rated films and excessive gratuitous violence.
7. All scripts and ideas must be your original material.
8. Copyright material can only be used if you have written permission to do so, and we can ask at anytime to see this permission.
9. You can use any software or apps to edit your video and audio, and can edit on any device.
10. You can use any software for colour correction or special effects.
11. You can use external microphones, lenses, lighting, tripods, etc.
12. Your film must meet all the terms and conditions of the festival to be eligible.
13. The judges’ decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding film selections and prize winners.
14. SF3 Kids Category and Competition is for Australian and International filmmakers aged 16 years and under at the time of filming. A kids film for the purposes of SF3 is a film who’s director and at least one other key creative role are 16 years or under at the time of filming. All other roles on the film, including the DOP and actors and editors may include people of all ages, however, the film must be the idea of a filmmaker 16 years and under and all concepts of editing, camera angles and all other relevant artistic choices must be primarily decided upon by the filmmaker or group of filmmakers 16 years and under who enters the film.
15. The SF3 Kids category has a maximum time limit of 10 minutes. However, if you feel that your film must be longer than 10 minutes but less than 20 minutes, then you may still enter your film of more than 10 minutes and it will be considered for our SF3 Kids Finals, however, the film must be exceptional and the extra time limit justified.
16. SF3 is open to filmmakers from every country.
17. Films will be accepted from filmmakers of every age.
18. The WIFT NSW Award is for the best female creative, decided by our judges, who worked on one of our Official Selection films in a crew capacity, not limited to the producer, writer, DP, etc. The director of each film will be asked to nominate an outstanding female that worked on their film, and this can include themselves.
19. The SF3 Community Award is for a film which showcases stories, actors and/or people that are under-represented on our screens and showcases them in a moving, positive, or special way. This will be decided by our judging panel.
20. The Luma Touch Finished on Mobile Award is for a smartphone film that must be both completely shot and edited on smartphones or tablets only. You may use any editing program, but you must show us evidence that it was edited on a device; evidence includes screenshots of you editing or a short BTS of you editing the film.
21. The SF3 First Nations Award is open to Australian filmmakers who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander.
22. All feature film entries must never have had a public screening in Sydney, Australia, to be eligible for entry.
23. In special circumstances archival footage may be used in a very minimal amount to add context or needed substance to your film. You must email us at sf3@sf3.com.au for permission.
24. If your film is selected to screen at SF3 2023, you must remove your film from anywhere that it is show online for the duration of the festival. You may make it private but your film can not be publicly viewable online until the completion of the 2022 festival.

The submission deadline for the 9th Annual SmartFone Flick Fest is 11:49PM AEST, September 1, 2023.

How to Enter SF3

Enter using our submission form, or if you prefer to pay in US dollars then submit via Film Freeway.