What exactly am I paying US$29 for?

The US$29 one-time publication fee covers the publication of one film on NEWCINEMA/, including professional transcoding, secure streaming through Whush, publication within your chosen NEWCINEMA/ showcase, and a dedicated editorial article announcing your release. Your publication also includes access to the Festival Gateway, allowing you to have your film considered by participating festival partners at no additional cost.

There are no subscriptions for filmmakers, no recurring publication fees, no additional festival submission fees and no hidden costs.

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Is publication on NEWCINEMA/ guaranteed?

Yes. NEWCINEMA/ is an open publishing platform rather than a competitive film festival. You choose the showcase that best represents your work, and your film will be published there provided you hold the necessary rights and the materials supplied meet our technical requirements.

Festival selection through the Festival Gateway is separate and is not guaranteed.

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What are the NEWCINEMA/ showcases?

The showcases are the different environments in which films are published and discovered on NEWCINEMA/. These currently include FEATURES+, SHORTS+, DOCS+, ANIMATED+, EXPERIMENTAL+, OBSCURE+, NEWVOICES+ and MUSICVIDEOS+.

Choose the showcase that best represents your film. This is where audiences can discover your work and where festival programmers can find films that may be relevant to their programmes.

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What is the Festival Gateway?

The Festival Gateway is an additional benefit included with every NEWCINEMA/ publication.

During the publication process, you can choose from 25+ participating film festivals and indicate which festivals you would like your film to be considered by for their official streaming programmes.

There is no additional fee for these festival opportunities.

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Is NEWCINEMA/ another film festival submission platform?

No. NEWCINEMA/ is first and foremost a film publishing and streaming platform.

You publish your film once within the NEWCINEMA/ showcase that best fits your work. The Festival Gateway is an additional feature that allows you to make that published film available for consideration by participating festivals for their streaming programmes.

There are no separate applications, repeated uploads or individual festival submission fees.

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If I select a festival, will my film actually be considered?

Yes. If you select an eligible participating festival, your film will be reviewed and considered when that festival prepares its streaming programme.

The festivals make their programming decisions during their regular programming periods, so consideration does not necessarily happen immediately after you publish your film.

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Does selecting a festival guarantee an Official Selection?

No. Consideration is guaranteed; selection is not.

Each festival independently decides which films to include in its streaming programme. Choosing a festival through the Festival Gateway gives your film the opportunity to be genuinely reviewed for that programme, but it does not guarantee inclusion.

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Which part of the festival will my film be considered for?

Festival Gateway consideration applies to the festival's official streaming programme.

The Gateway does not constitute an application for a physical or theatrical screening at the festival.

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Will I have to pay separate submission fees to the festivals?

No. Festival Gateway opportunities are included with your NEWCINEMA/ publication.

You do not pay an additional submission fee for each participating festival you select.

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Can I choose which festivals consider my film?

Yes. You remain in control.

During publication, you can select the participating festivals that interest you. This allows you to decide where you would like your film to be considered rather than automatically sending it throughout the network.

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How many festival partners participate?

The NEWCINEMA/ Festival Gateway currently connects filmmakers with more than 25 participating international film festivals, with additional opportunities being added as the network develops.

The available festivals are shown during the publication process.

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When will I hear from a festival?

Each participating festival considers films during its own regular programming period.

If your film is selected for a festival streaming programme, we will contact you with the good news. We do not send individual rejection notifications for every festival that does not select your film.

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What happens if none of the festivals select my film?

Your NEWCINEMA/ publication is completely separate from festival selection.

Your film remains published within your chosen NEWCINEMA/ showcase according to the territories and publication period you selected. Festival Gateway access is an additional opportunity included with your publication, not a guarantee of festival selection.

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Who owns the rights and copyright to my film?

You do.

Publishing through NEWCINEMA/ does not transfer ownership or copyright. You grant us only the non-exclusive rights necessary to stream your film according to the territories and publication period you have chosen.

You remain the owner and rights holder of your work.

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Do I have to make my film available worldwide?

No. You decide where your film can be watched.

During publication, you can choose worldwide availability or restrict your film to specific territories according to your own distribution strategy, existing agreements or preferences.

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How long will my film remain online?

You decide this during the publication process.

Your film can remain available according to the publication period you select, and you can also request its removal at any time.

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Can I remove my film?

Yes. You may request removal at any time.

We will remove your film and its NEWCINEMA/ streaming listing within 72 hours of receiving your request.

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Can I change my territories or publication period later?

Publication rights settings cannot currently be modified on an existing publication.

If you need to change territories, availability or other rights-related settings, the existing publication must first be removed and a new publication created using the updated information.

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Why do you need a downloadable master of my film?

We need access to a high-quality master file so that we can professionally transcode and prepare your film for secure streaming.

Your master file is used only for the technical preparation of your NEWCINEMA/ publication. The original master and any access password you provide are kept confidential and are not shared with viewers or participating festival partners.

Festival programmes use the secure streaming version of your film rather than your original master file.

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How secure is the streaming?

Films are streamed through Whush using professional Vimeo OTT technology. There is no public download option for viewers, and the platform is designed to provide secure, high-quality streaming across supported devices.

As with any online service, absolute protection against unauthorized copying can never be guaranteed, but NEWCINEMA/ uses professional streaming infrastructure rather than publicly distributing your source files.

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What is Whush?

Whush is the streaming platform that powers NEWCINEMA/ and provides the technology through which audiences watch the films.

Whush is an ad-free streaming environment and is also home to the Auteur Cinema Archive and the streaming programmes of more than 30 international film festivals, giving NEWCINEMA/ access to an established independent-film ecosystem.

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Can anyone watch my film on Whush?

No. Your film is not made freely available on the open web. NEWCINEMA/ films are streamed through Whush, where viewers need to create an account and have an active subscription to access the content. This creates a more controlled streaming environment than publishing your film on a free public video platform.

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Can I watch my own film on Whush?

Yes. Every NEWCINEMA/ publication includes a complimentary three-month Whush subscription, so you can experience your film exactly as audiences do and explore the other films and programmes available on the platform.

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Can I share a link to my film with my audience?

Yes. Once your film is published, you can share its NEWCINEMA/ or Whush viewing link through your website, social media, newsletter or other promotional channels. Viewers will need a Whush account with access to the platform in order to watch the film.

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Is the Whush subscription included in the US$29 publication fee?

For filmmakers, three months of complimentary Whush access are included with each NEWCINEMA/ publication. There is no recurring subscription required from you in order to keep your film published on NEWCINEMA/. Viewer subscriptions to Whush are separate from your publication.

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What happens after my complimentary three-month Whush subscription?

Your NEWCINEMA/ publication includes three months of complimentary access to Whush. After that period, your viewing subscription can continue for US$2.99 per month.

Continuing your Whush subscription is entirely optional and is not required to keep your film published on NEWCINEMA/. The subscription simply gives you continued access to watch content on Whush.

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Do I need a Whush subscription to keep my film online?

No. Your NEWCINEMA/ publication and your personal Whush viewing subscription are separate. Your film can remain published according to the availability period you selected even if you choose not to continue your Whush subscription after the complimentary three months.

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Will publishing my film online affect its eligibility for other film festivals?

It might. Some festivals—particularly major festivals with strict premiere requirements—may not accept films that have already been made publicly available online.

If premiere status is important to your festival strategy, we recommend checking the regulations of the festivals you are targeting before publishing your film online. For many filmmakers, NEWCINEMA/ may therefore make the most sense after or towards the end of the film’s traditional festival run, when reaching a wider digital audience becomes the next step.

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Can my film still be submitted to and screened at other festivals?

Yes. NEWCINEMA/ publication is non-exclusive, and you retain the right to submit or license your film elsewhere.

However, individual festivals may have their own premiere or online-availability requirements. If you are pursuing festivals with strict premiere policies, we recommend checking their regulations before making your film publicly available.

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Can I publish more than one film?

Absolutely. There is no limit to the number of films you can publish on NEWCINEMA/.

Each film is treated as a separate publication and requires its own one-time publication fee.

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Why publish with NEWCINEMA/?

Because NEWCINEMA/ combines things that are normally separate.

Your film receives a professional, ad-free streaming publication, a dedicated place within an international showcase for independent cinema, editorial visibility, and the opportunity to be genuinely considered by 25+ participating film festivals for their streaming programmes—all through one publication and one one-time fee.

Publish once. Be discovered. Create more opportunities for your film.