Tropfest YouTube Wildcard Competition V2
Terms & Conditions of Entry
1. Promoter
The promoter is Tropfest Foundation Ltd (ABN 83 688 694 279), a not-for-profit organisation registered in Australia (“Promoter”).
2. Competition Name
Tropfest YouTube Wildcard Competition (“Competition”).
3. Interpretation and Application of these Terms
These Competition Terms and Conditions ("Competition Terms" or “Terms”) must be read in conjunction with the Tropfest Terms and Conditions of Entry ("Tropfest Terms").
In the event of any inconsistency, ambiguity, or conflict between:
The Competition Terms; and
The Tropfest Terms,
the Tropfest Terms will prevail to the extent of that inconsistency.
4. Entry and Participation
Information on how to enter and participate in the Competition forms part of these Terms. Participation in the Competition constitutes acceptance of these Terms.
5. Eligibility
Entry is open to individuals who:
are aged 18 years or over at the time of entry;
are legal residents of Australia; and
have submitted an eligible short film to Tropfest 2026 via the official Tropfest submission process.
The following persons are ineligible to enter:
directors, officers, employees, contractors, and immediate family members of the Promoter;
employees or contractors of Tropfest partners involved in judging, administration, or delivery of the Competition.
Immediate family includes spouse, partner, parent, child, sibling, or household member.
The Promoter reserves the right to disqualify any entrant who does not meet the eligibility criteria, has breached any condition of these Terms, has engaged in any unlawful conduct or has engaged in other misconduct which could negatively impact the administration of the Competition or reputation of Tropfest.
6. Entry Process
Entry into the Competition occurs automatically through the following process:
Official Entry - Filmmakers submit a short film to Tropfest 2026 via the official Tropfest submission process.
Finalist Selection - Tropfest selects 15 finalists through its established judging and scoring system.
Wildcard Curation - From the remaining shortlisted films, Tropfest creates a list of 10 films to participate in the Tropfest YouTube Wildcard Competition through its established judging process.
YouTube Release - Tropfest publishes the 10 Wildcard films on the official Tropfest YouTube channel (e.g. via a dedicated playlist).
Audience Engagement - Over a defined voting window (February 4, 9am AEDT - Feb 14, 5pm AEDT) the YouTube community engages with the films through views, likes, comments and overall engagement. Engagement data is reviewed by Tropfest in accordance with agreed criteria.
Wildcard Winner - Based on audience engagement and validation by Tropfest, one film is selected as the Tropfest Wildcard Winner.
Festival Screening - The Wildcard Winner becomes the 16th official finalist and screens alongside the other finalists at Tropfest 2026.
No additional entry fee applies.
7. Competition Period
The Competition runs from 4 February 2026 until 16 February 2026 (“Competition Period”). Exact dates and times will be published on the Tropfest website prior to commencement.
8. Notification of Shortlist
Films selected to be part of the Wildcard Films shortlist will be notified on or around 3rd Feb via email.
9. Determining the Competition Winner
The Competition winner (“Wildcard Winner”) is determined based on overall audience engagement with the Wildcard Films on YouTube during the Competition Period.
Engagement metrics may include, but are not limited to:
likes;
comments;
viewer behaviour; and
other qualitative and quantitative indicators.
The Promoter will review engagement data and apply validation checks to ensure integrity and fairness.
The Promoter’s decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
This is a game of skill, and chance plays no part in determining the Wildcard Winner.
10. Prize
The prize is one (1) Wildcard screening position at Tropfest 2026, where the winning film will screen alongside the official Tropfest finalists.
The prize is not transferable, exchangeable, or redeemable for cash.
11. Notification of Winner
The Tropfest YouTube Wildcard Winner will be notified via the email provided in their Tropfest Entry Form, and publicly announced via Tropfest channels approximately 72 hours after the Competition closes.
12. Expenses & Tax
Entrants are responsible for all costs associated with entering the competition. Entrants should seek independent financial advice if necessary.
13. Intellectual Property
By participating in the Competition, entrants acknowledge and agree to be bound by all terms and conditions relating to copyright, moral rights and intellectual property as set out in the Tropfest Terms (including but not limited to clauses 3.2, 4, 5 and 6), which are incorporated into these Terms by reference.
14. Platform Disclaimer
This Competition is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with YouTube.
By participating, entrants release YouTube from any responsibility or liability related to the Competition.
15. Disqualification
The Promoter reserves the right to:
disqualify any entry that is misleading, fraudulent, or non-compliant with these Terms;
disqualify entrants who attempt to manipulate engagement metrics or breach platform rules; and/or
remove content that violates community guidelines or applicable laws.
16. Privacy
Personal information collected in connection with the Competition will be handled in accordance with the Promoter’s Privacy Policy and the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
Personal information of entrants may be used for the purpose of conducting the Competition or for promotional and marketing purposes, unless the entrant opts out. This may involve disclosing the information to third parties, including local regulatory authorities and the Promoter’s agents or third-party service providers (“Purpose”). Entrants who do not opt out, consent to the use of their personal information for the Purpose.
17. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Promoter accepts no responsibility and excludes all liability whether arising in tort (including without limitation negligence), contract or otherwise for any personal injury or any other loss or damage (including without limitation loss of opportunity or loss of profits) whether direct, indirect, special or consequential, arising out of the Competition, including, without limitation:
any technical difficulties or equipment malfunction (whether or not under the Promoter's control);
any theft, unauthorised access or third party interference;
any entry that is late, lost, altered, damaged or misdirected (whether or not after their receipt by the Promoter) due to any reason beyond the reasonable control of the Promoter; or
the Prize.
18. Force Majeure
If events beyond the Promoter’s control prevent the Competition from running as planned, the Promoter may modify, suspend, or cancel the Competition without liability.
19. Governing Law
These Terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia. Entrants submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of NSW courts.