Dear Filmmakers,

For those of you who plan to attend, please send us a headshot and short bio so we can post you on our site, under “Special Guests.” Just use the email link down below on the left.

We have contacted those of you who have been accepted. All of you should have received this notice with FTP transfer instructions. If you have not, please refer to the contact emails below for assistance.

Congratulations on being accepted into the South Dakota Film Festival! Thank you for submitting to our annual event. In an effort to ensure the best projection quality possible, we have established the following parameters. Let us know if you have questions and please plan to attend the festival September 9-12 in Aberdeen, South Dakota.

If you filmed your movie in HD or opted for digital submission, and would like to submit a digital copy for the festival, here’s how! You can either…

- Submit a .MOV or MPEG 4 file on a DATA DVD if it fits on a standard 4.7GB disc
- Submit a .MOV or MPEG 4 file on a flash drive
- Upload your .MOV or MPEG 4 file to our FTP (FTP instructions are at the bottom of this email)

As a back up, everyone please send a playable NTSC DVD for the festival in case there is anything wrong with your file.
Please, no files over 16GB.
Please if at all possible, encode your film with H.264 for best size and quality.
Use MPEG 4 if you are having trouble getting your file sizes down under 16 GB.
If you would like your flash drive sent back to you, please let us know and we will send it back at no cost to you.
If you opt to use the FTP option, please send an email notifying you have done so.

Please have your uploads and/or submissions  uploaded/post marked by Aug 23rd.
Send your back-up playable DVD’s and your DATA DVD’s / Flash Drives to

South Dakota Film Festival
417 S Main St
Aberdeen, SD 57401

Thank you.

If you have any questions, please email your video questions to
Bill Freitag  – bill@mcquillencreative.com

If you have any questions about the FTP, please email
Josh Latterell  – josh@mcquillencreative.com

FTP INFO

If you need an FTP program
We recommend FIleZilla. To download, go to this link:  http://filezilla-project.org/download.php?type=client

There are two different versions for Windows available. If using windows, choose the first one that says “(recommended)” next to it. There are versions for mac available as well, depending on your processor.

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South Dakota Film Festival prefers online entries submitted via Without A Box, which provides cost-saving, paperless submission to film festivals around the world. Withoutabox’s internet-only submission platform features online applications via one master entry form, online fee payments, press kits, and the option to use Secure Online Screeners, an economical, eco-friendly, and secure alternative to traditional hard-copy DVD submissions. Fill out one master entry form and take advantage of quick entry, extended deadlines, and powerful submission management tools. There’s no extra cost to you, and by submitting, you’ll join Withoutabox’s global filmmaker community and stay in the loop about international exhibition opportunities.