INFORMATION
A new FilmG website is coming soon with a new entry and film uploading system. We will begin accepting FilmG 18 competition entries once the new website is live.
FilmG 18 will be open for entries until the end of February 2026. Entries submitted after the deadline of 11.59pm on 28 February 2026 will not be accepted unless there are exceptional circumstances, which must be agreed upon in advance with the FilmG team.
If you have any questions in the meantime, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Films must be submitted in an HD (1080p) format.
- Recommended file formats: .mp4 or .mov, H.264 codec preferred.
- The preferred frame rate is 25 frames per second, but the video frame rate must be at least 12 frames per second. The video bit rate should be above 260 Kbps.
- Films must be provided without burnt-in subtitles (however, we do welcome the submission of .srt subtitle files)
- Winning films may be requested in a format suitable for broadcast or use on BBC iPlayer.
ELIGIBILITY
JUDGING
PERMISSIONS
COPYRIGHT & USAGE
FILMG RULES
- Films must be submitted by the end of 28 February 2026. Entries submitted after this deadline will not be accepted unless there are exceptional circumstances, which must be agreed upon in advance with the FilmG team.
- By submitting an entry to the competition, entrants agree to be bound by the rules and guidelines. Receipt of entry by Astar Media/MG ALBA amounts to acceptance of the rules.
- All entries must be U/PG rated as specified by the BBFC guidelines, and Astar Media/MG ALBA reserve the right to refuse entries submitted that, through content or language, are considered by Astar Media/MG ALBA as offensive or defamatory. https://www.bbfc.co.uk/rating/pg
- Entries submitted to the competition must be in the Scottish Gaelic language. It is not a condition of entry that Gaelic be the language of the production process; however, Gaelic must be the language of the end product. English content or content in other languages, where necessary and relevant, will be allowed at the discretion of the judges. Special dispensation may be given to Manx Gaelic submissions, as long as Gaelic subtitles are provided.
- Films submitted to FilmG must be no longer than 5 minutes. Credits may appear after this time, but only if they are not part of the story. A black background is fine, for example. Narrative content within or after the credits will count toward the 5-minute limit.
- The judges’ decisions are final. Neither correspondence nor discussion concerning any decision shall be entered into.
- The 18+ Competition is open to anyone over the age of 18 as of 28 February 2026, while the FilmG -18 Competition is open to individuals who are under 18 as of this date. The -12 Competition is exclusively for children of primary school age.
- Films with a mix of age groups will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the filmmaker’s age and an overall judgment of the ages of the declared cast and crew. Entries submitted by groups should consider which competition best reflects their group composition before entering.
- Adults appearing in -18 or -12 Competition films and children appearing in 18+ Competition films may be considered for their appropriate age group for Best Performance. Other films may be transferred for consideration across competitions for similar reasons at the discretion of Astar Media/MG ALBA.
- Entrants agree to sign FilmG’s consent forms and consent to being filmed, interviewed, and recorded by Astar Media/MG ALBA or any associated production teams, as required for marketing and PR purposes related to the competition.
- Entrants shall consent to grant non-exclusive, unlimited online, social media, physical media and broadcast use of work submitted to the competition to MG ALBA unless otherwise agreed.
- There must be no agreement with any other person which shall in any way interfere with any rights granted to MG ALBA.
- Astar Media/MG ALBA reserve the right to refuse any entry to the competition for any reason at their absolute discretion.
- The description of the awards, prizes and selection process in any competition literature or other medium is not binding and may be changed by Astar Media/MG ALBA. We may make additional awards or prizes, but we shall not be obliged to make any award or prize if it is deemed inappropriate to do so.
- Employees of MG ALBA/Astar Media may submit a film to the competition for a judges’ critique, and their films will be made available online; however, they are ineligible for any prizes.
- Tutors/Freelancers engaged to work on FilmG will only be able to enter categories with which they have had no involvement.
- Astar Media/MG ALBA reserve the right to refuse entry if the technical specifications listed on the FilmG website are not adhered to.
- Entrants must obtain appropriate consent from all contributors.
- Astar Media/MG ALBA will refuse entries that infringe upon the intellectual property rights of others, including unauthorised copyright text, music, images or programmes, trade secrets or other confidential information.
