Moonplay Cinema is a new feminist screening program featuring women and gender non-conforming filmmakers and moving image artists. We screen short films that are under 30 minutes and prefer auteur-driven experimental, documentary, and innovative narrative works.

This call for submissions has ended for our 2021 season (2020 has been postponed due to COVID-19).

The theater we program at will be closed for the remainder of 2020. Selected films from submissions will be curated and scheduled once the theater is available and safe to use.

Moonplay is a platform for those identifying with marginalized gender identities. Our work is vastly overlooked, ignored, and not equally represented within traditional film communities. Those identifying as women, femme, trans, and gender non-conforming are all encouraged to apply to screen with Moonplay.

Our events take place 1-4 times a year at Dreamland Arts, a 40-seat theater owned and operated by theater artists Zaraawar Mistry and Leslye Orr. The theater, named after a dilapidated movie theater in Secunderabad, India, is located in the Hamline-Midway neighborhood of St. Paul, Minnesota. It is attached to the artists' house through an underground passage in the basement.

Moonplay is organized and curated by artist and filmmaker, Jes Reyes, the founder of the Altered Esthetics Film Festival. She directed the festival as an official ARTshare program at The Southern Theater for 4 seasons (2014-2017). She has been developing Moonplay Cinema for the last two years, so she is excited to get it off the ground and running.

Minnesota filmmakers always submit for free. There is a $5 submission fee for national and international filmmakers. Please see the rules for waiver requests. We only take submissions through FilmFreeway.

Thanks for applying to screen with Moonplay!

Awards & Prizes

Moonplay has a Featured Artist program to honor and recognize promising films made by women filmmakers. Featured Artists are local to Minnesota and are selected based upon the compelling films they make. If funding is available, Featured Artists receive an honorarium.

If funding is available, general screening filmmakers receive an honorarium (in US dollars).

Exhibiting artists and filmmakers become part of our community and roster. We promote your involvement and aim to stay connected through an ongoing partnership and an artist registry on our website.

Rules & Terms

+We only select films made by women and gender non-conforming filmmakers.
+It is highly encouraged to provide a cover letter and an artist statement with your submission(s).
+Film should be no longer than 30 minutes.
+You can submit more than one film.
+Films submitted must be in digital format.
+Submissions need to offer the legal ability to download your work.
+Vimeo is a highly recommended site to submit with.
+Imagery or details of your imagery (along with sound) may be used to promote the Moonplay events.
+If selected and if a film is not in English, films must have subtitles embedded in the file
+Please submit under the National, International, or Minnesota-based Filmmaker categories so we can organize locations of submissions.
+Do not submit into the Minnesota Filmmaker category unless you are a resident of the state of Minnesota. You will be disqualified if you do.
+Artists selected are invited to attend their screening night with two complimentary passes. RSVP is required to hold your spots.
+If you are an artist that has shown with Moonplay before, please email Jes Reyes at moonplaycinema@gmail.com to collect a waiver.

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+Moonplay tries to keep our submission fees low. We are primarily set up to screen Minnesota-based filmmakers, but we are interested in considering and being exposed to new filmmakers beyond our local area to join our exhibiting community. We do understand there are some countries where it is difficult to pay a fee. We also understand that there are artists that can't pay the fee at all. All we ask is that you email us at moonplaycinema@gmail.com to let us know you can't pay the fee. Do this before you consider entering into the Minnesota Artists category. If you do it will be automatically disqualified. Answer the following questions, and we may be able to help waive your fee:
Who are you, where do you live, and what kind of film are you trying to submit?
Why do you want to screen with Moonplay Cinema?
Why do you need a waiver?
Our approval is case by case, as receiving submission fees are important to the financial stability of our events. We can't showcase or pay screening artists without fees.
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Feel free to email if you have any questions about the submission process by sending a message to moonplaycinema@gmail.com.