SVA Film and Media Festival Call for Submissions
The SVA Film and Media Festival is open for submissions at https://filmfreeway.com/SVAFMF
Works completed on or after January 1, 2020 are eligible.
Early Deadline - March 15, 2023
Regular Deadline - April 15, 2023
Late Deadline - May 31, 2023
Event Date - November 15 – 19, 2023 in Toronto, Canada
The Society for Visual Anthropology screens the best of ethnographic film at the annual SVA Film & Media Festival. The Festival is held as part of the American Anthropological Association (AAA) Annual Meeting, giving filmmakers and distributors broad access to an audience of thousands of anthropologists, educators, and other attendees.
The 2023 AAA meeting will be held jointly with the Canadian Anthropology Society/société canadienne d’anthropologie (CASCA) at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Canada. This will be the in-person venue for the SVA Film & Media Festival as well. The 2023 conference theme is "Transitions."
Ethnographic film and media can be defined broadly as works that emerge through ethnographic fieldwork or that use, are informed by, illustrate, or evoke concepts and principles of anthropological theory, methods, or practice.
For more information, please visit:
− Society for Visual Anthropology: societyforvisualanthropology.org
− SVA Film & Media Festival: svafilmandmediafestival.org
− American Anthropology Association: americananthro.org
− AAA/CASCA Annual meeting (Nov 15-19, 2023): annualmeeting.americananthro.org
2023 SVA Film & Media Festival Co-Directors:
Dr. Jennifer Cool (University of Southern California)
Dr. Christian Hammons (University of Colorado Boulder)
Rules & Terms
Categories, Origin, Premiere and Distribution Status
– A feature is a film with a running of time of more than 45 minutes.
– A short is a film with a running time of less than 45 minutes.
– Interactive media is any media work other than a film, including VR installations, iDocs, websites, games, and podcasts.
All submissions must have been completed on or after January 1, 2020. Projects may originate from anywhere in the world. There is no premiere requirement and projects that already have distribution may be submitted.
While the vast majority of submissions are documentaries, the festival accepts experimental, narrative, and other film genres as long as they fall within the broad category of ethnographic media.
Students & SVA Members
Special consideration and fee reductions may be given for works created by students and current members of the Society for Visual Anthropology.
Student submissions must have been completed while the filmmaker was enrolled in an accredited educational institution. Proof of student status may be requested. Submissions in noncompliance may be disqualified without refund.
SVA member submissions must have a Society for Visual Anthropology member in a key production role (usually producer or director) or as the central narrator or interlocutor in the film. SVA members may submit films to any category for a reduced fee upon request. Submissions in noncompliance may be disqualified without refund.
Jury
The festival jury—comprised of five members who are anthropologists, filmmakers, and/or film scholars—selects work to be included in the festival on the basis of anthropological relevance and value to the field. Low budget and shorter works receive the same careful attention as high budget and longer works.
Notification of Acceptance
Filmmakers will be notified about the status of their submissions from the email address svafilmfestival@gmail.com no later than September 1, 2023.
All entries must be submitted on FilmFreeway. All correspondence must include the FilmFreeway tracking number.
