Please submit each project to only one category.

50% discounts on submission fees will be provided to previously selected Mimesis Artists (unlimited-use) upon request. To do so, please fill out this form:
https://forms.gle/ZgzK5FNeJ93UNdfG7

Full submission fee waivers (single-use) will be granted to all current students upon request. Student codes can only be used for the Student/Emerging submission category and if selected, the projects are only eligible for the Best Emerging Artist award. To request a code, please fill out this form:
https://forms.gle/hRqLubENdfJH6oCz7

The seventh annual Mimesis Documentary Festival presented August 11-16, 2026 at the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder, Colorado is a theatrical and virtual experience featuring in-person and at-home screenings, workshops, and conversations with documentary artists, scholars, and producers from across the world.

The Mimesis Documentary Festival is an artist-focused event celebrating short, feature, and expanded documentary ranging from traditional, experimental, ethnographic, and regional projects. We focus on personal, underrepresented, and culturally specific subjects that offer the most profound experiences of art made from life.

Launched as a project of the Center for Documentary Media at the University Colorado Boulder in 2020, Mimesis is now an independent not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to to showcase documentary art programmed primarily from open submissions in a festival that prioritizes artists’ participation, access, and well-being.

Submission Categories:

Short Documentary
Feature Documentary
Short Regional Documentary
Feature Regional Documentary
Short Ethnographic Documentary
Feature Ethnographic Documentary
Short Experimental Documentary
Feature Experimental Documentary
Short Docufiction
Feature Docufiction
Student and Emerging Documentary Artists
Expanded Documentary Arts
Short Audio Documentary
Long Audio Documentary

Awards & Prizes

Jury Awards:

Best Documentary
Best Short Documentary
Best Emerging Artist
Best in Documentary Arts

Audience Awards:

Best Feature Documentary
Best Short Documentary
Best Emerging Artist
Best in Documentary Arts

Rules & Terms

We strive for transparency in our submission and selection process to bridge the gap between organizers and artists as much as possible. We are committed to programming 80% of our festival from submission-based content, with the other 20% reserved for the selection of special programming. While we are not able to accept every project, all submitting artists will be given a full access virtual pass for that festival year.

All submissions are considered for the 2026 festival.
We give priority to projects completed after January 1, 2024.
We also favor work that has not yet been publicly exhibited in Colorado.
Selected artists must sign a Screening Agreement, which includes permission to exhibit projects on the Mimesis Virtual Festival platform.

Mimesis is unable to pay screening or distribution fees for any submissions selected for exhibition without exception.

Full submission fee waivers (single-use) will be granted to all current students upon request. Student codes can only be used for the Student/Emerging submission category and if selected, the projects are only eligible for the Best Emerging Artist award. To request a code, please fill out this form:
https://forms.gle/hRqLubENdfJH6oCz7

50% discounts on submission fees will be provided to previously selected Mimesis Artists (unlimited-use) upon request. To do so, please fill out this form:
https://forms.gle/ZgzK5FNeJ93UNdfG7

Entry fees are non-refundable.

All projects must be submitted through an online link only.

Submissions to the Student and Emerging Documentary Artists category will only be eligible for the Best Emerging Artist awards.

All other category submissions are for programming purposes only, and not related to awards or programming blocks.

32 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Katya Korableva

    Amazing experience at the festival! I will definitely follow the upcoming programs

    September 2025
    Helpful
  • Robyn Tomiko

    I truly appreciated being able to attend and participate in this festival. The programmers do such a thoughtful job of thematically curating films so that each watching experience feels meaningful and engaging. The festival staff do an extraordinary job of making sure the festival is accessible for the artists and that meaningful connection can be made throughout. If you have an opportunity to show your work or attend this festival, I highly recommend it.

    August 2025
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  • Homa Sarabi

    happy to be a part of this!

    August 2025
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  • Darren Dominique Heroux

    I was fortunate enough to attend Mimesis 25 in person, thoughts below...

    The festival offered excellent opportunities to network and have meaningful conversations with fellow filmmakers. The curation was consistently strong, with a diverse and engaging program. This year, 100% of the selected films came from open submissions — a rare and important choice that allowed for work to be showcased that might otherwise have slipped through the cracks.

    From start to finish, the team was incredibly accommodating, with clear and thoughtful communication throughout the process. Mimesis not only champions bold work but also creates a genuinely welcoming and rewarding experience for its artists.

    August 2025
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  • Dana Duff

    One of the best festivals I've ever attended. They spared no expense or effort to make sure my installation was a success. The quality of the films and of the discussions was top-notch—supremely stimulating! They have a beautiful theater and impeccable organizing. I can't say enough about how satisfying this experience was! Love them!

    August 2024
    Helpful