Call For Entries

The Call for Entries for the 2025 festival has now closed. If you have questions, please email fullframesubmissions@duke.edu. 

The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival exhibits nearly 70 documentary films in a variety of programs. Submitted films will be considered for both the NEW DOCS and Invited Program categories. Filmmakers whose films are selected for Full Frame will be notified at the time of acceptance whether their films will be screening in the NEW DOCS or Invited Program categories. Films screening in the Invited Program are not eligible for awards.

Full Frame 2025 will take place Thursday, April 3, through Sunday, April 6, in person, in Durham, North Carolina. The festival will not incorporate an online screening showcase.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

ENTRY FORM:  A direct link to Full Frame’s entry form is available at the bottom of this page. The application is hosted by Duke University Box Office. Applicants will need to create a Duke University Box Office account to complete the application, if they do not already have one from a previous submission or festival purchase. Returning applicants can use their Duke University Box Office account to complete the application. Applicants will receive an email confirmation from tickets@duke.edu once the submission has been received. 

ELIGIBILITY:  Short and feature documentary films completed after January 1, 2024, are eligible for Full Frame 2025. Films 40 minutes or less are considered shorts. Films 41 minutes or longer are considered features. Full Frame does not accept entries with total running times over 180 minutes.
 
ENTRY FEE & DEADLINES:  Entry fees must be paid by credit card and are non-refundable. The Regular Deadline is Monday, September 30, at 11:00pm ET. The Late Deadline is Friday, November 15, at 11:00pm ET.

       Regular Features Deadline: August 20 – September 30 / $65
       Regular Shorts Deadline: August 20 – September 30 / $45

       Late Features Deadline: October 1 – November 15 / $80
       Late Shorts Deadline: October 1 – November 15 / $60
 

SUBMISSION FORMAT:  Vimeo links are preferred. Screening links must be received at the time of submission. The festival cannot guarantee that updated links will be reviewed.
 
NOTIFICATIONS:  Notifications regarding acceptance will be sent no later than March 7, 2025.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I submit a rough cut of my film?
We strongly encourage filmmakers to submit the most complete version of their films possible. We cannot guarantee that replacement cuts will be viewed. If submitting a rough cut, please indicate in the application what elements are still incomplete: temporary sound, temporary graphics, missing scenes, etc. To discuss the timing of submitting a rough cut, please email fullframesubmissions@duke.edu.

Can I send an updated cut of my film after I’ve already submitted a screener?
Our programming team will review the original screener received. Full Frame cannot guarantee that updated versions of films will be reviewed, but links to new cuts can be emailed to fullframesubmissions@duke.edu.

I submitted my film to Full Frame before and it was not accepted. I’ve since made changes to the film. Can I submit again this year?
Unless a film has been completely reworked, we discourage filmmakers from submitting again.

Does Full Frame have a premiere requirement?
Full Frame does not have a formal premiere requirement. When making final decisions, programmers do take a film’s exposure into consideration, especially prior screenings in North Carolina, wide play on the festival circuit, national television broadcast, or theatrical release.

Will the festival provide feedback on why my film was not accepted?
Unfortunately, we are unable to provide individualized feedback to filmmakers.

Will Full Frame review my film in its entirety? Why hasn’t Vimeo detected that my film has been screened?
Full Frame reviews every film submitted to the festival in its entirety. Vimeo’s tracking of loads and views is limited when views do not occur within the Vimeo player. When films are viewed via a third-party player, such as on another streaming device, like Apple TV or Roku, Vimeo captures limited data. More information is available on the Vimeo Help Center.

Have additional questions about submitting?
Please email fullframesubmissions@duke.edu.