Are Fest Rules More Like Guidelines?

I have recently submitted to a few festivals around the state of New Mexico and just from what I have observed I feel like rules and deadlines just seem like guidelines.

Is this just because New Mexico hasn't quite established a festival scene and these festivals are just not as big as they seem?

For example I submitted to the Cine Manifico Albuquerque Film Festival and the final submission deadline was the 30th of June and I know a person who submitted a film about a month after the deadline and was just officially selected today.

I just need some reassurance that the rules and deadlines actually apply to bigger, more established festivals, or is it just festival politics.
 
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