International Avant-Garde Film Awards

The International Avant-Garde Film Awards is an unpretentious showcase of experimental films from across the world. It was born from a series of underground film screenings in Northern California from 2016-2022. It has now grown into an annual event at one of New York City's most iconic arthouse theaters.

We’re interested in the types of films that Hollywood studios would never touch. Films that push creative boundaries, explore rare or controversial subjects, and tell compelling stories from a unique angle. We’re especially interested in films that connect humans to the natural world or bend our sense of reality.

Shorts, features, documentaries, animated films, and music videos are all welcome. The only thing we don’t accept are superhero movies.

As filmmakers ourselves, we understand the value of publicity for innovative filmmakers and their films. Awards are given out in 16 different categories. The winning film in each category will be featured on this website, including a published interview with the filmmaker. The top films will be screened at Quad Cinema, located at the nexus of Greenwich Village and Union Square in Manhattan—a mainstay of avant-garde cinema in New York City since 1972.

What We’re Looking For:
-Films that push artistic boundaries.
-Films that tell meaningful stories in unique ways.
-Narrative films framed by the natural world.
-Documentaries that aren’t preachy.
-Films about the changing world we live in.
-Films that reveal hidden aspects of our world.
-Mind-bending films that alter the way we think/feel/perceive.
-Films that highlight big ideas about how we can navigate the many challenges we face as a species and as a society.
-Unconventional environmental films.
-Art films that are compelling to watch.
-Music videos that take an innovative visual and/or narrative approach.