Submit

Submissions for the 2024 Athens International Film + Video Festival will be open from August 1st to December 1st, 2023.

Submission Information

We take submissions via FilmFreeway only:

Useful information

Deadline and entry fees – can be found at filmfreeway:
https://filmfreeway.com/AthensInternationalFilmandVideoFestival

*There is a savings on entry fees with a FilmFreeway Gold Membership.

* Currently enrolled * Ohio based students studying at high schools and colleges in the state can submit for free- please contact us for instructions

Notification

Each entrant will be notified on or about March 1st if their entry has been accepted for the festival, and how to send us an exhibition copy of the work.

Categories

We accept both short and feature films.
Documentary
Narrative
Experimental
Animation
Music Video

Important info:

Filmmaker Perks

The Athens International Film and Video Festival also sponsors guest artists screenings, that often include workshops and additional opportunities for artists to meet with audience members fellow filmmakers and members of our community.

All visiting filmmakers and their guests are provided with lunch everyday in our filmmaker lounge during the festival. In the past with help from our sponsors the festival has provided half the cost of hotel rooms for visiting filmmakers as a way to ease the costs associated with visiting Athens during the festival.

We host special workshops and talks for filmmakers by our guest artists. In 2016 Ed Lachman (academy nominated cinematographer of “Carol” and “Far from Heaven”) and Charles Burnett (“Killer for Sheep”, “To Sleep With Anger”) led discussions and answered questions about their process and careers. Last year we moderated a panel discussion on Women and Comedy, had extended interviews with artist/activist Sabaah Folayan and photographer/media artist Martha Rosler and held special screenings including a screening of Harlan County followed by a special post-screening discussion with Jerry Johnson (one of the coal miners in the film).

Awards and Prizes

Each year special jurors comprised of guest artists, and other professionals in the field award cash prizes in each category (Experimental, Short Narrative, Feature Narrative, Animation, Short Documentary, and Feature Documentary) as well as The Black Bear Award for best use of sound and the Film House Award for visionary filmmaking. Jurors give out over $20,000 in prizes and services each year.

1st prize winners in Short Narrative and Animated Short are Academy Qualifying.

Awards for each category:

1st prize: $1000 USD for each category (Experimental, Short Narrative, Feature Narrative, Animation, Short Documentary, and Feature Documentary)

Black Bear Award (for best use of sound): $750

Film House Award (for visionary filmmaking): $750.

Rules and Terms

Ohio based students are eligible to submit for free- please contact us by email for more information.

Entries that have been submitted to previous Athens International Film and Video Festivals are not eligible.

AIFVF does not provide screening fees for films in competition.

Because of the number of entries received, not all entries are chosen to screen during the Festival. A prescreening committee, comprised of filmmakers, video makers, and other artists associated with the Athens Center for Film and Video, will watch and evaluate each entry to determine which works are selected for screening during the Festival.

All works that evidence a high regard for artistic innovation, sensitivity to content, and personal involvement with the medium will be welcomed.

* Please note *
We do not accept mailed in screeners (please do not send DVDs, BLURAYs, or flash drives to our office).

We do not accept prescreening materials through email and are unable to download files from sharing services. Submissions are only accepted through Filmfreeway.

An entrant must accept our prescreening process; Entries must be original works. Athens International Film + Video Festival (Ohio) is hereby granted the right to utilize an excerpt from any film submitted and accepted for exhibition at the Festival for promotional purposes. The individual or corporation submitting the film hereby warrants that it is authorized to commit the film for screening, and understands and accepts these requirements and regulations. The undersigned shall indemnify and hold harmless Athens International Film + Video Festival from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney’s fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the screening videos entered.
By submitting your film you agree (if selected) to let the Athens International Film + Video Festival screen your film during the festival.

Best of luck to everyone! We look forward to seeing your work

.
-The Athens Film + Video Festival Submissions Team