Experiments in Cinema v22.3 call for submissions!! 

Basement Films’ annual international film festival is proud to announce our call for submissions for our next edition of Experiments in Cinema v22.3 (April 15-18, 2027) with an additional online version April 29-May 11, 2027). EIC will take place at the Guild Cinema in Albuquerque, New Mexico and will consist of film screenings, lectures, live cinema events as well as workshops.

Our call for submissions is open from August 1 – November 1, 2026 through FilmFreeway.
For additional information contact festival director Bryan Konefsky at experimentsincinema@gmail.com or print 
traffic controller Nicole Delmar at experimentsincinemasubmissions@gmail.com

We are seeking new and old moving image art that will engage audiences with the magic and wonder that IS un-dependent cinema! Submissions might be (but are not limited to) essay films, dance films, film poems, structural films, post-structural films, post-post structural films, underground films, abstract films, experimental narratives, experimental documentaries, video installations, transgressive films, portrait films, political rant films… Challenge us and make us happy (if your creative output requires fancy press packages, agents to be contacted, a world premiere, descriptions like “…think The Little Mermaid on steroids…,” or character development that can only be understood in terms of a traditional narrative arc, you might do well to find a different festival to screen your film).
Please note that Experiments in Cinema WILL be paying screening fees to all participating artists!
Alumni Artists, please contact us at experimentsincinema@gmail.com for a code to waive your submission fees on FilmFreeway! However, if you are in a position to support our event, it would be greatly appreciated due to governmental cuts to the arts.

Please note that we DO NOT accept films longer than 30 minutes AND we do not accept AI generated projects. If your film is longer than 30 minutes and you feel that it absolutely reflects the tenor of our event contact us off Film Freeway. Also note that if you submit a narrative film or a documentary film, they WILL NOT be reviewed by our curatorial committee as ours is an experimental film festival.

For those of you who might be interested see this link to a recent article in Senses of Cinema about EIC: https://www.sensesofcinema.com/2025/festival-reports/experiments-in-cinema-2025-the-persistence-of-grass-roots-experimentation/

Also, see this link to a recent article in Millennium Film Journal about EIC: https://www.bryankonefsky.com/?page_id=53

Experiments in Cinema v22.3

Bryan Konefsky 
Founder/Director, Experiments in Cinema 

el presidente, Basement Films 

professional product tester 

experimentsincinema@gmail.com

Awards & Prizes

Our event is proudly and defiantly award-free! We feel that being adjudicated into our programming is all the competition our collective stomaches can handle. Rather than support the divisiveness of competition, we are more interested in nurturing a micro community of like minded folks during the week run of EIC.

Rules & Terms

We have no restrictions in terms of when your work was made. Our only rule is that the work is remarkable and has never been screened at our event in the past. However, please note that by submitting to our event, you are agreeing to have your film screened at our in person festival as well as our online festival. Please take note that works with a screening time of 30 MINUTES OR LESS are more likely to be programmed, AND works longer than 30 minutes, traditional narrative films and traditional documentary films WILL NOT be reviewed by our curatorial committee.
24 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • John Akre

    I feel that I was so lucky and honored to be able to be a part of this collegiate group of makers and festival pillars in the most delightful cave of insight and wonders that one could imagine.

    April 2026
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  • Yinan Wang

    Among the film festivals I’ve participated in, EIC stands out as truly unique. I was especially impressed by the level of genuine human connection throughout the process—from acceptance to the end of the program. It is not only a platform for showcasing films, but a deeply compassionate effort to build an art-driven community and to carry forward the spirit of experimental filmmaking to future generations. This is a festival that will be remembered.

    April 2026
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  • Dick Blau

    Without question the best festival I've ever been to. It's obviously a labor of love on the part of the organizers. Thoughtfully curated and beautifully presented, with a great deal of attention to all the details that go into a successful event. I was especially impressed by the zoom discussions the organizers invited us to participate in where we got to meet and talk with the other presenters in our programs. (Those zoom discussions are also recorded, becoming part of the festival's larger archive.) In sum, this is no one-and-done event. The participants, mainly filmmakers, come back year after year. Experiments in Cinema is not only a survey of the current moment in avant-garde filmmaking, but it is also one of the central venues where its history is being made.

    April 2026
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  • Maureen Zent

    What a great festival! Interesting, challenging program. And even for those of us who could not attend, the organizers created a networking opportunity through a zoom conversation. I was delighted to have my film here.

    May 2025
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  • Sara Bonaventura

    The festival communication was superb! We were not able to attend but the festival organized an online Q&A with directors which was very nicely curated. I felt part of the community despite not being able to attend! Thank you!

    April 2025
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