Submit

Submission Information

Submissions for the Athens International Film + Video Festival are generally open from August to November. We take submissions via FilmFreeway only.
Detailed deadline and entry fees – can be found at filmfreeway:

* 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 around 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:

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.

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): $500

Film House Award (for visionary filmmaking): $500

Research Award $500

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 pre-screening committee, comprised of filmmakers, community members, and other volunteers associated with the Athens Center for Film and Video, watch and evaluate each entry to determine which works are selected for screening during the Festival.

* 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 pre-screening materials through email and are unable to download files from sharing services for pre-screening. Submissions are only accepted through Filmfreeway.

An entrant must accept our pre-screening 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