Digerati Experimental Media Festival (Formerly Supernova Digital Animation Festival)

Decode Recode is now accepting global transmissions from artists intently focused on furthering experimental practices and collaboration outside the mainstream. We encourage those perceptions that subvert or challenge dominant narratives through visual media that includes experimental time-based media and animation. Our festival features in-person screenings, performances, and exhibition opportunities.

Keep informed about updates to the festival on Instagram @denverdigerati or sign up to receive our email newsletter through denverdigerati.org

Artists and animators selected for the Digerati Experimental Media Festival will have the opportunity for awards centered on the creation of new work completed in the last TWO years.

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DIGERATI EXPERIMENTAL MEDIA FESTIVAL 2023: Welcome to the Here and Now

Welcome to the Here and Now
1st Place: LazyBackHome / The Ship of Fools
2nd Place: Maria Estela Paiso / Raining Frogs Outside

Democracy of the Eye
1st Place: Jie Shen / Tiger Stabs Tiger
2nd Place: Albert Merino / The sublunar world

Dystopia
1st Place: Taye Cimon, Pierre Coëz, Julie Groux, Sandra Leydier, Manuarii Morel, and Romain Seisson / Code Rose
2nd Place: Maxime Chudeau / CIRCVS MAXIMVS

Resonant Dwellings
1st Place: Guangli Liu / Very, Very, Tremendously
2nd Place: Mona Kiel / Juice

Self and Ego
1st Place: Jesu Medina / An Ego and I
2nd Place: Carlos Velandia / Woman as Image, Man as Bearer of the Look

Protopia
1st Place: Koki Saito / Inner Voices
2nd Place: Qieer Wang / Rejuvenation

Uncanny Intelligence
1st Place: Robert Seidel / HYSTERESIS
2nd Place: Espen Tversland / Nowhere to Ἀϝίδης

Sonic
1st Place: nikolarr / STARE - - Impérieux
2nd Place: Raman Djafari / DJ Piper - RIP TXL

The End of Story
1st Place: Jullian Young / Resaerate
2nd Place: Chris Coleman / Threaded Tracing

Digital Dialect
1st Place: Emily Sasmor / FLORE
2nd Place: Brandon Blommaert / The Jeweller

SUPERNOVA 7TH Dimension 2022 AWARD WINNERS

Focal Competition
Grand Prize: Young Joo Lee / Lizardians
2nd place: Roman Muradov / My Jeopardy
3rd place: Xi Chen / Chicken of the Mound
Honorable Mention: Zongbo Jiang / Shared Planet
Honorable Mention: Mahsa Merci / Limbo 2

Director's Choice
Heesoo Kwon / Leymusoom Is Holding Us
Steven Lapcevic / Time

Student Shorts
Grand Prize: Yuki Sun / Without End
2nd Place: Vivien Forsans / Bedroom People
Honorable Mention: Mo Xiaolan / Cold Square
Honorable Mention: Marcella Moliner / H.O.M.E. (Hoarding Old Memory Eggs)

Everything Abstract Experimental
Grand Prize: Megan Jedrysiak and Jackson Ammenheuser / Shorthand Stasis
Honorable Mention: Marcos Montane / Hamartia
Honorable Mention: Dirk Koy / Intersect
Honorable Mention: Alessandro Amaducci / Remake Remodel

Everything Abstract Sonic
Grand Prize: Austin Slominski / Faster than the ground below me
Honorable Mention: Tsz-Wing Ho / Pulse at the Center of Being
Honorable Mention: Joel Plosz / Louis Prince - Ice Cream Island

Learn about our full awards history on our website at: https://denverdigerati.org/awards-history

DEADLINES & FEES

The final deadline for all submissions is June 1st 2024

GENERAL RULES & TERMS

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Denver Digerati is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that specializes in digital animation and motion art, supporting an expansive network of international artists. We believe in the freedom to create without restrictions, and promote those who aspire to express their unique visions through their art. Our nonprofit produces content, manages artist commissions, collaborates on events, delivers lectures and workshops, and manages the annual Digerati Emergent Media Festival (formerly the Supernova Digital Animation Festival) (“Festival”). 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 2022. 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

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Nikola Radulovikj

    Was an honor to screen my animation in such a great selection! I hope to visit the festival in the future.

    October 2023
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    Response from festival:

    We were honored to show your exceptional work and hope to see you at a future iteration!

  • Jesu Medina

    An amazing experience to be a part of! The festival was great at communicating and making me feel welcome, every step of the way. Even though I could not attend in person, seeing some of the other films that were selected made me feel at home. A wonderful festival, thank you so much for the opportunity!

    October 2023
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    Response from festival:

    Jesu - you are such a pleasure to work with - keep us in the loop on future projects!

  • Cyane Tornatzky

    Very generous and great to work with. I will definitely be submitting again!

    November 2022
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Cyane! It is always a pleasure to show your work!

  • Joshua David Blum

    This festival made sure that films got seen and that it's audiences felt included in the excitement of new talent and animation. Thank you so much for inlcuding Boys Clap, Girls Dance.

    November 2022
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you so much Joshua! We were honored to show Boys Clap, Girls Dance in our festival.

  • Wataru Iwata

    So glad to take a part in Supernova! Well-made events, as well as an internet site, and I hope to join physically next occasion! Thank you very much!

    October 2022
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Wataru, it was a pleasure having you in the festival this year, and all I can say is "Sphere" looked so spectacular presented large on screen, its truly a breathtaking work of art!