The West Virginia Mountaineer Short Film Festival returns this spring for its 11th edition for a two-day event on April 19 & 20, 2024. We’re looking for unique, boundary-pushing works in video, animation, new- media, performance and film. Send us your newest work! Deadline for entries is March 8, 2024.

Whether you’re an emerging fine artist, student filmmaker or seasoned pro, the West Virginia Mountaineer Short Film Festival invites your creative and progressively minded submissions in video, film and animation. We screen short narrative films and experimental artworks alike, and welcome all genres: narrative, documentary, video art, experimental animation, comedy, sci/fi, 2D/3D animation, low budget/no budget and that which eludes categorization. Run by artists and art students, we celebrate the bold, the funny, the well-made, the imaginative and the enigmatic. We look for quality in form and depth in content and ideas, whether spectacularly unorthodox or time-honored in approach. Above all, we value authenticity.

Established submission categories include: Experimental, Narrative, Documentary, Animation & Student Work

Also:

Theme: AI and Art
In addition to the standard categories listed above, we invite time-based works made with or that explore Artificial Intelligence. As AI finds its way more and more into our lives, into art, and into the public discourse, we would like to use this opportunity to question and discuss and imagine its impact, uses in all of these contexts. Works submitted in this category may are not bound by genre or medium (experimental, performative, narrative, documentary… etc.) as long as they involve the use of AI in some degree and at some point in their production. Submissions can also include works that critically address issues related to AI in an investigative, critical, or expressive way. The submitter should indicate the work’s connection to these topics in the project synopsis or description.

Performance and Media Exhibition:
We also invite submissions to a one-day media and performance exhibition to take place in the Falbo Theater of the Canady Creative Arts Center that interrogate the relationship between the body and technology, intimacy and telepresence. Submissions may include theatre, dance, sound, or other performance works that incorporate audiovisual media. These might include remote, online or otherwise telematic performances. They might include augmented or virtual reality performances. They might include in-person performances involving media. Works may utilize tools like motion sensors, projection, live or fixed media in the engagement with the festival’s theme. Please submit a brief document with your submission describing concept and technical descriptions/requirements. Direct inquiries to wvmsff@gmail.com

The deadline for all entries is March 8, 2024.

Established in 2010, the WVMSFF is a creation of the Electronic Media program of the West Virginia University School of Art and Design. The primary mission of the festival is to celebrate, recognize and help to cultivate quality, innovation, and independence in the cinematic arts, and to expose West Virginia University students and the surrounding Morgantown community to the world of independent filmmaking, video and animation. The festival also strives to focus attention on topical issues in contemporary culture and to draw attention to the rich and unique heritage of West Virginia and the surrounding Appalachian region.

Modest awards have been established by the festival organizers to recognize work of exceptional accomplishment. They include a $300.00 Best of Festival award, and a $100 award in each of the festival categories.

CATEGORIES
• Narrative Short
• Experimental
• Animation 2D/3D
• Documentary Short
• Student Works
• Theme: AI and Art
• Performance, Video Installation, Expanded Media

ENTRY FEE
• General: $10 per entry
• College Students and Young Filmmakers: Free

REQUIREMENTS/AGREEMENTS
• Maximum running time of 15 minutes.
• Works must have been completed after January 1, 2022.
• Maximum of 2 entries per person.
• Separate entry form and fee required for each entry.
• Entry fees are non-refundable.
• Please include English subtitles with all non-English narrative entries.
• Deadline for entry: March 8, 2024.
• Notification of selection status: on or before March 18, 2024.
• The screening committee reserves the right to change the submission category of any selected work.
• Applicants agree to allow festival organizers use of accepted works for promotional materials and events.
• Accepted applicants agree to send high resolution screening copies of selected works and requested publicity materials – or to make them available for download – before April 7.
• In the event of a return to pandemic viewing restrictions, the festival will be moved to an online format.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Karl Erickson

    Very friendly, supportive team and great at communicating. really stellar line-up!

    April 2023
  • thank you very much 4 everything

    April 2023
  • Jami Dent

    These guys are on the ball! Great communication! It was an honor to be selected among so much talent. Thanks for including us in your festival!

    April 2023
  • Mahdi Hassanieh

    I deeply appreciate your kindness and support, thank you so much.

    April 2023
  • mohsen salehifard

    The festival is very high quality and the organizers are very professional. I am proud to have been in it with the film "Sculpture" and I am very grateful to the organizers

    May 2022