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Title eligibility

For a work to be eligible for inclusion in the database it must be of general public interest and should be available to the public or have been available in the past. We accept most kinds of films/TV shows, including big screen and direct-to-DVD features; web series; documentaries; video games; music videos; experimental films; short films and commercials. 

General public interest is assumed if a work has been:

  • Released in cinemas.
  • Shown on TV.
  • Released on video or the web or prints have been made available to the public.
  • Listed in the catalog of an established video retailer; (i.e. Amazon.com).
  • Accepted and shown on film festivals.
  • Made by a (now) famous artist or person of public interest.
  • Made famous for some reason and is widely talked about/referenced in media or the 'film community' or is now of general historic interest for some reason.

NOTE: Unless general public interest is assumed for one of the reasons stated above, general public interest is NOT given for titles:

  • Made for private home use only (i.e. like a home movie, which is of a strictly private nature).

For more information on whether a title type is eligible and how to submit these titles please see the Title Formatting guide. IMDb retains the right to reject any work whose eligibility according to above rules is dubious and/or unverifiable. This may include works which are in their very first development stages. If you would like to submit a project in development, please sign-up for IMDbPro. IMDb retains the right to change and adapt eligibility rules as circumstances require.

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