ShAFF 2023 Online - FAQs
Q - Does the money I pay go to the filmmakers?
A - We feel really strongly at ShAFF that it's important to respect our filmmakers. They are, after all, our life-force. Unlike many festivals which don't pass any of the income onto the filmmakers, we've pledged to pass on 50% after fees and a little marketing costs.
Q - Why can we only Stream and not Download?
A - For starters we'd have to charge you significantly more money, but as much as anything, we're trying to remain true to being a film festival and not a video store.
Q - I am only interested in watching a single film. Why do I need to pay more to watch a whole session of films?
A - The internet is full of amazing adventure films. We are not trying to compete with the likes of Youtube or Vimeo. What we channel our energy into is curation. We save you the effort of trawling through what's out there and pull the best of the bunch together into themed sessions, each of around 90 minutes. We think it's only fair enough that after we've done this hard work. you trust that we've done a good job and sit down to watch the session as it's been programmed. Besides, if we split the online offer into individual films it would become a pricing nightmare with some films 90 minutes long and others only a couple of minutes.
Q - How much are the films to rent?
£3.75 per session. There are 26 sessions which will be released over the course of the year.
Q - How long to I have to watch them?
A - From the point at which you pay for your rental you have a 1 week window to watch the films.
Q - I want to watch with family or friends, do we all need to buy a ticket?
A - You only need to purchase one ticket per household.
Q - Can I watch online if I am not in Sheffield / the UK?
A - Yes, mostly. Virtually all the films in our online programme can be viewed from anywhere in the world; a few may be geoblocked from certain countries.
Q - Do you offer any discounts?
A - Yes we do. We operate a Friends Of ShAFF scheme using Patreon. Sign up at any level and you will be sent a 10% discount code. Sign up as a Five Star Patron (£7.50 a month) and you will be given access to 2 ShAFF Online Sessions per month as well as a host of other benefits.
Q - What do I do if I have technical issues with the actual playback?
A - Unfortunately this is not something that we are likely to be able to help you with. You will need to engage with Vimeo directly. However we would appreciate you letting us know so that we can monitor any recurring issues.
Q - I have a question that's not covered above. What do I do?
A - Just drop us a line. If it's on the weekend of the actual festival we may take a while longer to get back to you, but we will reply!
Q - I loved the films! Is there a way for me to donate to ShAFF and the filmmakers?
A - That is awesome of you! Check out our page on the various ways you can support ShAFF and ultimately the filmmakers.