Call For Entries

The 2026 Call for Entries has now closed. If you have questions, please contact fullframesubmissions@duke.edu.

The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival exhibits nearly 70 documentary films in a variety of programs. Submitted films will be considered for both the NEW DOCS and Invited Program categories. Filmmakers whose films are selected for Full Frame will be notified at the time of acceptance whether their films will be screening in the NEW DOCS or Invited Program categories. Films screening in the Invited Program are not eligible for awards.

Full Frame 2026 will take place Thursday, April 16, through Sunday, April 19, in person, in Durham, North Carolina. The festival will not incorporate an online screening showcase.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

ENTRY FORM

The application is hosted by Duke University Box Office. Applicants will need to create a Duke University Box Office account to complete the application if they do not already have one from a previous submission or festival purchase. Returning applicants can use their Duke University Box Office account to complete the application. Applicants will receive an email confirmation from tickets@duke.edu once the submission has been received.

ELIGIBILITY

Short and feature documentary films completed after January 1, 2025, are eligible for Full Frame 2026. Films 40 minutes or less are considered shorts. Films 41 minutes or longer are considered features. Full Frame does not accept entries with total running times over 180 minutes.

ENTRY FEE & DEADLINES

Entry fees must be paid by credit card and are non-refundable. The Early Deadline is Sunday, August 31, at 11:00 pm ET. The Regular Deadline is Tuesday, September 30, at 11:00 pm ET. The Final Deadline is Saturday, November 15, at 11:00 pm ET.

Early Features Deadline: August 15 – August 31 / $60

Early Shorts Deadline: August 15 – August 31 / $40

Regular Features Deadline: September 1 – September 30 / $80

Regular Shorts Deadline: September 1 – September 30 / $60

Late Features Deadline / October 1 – November 15 / $90

Late Shorts Deadline / October 1 – November 15 / $70

Student Features Deadline / August 15 – November 15 / $50

Student Shorts Deadline / August 15 – November 15 / $30

SUBMISSION FORMAT

Vimeo links are preferred. Screening links must be received at the time of submission. The festival cannot guarantee that updated links will be reviewed.

NOTIFICATIONS  

Notifications regarding acceptance will be sent no later than March 6, 2026.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I submit a rough cut of my film?
We strongly encourage filmmakers to submit the most complete version of their films possible. We cannot guarantee that replacement cuts will be viewed. If submitting a rough cut, it is helpful to indicate within the Vimeo link what elements are still incomplete, such as temporary sound, temporary graphics, missing scenes, etc.

Can I send an updated cut of my film after I’ve already submitted a screener?
Our programming team will review the original screener received. Full Frame cannot guarantee that updated versions of films will be reviewed.

Does the festival offer fee waivers or discounts? 
The festival offers a limited number of waivers each year. At this time, Full Frame is no longer considering waiver requests for the 2026 festival. With the final submission deadline approaching on November 15, the final day to submit a waiver request was October 31, 2025. If you submitted a waiver request prior to October 31, please wait to submit your film until you have received a response, as we are unable to grant refunds once a film has been submitted.

Does the festival offer student discounts?
Full Frame offers a discounted submission fee for students. Students do not need to apply to receive the discount; the student rate is available on the Duke University Box Office entry form. The student discount is intended for films directed by current undergraduate or graduate students. If the filmmaker recently graduated, the film must have been completed while the student was enrolled. For student submissions, the entry form will ask for the school and graduation year, along with the name and contact information for an academic advisor.

I submitted my film to Full Frame before and it was not accepted. I’ve since made changes to the film. Can I submit again this year?
Unless a film has been completely reworked, we discourage filmmakers from submitting again.

Does Full Frame have a premiere requirement?
Full Frame does not have a formal premiere requirement. When making final decisions, programmers do take a film’s exposure into consideration, especially prior screenings in North Carolina, wide play on the festival circuit, national television broadcast, or theatrical release.

Will the festival provide feedback on why my film was not accepted?
Full Frame does not provide individualized feedback to filmmakers.

Will Full Frame review my film in its entirety? Why hasn’t Vimeo detected that my film has been screened?
Full Frame reviews every film submitted to the festival in its entirety. Vimeo’s tracking of loads and views is limited when views do not occur within the Vimeo player. When films are viewed via a third-party player, such as on another streaming device, like Apple TV or Roku, Vimeo captures limited data. More information is available on the Vimeo Help Center.

Have additional questions about submitting?
Please email fullframesubmissions@duke.edu.