Light Moves Festival is excited to announce the opening of submissions for our 7th festival taking place 9 – 11th November 2023 in the intimate and culturally vibrant city of Limerick, Ireland, in venues across the city indoors and outdoors.

Celebrating Adventurous Dance, Film & Media Arts, Light Moves Festival presents vibrant experiences bridging dance, new media and screen-based practices that reward and stimulate audiences and artists. We welcome audiences, artists and films from all over the world.

Light Moves invites filmmakers, dance artists, choreographers and visual artists to submit screendance works for consideration for the forthcoming 2023 programme of dance, film and media art with movement as a central focus.

The Festival’s 7th programme of events is developing while reflecting on these words: Noticing, Welcoming, Instability, Degrowth, Dissolving, Expansion and Nature. We are curious how your work might reside in relation to these words as ideas, and how the festival might situate your work as offerings to the public to experience, question and play alongside. You are welcome to include a note with your submission telling us how your work speaks to any of these ideas.

Light Moves will pay an honorarium fee to all works accepted for the Festival 2023 programme. The screening fee is based on the overall available budget. This will be determined closer to the festival dates. The fee offer is non-negotiable upwards.

The festival is funded by the Arts Council of Ireland and Limerick City and County Council.

Please read the Rules and Terms carefully before submitting your work.

Light Moves will present a range of awards to both established and student work for films submitted via the Open Call. These awards are kindly made possible via sponsorship from our local and national organisations and businesses.

Awards include: Festival Award for outstanding overall work, Most innovative use of Sound/Music, Outstanding choreography and/or performance, Strong National/International Student Work and an Audience Award.

*Please read all information prior to submitting. New categories are introduced for 2023 to embrace gallery works and open format submission as well as films.

Submission Guidelines and Categories.

Works considered will include:

1. Screendance films not exceeding 15 mins duration to be presented in a cinematic context.

2. Screendance films not exceeding 40 mins duration to be presented in a cinematic context.

3. Screendance feature length films over 40 min duration. This category may include feature length documentary, and narrative or non-narrative film. Please note a limited number of longer films can be selected due to screening time capacity during the festival.

4. Screendance works for Gallery Installation. In partnership with Limerick City Gallery of Art, Light Moves will present a number of works in a group exhibition. A limited number of works will be selected in this category. This category is for works created with a gallery setting in mind.

5. Screendance Open Format (A seperate Open Call for this category will be announced on www.lightmoves.ie in late January 2023). This category will invite artists’ proposals that go beyond the parameters of screenings and exhibition presentation. Keep an eye on our channels for further information.

6. Student Films in which the director and/or choreographer is a registered student on a course up to and including MA level only during the production of the submitted work. Students can submit works in categories 1, 2, and 3 via FilmFreeway by selecting the Student Fee.

Submission Handling Fees:

- Early bird before: €20
- Final deadline: €25
- Student: €10

Submission Fee Support:

Light Moves is a not-for-profit organization and submission fees contribute directly to programme costs. Submission fee support is available to artists from emerging and developing countries, as defined by the list of ODA recipients.

How to submit your works:

Film Submissions should be made via FilmFreeway.com.

Enquiries re submissions can be submitted to info@lightmoves.ie before Thursday March 30th 2023.

Film Submission and Awards Terms and Conditions 2023.

1. COPYRIGHT & USAGE POLICY
a. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that full copyright and permissions have been acquired in advance of submission to all categories. The festival will not be accountable for any additional presentation costs. Please pay particular attention to ensure that music used has been cleared for copyright and that music presentation tariffs are not required.
b. By submitting to the festival, applicants cede the right to reproduce extracts and images of the submitted works for the purpose of promoting Light Moves festival events. Submitters waive all claims to remuneration where extracts of work are presented in such contexts.
c. Please ensure that uploaded stills, images and headshots must be high resolution. By submitting these materials you allow the Festival to use them for promotional and press purposes.

2. SUBMISSIONS
a. Applicants may submit more than one application.
b. Films which are close to completion will be considered and these should be submitted in the usual fashion. Such works should clearly indicate what stages of finalisation are required before completion. Generally such works should be at the final edit stage with only elements such as audio mix or colour correction required. The duration of such works must not change from the duration submitted with the initial version to the final version. Such films must be submitted no later than one month prior to the festival dates.
c. All film submissions must include appropriate credits which clearly indicate those involved in the creation of the work. Where appropriate, funding bodies and any sponsors involved should be included. English subtitles are required where language plays a central role.
d. Submissions which are deemed to not meet the submission requirements cannot be considered.
e. The final deadline for receipt of film submissions is 10 April 2023 (final deadline).
f. Only submissions accompanied by the correct fee and received by the allocated deadline, will be accepted/considered.
g. In 2023 Light Moves will curate installations by invitation and submission. A very limited number of works can be selected for exhibition therefore we encourage you to carefully consider if a submission to this category is suitable for your work.
h. Light Moves welcomes the submission of feature films. However, please be aware that, due to the nature of the screening timetable, there are limited slots for feature length works.
i. Student films are defined as those either directed or choreographed by students during their studies on registered educational courses no higher than MA level. Submissions that do not clearly define the school or college you are/were registered at the time of production and the course title and degree type will not be considered.
j. Categories are a guide for submitters and are an organisation tool for programming the festival, but the festival may not screen works from every category. Works are selected based on a range of criteria, needs, contexts each year. If your film is not selected, it does not reflect on the quality of your work and ideas, but on the festival context, situation and programming in any given year.

3. SUBMISSION METHODS AND SCREENING FORMATS
a. Light Moves will accept works in a wide variety of formats and frame-rates. Aspect ratios from 1:1.37 to 1:2.39 are acceptable. However any film which deviates from 16:9 should be pillarboxed or letterboxed accordingly. Audio channels may be up to 5.1 surround sound and audio track ordering should conform to the standard AC3 arrangement (L, R, C, LFE, Ls, Rs). If alternative arrangements for media delivery are required please contact the festival team.
b. For digital online screenings, the screening format eligible for inclusion is h264 1080p digital file.
c. Light Moves requires that submission of works be made online via FilmFreeway and that, where possible, submitters also include a screening file of their work, to be downloaded if the submission is selected. Here is the link to the Light Moves festival listing on FilmFreeway: https://filmfreeway.com/festival/LightMovesFestival2023
d. In addition to the information requested on FilmFreeway, when completing your submission please be sure to include the following details:
- Choreographer(s);
- Composer/Sound;
- Dance/Production Company;
- Stereo/Surround Sound;
- Date of first screening of submitted work;
- College/University (student submissions);
- Academic Course Title (student submissions);
It is essential to also include at least two high resolution production photos (jpeg format is preferred).
e. Light Moves will not be held liable for any of the costs involved in submitting materials for the festival.
f. Works for the cinematic context will be presented at scheduled screenings with the facility to screen in HD, up to 2.39 widescreen and in stereo or 5.1 surround sound.
g. Works for gallery will be presented in Limerick City Gallery of Art and installed inline with the needs of the work and the spaces and equipment / supports available.
h. Although every effort will be made to present works in person, the festival will engage a blended or fully online event as necessary and in line with Health Policy.

4. SUBMISSIONS
a. Film submission fees are as follows and are non-refundable:
Early bird : €20
Final deadline: €25
Student: €10
b. Light Moves is a not-for-profit organization and submission fees contribute directly to programme costs. Submission fee support is available to artists from emerging and developing countries, as defined by the DAC list of ODA recipients. See info here: https://www.oecd.org/dac/financing-sustainable-development/development-finance-standards/DAC-List-of-ODA-Recipients-for-reporting-2022-23-flows.pdf For more information about fee support, please email info@lightmoves.ie.
c. Film submissions will be selected by the festival curating team and selected works will be scheduled to screen at one of the film screenings during the festival. This can include both in-person screenings and online.
c ii. Work submissions for the gallery will be selected by the festival curating team and in partnership with Limerick City Gallery of Art.
d. Entering a film into the festival indicates that the film/ work is copyright compliant and cannot be withdrawn following selection.
e. All entries to the festival submitted via the Open Call will be considered for the festival awards unless otherwise specified by the applicant.
f. The festival has the right to refuse to accept the film when its technical quality is faulty or publicity or other materials are not supplied by the required dates.
g. All festival decisions are final.

5. AWARDS
a. All films and video works selected for Light Moves which have been produced in the past five years will be considered for the festival prizes.
b. Works may be considered for the best student award where the director/choreographer or the creative team have created the film while studying at undergraduate or master’s level during 2020-2023 in an area related to dance and/or moving image. Works will be automatically considered for the Student Award where they have been submitted at the Student Rate. Proof of affiliation should be provided.
c. Light Moves will present a number of awards during the festival in November 2023, these include Festival Award for outstanding overall work, Most innovative use of Sound/Music, Outstanding choreography and/or performance, Strong National/International Student Work, and Audience Award.
d. The Jury for the competition prizes will be composed of internationally recognised film, media arts and dance experts invited by the Light Moves festival team.
e. The Festival Team reserves the right to add additonal / remove award categories. Prizes will be announced prior to the festival in November 2023.

The Festival reserves the right to change the Terms and Conditions at any time.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Kathryn Cooley

    One of the best festivals around, cant recommend enough!

    January 2024
  • Thank you for selecting my short film "Rite of Passage". Although I couldn't attend in person, the communication was prompt and excellent.

    November 2023
  • Poppy Payne

    I had such an amazing time in Limerick during the 2023 Light Moves festival! There was such a lovely atmosphere, the talks and presentations were wonderful and I was overwhelmed with the quality of the films themselves. It was such an honour to have my work a part of the event and I hope to come back for the next one!

    November 2023
  • Catherine Young

    Superb festival & wonderful environment.
    Would highly recommend.

    November 2023
  • The conference was awesome and the organization was perfect!
    Also the feedback I received was truly detailed, analytical and inspiring.
    I am delighted to have been a part of it.

    October 2021
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    Response from festival:

    Thank you Antonella, we are glad you enjoyed it, and congratulations again on your award.