Codec Question

Those are all lossy codecs, so 'least lossy' is kind of out the window. What are the other submission guidelines?

What is the target resolution, is there a file size limit? What's the length of the finished project?

Of the codec options you listed, H.264 is probably the best choice for delivery. Specific bitrate settings and whatnot are the question really.

Based on the "16Mbps minimum" note there, I'm going to assume 1080p... in that case I'd say shoot for something like H.264 with a bitrate of 20Mbps, and for audio go AAC-LC, 320kb/s with a sample rate of 48kHz.

Those are the maximum recommended settings for upload to vimeo, youtube has slightly higher recommendations.

But without knowing all of the details of what's acceptable, and what the ultimate display format will be, etc.. it's really not possible to properly answer your question.

To add to Will's specs - make sure you choose the 'multipass' option when you do your final compression. It may also be listed as a 'faster encode' vs. "higher quality' - always choose the 'higher quality' option. At higher bitrates the difference isn't dramatic, but it can help keep shots with a lot of motion in them cleaner.

This is all the info Chard has provided:

Required Media

For the Louisville 48HFP, your film must be submitted on one of the following media:

A self-contained Quicktime file

Media: USB Flash Drive (preferred) or Data DVD
Codec:AVCHD, DVCPRO HD, MPEG-4, Motion JPEG-A, H.264 (with a data rate of at least 16Mbps), DV-NTSC
Resolution: 1920x1080, 1280x720 or SD
Frame Rate: 23.97fps preferred
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 (Widescreen) preferred
Extension: MOV or MP4
Notes

No media will be returned.
We are working on Windows – please format your USB as NTFS
Films should be output with a non-proprietary codec. Absolutely no proprietary Final Cut codecs (ie, Apple Pro-Res). We will not be able to import the video and it will be disqualified.
Make sure your complete movie is in the file
Please check your sound levels to ensure they are relatively even throughout the film – one of our biggest problems with submissions is films that are very loud in some places and hard to hear in others
Please submit a back up copy of your film – as long as we can work with a version of the film that was submitted on time, you're eligible for judges awards
MiniDV tapes and video DVDs are no longer being accepted

I did a 48HFP a month ago and used H.264. I wouldn't be too concerned about the lossy format - everybody was required to submit that codec and all the films looked really great on the big screen.

Yep.. high bitrate h.264 and you'll be fine.. Also, given that "no media will be returned" I'd opt for the data dvd myself. That's shitty.. the usb flash drives were always returned when I was involved in the 48 here in MN.

Thanks.