Note 1: Works received between January 21 - March 20 will be juried for Program #4 screening on April 20. Please read the description below carefully, before sending your amazing works ;).

Note 2: due to summer holidays, submissions will be temporarily paused on May 24 and restarted on August 24.

Pebbles Underground film and video art is a bimonthly hybrid project focused on showcasing experimental, avant-garde, underground, and no-to-low budget moving image projects by artist-humans from all over the world. The first stage of the festival, including the bimonthly airings, is online, free for all to view. The second stage will host an additional screening of the works winning a jury or an audience award during the online programs.

Absurd, uncanny, witty, humorous, queer, slow film, surrealist film, screendance, performance, dance – all are welcome!

DEADLINES AND RESPECIVE ONLINE SCREENING DATES

-September 20, 2022 deadline - October 20, 2022 online screening of the selected works
-November 20, 2022 deadline - December 20, 2022 online screening of the selected works
-January 20, 2023 deadline - February 20, 2023 online screening of the selected works
-March 20, 2023 deadline - April 20, 2023 online screening of the selected works
-May 24, 2023 deadline - June 10, 2023 online screening of the selected works

Important note: due to summer holidays, submissions will be temporarily paused on May 24 and restarted on August 24

-September 30, 2023 deadline - October 30, 2023 online screening of the selected works
-November 15, 2023 deadline - December 4, 2023 online screening of the selected works

NOTIFICATIONS ON ACCEPTANCE OR REFUSAL WILL BE SENT OUT WITHIN A FEW DAYS AFTER EACH DEADLINE. IF YOU RECEIVE A SELECTION EMAIL, THE SCREENING COPY MUST BE SENT MINIMUM 5 DAYS BEFORE EACH SCREENING.

The works winning the Audience and Jury Awards during the online programs will be included in our additional screening in late December 2023. The screening will either take an online or physical format (TBC).

All online programs will be free to watch, so get ready for a delicious explosion of art!

ELIGIBLE WORKS

Experimental, underground films and video art
Experimental documentaries (including mockumentaries)
Experimental animation
Screendance, experimental dance/performance
Web-based experimental and/or interactive projects - works in this category will only be presented and promoted online on our website and social media

Categories are mentioned to encourage variety and participation, but generally we don't make a program by category.

We don't demand a premiere status and have no restriction on date of completion of the work.

We have no restrictions on topics. We want to show what is relevant for the artists in the context of their environment. The works received will dictate and form the underlying theme of each screening. Each work is viewed by the jury comprised of 6 different experimental artists and art enthusiasts at least three times. 

The submission fee is non refundable. The funds will partially cover the work of the juries, the promotion online, the poster and web design etc. At this time, we are not able to pay the artists the screening fee.

Multiple entries per artist are permitted, however, each entry requires a separate submission fee.

If you are a filmmaker living in Georgia, Iran, Armenia, Syria, Lebanon, Belarus, North Korea, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine please write us for a submission discount or a fee waiver code. In your email, please include the link to the work you are planning to submit (mandatory), your profile on FilmFreeway (mandatory), and website (optional). We will evaluate the demands a few days before each one of the deadlines.

If you don't live in the above mentioned countries, but need financial assistance to submit your work, please write us to get a discount code. Include the link to the work you are planning to submit, your profile on FilmFreeway, and website (optional). We will evaluate the demands a few days before each one of the deadlines.

If you have any questions or demands, please write us at pebblesunderground@gmail.com

Throughout the season, the festival team will take charge of promotion of the selected works.

Please make sure your project has:
-subtitles (if applicable)
-a short bio of the artist (it will be published it if the work is selected)
-a short description/ director's statement about the work (it will be published it if the work is selected)
-description/synopsis of the work

Pebbles Underground is an independent project not funded by any government or corporation, and we intend to keep it that way. Main source of funding is personal donations from humans organizing the project, who are artists themselves, and the main drive of the project is formed by the energy and involvement of the organizers, and the public.

Awards & Prizes

All selected works are considered part of the Official Selection, and will be included in the online screenings. Each online showcase will have:

Jury Award
Audience Award

The works winning the Audience and Jury Awards will be included in our additional screening in November 2023. The screening might take an online or physical format (TBC)

Rules & Terms

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

-all works in languages other than English must have English subtitles; please avoid barely readable fonts (we understand the aesthetic struggle artists are going through while making subs, but believe it or not, subs need to be functional)

-if we select the work, we would ask you to send a screening copy, preferably 1080p. We don't need ProRes or archival copies, but at least a h264 copy with best possible quality settings, and 48kHz audio would be much appreciated; depending on the shooting equipment of the selected work, we can also accept 720p and 44kHz

-in the case of selection, subtitles can be burnt on the video

EACH SUBMITTER CONSENTS TO THE FOLLOWING:

-submission does not guarantee selection, and is not refundable;

-the festival is unable to pay the screening fee at this time (we are truly sorry for this);

-if the work is selected, the festival has a right to present it online, as well as in front of a physical audience;

-if the work is selected, the festival has a right to use a still or an extract of under 10 seconds from it for promotional purposes (all credits will be included in the video excerpt or still);

-after the season is finalized in November 2023, the festival has no right to screen the selected films online or in a physical venue without notifying the artist;

-the selected films will remain in the archive of the festival;

-the artist keeps all the rights to the work;

-the artist/submitter has the copyright of their work (no plagiarism), Pebbles Underground is not liable of any copyright infringement;

-if the work is submitted by a distributor, or any other third party, the latter must be given the permission to do so by the artist;

-no physical copies are accepted, submissions are accepted only through the online submission platform.