Please read the following terms carefully. Melbourne Web Fest reserves the right to deem any project that fails to meet the criteria outlined ineligible:
1. Melbourne WebFest accepts web projects all across the globe.
2. Submitters must be 18 years of age or older.
3. Entries are only accepted via FilmFreeway.
4. Submissions MUST be the intellectual property of the submitter(s) and/or their team, or the submitter(s) must have obtained appropriate licensing rights to use any and all content featured in their project - including music. No proxy submissions are accepted.
5. The project must have a minimum of two (2) episodes available by the end of submissions period 2026. The project does not have to be officially released or publicly available, but it must be available for our selection panel to view at the time of submission.
6. Student submissions are exempt from condition #5 and require a minimum of one (1) episode available by the end of submission period 2026. The project does not have to be officially released or publicly available, but it must be available for our selection panel to view at the time of submission.
7. Projects must be viewable globally, and not password protected by region. Projects may be submitted via platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo, and via Google Drive (no Dropbox links, please!). Projects must be able to be downloaded, for the festival's promotional content. Failure to oblige may result in disqualification. Projects must have an option for offline downloading for use in promotional content leading up to the festival.
8. Previous official selections must have produced a minimum of three (3) new episodes to be eligible for consideration.
9. Individual web series episodes must not exceed 15 minutes.
10. Melbourne WebFest reserves the right to screen or not screen programmed works, or works announced in the Official Selection section of the festival. There are limitations to how many projects can be screened during our festival, and will depend upon time constraints, and if submission time limits are adhered to.
11. By submitting to Melbourne WebFest, submitters automatically grant Melbourne WebFest a non-exclusive license to use their material for PR and Marketing of the festival.
12. All non-English language works MUST have English subtitles. Failure to oblige may result in disqualification.
13. Entrants can submit an unlimited number of projects, but each project requires individual submission form and payment.
14. Melbourne WebFest reserves the right to reclassify a project if it better fits another category.
15. Student productions have the option of submitting for a heavily reduced fee, noting that these submissions are only eligible for the student award if selected for the festival.
16. Official selections will be announced via social media, and the Melbourne WebFest website. Submitters will be notified of the outcome via FilmFreeway.
17. At the jury's discretion, certain awards may be presented without the announcement of official nominees. This flexibility allows the jury to recognise exceptional work or achievements that may not fit into the traditional nomination process.
18. Decisions by Melbourne WebFest are final.
19. Melbourne Web Fest reserves the right to amend the criteria.
20. Entrants are advised to monitor the email address used for submission for any information about Melbourne WebFest and the 2026 Selection. Melbourne WebFest takes no responsibility for any selected entrant not receiving notifications or important information.
21. We strongly advise that all official submissions/submission material (and questions/enquiries regarding submissions) should come through FilmFreeway, or our official email address: info@melbournewebfest.com. We do our very best to keep across our socials, however we can’t guarantee that your project, and/or your important questions, will get to us! To ensure that we can keep in touch reliably, please use our email address.
22. Selected projects must be prepared to send a file for screening at Melbourne WebFest 2026. Guidelines for this step will be emailed shortly after the selection announcement.
General Rules & Terms:
1. By entering into Melbourne WebFest, the submitter(s) automatically acknowledges that they understand and accept the festival’s guidelines and terms and conditions.
2. By entering into Melbourne WebFest, the submitter(s) automatically grant the festival the rights to use the submitted works and any excerpt thereof for promotional and screening purposes.
3. By entering Melbourne WebFest, the submitter(s) confirm that they hold all appropriate rights to the actors, music, etc. By entering, they release the Melbourne WebFest from any claim and all responsibilities relating to or arising from its use of the project.
4. The submitter(s) and their agents agree to indemnify and hold harmless Melbourne Web Fest, its advisory board, committee, staff, judges, partners and sponsors from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney’s fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening web project entered.
5. The submitter(s) acknowledge that entering their work and paying the submission fee does not guarantee selection of the work into the Festival. Submitter(s) agree that they are aware that all projects received will be judged by a selection panel whose decision is final. They accept this risk; understand that the entry fee is non-refundable, and that withdrawing entries is not permitted.
6. The onus is on the submitter to ensure their project is available for viewing by the Melbourne Web Fest panel and that the submitted material adheres to the submission criteria and terms and conditions.
7. Australian and Victorian laws apply.
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Fiction & Non-Fiction Podcasts, Actual Play Audio or Video projects, and Audio Fiction standalones submission details:
1. Creators of Fiction & Non-Fiction Podcasts, Actual Play audio or video projects, and Audio Fiction standalones: Please submit a MAXIMUM of 30 minutes from your series for our judges. This can be a straight 30 minute excerpt, it could be a highlight reel of sorts, or anything in between. It is entirely up to you to decide what gets included in your submission, but know that is the primary thing our judges will use for acceptances, nominations, and awards. If your submission is longer than 30 minutes, initial judging will be just on that first 30 minutes.
For audio-only submissions, when you join FilmFreeway, you can upload your audio file by categorizing your work as Music/Songwriting, or the VR/XR immersive option - that will allow you submit audio links without a video component. Our partner festival NJ Web Fest has a post with detailed instructions, and a comprehensive overview of the submission process: newjerseywebfest.com/FilmFreeway-podcasts
2. If your project is selected, we may ask for a truncated version of your project for screening purposes, depending on the length of your episodes.
3. Actual Play video projects that have a spoken language other than English must be subtitled in English. If your podcast is in a language other than English and you wish to be considered for selection, please email us an English transcript after submitting (our email is info@melbournewebfest.com, and include your project name and tracking number in the subject line). Scripts must be in English.
4. Actual Play creators: all audio-only projects should submit as Actual Play (Podcast) and all livestreams and pre-recorded/edited video projects should submit as Actual Play (Video). Your submission must be a maximum of 30 minutes - you could submit an excerpt of an episode, or create a highlight reel of sorts.
If you have any questions, send through an email to our team at info@melbournewebfest.com
