You’ve finished your film, the deadline is looming, and the festival portal is asking for specs you’ve never heard of. Technical rejections are avoidable, and they sting more than creative ones. Here’s a practical checklist of film festival delivery requirements DCP-Solutions works through before we hit submit.
1. Aspect ratio
Festivals typically project in DCI-standard containers: Flat (1.85:1) or Scope (2.39:1). Your film doesn’t have to match exactly, but it must sit correctly inside one of these containers without stretching. We check whether your programmers expect letterboxing or pillar boxing, and would never submit a squeezed image.
2. Frame Rate
We would stick to your native frame rate. The most common festival-friendly rates are 24, 25 and 30 fps. Converting late in the process often causes judder or audio drift, so we confirm the accepted rates in the festival’s technical guidelines and avoid variable frame rate footage at all costs.
3. Audio format
Most festivals want 5.1 surround or stereo, delivered as uncompressed 24-bit, 48kHz WAV files. We check your mix for peak levels and make sure channel order is correct. A swapped centre and LFE channel is a classic first-timer mistake.
4. Subtitles: burn-in vs. separate track
If your film contains non-English dialogue, you’ll need English subtitles, and you’ll need to choose how we would deliver them:
– Burned-in (open) subtitles are permanently part of the picture. They’re simple and reliable, but can’t be turned off or replaced.
– Separate (closed) subtitle tracks, such as SRT or DCP-compliant XML, offer flexibility for multiple languages and different venues.
Always check which the festival prefers. Many now request separate files so they can swap in their own.
5. Naming conventions
A messy filename can cause real confusion in a busy festival ingest room. We follow a clear, consistent structure, such as FilmTitle_FTR_F_EN-XX_51_2K_2025_Studio_OV, and avoid spaces and special characters. We would also include version numbers so nobody screens the wrong version of your film.
6. DCP for festival submission
Many major festivals, including Sundance, Cannes and BFI London, require or strongly prefer a DCP for festival submission for theatrical screening. A DCP (digital cinema package) is the industry-standard format for cinema projection, and a poorly made one can fail on the projector at the worst possible moment. At DCP-Solutions we would always test your DCP on a compliant server in our screening rooms before shipping.
Final check
Before submitting, we would verify each festival’s individual requirements for you. Specs vary, and deadlines rarely move.
At DCP-Solutions, we are here to help you get it right. From DCP creation to quality control, we make sure your film plays flawlessly. And if you’ve had a setback before, read our post on festival rejection for advice on bouncing back stronger.
Ready to submit? Get in touch today.