CONTACT INFORMATION

Unsolicited submissions to The Independent Critic are accepted between the 1st-10th of each month ONLY unless otherwise noted on this page. Submissions must be submitted by e-mail to - theindependentcritic@yahoo.com; telephone inquiries are not permitted. Submissions are not accepted via social media channels. If you prefer, however, you may send a DVD or Blu-ray to:

The Independent Critic
5115 Devon Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46226

Streaming links and DVD/Blu-ray submissions are accepted. Downloads, however, are not accepted. 

DIVERSITY STATEMENT

The Independent Critic proudly supports a filmmaking culture of diversity. Equity of opportunity is a core value of The Independent Critic. We believe the filmmaking community offers a powerful platform for social change and quality entertainment and we actively seek to support and empower diverse filmmaking voices. 

STUDIO AGREEMENTS

The Independent Critic actively works with local, regional, national, and international distributors. Distribution agreements are not subject to date restrictions and film submissions are accepted at any time. These submissions are not considered "unsolicited." 

BASIC SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

• Individual submissions are limited to one (1) on a monthly basis. 
   
• The Independent Critic does not charge for reviews. 
   
• The Independent Critic actively reviews both feature-length and short films (defined as under 40 minutes in length). 
   
• The Independent Critic reviews indie or studio features in a wide variety of genres including faith-based cinema, experimental, indie horror, student films (high school or college), documentaries, foreign language, LGBT and many others often rejected by media outlets. 
   
• The Independent Critic is happy to work with festivals to provide media coverage and/or reviews for your films. The Independent Critic prefers the availability of streaming links for these reviews, though is open to festival attendance with appropriate financial consideration. 
   
• The Independent Critic does not review the following types of films - porn, music videos, web series, television productions, proof of concept films, fan films, time-limited production films (ie, "48-hour Film Fest") or any film that violates my own personal ethic. I reserve the right to decline a review for any reason, however, in the vast majority of cases if you follow these guidelines you're fine. 

• The Independent Critic will review films released directly to streaming within 30 days of a film's release only. 
   
• In order to submit a film to The Independent Critic, you MUST have an active IMDB page with full production credits available.  If your film is listed with Rotten Tomatoes, The Independent Critic automatically submits to them. The Independent Critic cannot list your film for you. 

Submissions must include the following:

• Streaming Link w/Password (if applicable)
• Press Kit (if available) or full production credits/IMDB (NOTE: An IMDB or TMDB page is required for review) 
• Name of distributor (if applicable). If distribution is not yet arranged, your film will be described as "Independent." If you wish for this to be updated at some point, just send me the info and I will update at my earliest convenience.  
• I typically post either a teaser/trailer or movie poster with the review. In limited cases, I'll accept a photo. If none of this is provided, a review will not be completed. 
• Link to film website (if applicable, please also include social media pages)
• If you have an urgent deadline, for example a festival premiere, I need to know this up front. Generally speaking, I will not deviate from my "by the end of the month" standard.
• If you are requesting a DVD/Blu-ray review, I strongly prefer to receive the complete final production package. 
• If these guidelines are not followed, a review will not occur.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

• The Independent Critic is happy to attend promotional screenings in Central Indiana with at least a two-week notice. Please ensure that appropriate media credentials and/or ticketing arrangements have been made. 
   
• The Independent Critic is happy to jury film festivals in person or via streaming links. The Independent Critic has juried for a variety of film festivals including the Heartland Film Festival, Indy Shorts, Indy Film Fest, Wet Your Pants Film Festival, Indy LGBT Film Festival, Indiana Shorts Film Festival, HollyShorts Film Festival, San Luis Obispo Film Festival, the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge and others.  
   
• All film reviews are submitted to IMDB and all feature reviews, when possible, are submitted to Rotten Tomatoes. If The Independent Critic discovers that you have, for any reason, had a review removed from IMDB or via social media outlets your review will be deleted from The Independent Critic and your films permanently banned from The Independent Critic.  Please also note that I do not get your films listed on IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, or Letterboxd. However, if your film is listed on any or all of these sites I'm happy to post my review to them. Again, I will not review films that are not at least listed on IMDB. Rotten Tomatoes and Letterboxd are optional. 
   
• Due to the high volume of submissions, submission receipt is not confirmed. If you have submitted within the submission timeframe, have submitted all required materials, and meet requirements, your review will be posted within 60 days. In rare cases, a delay may be caused by festival attendance or extraordinarily high volume of submissions - in these cases, you will be notified by e-mail. If you wonder if a review is complete, please check the homepage and/or IMDB as reviews are posted in both places. 

THE INDEPENDENT CRITIC'S RATING SCALE

• A+ to A: 4 Stars                
• A- to B+: 3.5 Stars            
• B: 3 Stars                         
• B- to C+: 2.5 Stars           
• C: 2 Stars
• C- to D+: 1.5 Stars
• D: 1 Star
• D-: .5 Star
• F: Zero Stars