JANUARY

San Francisco Int. Film Festival - San Francisco, CA, USA.
Info: many categories including experimental, music video & animation.
Website: http://www.sfiff.org
Deadline: January 5th.

Lovebytes Digital Arts Festival - Sheffield, UK.
Info: all works must have some kind of digital content.
Website: http://www.lovebytes.org.uk
Deadline: January 14th.

New York Underground Film Festival - New York City, NY, USA.
Info: experimental and animation categories.
Website: http://www.nyuff.com
Deadline: January 1st.

Film Fest New Haven - New Haven, CT, USA.
Info: categories include experimental/conceptual.
Website: http://www.filmfest.org
Deadline: January 15th.

CEAIT Electronic Music Festival - Mid January each year
15 min max length - tape alone, video tape, instrumental performers with tape or computer, live electronics, or computer alone. Please include with each submission: any bios - any program notes - the composers or group¹s contact information - a list of technical requirements Submissions accepted until December 1st . Email --> festival00@shoko.calarts.edu Web Site --> http://shoko.calarts.edu/events/ceait00/index.html

ASU Art Museum Festival
Info:  Located in Tempe, Arizona, USA this university festival is geared towards student produced film and video.  There are some awards, but no money.  Submit VHS tapes less than 10 minutes per item.  
Website: http://asuam.fa.asu.edu/filmfest/guidelines.htm
Deadline: January 16th.

Boston Underground Film Festival (BUFF) - Brookline, MA, USA.
Info: seeks edgy films, experimental category and more
Website: http://www.localsightings.com
Deadline: January 19th.

ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL - Rochester, NY, USA.
Notes: $30 entry fee, not sure on prizes, festival is very film oriented. Entries must be less than 30 minutes.
Website: http://www.rochesterfilmfest.org 
Deadline: January 26th.

Johns Hopkins Film Fest - Baltimore MD  USA
Info: has an experimental category.
Website: http://www.jhu.edu/~jhufilm/fest/guidelines.html
Deadline: January 29th.

Atlanta Film & Video Festival
Info: categories include animation and experimental. Contact: Image Film & Video centre, 75 Bennett Street, Suite N-1, Atlanta, Georgia, 30309, USA. afvf@imagefv.org Tel:(404) 352 5254
Deadline: January 31st.

Kansas City International Short Film competition. www.kcjubilee.org
30 min or less. Categories: narrative, experimental, animation or documentary. Send your entry to KC Jubilee, 4826 W 77th Terrace, Prairie Village, KS, 66208-4321. USA
Deadline: January 31st.

FEBRUARY

Nashville independent Film Festival - Nashville, TN, USA
Info: has an experimental catagory
Website: http://www.nashvillefilmfestival.org/
Deadline: February 1st.

NOT STILL ART FESTIVAL 
Info: The NOT STILL ART FESTIVAL 2001 invites artists working in abstract and non-narrative electronic motion imaging with music/sound design, to submit work for the 6th. annual international screening, to be featured at the Boston Cyberarts Festival April 2001.   Past NSA International screenings have included work using cutting edge and retro technologies. The artist-run NSA Festival also produces live media performance. Artists from North America, Europe, Asia, South America and Australia have attended the screening of their work in previous years. The aesthetic of the electronic screen is the criterion for exhibition. Artists are asked to submit a VHS preview tape. International work will be accepted in NTSC, PAL and SECAM formats.
Submission info: There is a $25 application fee.  Send VHS preview copy to: Not Still Art Festival, P.O. Box 496, Cherry Valley, NY 13320-0496.    Fax: (607) 264-3476.
Email: NotStillArt@improvart.com 
Website: http://www.improvart.com/nsa
Deadline: February 15th.

Short Attention Span Film & Video Festival
see August heading for info
Deadline: February 15th.

Lost - Birmingham, UK.
Info: seeks experimental short works dealing with self reflection and other topics.
Website: http://www.ctv.es/festivalibiza/presentcast.html / http://www.ikon-gallery.co.uk/ikon/ikb02200.htm
Deadline: February 24th.

Onedotzero - London, UK.
Info: categories include cutting edge animations, computer gaming movie sequences, japanese animation and interactive projects.
Website: http://www.onedotzero.com
Deadline: February 28th.

MARCH

Darklight Digital Film Festival - Ireland.
Info: focus on innovative and experimental use of digital technologies. music video, experimental and CGI categories.
Website: http://www.darklight-filmfestival.com
Deadline: March 1st.

Festival Internacional de Video Arte - Lima, Peru
Info: International festival dedicated to video art!
Email: festival@ata.org.pe
Website: http://www.ata.org.pe/festival
Deadline: March 31st.

Springtime Video - Montreal, Canada.
Details: Large gallery space divided into a theatre for screening single channel projections, and an area for site installations. With a SAE you get your tape back with feedback or audience comments after the show. Send entries to. Adam Traynor, Springtime Video, 4618 rue Hutchison, Montreal, QC, H2V 3Z9 Canada.
More info: adamtraynor@hotmail.com
Deadline: March 31st.

Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema - Streaming Cinema
Notes: Innovative exhibition of works created specifically for the internet, to be screened at: www.thebitscreen.com
Deadline: March 15th.

APRIL

12th Filmfest Dresden - Dresden/ Germany
Notes: has an experimental category
Website: http://www.filmfest-dresden.de
Deadline: April 1st.

Greenwich Film Festival 2000 - Greenwich, UK.
Notes: has video art and experimental categories
Website: http://www.greenwichfilmfestival.co.uk
Deadline: April 14th.

World Wide Video Festival - Amsterdam/The Netherlands
Info: festival is dedicated to video art. no fees to enter
Website: http://www.wwvf.nl
Deadline: April 15th.

MAY

MICROWAVE FESTIVAL 2001 - Hong Kong, China
Notes: The theme of the coming festival will focus on the future media culture exploring the new images in cinema, new concepts in writing and new sounds in music. Artists will receive US$50/70(for video and CD ROM) honorarium as the artist's fee. If you have any work and wish to be considered please send a preview tape (either PAL or NTSC) directly to: Videotage c/o Microwave Festival - PO Box 24496, Aberdeen Post Office, - Hong Kong. 
T:852-25731869 - F: 852-25035978 
Email: Videotage@i-cable.com 
Website: www.videotage.org.hk 
Deadline: May 1st. 

TAOS TALKING PICTURES - Taos, New Mexico, USA.
Notes: Many specialized categories, including experimental, features and documentary.  No entry fee for international entries, but there are many prizes, including 5 acres of land in New Mexico, equipment & more.
Website: http://www.ttpix.org 
Deadline: May 1st. 

Eyeball - Athens, Georgia, USA.
Info: Just for music videos, must be 7 minutes or less
Website: http://www.prometheus-x.com/eyeball/app_eb2000.html
Deadline: May 15th.

Chicago Underground Film Festival - Chigago, Illinois, USA.
Info: In August. IL, USA. 5th year, encourages low budget film/videomaker as well as to provide a venue for underground, independent & experimental film/video outside of "entertainment mainstream," controversial, cutting edge, transgressive or politically incorrect. Formats: 35mm, 16mm, 3/4", SVHS, VHS, S-8, Beta, Hi-8, pixelvision, interactive. Preview on VHS. Entry fee: $25 (shorts), $35 (feature). Contact Jay Bliznick, Coordinator/Bryan Wendorf, Press/Public Relations, Chicago Underground Film Festival, 2501 N. Lincoln Ave, Suite #278, Chicago, IL, 60614, USA. tel: (312) 866 8660, Fax: (312) 489 3468. email: clark@interaccess.com
Deadline: Mid May.

Locarno Video Art/International Video & Electronic Art Festival
In August, in Switzerland. Since 1980, video, installations, & multimedia. Competition accepts works produced after June of preceding year & unawarded in other fests. Competition criteria includes any work that falls under the heading of "video art" where "artistic research & creativity overshadow both the technical means employed & the reference category chosen by the artist." Cash prizes. No entry fee. Contact: Lorenzo Bianda, President, AVART, Locarno Video Art Festival, Videoart, PO Box # 146, CH-6604, Locarno, Switzerland. Tel/Fax: 011 41 93 31 22 08.
Deadline: Late May.

NextFrame - Philadelphia, USA.
Info: Student film and video competition, with experimental category.
Website: http://www.temple.edu/nextframe
Deadline: May 31st.

JUNE

FILE Fest @ the Museum of Image and Sound (MIS) - São Paulo. Brazil. Starting the 8th of August.
This is a festival and exhibition of Internet & interactive multimedia artworks.
Indirect email contact: suzyRB@va.com.au
Deadline: June 1st

FCMM - Montreal, Canada
Info: Has an experimental section, must be less than 60 minutes. Entry fee: $20 CAN. - http://www.fcmm.com
Deadline: June 1st.

Short film festival g-niale - Stralsund, Germany.
Info: Has an experimental category. No entry fee, cash prizes. Max length 20 min.
Website: http://www.garage-g.de/files_e/geniale.html
Deadline: June 4th.

RESfest Digital Film Festival
The acclaimed RESFEST touring digital film festival seeks short films/videos shot in any format but finished digitally and output to tape and digital feature films output to video or 35mm. The Festival's mission is to expose and inspire audiences across the country and the world with new films, by new filmmakers, made with new technology. A dynamic line-up of film screenings, in-depth panel discussions, technology presentations and parties. Genres: narrative, live-action, documentary, experimental, animation.
RESFEST Digital Film Festival - 109 Minna St., PMB 390 - San Francisco, CA 94105
Web http://www.resfest.com - Email resfest@resfest.com
DEADLINE: June 5th, 2000

Short Cuts Cologne - Cologne, Germany.
Short films with original ideas showing recent tendencies in film and video art. No fees.
Website: http://www.k-filmhaus.de
Deadline: June 13th.

4th Annual Milwaukee Outdoor Experimental Film Festival
Contact: Stephanie Barber 414-374-4135 or http://www.uwm.edu/~roby/OEFF/OEFF.html
Deadline: Mid June of each year.

VIPER VideoArt Fest - Basel, Switzerland.
Info: This longstanding prestigious videoart festival focuses on new tendencies, & experimental videoart, has no entry fees, and lots of prizes.
They also have a touring section that travels to other festivals.
Check: http://www.viper.ch
Deadline: June 15th.

Canadian International Film & Video Festival - Ontario, CANADA.
Info: has experimental, animation & music video categories.
Website: http://polar.icestorm.com/ciaff
Deadline: June 15th

Kinofilm 2000 - Manchester Short Film & Video Festival - Manchester, UK.
Info: Categories for experimental film & video, new digital media and video art.
Website: http://www.kinofilm.org.uk
Deadline: June 16th.

Leeds International Film Festival - Leeds, UK.
Notes: has experimental category.
Website: http://www.leedsfilm.com
Deadline: June 23rd.

DokumentART - Neubrandenburg, Germany.
Notes: Strictly a documentary festival, but looking for works crossing the limits of the genre and bridging into the avant-garde.
Website: http://www.nb-net.de/latuecht/Englisch.htm
Deadline: June 25th.

FAN - International Short Film & Animation Festival - Norwich, UK.
Notes: Has an experimental category, entries must be 30 minutes or less.
Info: rhanna@primex.co.uk
Deadline: June 30th.

Netimage - Bologna, Italy.
Info: Focuses on innovation and creativity. Selected artists will be invited to present their work. No fee.
Website: http://www.linkproject.org/netmage
Deadline: June 30th.

JULY

Unimovie 00 - Pescara, Italy.
Info: Strictly for students - video art, video poems and related. No fees - cash prizes.
Website: http://www.unimovie.it
Deadline: July 7th.

Moxie!/Santa Monica International Film Festival
Notes: Located near Los Angeles, California, USA, this festival has an experimental shorts entry category.  There is an entry fee of $30 usd, but there area also awards.  Contact info not known at present.
Deadline: July 12th.

BRIEF ENCOUNTERS - Bristol, UK.
Notes: No entry fees, unsure on prizes, but has an experimental category.
Website: http://www.brief-encounters.org.uk 
Deadline: July 31st. 

AUGUST

Short Attention Span Film & Video Festival
Work no longer than 2 minutes - Narrative, experimental & animation categories. Send SVHS dubs for preview, w/resume. Entry fee $5. To: Elizabeth Hall, c/o SAPF&VF, PO Box # 460316, San Francisco, CA, 94146, USA. SASFVF@aol.com www.SFD.com/SASFVF or http://www.bandaland.com/shortfilm/ Deadline mid August. (double check yourself, it either changes yearly, or they have multiple deadlines)

Kasseler Dokumentarfilm & Videofest
Takes place from Nov 15th - 19th. Primarily a documentary fest, but has a category for experimental and artistic videos, which reveal the use of video specific means. There are installation categories and an associated conference as well. http://www.filmladen.de/dokfest
Deadline: August 15th.

SEPTEMBER

a-i-r & Fylkingen 2000.
-fall program 2000, multi disciplinary artists sought for 1-2 week residency. Please send your proposal including all technical data, cv's, audio/video example of previous work etcetera to the following address, no later than 1st of March 2000. Fylkingen, att: Production Team, Box 170 44, 104 62 Stockholm, Sweden. T: + 46 (0)8 845443, F: +46 (0)8 6693868 E: intermedia@fylkingen.se For more information about Fylkingen, check http://www.fylkingen.se

OCTOBER

European Media Art Festival
Notes:  This festival takes place in Osnabrück, Germany, has no entry fees, and offers screening fees for entries selected.  Categories include: Installation, CD-ROM, DVD, Performance, & Internet.  
Website: www.emaf.de 
Deadline: October 1st.

The Open Electronic Festival - Groningen, The Netherlands
Notes: Catagories: video art, new media, shorts, & video installations.
Website: http://www.cyberslag.com
Deadline: October 10th.

Festival International du Film sur L'Art - Montreal, Canada
Notes: $35 CAD entry fee, with several awards, some cash prizes.  This festival is for films on art and artists.  Website: http://www.artfifa.com 
Deadline: October 10th.

TRANSMEDIALE - Berlin, Germany.
Notes: No fees or prizes, but an interesting festival with a DIY (do it yourself) theme.  The transmediale is a platform for artistic and critical reflection on the role of digital technologies in present-day society. The exhibitions, presentations, workshops and live events at the transmediale.01 concentrate on artistic projects which are concerned with the DIY development and construction of creative tools and which are designed to foster creative media competence.
Website: http://www.transmediale.de 
Deadline: October 31st.

NOVEMBER

IMPAKT FESTIVAL
Notes: Located in Utrecht, The Netherlands, this non competitive festival has no entry fees, and an interesting array of categories.
Website: www.impakt.nl 
Deadline: November 15th.

DECEMBER

IMMEDIA 
Notes: Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this festival seeks works created with or related to the digital medium are welcomed. These may include, but are not limited to: print, Web design, interface design, film, video and animation, interactive media, installation, electronics, sculpture, music, performance and dance. We seek to evolve the term "artist" so that it encompasses new forms of art created through the development of electronic and digital media.
Website: http://entity.ummu.umich.edu/immedia2001 
Deadline: December 1st.

Hi/Lo FILM FESTIVAL - San Francisco, California, USA.
Notes: Entry fee is $20, not sure on prizes, but there are a wide range of categories.  These include: animations, short narratives, abstract imagistic explorations, micro-features, documentaries, and uncategorizable creations but shared some important common ground. They were high concept works made on minimal budgets that sought, and achieved originality in the face of increasing industrial standardization in the movie business.
Website: http://www.killingmylobster.com 
Deadline: December 15th.

BOSTON UNDERGROUND FESTIVAL - Boston, USA.
Notes: $15 entry fee, not sure on prizes, but has an experimental section.  
Website: http://www.localsightings.com 
Deadline: December 15th.

MIKROKINO FESTIVAL - Belgrade, Yugoslavia.
Notes: No entry fees, not sure on prizes though.  Has a experimental category, entries must be 20 minutes or less.  In cooperation with Blackchair Productions (USA).
Website: http://sites.netscape.net/mikrokino 
Deadline: December 20th.

Misc & No Dates at Present

http://sun1.bham.ac.uk/a.j.moore/docs/edsites.html -Video Art Festivals and other related links

Big Muddy Film Festival
Animation, experimental & narrative works accepted. Deadline end of Jan, entry fee $30 USD for works under 20 min. Contact: Big Muddy Film Festival, Dept of Cinema, Mailcode 6610, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Carbondale, IL, 62901-6610, USA. Tel:(618) 453 1482 Fax:(618) 453 2264
www.siu.edu/~films/

Danish Video Art Bank is a friendly and essential on-line catalogue for international film, video and new media festivals.
http://www.videoart.suite.dk 

Mercer Union has a good data bank for art centres inside and out of Canada http://www.interlog.com/~mercer/links.html

PopcornQ you can find all the queer festivals in here. http://www.popcornq.com

ASIFA have a thorough list for animation festivals around the world. http://www.swcp.com/~asifa/currfest.htm

MusÈe d'art contemporain de MontrÈal-Media Centre have an extensive international list of festivals. http://Media.MACM.qc.ca/

Telefilm Canada have a list of film/video festivals from Canada and abroad. http://www.telefilm.gc.ca/en/fest/fest.htm

AIVF check out their classifieds! http://www.AIVF.org

Tech/Art festival in France: www.nuits-savoureuses.net

Squeaky Wheel Media Arts Center Festivals
175 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14201 USA - #716.884.1651
1. HANDMADE/MANIPULATED FILMS deadline: mid March of each year. Festival of works to proceed alternative chemistry workshop. All formats accepted including video transfers. Small fee paid to artists whose work is selected. Send submissions to the address above attn: Glen Dennis
2. Squeaky Wheel accepts on-going submissions of experimental work for Biennial CITYMORPH Electronic Art Festival "DEMO or DIE!!!!" Reg 8, super8, 16mm formats and/or video transfers. Fees paid to artists whose work is selected. Send submissions to address above attn: Julia Dzwonkoski
3. On-going acceptance of submissions to 10-year-old weekly cable access show 'AXLEGREASE" Experimental film and video work under 28 minutes...submissions must be on vhs, 3/4", or hi8. "AXLEGREASE" is aired in Buffalo and in Manhattan. No artists fees paid for public access show. Send submissions to the address above attn: Ghen Dennis

The Virginia Film Festival; this year's theme is
"TechnoVisions." For more information on the Festival, visit the Virginia Film Festival website at: http://www.virginia.edu/~vafilm

WHY DO so many festivals have crazy entry fees, and they keep your material for their archives too! It seems like they think they're doing us a favour, yet they make money for their festival from all the entries which provide material. I think a few of the call for entries have the right idea. Some of them have no entry fees, and they pay you up to $25 per minute of material selected. Talk about both ends of the spectrum.

past cool specific VJ events/festivals: