Arts Engine celebrates twelve years of Media That Matters™ — the premier showcase for short films with big messages.

"We no longer have to rely on major corporations for things to be seen — we have Media that Matters™ to distribute new material and new voices and new points of view."
— Tim Robbins, Actor

Submit your film for the chance to work with us in creating social change through film. If selected, your film will take become a part of Media That Matters™—an international, multi-platform campaign streaming and playing to thousands of people at screenings across the globe. Media That Matters™ creates discussion guides and screening materials to promote conversation and encourage educators, activists and organizers alike to Take Action around these films.

CRITERIA:

• Short films — the shorter the better—no longer than 12 minutes max, but 8 and under would be great!
• Social issues — All issues will be considered.
• The film should encourage the audience to be engaged and take action around the issue.
• All genres — Documentary, animation, public service announcement, narrative, music video, drama, comedy. Creativity is encouraged — but your film must focus on a social issue.
• Open to all ages

BEFORE SUBMITTING:

• The film you are submitting must be cleared for NON EXCLUSIVE home video, educational, online, broadcast and theatrical distribution. If you have signed a contract with any other entity for this film that includes EXCLUSIVE rights to this film, please review prior to submitting to our festival. Media That Matters™ seeks the widest possible audiences for your film. To do this effectively, we use a non-exclusive contract, so unlike many media entities, we do not ask for exclusive rights. This flexibility helps our outreach team go further with your film, creating even more opportunity for distribution and exposure of your work.
• All footage — including music and other referenced video pieces — must have all rights cleared and secured. Please refer to the Center for Social Media’s set of Best Practices for more information on how to use licensed materials. Creative Commons is also a great resource for license-free or flexi-licensed music and media alternatives.

HOW TO SUBMIT:
Step 1: Choose submission method:

• Submit via URL
  This year we encourage online submissions. We prefer a link to watch online. Please remember to send us a password if necessary to view private videos. You can follow guidelines on Vimeo or Youtube for this.
• Submit via DVD
  Submissions must be sent to us on DVD and programmed to play as a DVD Region 0 (region free) or Region 1 (US, Canada, US Territories) Please note that the following formats will not be considered this year: PAL, VHS, mini DV or CD-R (QuickTime MOV or MPG files).

Step 2: Fill out details in the film submission form for each film.

Step 3: Process payment (see submission fees below):

Early Deadline postmarked by: Feb 23, 2012

• Individual Filmmaker: $15 / each film submission; Max: 3 submissions
• Student Filmmaker (18+): $5 w/ Student ID; Max: 3 submissions
• Youth Filmmaker (18 & under): FREE w/ proof of age; Max: 3 submissions
• Non-profit / Youth Media Organization: FREE; Max: 5 submissions

Regular Deadline postmarked by: April 20, 2012

• Individual Filmmaker: $25 / each film submission; Max: 3 submissions
• Student Filmmaker (18+): $10 w/ Student ID; Max: 3 submissions
• Youth Filmmaker (18 & under): FREE w/ proof of age; Max: 3 submissions
• Non-profit / Youth Media Organization: FREE; Max: 5 submissions

Late Deadline postmarked by: May 1, 2012

• Individual Filmmaker: $35 / each film submission; Max: 3 submissions
• Student Filmmaker (18+): $15 w/ Student ID; Max: 3 submissions
• Youth Filmmaker (18 & under): FREE w/ proof of age; Max: 3 submissions
• Non-profit / Youth Media Organization: FREE; Max: 5 submissions

Step 4: Your submission will be complete once you receive a confirmation email including a reference number for each film and any further instructions.

Questions?
Contact festival@artsengine.net
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DOK Leipzig is an annual Festival for documentary and animated films. The City of Leipzig, sponsor and organiser of the Festival, has commissioned Leipziger DOK-Filmwochen GmbH, a non-profit-making limited liability company, to organise and manage the event. The 55th International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film is taking place from 29 October to 4 November 2012.

Under the motto of „The HeArt of Documentary", the DOK Festival is to facilitate the promotion and further distribution of international documentary and animated films, to create opportunities for filmmakers, producers, distributors, commissioning editors, journalists, media scientist and the Leipzig cinema audience to meet and to exchange views with each other.

The Official Selection of 2012 is open to

• documentary films of any length ,
• animated films up to 45 minutes' length and
• animadoc films of any length .

Entries to the Festival must not have been publicly screened prior to 1 October 2011.

Films and videos completed before 1 May 2012 need to be submitted by 15 May 2012. All other entries need to be submitted to the Festival office by 10 July 2012 (in-box date of the documents sent). Any later submission cannot be accepted.

The 13th Annual DC Asian Pacific American (APA) Film Festival will take place in October 2012, and we are accepting all submissions through Withoutabox: https://www.withoutabox.com/login/5151

More than 20,000 people in the D.C. area have been introduced to the voices and talents of Asian Pacific American filmmakers with the number of attendees growing steadily each year. In recent years we have featured films about contemporary issues that have gone to win awards and receive national television broadcast premieres such as 9500 Liberty (MTV Networks, 2010), A Village Called Versailles (PBS, Independent Lens, 2010) and Daughter from Danang (Academy Award nomination, 2003).

We accept submissions of all types of films including narratives, documentaries, animation, music videos and experimental. Why should you submit your full-length or short film to our festival?

• We are the largest showcase of Asian Pacific American films on the East Coast.
• Great networking opportunities with filmmakers and talent from around the country.
• Good odds of acceptance: 30 percent of entries programmed last year!
• Washington, DC is an exciting town with great museums, restaurants and a vibrant nightlife.

Dates to remember: regular deadline is May 18, 2012; late deadline is June 1, 2012. Visit our submission FAQ for full details: http://www.apafilm.org/submissions/

The 15th annual United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF) will take place on October 18-28, 2012 at Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, San Francisco and Stanford University in California. This festival celebrates the power of international documentary films dealing with human rights, the environment, protection of refugees, famine, homelessness, racism, disease control, women's issues, children, universal education, war and peace. In addition to our ongoing celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, this year we emphasize the theme "Human Dignity." "The recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world." (Preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

The submission deadline is May 22, 2012 (the postmark date) and the fee is $25 for films up to 30 minutes and $35 for longer ones. There is also an early and late deadline (May 2nd and June 2nd respectively). The late deadline fee is $45. Acceptable formats are 16mm and 35mm film; Beta SP, DVD (NTSC). Preview formats on DVD (NTSC region 0 or 1). Please test your consumer-burned DVD on several makes and models of players before submitting it. Our jury process is unfortunately not suitable for on-line screeners.

All lengths are eligible.

The following five awards will be presented during the festival: UNAFF Grand Jury Award for the Best Documentary, UNAFF Grand Jury Award for the Best Short Documentary, the UNAFF Youth Vision Award, the UNAFF/Stanford Video Award for Cinematography and the UNAFF/Stanford Video Award for Editing.

You may download an entry form at http://www.unaff.org/2012/submission.html, or use Without A Box (withoutabox.com).

Please submit screening materials and background information to:
UNAFF 2012
CERAS/CFLP, Room 114
Stanford University
520 Galvez Street
Stanford, CA 94305-3084

If you have questions or need more information please visit www.unaff.org, email info@unaff.org or call 650-724-5544.

Catapult Film Fund is now accepting applications for Spring, 2012.
New applications are due by May 25th.

Catapult provides development funding to documentary filmmakers who have a compelling story to tell, have secured access to their story and are ready to shoot and edit a piece for production fundraising purposes. Our mission is to enable filmmakers to develop their film projects to the next level at a moment where funding is hard to find. We support powerful stories, and moving storytelling, across a broad spectrum of issues and perspectives.

To apply, you will submit an online form that includes a written application and a completed budget template as attachments. You can download those files now:

Spring 2012 Written Application [.doc]
Budget Template [.xls]

We also require that you submit a resume/CV with your materials. For further preparation, you can review the online application at any time, and when you are ready, submit your application online.

ELIGIBILITY

• Applicants must be 18-years of age or older.
• Catapult does not fund student films.
• Documentaries must be 28 minutes or longer in length.
• Animation is okay.
• Development funds must specifically be used for the process of completing a fundraising piece, which includes writing, shooting and editing once story and characters are in place.
• Applicants must be independent producers. They must own the copyright of their production, and have artistic, budgetary and editorial control over their project.
• Applicants should have previous film or television production experience in a principal role (director, co-director, producer, co-producer) as demonstrated by submitting previously completed work sample. Applicants who have not yet produced or directed their own feature length documentary must demonstrate that they will be working with an experienced filmmaker in a principal role.
• Applicants should be able to demonstrate that they have successfully fundraised for an independent documentary film in line with its original budget.

• Creative, artful, compelling and innovative storytelling techniques
• Strong story narrative at the core of the film
• A unique perspective or approach; use of humor a plus
• Contemporary relevance
• Market potential
• Feasibility of the project with respect to its budget, financing, schedule and scope
• Demonstrated ability of the creative team to implement previous projects
• Grant amount should have significant impact on development stage of the project
• Emphasis on the story not the lesson or agenda of the filmmaker
• Filmmaker must demonstrate credible access and rapport with the proposed subject(s) of the story.
• Originality of form, approach or content
• Potential of the project to generate public discourse and social engagement

• Catapult Film Fund development grants range from $5000 to $20,000.
• Catapult only makes grants to 501(c)(3) organizations. A film production company or individual may submit the application but the applicant needs to submit documentation from the fiscal sponsor before the grant can be processed.
• Catapult accepts only US-based applicants.
• Applicants may submit only one project per funding cycle.
• Previous grant awardees must wait two years before applying for new development funds.
• Catapult may request an interview with the applicant.
• Grantees must submit two financial reports during the course of the grant period: an interim report, which will accompany a narrative report; and a final financial report to be submitted once the grant is complete.
• Grantees must submit at the end of the grant period an edited piece that can be used for production fundraising.
• Catapult Film Fund support must be acknowledged with a tag line and logo–of similar size and stature to other logos in the credits–at the end credits of the film as well as on all publicity and promotional materials relating to the production.
• Catapult will not return DVDs to applicants.

For the past thirty-two years, Independent Film Week (formerly IFP Market) has been a one-of-a-kind event that has brought the international filmmaking community to New York City to celebrate, advocate and introduce new voices on the independent scene.

IFP’s objective is to create a destination where the community of individuals involved with independent film can annually convene – from the emerging filmmakers and established producers selected for their strong new projects to the individuals from companies, festivals and organizations aimed at helping the work get made and ultimately seen by public audiences.

Early Deadline: May 4th

Late Deadline: May 25th

Who Can Apply
Filmmakers in production or post-production seeking financing partners, broadcast/distribution, and festival invitations.

Guidelines

FAQ

How It Worked For Jennifer Arnold’s A Small Act
Director Jennifer Arnold and producer Patti Lee’s first meeting with Lisa Heller from HBO Documentaries at Independent Film Week 2009 evolved into a series of conversations that put the film on a fast track of consideration by HBO, with Arnold supplying an updated cut of the film within a couple of months. Acquired by HBO, the documentary premiered in July 2010. "The week really changed this film. We got HBO on board. We got some grant attention, and we signed a foreign sales agent (Louise Rosen) – all this from that week. We got a lot of momentum from Spotlight on Docs; we started making pre-sales which allowed us to finish our budget. We wanted the film to be theatrically released, but we also wanted maximum eyes on the project – we got both!"

Criteria & Selection Process
Spotlight on Documentaries is for feature-length (>50 minutes) U.S. projects in any stage of production, as long as some footage has been shot, and the film is not complete. The program accepts approximately 60 projects. Projects must submit compelling assembled material to be considered for this competitive program.

What to Expect Prior to Independent Film Week:
Upon acceptance in mid-July, filmmakers receive guidelines for preparing for the week. IFP staff will schedule individual check-in calls with all selected projects during August to answer specific questions regarding preparations and goals for the week’s activities and meetings.

During Independent Film Week:

• Pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings with potential financing and distribution partners. All meetings are at attending buyers’ requests based on information provided in Spotlight on Documentaries Online Project Dossier.
• Presentation of a work sample pitch screening to attending filmmakers and buyers; inclusion of up to a 20-minute sample in the Online Project Dossier and on-site Industry Video Library.
• speed-dating meetings with festival programmers.
• Invitation to private doc social events with buyers and programmers.
• Access to Independent Filmmaker Conference programming, including workshops, case studies and conversations with cutting-edge leaders in independent film and media

Recent Projects
Lauren Greenfield's The Queen of Versailles; Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman's If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front; Marie Losier's The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye; Michael Collins' Give Up Tomorrow; Laura Poitras' The Oath; Jennifer Arnold's A Small Act; Rebecca Richman Cohen's War Don Don, Julia Bacha's Budrus, Jennifer Redfearn's Sun Come Up.

94 Elements is a new cross-media documentary project based around the 94 naturally occurring elements, from Hydrogen to Plutonium, with different filmmakers making a short film about each element. The project is both a celebration of creative documentary film and an exploration of our relationships with our natural resources. 94 Elements was pitched in MeetMarket in 2009 and we're really delighted to be continuing to support it through this pitch at Doc/Fest 2012.

The 94 Elements team have produced a pilot, funded by the Wellcome Trust, and they’re very excited to be running a new pitch at Doc/Fest this year. They'll be looking for the best doc-makers to pitch live at the festival to win a prize of £5k, raised from the crowd on Kickstarter. Pitch your ideas for films, we’ll shortlist the best for each opportunity, and the crowd will decide who wins the commissions.

We’re looking for surprising, moving, funny and unique human stories involving the elements—this is not about science, but our human relationships with our natural resources—and we're keen to see all documentary styles—from animated to artist’s film, from the personal to the political, from experimental to observational.

Email your pitches to pitch at 94elements.com