Competition Details: 

 

Film submissions are accepted annually from October 1 through November 15. Following the submission window, a panel of judges will select five finalists to be showcased at a ticketed screening on the third Saturday in January, during the Thunder Bay International Film Festival.

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Finalists will be selected based on a rubric of four criteria: creativity, originality, cinematography, and adherence to the competition’s theme of “The Great Lakes Region: Stories of Discovery, Experience, and Connection”

 

The Sanctuary Selections Judges Panel consists of industry professionals, Northeast Michigan community members, and representatives of The Sunset Project and Thunder Bay International Film Festival. This panel also selects the winning film, which is determined by the film with the highest total across each of the four rubric criteria.

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Filmmakers will be notified of their film's selection status on January 6, 2025. During the screening, all five films will be presented, with the winning film will be announced at the end of the evening and presented with a check for $5,000 intended to seed the creation of the the filmmakers next project.

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Filmmakers, or at least one representative who can speak on behalf of the film, must commit to attending in-person at the evening screening to be eligible for a top-five film selection. Attending filmmakers will also be required to participate in a ten (10) minute Q&A session following the screening of their film. 

 

To ease the travel burden for the five selected films and their filmmaker, The Sunset Project provides hotel accommodations (one room per film) for Friday and Saturday nights. In addition, The Sunset Project provides a $500 stipend to all five finalists for their participation in the filmmaker panel and full festival weekend. 
 

Finalists are encouraged to attend Friday night’s festival gala and experience the world-class ocean and Great Lakes films screened throughout the weekend!

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About The Thunder Bay International Film Festival: 

 

Hosted by the Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the Thunder Bay International Film Festival (TBIFF) takes place at venues across Northeast Michigan. In partnership with the International Ocean Film Festival, TBIFF showcases nearly 100 ocean and Great Lakes films from around the world.

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Held annually on the third weekend in January, this five-day festival features film screenings, educational programs, social events, and opportunities to engage directly with filmmakers. Thanks to the dedication of sanctuary staff, community partners, and a team of volunteers, TBIFF continues to grow as one of the region’s most anticipated cultural events.

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The festival’s annual Gala and some screenings are hosted at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena, Michigan. This stunning facility provides the perfect backdrop for a celebration of film, community, and the waters that connect us all.

 

For more information on TBIFF, please visit: https://thunderbayfriends.org/index.php/film-festival/​​

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Awards and Prizes:

 

One (1) Winning Film Receives:

 

$5,000 Cash Prize, provided by The Sunset Project

 

Five (5) Selected Finalists Receive:

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Two Weekend "Thunder Passes" 

Grants full access to all Thunder Bay International Film Festival events (Thursday through Sunday), provided by the Thunder Bay International Film Festival

 

Hotel Accommodations

One room per selected film for Friday night and Saturday night in Downtown Alpena, provided by The Sunset Project

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$500 Weekend Stipend

Provided for attendance, panel participation, and to support travel related costs such as gas, airfare, additional festival tickets, etc.

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Rules & Terms:

 

To qualify for entry into the Sanctuary Selections Film Competition, all submitted films and filmmaker(s) must meet the following criteria:

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• Duration: The film must not exceed a maximum runtime of 20 minutes.

• Release Date: The film must have a release date no earlier than March 2019.

• Previous Screenings: The film must not have been previously screened at the Thunder Bay International Film Festival.

• Thematic Adherence: The film must align with the theme, “The Great Lakes Region: Stories of Discovery, Experience, and Connection.”

• Regional Focus: The film’s content must pertain to the Great Lakes Region, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Ontario.

• Attendance: The filmmaker(s) must be available to attend in person on the evening of Saturday, January 25, 2025

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Additional Information

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• Work-in-Progress Submissions: Films that are still in progress may be submitted; however, they will be evaluated alongside all other submissions under the same criteria.

• Submission Method: All entries must be submitted exclusively through the designated online submission portal.

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This project is proudly supported in part by the Michigan Arts & Culture Council and Michigan Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities