By Filmmakers, For Filmmakers

Born out of rejection, Slamdance showcases new and emerging independent artists, filmmakers and storytellers.  We welcome films in every genre, on any topic from every country around the world. The festival program is selected from 100% blind submissions and we do not disqualify any films based on premiere status or date of completion.

This year, we are accepting films in the following categories:

Narrative Feature

Features by first time feature filmmakers* over 40 minutes in length. We consider and program from all genres and from around the world. All the films are selected from blind submissions. We are looking for filmmakers with new ideas, new ways of looking at the world, or an innovative approach to filmmaking. We are more drawn to an original voice than a high level of production. We will consider work that is not completed by the time of submission, and we consider films regardless of their premiere status.

* Films that are submitted by filmmakers that have made a previous feature will be considered for our Special Screenings.

Shorts

Non-documentary short films, under 40 minutes and from anywhere in the world, are programmed in blocks and beside narrative features. We welcome a wide variety of styles and genres: comedy, drama, horror, experimental, animation, non-narrative, music videos, underground and films that fit into multiple categories or no category at all. Please note that documentary shorts are programmed under their own category.

Documentary Feature

Competition feature-length (over 40 minutes) documentaries directed by first-time documentary filmmakers and of exceptional quality are programmed under our 100% blind submission policy. There are no premiere status or date of completion requirements. Non-fiction films under 40 minutes are considered for our short documentary competition. They will be screened before the feature documentary films. We gladly accept any type of documentary subject matter. Mockumentaries should be submitted to the narrative feature and short competitions.

Documentary Short

Competition short (under 40 minutes) documentaries directed by first-time documentary filmmakers and of exceptional quality are programmed under our 100% blind submission policy. There are no premiere status or date of completion requirements. Non-fiction films over 40 minutes are considered for our feature documentary competition. We gladly accept any type of documentary subject matter. Mockumentaries should be submitted to the narrative feature and short competitions. While no one can tell you what length to make your film, shorter films are considered more programmable due to the logistics of running a festival.

Special Screenings

Every year the Festival shows a Special Screening program comprised of several independent feature films by non-first time filmmakers. This Special Screening program is non-competitive and includes at least one underground program and sometimes films made by Slamdance alumni.

Each year the Sundance Film Festival selects 200 films for exhibition from more than 9,000 submissions. More than 50,000 people attend screenings in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Sundance, Utah. In addition to discovering filmmaking's newest talent through the Festival's program of documentary, dramatic, and short films, Festivalgoers experience live music performances, panel discussions with leading filmmakers and industry figures, cutting-edge media installations, parties celebrating the Festival community, and more.

January 13 & 15 at SF Film Society Cinema

1746 Post Street (Webster/Buchanan), San Francisco CA 94115

More info: http://www.sffs.org/content.aspx?catid=928,942&pageid=2492

Back by popular demand! The Annecy International Animated Film Festival, led by Serge Bromberg, who garnered the Novikoff Award at this year’s San Francisco International Film Festival, is widely regarded as the most important festival for animation in Europe and as a bellwether for the evolution of one of the most creative forms in cinema. The Best of Annecy—a reprise of the ever-popular SF International Animation Festival program—presents a dynamic and entertaining array of shorts that appeared in Annecy this year.

The Eagleman Stag (Mikey Please, England, 9 min)
How to Feed the World? (Denis Van Waerebeke, Poland, 10 min)
The Lost Town of Switez (Kamil Polak, Poland, 21 min)
Luminaris (Juan Pablo Zaramella, Argentina, 6 min)
A Morning Stroll (Grant Orchard, England, 7 min)
Paths of Hate (Damian Nenow, Poland, 10 min)
Plato (Léonard Cohen, France, 8 min)
Sidewalk Scribble (Peter Lowey, Australia, 3 min)
Sticky Ends (Osman Cerfon, France, 7 min)

Story Artist Freelancers Guide

Saturday January 07, 2012 11am PST

with Sergio PaezCost: $5Length: 60 minutes

 

From marketing to getting jobs, a freelance story artist needs to know how to hustle and how to please a client.  We will chat about different techniques to get the job done and find more work.

 

You won't want to miss this if you are looking to break out of the pack or simply breaking in.

 

Tis the Season to Board On!

Get the Art of Storyboarding Online Classes for the low price of $80! That is $160 off the regular price! Also get the Storyboarding Toolbelt DVD for $20! Packed with over 70 minutes of demostrations and instruction! Or not sure you want all 8 storyboarding online classes? Pick n choose the sessions you want and save 50%!

 

Find out more here

From December 3-10, film fans flock to Leuven. For the 17th year straight, the International Short Film Festival Leuven offers a broad and very colorful selection of the best short film has to offer. Expect hundreds of new shorts, animation films, videos, documentaries and innovative cross-overs, selected out of thousands of international entries. The festival is a round-up of a great year in cinema, but also looks at the future. Besides being a platform for the short film medium, it also acts as a major talent hunt, where tomorrow’s filmmakers are able to present their first professional productions.

Festival Highlights

EUROPE IN SHORTS: Sundance, Clermont Ferrand, Regensburg, Hamburg, Locarno… our festival team travelled all over the world in search of the very best European short films. Once home, we go through over 2000 entries and select only forty, the cream of the crop of European shorts. The European competition shows films from over 17 countries.  In the non-competitive programmes dozens of new European shorts will be screened, in sections as "The Labo", "Short Films for Children", "Animation Nations" and "Finest Irish Shorts".MILESTONES IN SHORT FILM HISTORY: Milestones in Short Film History” is a collection of the most influential short films made throughout a century of cinematic history. It entails thirty movies produced between 1900 en 2000 that are typical of certain movements and evolutions in movie history or that introduced new techniques, procedures, styles, genres or directors. Together with the programma, the ISFFL presents a publication with the same title (Dutch-English) in witch all films are discussed.SHORT FILM COMPETITION:The ISFFL organises a Flemish and European Short Film Competition in which audience awards and jury awards are being granted. Besides the ISFFL awards the Flanders Audiovisual Fund grants 5 “Wildcards” for new Flemish film talent. The value of the prizes reaches almost 300.000 euro. The winners are announced at the award ceremony, on the last day of the festival, December 10thINDUSTRY ACTIVITIES: Each year, the International Short Film Festival welcomes countless young filmmakers and film professionals from all over the world. This edition boasts quite a few professional activities this year: an info session about Crowdfunding (organised by MEDIA Desk Flanders and SACD), a 2-day seminar about the Short Film in Flanders, a lecture by the Danish-American short film professor Richard Raskin “Story Design in Short fiction Film” and many more.

When: Saturday December 03, 2011 11am PST

with Sergio PaezCost: $5Length: 60 minutes

 

We will cover some of the digital tools and shortcuts available to story artists today.  Even with an inexpensive digital setup a savvy artist can create professional boards.

 

This is a great workshop to come and network with other people who are passionate about visual storytelling!

The International Animated Film Festival "Les Nuits Magiques" show the treasures of animated films to audiences, screening shorts and feature animated films not viewed on TV and in theaters. The event will feature an international short films competition, feature films, special programs, young audience programs, introduction workshops to animation...

Entry form and rules available online www.lesnuitsmagiques.fr from may 15th to augusth 31th

Visit www.iafistanbul.com for more information.

In short, the Animaze Festival is a tribute to everything animated. From shorts to full length features to Saturday morning cartoons to syndicated prime-time shows.

Being a fan of all animated shows for as long as I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of creating a whole world from scratch. Animation is free from all limits live action films/tv programs have to overcome such as settings, props, special effects, even the talent/abilities of the actors. Anything goes and the only limit is the writer’s imagination.

The idea for the festival came after I had watched the film Free Jimmy and was blown away. I couldn’t stop thinking to myself “How is this film not an international success? Or a cult classic? How is this movie not well known even in animation circles?”. That’s when it occurred to me that the only animated films released in North America are family films. Internationally, animation is used by all genres like serious dramas, adult comedy and even horror. There’s a whole world of animation out there which will never make it to us so I made it my mission to bring them to an audience that have no access to these masterpieces.

-Michael Dahan, Founder of Animaze Festival

Animaze Animation Film Festival is proud to present the schedule of its first edition to be held at Cinema du Parc (3575 Ave du Parc) and Concordia University's Hall Building Auditorium (1455 Ave de Maisonneuve  W) from November 18 to November 20, 2011.

For its inaugural year, Animaze will celebrate the wonderful world of animation through a wide range of activities :

International Film Competition Several highly-acclaimed features will be screened in North America for the first time, such as Jeż Jerzy ( an off-beat satire from Poland) and Viva the Nam ( an eclectic stop-motion made with GI JOE dolls). Two prizes will be awarded in this competition; one for “Best in Show” as determined by a panel of judges and one for “Audience Favourite” as voted by the public.30th Anniversary Screening of Heavy Metal with director Gerald Potterton The cult classic gets the special anniversary treatment. Legendary director Gerald Potterton will be attending the screening and will address his legion of fans before the show.Saturday Morning Cartoon Extravaganza for Sun Youth Montreal In honour of that lost time where children had to wait a full week till they got their cartoon hit, we are recreating CBS’s 1986 Saturday Morning lineup with all proceeds going to charity. For this event, we will feature the Berenstein Bears, Muppet Babies, Galaxy High and the unforgettable Pee Wee’s Playhouse.Student Animated Shorts Contest It's institution vs. institution in this animated short film contest exclusively for undergraduates of local film schools.“Freleng: Frame by Frame”  charity screening for Sun Youth Montreal with presentation by director Greg Ford An elusive documentary about  Warner Bros legendary director Friz Freleng.  Director Greg Ford will be present  to share his memories of working at Warner Brothers with the godfathers of modern animation ( Friz Freleng, Chuck Jones, Virgil Ross, and Bob Clampett).

+ many more activities