The Slamdance Film Festival accepts films in every genre or any topic from every country around the world. There is an entry fee, but that has not stopped the number of submissions from growing. For the 2015 festival, Slamdance received over 5,000 total submissions.
The final program for one edition will include about 100 films total, with under 30 features and 70 shorts screening in the main competition. Competition is incredibly fierce given the limited space available. However, say the organizers, “our programmers are committed to the hunt for the films with the most original vision.”
The name of the festival, very similar to Sundance, has a reason. It all began when a group of cheerful, subversive filmmakers weren’t accepted into the Sundance Film Festival. Unwilling to take “no” for an answer, they instead started their own event – Slamdance: Anarchy in Utah. 20 years later, Slamdance has become a year-round organization fostering the development of unique and innovative filmmakers. The organization now consists of the Film Festival, Screenplay Competition and Slamdance Studios. It has also created Slamdance On The Road, a traveling theatrical showcase that brings popular Slamdance films to audiences that otherwise would not have the opportunity to see them.
Conceived under the idea that it’s a festival by filmmakers for filmmakers the Slamdance, the festival program is selected from 100% blind submissions. Slamdance 2016 films will be selected by the festival programmers. All selections will be posted on the festival’s site mid-December 2015.
Al films submitted to the festival are seen and scored by two different programmers. All films that have a higher average, or are a favorite of a programmer, go on to final deliberations. Slamdance selects its films by majority vote and nothing is offered early acceptance; the organizers state that “we aim for the most democratic, film-loving selection process on the planet. Nay, in the universe.”
If a film is accepted, entrants will be solely responsible for delivering their exhibition video materials to and from the festival venue. The 2016 Slamdance Film Festival will take place in Park City, Utah from January 22nd-28th, 2016. Unfortunately, Slamdance does not provide room, board or travel for filmmakers, so the organizers suggest bringing a cushion. Festival dates are subject to change.