Digerati Experimental Media Festival

DEADLINES: The final deadline for all submissions is June 1, 2025.

The quick and dirty:
1. The work cannot be older than 2 years.
2. Please note if it has been screened in Denver previously. We will consider your submission, but prefer to screen works unseen in our market.
3. If the film is not in English, it must have English subtitles.
4. The duration must be 30 minutes or less.

GENERAL RULES & TERMS

Denver Digerati is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We are an artist-first nonprofit dedicated to amplifying experimental media and performance. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive community that embraces creative risk-taking and support for artwork that defies categorization. Our programming includes curated screenings and exhibitions, events, and an artist residency program.

Learn more about us at DenverDigerati.org.

These Terms and Conditions set forth the legally binding terms for your submission to the Festival, organized by Denver Digerati (“Digerati”, “we”, “us”).

1. Submission. Digerati will accept original content (“Work”) created by the artist (“Artist”, “you”) submitting from anywhere in the world. All Work must be suitable for public display. Artists may submit up to two Works for consideration. All Work must be at least two minutes in length. Digerati will ONLY accept Work built primarily through digital means and techniques. Please don’t send live-action work unless it integrates with a digital interface. Each time you submit your Work, you are confirming your acceptance of, and agreement to be bound by, all the obligations of these Terms and Conditions. To be considered for the Festival, your Work must meet all of the specifications and requirement as set forth herein or at denverdigerati.org.

2. Age Requirement. There are no age restrictions or requirements for submission to the Festival. If you are considered a legal minor in the jurisdiction in which you reside (generally under 18 years of age) and you submit Work for selection in the Festival, you are confirming that you have received your parent/guardian’s express consent to do so and that your parent/guardian (i) has read and, on your behalf, agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions; and (ii) understands, agrees, and will be fully responsible for your submission.

3. Content Requirements. You are solely responsible and liable for the Work you submit (and the consequences thereof). The Work does not reflect the views of the Festival.
You agree that you will not submit any Work that is libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, sexually, racially, culturally, or ethnically offensive, harassing, intimidating, threatening, hateful, discriminatory, abusive, or in violation of copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights. We reserve the right, at any time, without notice and without limiting any and all other rights we may have under these Terms and Conditions, at law or in equity, to remove and delete your submission to the Festival if any content is in violation of any of these Terms and Conditions. If we receive notice of any claim of infringement that satisfies specific legal requirements, we may remove content associated with such claims and will notify you if your Work is removed.
You are fully responsible for the clearance of all content contained in your entry.

All Works must have been completed no earlier than 2023. Priority will be given to new Works that are not yet available for viewing until after the Festival takes place. Digerati may consider “works in progress” that are not fully complete before the deadline, if so noted.

Festival LED screens have variable frame ratios. Works may be formatted with black masking for presentations as necessary. Works must be digital files in either .mov or .mp4 format at highest quality of resolution available. Vimeo links are accepted for review purposes.

4. Ownership. We do not claim any ownership right to the Work that you submit to the Festival. You explicitly retain ownership of all intellectual property and exploitation rights in and to the Work. You must own the rights to the content you submit and each element of the content you submit and the right to grant all of the authorizations, rights, and licenses described in these Terms and Conditions. If you do not exclusively own all of these rights, you must have all necessary authorizations, permissions, approvals, consents, rights, and licenses from the owner(s) to submit the Work.

5. Rights Grant. Artist hereby grants Digerati the worldwide, non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty free right and license to duplicate, reproduce, display, publish, and otherwise use the Work, in whole or in part, in connection the Festival for both in-person and online screenings to the public. You agree that the Work may be exhibited in public, copied, screened, publicly released, transmitted, displayed, streamed online, distributed, or translated in whole or as a part of the submitted Work.

You grant us the right to use the Work with certain short film compilations, and combined with other works, for use in advertising, marketing, education, and screening; this includes, but is not limited to presentation online, in-person, on social media, best-of reels, using excerpts for trailers, using still images, viral campaigns, presentations, and through public LED and projection interfaces.

You grant us the right to curate and share the Work with interested parties for use in museum exhibitions, collections, and other commercial opportunities with the express understanding that we have no right to sell or grant a license for the public display of the Work and this right is limited to facilitating the possible curation, sale, or license of the Work to third parties. In the event we receive a request from a third party to license the Work, we will provide you with all information and assist with licensing or negotiation as reasonably requested.

Digerati curated programs and content reels are intended for public display or presentation in appropriate settings throughout the world. For this purpose, you grant Digerati the non-exclusive public and non-public exhibition right to present the work in the Digerati screening program, at selected conference locations, online streaming, in the online archives, and partnering curated and educational screening programs.
Further, Digerati will produce Artist title screen credit and will apply branding for all accepted Work. You agree we can use your Work in connection with brands, marketing, and sponsorship, but not to imply your sponsorship of any third party. Artist hereby grants Digerati the right to use and publish Artist’s photo, image, name, likeness, voice, and biographical information in connection with the Festival and the advertising and promotions thereof; and the right to provide Artist and Work information to businesses and organizations that sponsor Digerati events.

6. Festival Decisions. All decisions made by us with respect to all aspects of the Festival are final and not subject to challenge. We expressly reserve the right to take any steps we deem necessary in our absolute discretion, including the limiting of entries and the exclusion of entrants, to ensure that the Festival is conducted in a fair way for all entrants.

7. Privacy. We may collect personal data about you including, without limitation, name, phone number, email address, biographical information, and address when you submit a Work for the Festival. We will take all reasonable measures to ensure the privacy and security of personal data provided to us in connection with the Festival but are not liable for any unintended disclosure of your data.

8. Representations and Warranties. Artist represents and warrants that: they are the sole owner of or has properly licensed all rights in and to the Work, including and without limitation the copyrights therein; the work does not violate or infringe any rights of any third party; and the Artist has the right to submit the Work to Digerati and grant the rights set forth herein. Digerati is not responsible for verification of copyright and usage and will not be held responsible for the inclusion of Work that has not been cleared or that has been misrepresented by Artist.

9. Indemnification. Artist agrees to indemnify and hold harmless Digerati, together with its parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, employees, attorneys, creative advisors, agents, and representatives (collectively, “Digerati Related Parties”), from and against any and all claims, losses, liabilities, damages, fees, and expenses (including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys’ fees and other costs) that may be asserted by any person or entity, or may be incurred by any Digerati Related Parties, at any time in connection with the Artist Work or Digerati’s usage, handling, consideration, or exhibition thereof, and/or arising from any breach or alleged breach of any representation made by Artist to Digerati Related Parties, including, without limitation, any express or implied representation in these Terms and Conditions.

10. Limitation of Liability. In no event will Digerati be liable to you or any third party for any indirect, consequential, exemplary, incidental, special, or punitive damages, including lost profit damage arising from your participation in the Festival, even if Digerati has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, Digerati’s liability to you for any cause whatsoever and regardless of the form of the action, will at all times be limited to your actual and verifiable direct damage. Digerati assumes no responsibility or liability for any risk associated with the acceptance or use of the prizes awarded as part of the Festival or any liability associated with online or electronic entries, and expressly disclaims liability from loss or damage to your property and equipment, however caused, arising from bugs, viruses, or technical failures in any way associated with or arising from online or electronic entries.

11. Dispute Resolution. We hope to address all of your claims through good faith negotiation and ask that you contact us directly with any issues you may have regarding the Festival. Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or related to the Festival, which cannot be resolved by good faith negotiation between the parties, will be settled by binding arbitration by the American Arbitration Association in accordance with its Commercial Arbitration Rules in Denver, Colorado. Any resulting resolution may include the award of related fees and costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, and may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. You will have no right to any injunctive or equitable relief in connection with the Festival. Subject to the foregoing, any legal action brought in connection with these Terms and Conditions may only be brought in Denver, Colorado and you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts located in Denver, Colorado.

12. Retention. Artist documents, files, photos, and other material submitted will not be returned and will remain the property of Digerati as part of its Artist content archive. No Work that has been accepted for the Festival can be pulled from the Festival by the submitter or associates.

Questions can be directed to info@denverdigerati.org