MicroMania® (channel) and MicroMania® Film Fest 2021 are connected nonprofit projects supporting independent voices in film by celebrating the skill and artistry of films up to 5 minutes in duration (not including credits).**

We believe a film festival should offer more than a single screening opportunity and are always dreaming fun new ways to amplify viewership for our officially selected films.

Our year round programming includes our streaming MicroMania® channel (Vimeo), our annual festival event and, a variety of encore presentations including storefront pop-ups and donation based community screenings.

MicroMania® has attracted over 470,000 views since its launch in March 2020 - attracting more views per film in aggregate than each could on their own.

We're building a community centered in encouragement and support - once a MicroMania® filmmaker, always a MicroMania® filmmakers. We love hearing about and sharing your new projects, acceptances to other film festivals and awards and we're always happy to share and retweet - just tag us.

The more you tag us, the more we engage, share, retweet and highlight across our social networks. We win together.

**If your film is over 5 minutes due to credits - enter your runtime as 5 min.

SELECTION PROCESS, JUDGES AND SPONSORS

Filmmakers are notified within a month of each of our channel deadlines (Early Fall, Winter, Spring, our regular deadline and shortly after our Late and Extended deadlines in June ). Each officially accepted films has the opportunity of joining our streaming MicroMania catalog.

Once submissions are closed, our finalist round begins. Judges watch and rate films.
The top 10 highest rated films in each category, notified by July 15 2021, advance to compete for awards, prizes, and other opportunities during our MicroMania® Film Fest 2021 event.

Health guidelines willing, this year event is planned for 3-4 outdoor and socially distance, single-evening screenings across town with live panels and workshops interspersed on the weekdays in between.

View former MicroMania® Film Fest 2019 & 2020 officially selected and honorable mention films on the MicroMania® channel: vimeo.com/showcase/micromania

See our list of 2019/2020 winners and check out our 2020 panel discussions, including Comedy in Micro with Mark Duplass at: www.micromaniafilmfest.com

JUDGING

We take great care to make sure that our judges reflect all members of a society.
It's the only way to ensure that brilliance isn't passed over because of unconscious prejudice or bias.

Films are screened, evaluated and rated by industry professionals, bloggers, critics, academics, multi-disciplinary artists and film festival programmers. We take great care to ensure that our Experimental Film category is judged by professionals familiar with this form whether they be academics, critics or filmmakers themselves.

Our judges are instructed to rate based on impact and production quality. Technical imperfection is not grounds for exclusion as long as it doesn't distract from overall impact.

All officially selected films receive a laurel and have the opportunity to screen on our MicroMania® Vimeo channel. Officially selected films compete for finalist status. Finalist notification by July 15, 2021. Channel selection does not guarantee 2021 event inclusion.

2021 JUDGES:
we are currently assembling our judging panel.

2020 JUDGES:
Carl Lee (Professor of Media Studies)
Nick Bigtower (Bigtower Pictures)
Killer Horror Critic
MJ Micheaux Film Club
Christa Avampato (blogger - Curating a Creative Life)
Black Girls Film Club
Tweed (Artistic Director Native Spirit Film Festival)
Richard Smith (Unexplained Podcast)
Kazuya Ashizawa (Filmmaker, MMFF 2019 Best Micro-Documentary winner)
Nick Brannigan (Real World Films)
MiMi Q. Atkins (Mystic Road Films)
Tilke Hill (Actor, Producer/Director and Festival Director - Buffalo International Film Festival 2017-2019)
Joanna White-Oldham (Writer/Director/Owner JWO Media)
Aaron Leventman (Actor, Playwright, Instructor)
Ed Cardoni (Director, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center)
John Massier (Curator, Director, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center))
Neil Weschler(Playwright/ Filmmaker/ Mixed Media Artist)
Tweed (Native Spirit Film Festival)

SPONSORS
Money isn't everything. MicroMania® takes care to only select sponsors and partners with a track record of inclusion and a sensitivity to undue financial barriers that impede diverse perspectives.

2020 Sponsors: The New Hotness Media Institute, IndieVice, FREE AGENT, Argle Bargle: The Game Where you Insult Your Friends, Black Girl Film Club, CaraMax Studio, Mystic Road Films and Alycia Ripley.

Awards & Prizes

MicroMania Film Fest 2021 Finalists compete for the following titles and a minimum of $50 USD cash award.

AWARDS

Best Mini-Micro 2021
Best Micro-Short Film 2021
Best Micro-Drama 2021
Best Micro-Comedy 2021
Best Micro-Horror 2021
Best Micro-Animation 2021
Micro-Documentary 2021
Micro-Freestyle 2021
Micro-Experimental 2021
Micro-Episodic 2021
Micro-Action 2021
Best Micro - Trailers and Music Videos

Rules & Terms

Rules & Terms
MicroMania Film Festival is open to micro-short content up to 5min long (before credits) from all countries.

All non-English language films must be subtitled in English.
We also ask that English language films include a caption file so that everyone can enjoy your film.

The use of copyright protected music unless you can produce written permission or proof of a usage agreement. We ask.

Obviously branded props or costuming is not allowed. This is a legal liability for you and the festival. We are happy to give entrants the opportunity to swap out music or cover logos if time permits.

No pornography and NO HATE.

MicroMania Film Festival reserves the right to remove any category for which a minimum of 8 films have not been selected due to low submissions or low acceptance. Accepted films within a category that has been eliminated will be shifted to 'Micro-Freestyle' or the closest thematic category related to the content.

We're happy to furnish a detailed accounting before or after the event, upon request.

RESPONSIVENESS

Accepted filmmakers are expected to respond fully to requests for assets (film files, still images, descriptive text and contact information) by stated deadlines. All assets must be delivered by method requested however, we will work with you if you have accessibility issues.

We do understand that life happens. We don't mind following up - to a point.
Lack of responsiveness after 2 attempts will result in disqualification.

ENTRY FEE

Entry fees pay for operational costs (website, marketing, venue, promotional costs), filmmaker cash awards and stipends for filmmaker panelists (if a surplus remains and/or we are able to find sponsors to cover them).
.
Entry fees are non-refundable and required for each distinct category submission.

One fee per entry. If a film is duplicated in more than one category, and is accepted, the duplicate will be disqualified.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

All entrants agree with the terms and conditions below to be featured as 'Officially Selected' and to qualify as a finalist/winner.

Delivery of 'Officially Selected' films will be accepted by digital means only via WeTransfer. We will make accommodation if technical difficulties exist.

All films must be delivered in HD with credits to specifications requested in acceptance email notification. Filmmakers will also be required to send promotional stills and may be asked for descriptive text in aid of our promotional efforts.

Accepted filmmakers must ad our festival email to their safe list and respond in a timely manner. We understand that times are crazy and that we have no idea what anyone is facing at any given moment. We will do our best to work with you.

MicroMania Film Festival reserves the right to remove an accepted film from its programming schedule due to low resolution, poor quality, disrespect behavior on the part of the filmmaker or lack of timely response on the part of accepted filmmakers.

PROMOTIONAL RIGHTS
MicroMania Film Festival is hereby granted the right to utilize still images and submission descriptions, provided by accepted filmmakers for exhibition on the MicroMania channel (opt-in) during MicroMania Film Fest 2021 (mandatory) l and for promotional purposes leading up to the event (mandatory) and any encore events (opt-in).

Filmmakers that opt in to MicroMania Channel inclusion - grant the right for MicroMania Film Fest to stream their films until a request for removal has been sent and acknowledged by MicroMania. We honor your requests and do our best to comply as quickly as possible.

ENTRY LIABILITY
The filmmaker holds the MicroMania Film Festival, its management, juries, subsidiaries, agents, sponsors, affiliates, and etc. harmless from any and all claims of liability resulting from entry. The filmmaker certifies to have full rights. Producer will indemnify the organizers of the Festival against all claims, demands, costs, damages, expenses (including legal fees), proceedings and losses resulting from the screening of the film at the Festival or from claims by any third parties.

CASH AWARDS:

Category award winners will be notified by August 15st, 2021 where available (see above)

Winners must respond by August 31th 2021 to claim award. We will work with awardees to deliver their prize but prefer digital delivery via Paypal, Venmo, TrasferWise or Western Union.
25 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Kieran Docherty

    Great opportunity for new filmmakers to get their work out there. The fest always keeps in touch with updates and info when necessary, and they often promote your film online.

    August 2020
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    Response from festival:

    Thanks Keiran. Everything we do is about expanding love for micro-short films. We love really love them and believe that every one else will too! It's our pleasure to share your wonderful film!

  • Adam Gaudreault

    I loved my experience with the festival. I gave mostly all 5 stars because covid really prevented this festival from truely shining. Lukia was absolutely amazing to deal with and she has such a shining lovely personality!

    I hope next time I am accepted to this festival, I get to go in person!

    August 2020
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    Response from festival:

    Awwww. Thank you.

    Yeah, while it was great, yadda yadda... I really miss the best part - meeting my fellow filmmakers and sharing appreciation and encouragement. There's no way to get that online.

    I hope you get accepted too!

    L

  • Azalia Muchransyah

    It was such a pleasure to have my micro-short film included in the 2020 edition of the Micromania Film Festival! I really appreciate Lukia's passion for this festival and I really enjoyed seeing the lineup of great micro-short films. I look forward to submitting my films in the future editions.

    August 2020
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  • Joanna White-Oldham

    My film was a finalist in this festival and I couldn't be more proud. It's a great feeling to know that your work is being seen. The festival director is dedicated to her mission, responsive and kind. I will submit again and recommend you do too!

    August 2020
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  • Valerio Galli

    For sure this is one of the best and well-curated festival out there! Lukia is an amazing person and she knows very well how to do her job. The quality of the movies is high and the concept of the festival itself is amazing. It has been an honor to be selected... Thank you!!!!

    August 2020
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you, Valerio. It is such a pleasure to do this for me.
    I have so much love for these films that I want to world to see them - and I'm doing everything I can to make that happen.

    It was an honor to have your wonderful film. Make more, please!

    L