UFVA Conference: Screenings and Scripts

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Welcome to University Film and Video Association (UFVA) Conference Screenings and/or Scripts FilmFreeway submission site. You MUST be a member of the organization to submit; to learn more about membership, please go to ufva.org.

The theme of UFVA 2026 is "TRUE NORTH: Authenticity in an Age of Deception." The event is a 4-day academic conference at Augsburg University in Minneapolis from July 28-31, 2026.

Please note: There is a TWO-STEP submission process for Screenings and Scripts for UFVA 2026.

STEP 1: Fill out a SCREENING or SCRIPT submission form at ufva.org. This allows us to gather the info we need to create a pdf conference program.

STEP 2: Enter your project info and link here at FilmFreeway, which is where UFVA co-chairs and judges watch, evaluate, and program all films and scripts. You should have received a UFVA 2026 FilmFreeway password from ufva.org at the send of STEP 1, which you will need to submit your project here.

NOTE: To submit a Paper, a Pre-Constituted Panel, a New Media exhibition, or a Workshop to UFVA 2026, please use the platform at www.ufva.org. For those areas, the submission process happens ONLY at ufva.org; for Screenings and Scripts, there is a SECOND step at FilmFreeway. For any questions or concerns with the submission process, please contact the Conference VP at conferencevp@ufva.org or our home office at home@ufva.org.

All completed films will be peer-reviewed. All work entered for competition will be further adjudicated for awards.

Completed scripts can be submitted to the following three juried categories:

1. Short Script
2. Feature Script
3. TV Pilot Script

Scripts can also be submitted as “Work-in-Progress" and can receive feedback if you choose to have a formal respondent. Works-in-Progress are not eligible for awards.

Completed films may be submitted in these categories:

Scripted Narrative Feature (>40 minutes)
Scripted Narrative Short (<40 minutes)
Documentary Feature (>40 minutes)
Documentary Short (<40 minutes)
Experimental
Animation
Music Video
Multicam/Live

Completed films can be eligible for awards through adjudication or they may be submitted outside of competition.

Screening submissions must have been completed on or after January 1, 2024.

Please see the Awards & Prizes and Rules & Terms sections below for more information.

Awards for Screenings and Scripts are given to the top work submitted to the "In Competition" categories. NO AWARDS are given for work submitted to the "Work-in-Progress" categories. Graduate students are NOT eligible for awards and MUST submit in the categories with titles that begin with "GRAD STUDENT PROJECT."

You may submit your completed film for screening at the conference without a fee; if you would like it to be considered for an award, there is a $25 submission fee for the "In Competition" category. (Submission fees are used by the Screenings area as an award fund.) Awards are given only to the Producer or Director of the completed film, who must be a UFVA member. In the Screenings Juried Competition category, the awards are:

Best Animation
Best Documentary Feature
Best Documentary Short
Best Experimental
Best Scripted Narrative Feature
Best Scripted Narrative Short
Best Music Video
Best Multicam/Live Production

Awards given in the Scripts Juried Competition category are:

Best Short Script
Best Feature Script
Best TV Pilot Script
(in proper script formats for film or TV pilots)

Honorable Mentions in both Screenings and Scripts categories are given when deemed appropriate by the judges. All prizes will be announced during the conference.

Submission FAQs and Answers

1. What are the benefits of submitting my project to the UFVA Conference?
Submitted work will be reviewed by academic filmmakers/industry professionals like yourself. UFVA serves its membership by providing screening, reading and feedback sessions to those who submit and attend the annual conference. Written evaluations of screened work can be incorporated into the submitter's tenure review file.

2. Written evaluations, but no awards, are provided for completed work (if a respondent is requested on the ufva.org submission form). Competitive awards are provided to the top completed work in each of the screening COMPETITION categories, though there is a charge for submitting to this category. Graduate student work is not eligible for in-competition awards.

3. What kinds of films or scripts is UFVA accepting?
UFVA accepts animation, documentary, experimental, music video, scripted narrative films of all lengths and genres, plus multicam/live productions. UFVA accepts feature-length, short, and TV pilot scripts. Submissions are open only to active association members. Learn more about membership at www.ufva.org

4. What is the screening format at the conference?
Filmmakers can screen films of variable lengths at the conference, up to and including features. Please keep in mind that conference sessions are 105 minutes in length, and some time must be reserved for questions. Thus, no member may screen a project for more than 90 minutes. (Longer projects may be submitted, but 90 minutes is typically the maximum screening time at the conference.)

5. Can I submit more than one film or script?
Each member of UFVA is entitled to submit one item to the conference, and may submit up to one additional item if it is in a second content area. The six content areas for UFVA 2026 are:

Individual Papers
Pre-Constituted Panels
Screenings
Scripts
New Media
Workshops

These content areas are clearly identified in the ufva.org submission forms.

6. Do you accept submissions of films from outside of the U.S.A.?
Yes.

7. What is the preview format for the film?
Submit your film via secure online screeners or Vimeo / YouTube links (with or without a password). See the FilmFreeway specifications for links.

8. What is the submission format for the script?
PDF file, with proper script formatting.

9. You may not re-submit a completed film though you may re-submit a work in progress. Preference will be given to work that has not been screened before.

10. Screening submissions have a two-year submission window. This means the film must have been completed on or after January 1, 2024 to submit.

Overall Rating

Quality

Value

Communication

Hospitality

Networking

Roma Sur

I love UFVA! Thank you for the recognition!

April 2026

Helpful
Krystal Bolden

I really enjoyed the conference! Made a lot of great connections...even got to reconnect with my former film professor. I definitely will be going again next year. I got some good feedback on my film and got to be a respondent on another faculty member's film so it was good all around. Teresa is the best! The food was phenomenal!

August 2025

Helpful
Christophe Katrib

This is an exciting conference with an incredibly welcoming community. Everything I attended was inspiring and impactful. This year, I gave a panel presentation and screened my most recent film. Both sessions were well attended and followed by thoughtful questions, comments, and conversations. This is my second year attending and it will surely not be my last. See you next year UFVA!

July 2025

Helpful
Laura Zaylea

I absolutely love UFVA and have been a member for over 10 years. This review is for the 2023 conference in Cleveland, Ohio: Fantastic! Well organized, excellent community, professional screening room with a large screen and golden seats! Each screening I attended ended with detailed responses from a dedicated respondent followed by thoughtful and meaningful Q&A with the filmmakers/producers and a discussion with the audience. Excellent feedback. Vibrant community. An amazing experience, all around. I'm grateful to be a part of this community and to be able to share my work in a caring, thoughtful environment at a well organized event. Thank you!

August 2024

Helpful
Eve A. Ma

I thoroughly enjoyed the festival - including the panel I was on (good feedback and good fellow-panelists), the other panels I attended, the workshops, the vendors, and the hospitality. Wish there would be one on the West Coast!

August 2022

Helpful

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Dates & Deadlines

January 10, 2026
Opening Date
March 31, 2026
Regular Deadline
April 30, 2026
Notification Date
July 28 – 31, 2026
Event Date

Categories & Fees

SHORT SCRIPT – COMPLETED – IN COMPETITION (40 pages or less)
This category is for completed scripts only. No works-in-progress. Please submit scripts only. No vision boards, storyboards, or bibles. Please note: If you choose to have a formal respondent this respondent will be assigned to react to your project, AND you will be assigned a script to respond to at the conference. All responses are presented both orally, at the conference reading of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier. Winners will be announced on the last evening of the conference.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
SHORT SCRIPT - COMPLETED - OUT OF COMPETITION (40 pages or less)
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
SHORT SCRIPT - IN PROGRESS (40 pages or less)
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
FEATURE LENGTH SCRIPT – COMPLETED – IN COMPETITION (70 pages or more)
This category is for completed scripts only. No works-in-progress. Please submit scripts only. No vision boards, storyboards, or bibles. Please note: If you choose to have a formal respondent this respondent will be assigned to react to your project, AND you will be assigned a script to respond to at the conference. All responses are presented both orally, at the conference reading of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
FEATURE LENGTH SCRIPT - COMPLETED - OUT OF COMPETITION (70 pages or more)
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
FEATURE LENGTH SCRIPT - IN PROGRESS (70 pages or more)
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
TV PILOT SCRIPT – COMPLETED – IN COMPETITION (22-33 or 40-60 pages)
This category is for completed scripts only. No works-in-progress. Please submit scripts only. No vision boards, storyboards, or bibles. Please note: If you choose to have a formal respondent this respondent will be assigned to react to your project, AND you will be assigned a script to respond to at the conference. All responses are presented both orally, at the conference reading of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
TV PILOT SCRIPT - COMPLETED - OUT OF COMPETITION (22-33 or 40-60 pages)
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
TV PILOT SCRIPT - IN PROGRESS (22-33 or 40-60 pages)
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE - COMPLETED - IN COMPETITION ($25 submission fee)
All work for this category must be complete. Only films completed on or after January 1, 2023 are eligible for submission. ** A link to a complete film must be included at the time of submission. All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $25
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE - COMPLETED - OUT OF COMPETITION
All work for this category must be complete. Works-in-progress cannot be entered in this category. Only films completed on or after January 1, 2023 are eligible for submission. ** A link to a complete film must be included at the time of submission. All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE - WORK IN PROGRESS
All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
DOCUMENTARY SHORT - COMPLETED - IN COMPETITION ($25 submission fee)
All work for this category must be complete. Works-in-progress cannot be entered in the competition. Only films completed on or after January 1, 2023 are eligible for submission. ** A link to a complete film must be included at the time of submission. All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $25
DOCUMENTARY SHORT - COMPLETED - OUT OF COMPETITION
All work for this category must be complete. Works-in-progress cannot be entered in this category. Only films completed on or after January 1, 2023 are eligible for submission. ** A link to a complete film must be included at the time of submission. All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
DOCUMENTARY SHORT - WORK IN PROGRESS
All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
SCRIPTED NARRATIVE FEATURE - COMPLETED - IN COMPETITION ($25 submission fee)
All work for this category must be complete. Only films completed on or after January 1, 2023 are eligible for submission. ** A link to a complete film must be included at the time of submission. All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $25
SCRIPTED NARRATIVE FEATURE - COMPLETED - OUT OF COMPETITION
All work for this category must be complete. Works-in-progress cannot be entered in this category. Only films completed on or after January 1, 2023 are eligible for submission. ** A link to a complete film must be included at the time of submission. All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
SCRIPTED NARRATIVE FEATURE - WORK IN PROGRESS
All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
SCRIPTED NARRATIVE SHORT - COMPLETED - IN COMPETITION ($25 submission fee)
All work for this category must be complete. Only films completed on or after January 1, 2023 are eligible for submission. ** A link to a complete film must be included at the time of submission. All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $25
SCRIPTED NARRATIVE SHORT - COMPLETED - OUT OF COMPETITION
All work for this category must be complete. Works-in-progress cannot be entered in this category. Only films completed on or after January 1, 2023 are eligible for submission. ** A link to a complete film must be included at the time of submission. All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
SCRIPTED NARRATIVE SHORT - WORK IN PROGRESS
All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
ANIMATION - COMPLETED - IN COMPETITION ($25 submission fee)
All work for this category must be complete. Only films completed on or after January 1, 2023 are eligible for submission. ** A link to a complete film must be included at the time of submission. All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $25
ANIMATION - COMPLETED - OUT OF COMPETITION
All work for this category must be complete. Works-in-progress cannot be entered in this category. Only films completed on or after January 1, 2023 are eligible for submission. ** A link to a complete film must be included at the time of submission. All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
ANIMATION - WORK IN PROGRESS
All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
EXPERIMENTAL - COMPLETED - IN COMPETITION ($25 submission fee)
All work for this category must be complete. Only films completed on or after January 1, 2023 are eligible for submission. ** A link to a complete film must be included at the time of submission. All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $25
EXPERIMENTAL - COMPLETED - OUT OF COMPETITION
All work for this category must be complete. Works-in-progress cannot be entered in this category. Only films completed on or after January 1, 2023 are eligible for submission. ** A link to a complete film must be included at the time of submission. All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
EXPERIMENTAL - WORK IN PROGRESS
All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
MUSIC VIDEO - COMPLETED - IN COMPETITION ($25 submission fee)
All work for this category must be complete. Only films completed on or after January 1, 2023 are eligible for submission. ** A link to a complete film must be included at the time of submission. All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $25
MUSIC VIDEO - COMPLETED - OUT OF COMPETITION
All work for this category must be complete. Works-in-progress cannot be entered in this category. Only films completed on or after January 1, 2023 are eligible for submission. ** A link to a complete film must be included at the time of submission. All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
MUSIC VIDEO - WORK IN PROGRESS
All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
MULTICAM/LIVE - COMPLETED - IN COMPETITION ($25 submission fee)
The MULTICAM production format is scripted dramatic and comedic storytelling that employs the multiple camera technique during production and in postproduction. Only films completed on or after January 1, 2023 are eligible for submission. The LIVE production format is live broadcast or streamed multicamera footage of a live musical performance, theatrical performance, or special program event.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: $25
MULTICAM/LIVE - COMPLETED - OUT OF COMPETITION
The MULTICAM production format is scripted dramatic and comedic storytelling that employs the multiple camera technique during production and in postproduction. Only films completed on or after January 1, 2023 are eligible for submission. The LIVE production format is live broadcast or streamed multicamera footage of a live musical performance, theatrical performance, or special program event.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
GRAD STUDENT PROJECT - SCREENING – COMPLETED
All work for this category must be complete. ** A link to a complete film must be included at the time of submission. All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
GRAD STUDENT PROJECT - SCREENING – WORK-IN-PROGRESS
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
GRAD STUDENT PROJECT - SCRIPT - COMPLETED
All responses are presented both orally, at the conference screening of the work, and written on the letterhead of the respondent's institution, for the filmmaker's use in a tenure and/or promotion dossier.
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free
GRAD STUDENT PROJECT - SCRIPT - IN PROGRESS
- Regular Deadline
- Standard: Free

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UFVA Conference: Screenings and Scripts