“Celebrating sprocket-driven, artist-made work.”

“Engauge,” an experimental film festival based in Seattle, WA, and now in its fifth year, invites you to submit your work ORIGINATING ON FILM.

Engauge is sponsored by INTERBAY CINEMA SOCIETY, a film arts organization dedicated to promoting works that originate on analog film.

IN KEEPING WITH OUR MISSION, "ENGAUGE" WILL CONSIDER ONLY FILMS THAT BEGAN ON CELLULOID, e.g. 8mm, Super 8, 16mm, 35mm, 70mm film.

That means that somewhere in your own film-making process, you the filmmaker actually worked directly with celluloid, by loading film into a camera and shooting it, or looking through and selecting found footage, or directly scratching, painting, or drawing on, collaging or photogramming objects onto film. 

BECAUSE OF THE ONGOING PANDEMIC, WE ANTICIPATE HOSTING A HYBRID FESTIVAL, IN THE THEATER AND ONLINE, IN 2022.

OUR PLANS FOR THE FESTIVAL COULD CHANGE. WE CANNOT KNOW WHAT LATE 2022 WILL LOOK LIKE. WE WILL STAY IN TOUCH WITH OUR SELECTED FILMMAKERS AS OUR PLANS DEVELOP.

Engauge was founded by two Seattle artist/filmmakers working in 16mm and 35mm. We favor DIY techniques, matte box experiments, in-camera editing, found footage collage, direct animation, hand- and eco-processing, optical printing, pin-hole exposures, laser printing onto film, various analog hacks, etc.

Cover design: film still from "Slow Volumes" by Mike Gibisser (EEFF '21).

Awards & Prizes

We are a non-competitive festival.

Rules & Terms

All work submitted for consideration must have ORIGINATED ON FILM that you the filmmaker worked with directly. Work that uses “film” imagery taken from films on DVD or digitized before you got your hands on it is not eligible. BY SUBMITTING TO OUR FESTIVAL, YOU ARE GUARANTEEING THAT YOUR FILM MEETS THIS CRITERION.

You can submit up to 2 films.

Films must be submitted directly from the filmmaker. We will not negotiate with or accept work submitted through distributors. If you are submitting via a surrogate, let us know.

The festival will consider the work of established and emerging filmmakers. Student projects are not eligible.

We are committed to a festival that reflects the international and diverse nature of experimental work.

We will pay an honorarium for each film we screen.

We are interested in programming recently completed work but will consider older films on a case-by-case basis.

27 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Edgar Garcia Chavez

    Great festival! Thank you so much for the experience!

    November 2021
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  • Josh Drake

    Without a doubt the best festival I've participated in remotely since the start of the Pandemic.

    November 2021
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  • Brittany Gravely

    Great festival with strong programs and a focus on treating the filmmakers and films with a level kindness, respect and consideration you don't always see at experimental festivals with a lot of filmmakers.

    November 2021
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  • Khalil Charif

    Wonderfully organized, extremely professional and committed. Long life to Engauge! Many thanks to you, Caryn Cline & Jon Behrens, and crew. Congratulations!

    November 2021
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  • Tetsuya Maruyama

    Great curation in diverse programs. Wish to be there one day on-site.

    November 2021
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