For the Holy Grail International Film Festival, a central theme that elegantly ties into your name is "The Quest for Vision: Unearthing Cinematic Treasures." This theme frames the film festival as a journey of discovery, where filmmakers, like modern-day knights, embark on a quest to tell stories, explore new perspectives, and push the boundaries of cinematic art. It suggests that each film submitted is a potential "holy grail" – a profound revelation, a hidden gem, or a powerful narrative waiting to be unearthed and shared with the audience. This overarching concept allows for a wide array of sub-themes, encompassing personal journeys of self-discovery, the pursuit of truth and justice, the unveiling of historical or societal mysteries, the relentless pursuit of artistic innovation, and the exploration of what is sacred or deeply meaningful in the human experience. Ultimately, the festival becomes a collective odyssey, inviting both creators and viewers to seek out and celebrate the transformative power of storytelling, reinforcing the idea that true cinematic vision is indeed a precious, sought-after treasure.

Physical Trophies: We offer physical trophies to every winner.

Certificates: Along with trophies, you will receive certificates with intricate borders and a metallic or embossed finish.

Prize Money: We offer $1000 USD cash prize to every winner from each category.

Distribution/Promotion Opportunities: We have collaborated and partnering with distributors and online platforms to help winning films reach a wider audience.

Please read these Rules & Terms carefully before you submit your film. By submitting your film into this competition, you expressly acknowledge and agree that you shall be bound by the terms of these Rules & Terms.
We are open to any film completed after January 1, 2000, regardless of content, subject, or origin. Submitting your film to the festival is not a guarantee of selection. All the winning films will receive a trophy, award or certificate. Please note that we do not offer application fee waivers. We treat every filmmaker equally.
1. Submissions must be accompanied by the applicable submission fee PER ENTRY and a completed online entry form. All films must be in English or have English subtitles at the time submitted.
2. Films must be submitted as an online streaming video via a participating submission platform (WFCN), a password-protected streaming URL (please test before sending).
3. In the event of a password change or link change after submitting, you must email the Festival at immediately with that change so we may update your record. If the Festival is not notified of the change and the link is found to be inactive or the password to be incorrect, the submission may be deemed ineligible.
4. The festival has no obligation (other than as stated in these rules or on our website) to disclose any of the following information: i) identities of screeners or judges; ii) notes, feedback, or information relating to the submitted project; and/or iii) details regarding the submission review or selection process.
5. The film submitted to the HGIFF for a particular month can be re-submitted at any time for a second chance, considering that we have different judges' panels for each season.
6. A director/producer may submit more than one film in a category and more than one category at a time.
7. A nominee will be privately screened for the festival judging panel, and will not be screened initially to the public.
8. “Best” films of each category will receive a laurel & certificate.
9. A filmmaker’s submission fee will not be reimbursed if they decide to withdraw their submission. All entry fees are non-refundable.
10. We require an official trailer or poster, synopsis and a link to your film. Please select the correct category while submitting to avoid disqualification. We reserve the right to re-assign films to the appropriate category.