Dome Fest West returns for its sixth year, April 21 to 25, 2027, at the iconic Fiske Planetarium in Boulder, Colorado, the only U.S. festival dedicated entirely to immersive dome cinema and fulldome storytelling. Love the Sphere in Las Vegas? Then this is the festival for you.

Dome Fest West is where cinematic innovation meets immersive technology, and where the fulldome industry's next season gets built. Our festival and conference bridges Hollywood's boldest storytellers and the global immersive dome community. Imagine your work enveloping audiences from every angle, not just watched, but experienced under the dome.

New for 2027: an expanded three-day Fulldome Forward Expo, now opening with a dedicated Wednesday of hands-on workshops and B2B matchmaking. Creators, planetarium directors, distributors, and venue operators get more room than ever to connect on craft and commerce before the films begin, followed by two full days of fulldome screenings at Fiske.

We are putting relationships at the center of this year. Expect curated speed networking that pairs filmmakers with buyers and venues, a Planetarium Directors Forum, roundtables conversations, works in progress hosted inside the dome, sponsor expo hours, and nightly mixers. 2026 gave us the most productive Expo floor in our history, with real licensing, distribution, and co-production conversations. 2027 is built to top it.

Join us in Boulder as we gather creators, producers, technologists, and dome venue operators for a celebration of boundary-pushing storytelling. Expect mind-expanding fulldome screenings, insightful panels, roundtable discussions, cutting-edge tech demos, and high-energy networking designed to spark real collaboration.

Dome content is breaking out of planetariums and science centers and into festivals, exhibitions, and permanent dome theaters worldwide. As these venues expand, so do the opportunities for immersive filmmakers like you.

If you're a visionary producer, an experimental storyteller, or an immersive media artist, Dome Fest West is your launchpad into a community that is genuinely glad you're here. Submit your work, join the movement, and help define the next generation of cinematic storytelling.

Awards & Prizes

The Dome Fest West Film Festival recognizes filmmaking achievement through the presentation of juried and balloted awards, including:

• Best Artistic Feature Film
• Best Artistic Short Film
• Best Musical Feature Film
• Best Musical Short Film
• Best Educational Film
• Best Science Film
• Best Environmental Film
• Best Live Experience
• Best Interactive Experience
• Best Children's Film
• Best Narrative Film
• Juror's Choice Award
• Audience Choice Award
• Sphere of Light Award

Rules & Terms

I. Submission Formats
A. Submit your film in Fisheye/Fulldome format via FilmFreeway. For Live Experience and Interactive Experience entries, HD or 4K video files are accepted through FilmFreeway. We do not accept DVDs or physical hard drives.

II. Complete Entry Requirements
A. Your entry packet must include:
i. A complete online screener in fulldome 1:1 fisheye format embedded in your FilmFreeway submission.
ii. For Live Experiences: A screener formatted to best represent your performance. This may include 16:9 video, close-ups, wide-angle shots, and fulldome or equirectangular formats.
B. Required Information in FilmFreeway Submission:
i. Film title and synopsis
ii. Complete credits (producer, director, cast, and artists)
iii. Headshot and bio of the director or producer
iv. Submission fee (paid through FilmFreeway)
v. Digital Press Kit including:
- 5 high-resolution JPEG stills from the film
- 5 behind-the-scenes stills
C. Important: Dome Fest West is not responsible for any incorrect information provided in your submission. Ensure all details are accurate.

III. Separate Submissions for Multiple Categories
A. Each film must be submitted separately. If you select more than one category for your film, you must pay the full entry fee for each category.

IV. Student Films
A. Include a copy of a current student ID or proof of current enrollment. Upload this to FilmFreeway or email it to students@DomeFestWest.com.

V. Submission Deadlines
A. Submissions open July 7, 2026. Submit your complete entry by one of the following deadlines:
i. Earlybird Deadline: August 28, 2026
ii. Regular Deadline: October 16, 2026
iii. Late Deadline: December 4, 2026
iv. Final Deadline: January 8, 2027
B. Selections and the official lineup will be announced February 9, 2027.

VI. Works in Progress
A. We do not encourage submissions of works in progress. Your submission will be juried as received.

VII. Film Completion Date
A. To qualify for the 2027 Dome Fest West, films in all categories must have been completed after January 1, 2025.

VIII. Previous Screenings
A. Films that have screened at previous Dome Fest West events are ineligible for re-entry, including projects completed after the January 1, 2025 deadline.

IX. Screening Fees
A. Films selected as official entries for the 2027 festival will not be eligible for screening fees.

X. Promotional Use Authorization
A. By submitting your film, you authorize Dome Fest West to use, distribute, and share film segments, the film poster, trailer, synopsis, and stills in our social media and promotional events directly tied to the festival and authorized partner festivals.

XI. Official Selection Requirements
A. Official selection filmmakers must provide a digital file of their film or live dome experience for festival screenings. Required file format:
i. Resolution: 4k x 4k
ii. Format: H.264 or H.265 with fisheye/fulldome mapping (detailed encoding instructions will be provided upon selection).

XII. Live Fulldome Performance Submissions
A. Submit a recording of your live performance, between 15 and 120 minutes in length, including credits and titles.
B. Technical Requirements:
i. Resolution: Minimum 1920x1080 for HD video, 2048x2048 for fulldome format. Higher resolutions are welcome.
ii. Audio: Stereo or 5.1 surround sound audio formats accepted.

XIII. Live Interactive Experience Submissions
A. Entries must allow audiences to directly influence the dome display. Any genre or type is accepted.
B. Technical Requirements:
i. Output: Capable of HDMI output with the fulldome image centered in the frame, resolution of 3840x2160, and a frame rate of 30fps.
ii. Audio: Not required but encouraged.
C. If you have specific compatibility questions, contact our team at Submissions@DomeFestWest.com.

XIV. Costs for Digital Transfer
A. If your film is selected, you must cover the cost of transferring digital copies of festival screeners to the Festival. Live experience entrants may be invited to perform at Dome Fest West by special invitation.

XV. Legal Authority and Permissions
A. By submitting, you confirm you have the legal authority to submit the film and use all music, images, and content included. You allow usage of clips from your film for promotional purposes on television, radio, print, and at live Festival events.

XVI. Third-Party Consent
A. By submitting, you confirm you have obtained all necessary permissions from any third parties involved. If additional consent is required, all parties must agree to this submission.

XVII. Best of Earth Awards
A. All submissions will be included in the Best of Earth awards competition. Partner festivals may include ⚠️ [CONFIRM 2027 PARTNERS — 2026 listed: Fulldome Festival (Jena, Germany), Dome Under Festival (Melbourne, Australia), Fulldome UK (Plymouth, UK), SAT Fest (Montréal, Canada), and others]. Films screened at these events will not be eligible for screening fees.

XVIII. Copyright and Liability
A. By submitting, you confirm that your film does not violate any copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights. All necessary releases for music, images, content, and talent must be obtained by the filmmaker. Dome Fest West is not liable for any copyright infringement or unauthorized use.
21 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Maciej Ligowski

    The festival DFW is absolutely wonderful and much needed in the US. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect with people working at the intersection of education, art, technology, and immersive media. It broadens horizons, helps expand business connections, and creates a truly inspiring space for collaboration. Most importantly, it is super fun and very well organized. We’re happy this festival exists and always look forward to attending!

    Maciej Ligowski

    June 2026
    Helpful
  • Visualiseringscenter C

    Attending Dome Fest West for the first time was such a great experience. The whole festival felt incredibly friendly, welcoming, and really well organized from beginning to end.

    As a screening artist, I especially appreciated how much information and communication we received ahead of the festival. Once there, I loved the mix of networking, panels, and screenings. It never felt overwhelming, just really inspiring and enjoyable throughout. Saw amazing works, and left feeling genuinely energized and inspired. Really grateful to have been part of it, and I’d absolutely love to come back in the future.

    May 2026
    Helpful
  • American Museum of Natural History

    A wonderful celebration of all things fulldome, with a great mix of creative people, all willing to share. All areas of the fulldome world are represented, from filmmakers and creators, technical teams, marketing, distribution, education, and more.

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thanks Matt! Getting all the different corners of the fulldome world in one room is the whole point, so glad it felt that way to you. 🙌 🎉 Thank you for bringing the incredible film!

  • K2 Communications

    Thanks for an extremely well-organized festival with such intentional opportunities to connect with old and new colleagues. We appreciate your passion, enthusiasm, and dedication to the immersive dome community.

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Thank you, K2! "Intentional opportunities to connect" is exactly what we're aiming for, so it's great to hear that came through. 🤩Grateful to have you in the community.

  • Anne Wichmann

    It was my first time at Dome Fest West – what a wonderful experience! The DFW community is so open, caring and friendly, the content was amazing and I met incredible people. Go and see for yourself, it's absolutely worth it!

    May 2026
    Helpful
    Response from festival:

    Anne, so glad you made the trip out for your first DFW! That openness you're describing is the thing we care most about, so hearing it landed with you means a lot. Hope to see you back next year!