Bitfilm Festival is looking for the world's best digital films

Deadline: July 1
Opening event in Hamburg on August 13
Online voting from August 13 to September 24
Closing event and award show in Tel Aviv on October 1
10,000 Euros prize money
New category for digital animations with a political message

As of today, digital filmmakers throughout the world may submit their films to the Bitfilm Festival to win one of the five prestigious Bitfilm Awards. Only the best 3D animations, digital hybrids, Machinima movies and Realtime demos submitted online until July 1 will be selected by the Bitfilm team to compete in a worldwide election on the Internet.

The Bitfilm Festival will start with an opening event in its hometown Hamburg (Germany) on August 13. It will end with a closing event including the award show in Tel Aviv on October 1. Israel's economic and cultural power centre celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. It is a Bitfilm festival city for the first time.

These are the award categories with a combined prize money of 10,000 Euros:
3D Space Award -- computer-generated 3D animations
FX Mix Award -- digitally composed hybrid films which mix various techniques
Machinima Award -- films shot live inside computer games
Realtime Award -- animations generated in realtime (demos)

New in 2009: the Politicool Award which features digital animations and mash-ups with a political message.

Films may be submitted until July 1 under www.bitfilm.com/festival.