Golden Harvest Film Festival is a newly launched unique film festival committed to the promotion of indie filmmakers from all over the world
Let’s celebrate "Golden Harvest" together !
Your film is already qualified for Official Selection
GOLDEN HARVEST FILM FESTIVAL
is a film awarding ceremony dedicated to the promotion of independent filmmakers from all over the world, in association with the International Film Festival Community (IFFC) established in Tokyo in 2020.
OUR MISSION
We aim to celebrate independent films with any genre or any duration, by selecting and awarding the artistry and creativity of independent filmmakers from all over the world, which is likened to “Golden Harvest”.
OUR SELECTION
As we ourselves are also filmmakers and understand how hard it is to make a film, appreciating the time, work and effort you have taken, except for those we deem overly violent, abusive, thoughtless or outrageous without the respect for human rights or animal rights.
OUR AWARDING
Our independent jury evaluates the officially selected films and the award winners will be decided according to the evaluations thereby. We give an award to those rated by our jury higher than a certain mark since the purpose of our film festival is to promote indie filmmakers. We hold an annual screening for chosen award winners in spring.
DATES & DEADLINES
Opening: September 21, 2025
Special Earlybird Deadline: October 12, 2025
Earlybird Deadline 1: November 2, 2025
Earlybird Deadline 2: November 23, 2025
Earlybird Deadline 3: December 14, 2025
Regular Deadline 1: January 4, 2026
Regular Deadline 2: January 25, 2026
Regular Deadline 3: February 15, 2026
Extended Deadline 1: March 8, 2026
Extended Deadline 2: March 29, 2026
Extended Deadline 3: April 19, 2026
Notification: June 7, 2026
Event Date: August 23, 2026
CATEGORIES
Short Film (all genres / not longer than 40 minutes)
Feature Film (all genres / longer than 40 minutes)
Awards & Prizes
AWARDS
• Best Short Film
• Best Feature Film
• Best Documentary Film
• Best Animation Film
• Best Drama
• Best Comedy
• Best Thriller
• Best Sci-Fi
• Best Action
• Best Experimental
• Best Music Video
• Jury Special Award
• Honorable Mention
No prize money involved.
ELIGIBILITY & GENERAL CONDITIONS
- We accept films of all genres and durations.
- Submissions are open to anyone from any country, whether a filmmaker, student, or distributor.
- There is no production year restriction for films.
- Non-English films must include English subtitles.
RIGHTS & ETHICAL STANDARDS
- You must hold all necessary rights and clearances for your film before submission.
- All rights related to the submitted film must belong to the applicant.
- Films that include content deemed to be excessively violent, abusive, discriminatory, pornographic, or showing disrespect for human or animal rights will be disqualified.
- Films that serve primarily as religious or political propaganda will be disqualified.
SUBMISSION & SELECTION PROCESS
- We only accept online screeners via FilmFreeway for the selection process.
- The decisions of the jury are final. Individual feedback will not be provided.
- Submissions are deemed as offers for screening. Selection by the festival constitutes acceptance, forming a mutual agreement to screen unless the applicant explicitly withdraws prior to the program announcement.
- Once officially announced in the festival program, films cannot be withdrawn except under exceptional circumstances approved by the festival.
- If your film is awarded, you need to send us the screening file (H.264 / .mp4) at your earliest convenience (if your film is not in Japanese and does not already include Japanese subtitles, you need to provide the English subtitle file so that we can translate).
FEES & COSTS
- All submission fees are non-refundable under any circumstances.
- In the unlikely event that a physical shipment is required, all shipping costs must be borne by the applicant. All deliveries are basically digital.
PROMOTION & MATERIALS
- By submitting, you agree to allow us to use materials such as trailers, posters, stills, and images for the purpose of promoting your film and our events, including possible sharing with partner festivals for promotional purposes.
- Applicants should provide still photos and a brief synopsis with their submission. Posters and trailers are highly encouraged for promotional purposes.
- By submitting, the applicant also grants the festival the non-exclusive right to screen the film during the festival and at any special screenings organized by the festival for promotional purposes, as well as to use excerpts for advertising and publicity.
LIABILITY & INDEMNIFICATION
- The person(s) or company submitting a film shall indemnify and hold harmless Golden Harvest Film Festival, its agents, and associates from any claims, liabilities, damages, or expenses (including attorney’s fees and court costs) arising from copyright, trademark, publicity, screening, or loss/damage of submitted materials.
- The festival is not responsible for any technical issues, interruptions, or force majeure events that may affect the screening.
WARRANTIES & ACCEPTANCE
- The submitter warrants that they are authorized to commit the film for screening and accepts these rules and regulations.
FESTIVAL DISCRETION
- The festival reserves the right to determine the screening schedule, venue, and format at its sole discretion.
- The festival reserves the right to convert the submitted screening file to a format suitable for exhibition if necessary.
AMENDMENTS
- The festival reserves the right to reasonably add, modify, or update rules and terms if necessary.
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