Rules and eligibility
- The competition is open to new or established film and television production companies, including independent filmmakers, from anywhere in the world.
- To qualify, productions must have an aspect of the natural world as the central focus such as revealing new facts about animal behaviour, a natural habitat, ecology, humankind's relationship with the natural environment and with animals.
- Entries need not have been broadcast, or have a transmission date. However, they must have been completed on or after 1 March 2008 and may not have been entered for a previous Wildscreen.
- Entries should be submitted by the producer, co-producer or commissioner. In the case of co-productions, Wildscreen needs the version made for transmission in the country of the originating producer, even if different versions exist.
- The Festival is conducted in English. Productions in other languages are welcome but they must be accompanied by an English script with time code, or be subtitled or dubbed. Festival finalists may be asked to provide an English version. If none is available, the organisers reserve the right to add a voice-over in English.
- Entrants must complete a separate entry form for each production, indicating the Award/s for which the production is being entered. The organisers reserve the right to edit the information supplied.
- Entries should initially be submitted on DVD for the Nomination Panel (2 DVD copies are required, preferably PAL). The aspect ratio should be specified on the form so productions may be viewed at their best. Finalists are asked to submit 2 Digital Betas, one of which will be returned and the other retained for the ARKive Collection.
- Sponsorship may be acknowledged in productions but advertising is not permitted.
- Entrants should provide a minimum of two digital photographs from each production. Entrants automatically grant permission for the pictures to be used or copied in any reasonable way connected with the promotion of the competition and/or Festival, including on the web.
- Competition entrants automatically grant consent for up to three minutes of each production submitted to be made available, free of charge, to the broadcast media, for use in any reasonable way connected with the promotion of the Panda Awards, Wildscreen Festival and/or Wildscreen, including on the web.
- Competition entrants automatically grant consent for their productions to be available for viewing by Festival delegates in the on demand film library and for closed circuit playback of their productions, in whole or in part, to delegates, journalists and others, invited to participate in the Festival. This includes not-for-profit public screenings during and outside of the Festival, branded as 'Best of Wildscreen' and used to further Wildscreen's charitable objective to 'Promote the conservation of nature and the public appreciation of biodiversity through the power of wildlife imagery'. An admission fee may be levied to cover venue charges or administration. Separate arrangements are made in the case of large format productions.
- All entry forms must be accompanied by the relevant enclosures, including the entry fees. The organisers reserve the right to reject entries which are incomplete. Fees are non-returnable.
- Entrants are responsible for the safe delivery in both directions and insurance, of entries to Wildscreen. The organisers agree to take every reasonable precaution in handling entries but cannot be responsible for non-receipt, damage or loss. Additionally, participation in the Festival is deemed to relieve the organisers of all liability in respect of claims by third parties.
- Awards are decided by members of the Festival Jury and by them alone. Lobbying is not permitted. The decisions of the Jury are final. The Jury reserves the right to withhold an award in any category.
- Wildscreen is a celebration of the natural world and its wonders. For this reason, productions entered for the Festival must be made in ways which respect living creatures, their accustomed behaviour and their habitats. The organisers reserve the right to disqualify any productions believed to be in breach of this rule.
- Participation in the Festival implies full acceptance of the rules of the competition.