The Electronic Media Area of the School of Art and Design of West Virginia University is accepting entries to the 2017 West Virginia Mountaineer Short Film Festival. We seek imaginative, well-crafted and compelling works in film, video, animation and virtual reality.

Send us your work! www.mountaineershortfilmfest.org
Deadline for entries: March 1, 2017 (received)

CATEGORIES
Works will be considered for eight competitive categories:
• Documentary Short
• Narrative Short
• Experimental
• Animation
• Thematic entry: "Health"
• Student (College)
• Young filmmakers (under 18)
• Virtual Reality Environments and Interactive Works

ENTRY FEE
Regular Entry Fee: $10.00
Student Entry Fee: $5.
Under 18: Free

The Entry Fee is payable through Film Freeway, Paypal or by check (US banks only). Please do not send cash. Checks should be made out to: WVMSFF Student Organization. All fees go to help support festival screening awards and events.

THE HEALTH THEME
The West Virginia Mountaineer Short Film Festival strives to highlight topical themes in contemporary culture. In addition to the general festival screenings in the categories outlined above, we host a special program of works that address a particular theme. This year the festival invites works in any genre that interpret the theme of “health.” We see this issue as a subtext for many of the systemic challenges we face, locally, nationally and globally. Whether we speak of personal well-being, the unravelling of the social fabric, our contentious politics or our threatened environment, the healthiness of these and other systems that provide stability to our world seems to be tenuous or faltering – sick perhaps. What remains to be seen is how and in what direction these dynamics will continue to evolve. We invite works that reflect on these issues as they currently exist or those that point in a restorative direction.

VIRTUAL REALITY PROJECTS
We accept the submission of works in virtual and augmented reality. We invite works in these mediums that push the boundaries of narrative, documentary, gameplay, personal expression or that explore new approaches to the representation of space and form. Projects must be viewable via HTC Vive. Please contact us by email with any questions regarding the submission of VR works (wvmsff@gmail.com)

SUBMITTING YOUR WORK
You may submit your work in one of two ways: Either through FilmFreeway, or by filling out the online entry form available at our website. Mailed-in entries are not accepted this year. If submitting using the online form, all works must be available for download (Vimeo, WeTransfer or Dropbox etc.) at screening quality and full resolution (1920 x 1080, or 1280 x 720 square pixels). Please insure that the link to the online version of your film or project is active until the date of the festival.

REQUIREMENTS / POLICIES
• Maximum running time of 20 minutes.
• Works must have been completed after 1/1/2015.
• Please include English subtitles with all non-English narrative entries.
• All submissions must include a completed entry form.
• Maximum of 2 entries per person. A separate entry form is required for each entry.
• Filmmakers and artists accepted to the festival permit the use of stills and/or clips from accepted works in promotional and public relations materials.

AWARDS
Modest awards have been established by the festival organizers to recognize work of exceptional accomplishment. They include a $300.00 Best of Festival award, and five $100 awards in each of the festival categories: Best Documentary Short, Best Narrative Short, Best Animation/Experimental, Best Student Production, Best Young Filmmaker, Best "Health" Theme, and Best Virtual Reality Environment/Interactive Work

LOCATION / DATES
The 2017 West Virginia Mountaineer Short Film Festival will be held March 24, 25 & 26 in the WVU Creative Arts Center and the historic Metropolitan Theatre in downtown Morgantown.

JURY
Each festival submission will be carefully reviewed by a screening committee of practicing, professional artists and filmmakers.
Festival website: www.mountaineershortfilmfest.org

For additional information please contact us at wvmsff@gmail.com