Submissions

Submissions are now closed for the 2026 festival

Timeline

July 15 - Entries open
August 6 - Early Submission Deadline
August 28 - Regular Submission Deadline
September 18 - Late Submission Deadline
October 10 - Final Submission Deadline

Awards and Prizes

Every eligible submission will be considered for inclusion in the festival and, if selected for inclusion, evaluated by the jury for the opportunity to win one of the following REEL WILD™ awards*:

• Feature Length:
  • Conservation
  • Wildlife
  • Exploration
  • Cinematography
  • People & Nature
• Short Film
• Student Film
• Emerging Filmmaker Award, sponsored by Disney Conservation Fund

*The awards listed are subject to change in advance of the 2026 festival. Additionally, the festival reserves the right to adjust the awards as it sees fit.

Stay tuned on Instagram (@reelwildfilmfestival) for year-round programming and special screening events.

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LEGAL TERMS

By submitting a film for consideration for inclusion in REEL WILD, the submitter unconditionally accepts all of these Rules & Terms. The submitter understands and acknowledges that, if its film is accepted for inclusion in REEL WILD, a separate written participation agreement between the submitter and WCS will be required. The submitter represents, warrants and covenants to WCS that:

(a) The submitter has all rights, power and authority necessary: (i) to submit the film for consideration for inclusion in REEL WILD; (ii) for public exhibition of the film and use of related publicity materials in connection with REEL WILD if the film is selected; and (iii) to agree to these Rules & Terms;
(b) The film is an original work, and its exhibition in the festival will not violate any law or any right or consent of any person or entity;
(c) The exhibition of the film in the festival will not violate or infringe any copyright, patent, privacy right, publicity right, trademark, service mark or any other personal or property right of any person or entity, and that the film does not and will not constitute or include any defamation of any person or entity;
(d) For avoidance of doubt, the submitter has obtained, and can substantiate that it has obtained, all necessary rights, permissions and authorizations, knowingly and voluntarily granted, from any individual (or, where applicable, the parent or legal guardian of any such individual) whose image, likeness, voice, name or other characteristic recognizably appears or is used in the film;
(e) All license fees, clearance fees, and other obligations, of any kind, arising from or associated with the exhibition of the film in or in connection with the festival have been and will be timely paid in full;
(f) The film is not the subject of any current or threatened legal dispute, litigation, arbitration or other adversarial claim or proceeding;
(g) There are no agreements, and submitter shall not make any agreements subsequent to submitting the film, that would or could impair its ability to provide the film for inclusion in the festival or that would otherwise conflict with any provision of these Rules & Terms; and,
(h) All of the information included in its submission is accurate to the best of submitter’s knowledge after diligent inquiry.

If the film is selected for inclusion in the festival, submitter agrees to participate in promoting the festival, and the film’s inclusion therein, including making available key personnel involved in the film to participate, the full terms of which will be set forth in a separate participation agreement at such time.

WCS reserves the right in its sole discretion to accept or reject any submission; to modify or cancel the festival in whole or in part; and to rescind any festival acceptance given to the submitter in the event that the aforementioned participation agreement is not accepted by the submitter, or if the submitter or any person or entity associated with the film engages in conduct that brings or is likely to bring the festival or WCS into disrepute or notoriety.

These Rules & Terms are binding upon and will inure to the benefit of submitter’s successors, heirs, executors, administrators, and legal representatives, as applicable. These Rules & Terms shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York without regard to New York’s choice-of-law rules.