Radio Drama Festival

2025 Regulations

We are delighted to be inviting submissions to the 11th annual UK International Audio Drama Festival to be held from the 24th – 28th March in Canterbury. 

We welcome submissions from all national broadcasters and independent producers in any language and from any country. Entry remains free. 

Our emphasis is very much on an in person festival but we continue to provide real time online access to the listening sessions and on demand access via the website.

Important Dates

  • Submission opens 18. November 2024 
  • Completed submission form should be sent back by midnight on 17. January 2025
 

Submission Processes

To submit your radio drama to the 2025 festival please supply the following;

  • Completed submission form.
  • A single page synopsis of the drama or a single paragraph for short dramas in English.
  • An audio file of the full recording with NO ADVERTISEMENTS in a standard format sent by wetransfer or similar.
  • FULL transcript of your Drama in the Original Language and English. We shall be supplying transcripts to in person delegates on kindles. We would very much appreciate additionally a kindle friendly version of your transcript.
 

All the above information should be delivered electronically on or before 17 January 2025. 

We strongly encourage all those whose work is selected to attend the festival. In person attendance offers unique opportunities for networking and discussion with producers, audience members and others from across the world.  

We recognize the difficulties around organizing travel at short notice and so:

In recognition of the commitment offered, for all international entries where the producer or other representative undertakes to travel to the festival and to serve on the jury, we will use our best endeavors to include the work to the festival.

Jury

All submissions will be judged by a Jury which is made up as follows:

  • The Jury is made up from Festival participants, either by self-selection or invitation. 
  • Where appropriate the organisers reserve the right to ensure a limit of ONE VOTING delegate per production company and TWO VOTING delegates per country. 
  • Up to TWO Jury Chairs will be appointed by the festival organisers. 
  • The composition and the work of the Jury are regulated by a set of rules. However, there is no limit to the number of observers who may take part.
  • Observers are welcome and encouraged to take part in the discussion but do not have the right to vote. 
  • The organisers reserve the right to supplement the Jury at the outset of the Festival if necessary.
  • No individual may be a jury member for more than three consecutive years, other than when that juror is or has been a chair of the jury, when the member may be a juror for a further three years.

Rules and Requirements - 2025

The official language of the Festival is English.

The Festival Has Two Categories:

       Feature Length Drama, maximum 60 minutes.

       Short Form Drama, maximum 7 minutes.

Each Entrant Can Submit:

       A maximum of TWO WORKS within Feature Length Drama with a total length of up to 120 minutes combined.

       A maximum of THREE WORKS within Short Form Drama with a total length of up to 21 minutes combined.

 

Participants are respectfully asked to use English in any and all communication with the festival.

Only entries that were first disseminated after 1st January 2023 until the final deadline for 2025 will be considered. 

Accepted entrants will be expected to send files in MOBI format to be compatible with the festival software. 

The entrant agrees that the organisers of the Festival may use up to FIVE MINUTES of their programme for the purpose of promoting the Festival in advance of the event. This includes online dissemination and promotion. Entrants also agree that their work can be accessed via the festival website for the duration of the festival and the Audience Award voting period (normally one month afterwards)

Prizes

The submissions declared best by the Jury will be given the following:

  • First Place Full Length Drama: a prize of £2000 (GBP), an award and certificate.
  • Second & Third Place Full Length Drama, an award and certificate.
  • First Place Short Length Drama: a prize of £750 (GBP), an award and certificate. TBC
  • Second & Third Place, an award and certificate.
  • The Public Award prize £750 (TBC) for favourite show voted by the listeners.
  • The Public Award is made up of both in person and online votes. The public award closes on a date to be confirmed after the end of the festival.
 

The UK International Audio Drama Festival will pay the all prize money in each of the categories to the authors of the winning entries or to their elected representatives.

Please send entries to radiodramafestival@gmail.com and address any queries to that email address.

We look forward to receiving your entries and to welcoming you to the Festival.