This festival competition aims to bring social-issue shorts to audiences around the world. Sixteen winners will receive an international distribution deal, including DVD, broadcast, web streaming and hundreds of community screenings. Many films will receive cash awards.



Media That Matters will launch in New York City with a premiere and awards ceremony. The shorts are distributed to educators with a teacher’s guide and will be integrated into activist campaigns all year long.

The organisers list the following recommendations and rules for submission:

• The shorter the better - 8 minutes maximum length. If your piece is too long, consider submitting a shorter cut or a stand alone excerpt.
• All genres are welcome: documentary, narrative, experimental, comedy, animation, public service announcement (PSA), digital story, music video, game, interactive online project, youth media.
• The festival seeks films on any social or environmental issue. They are particularly interested in submissions on elections and democracy, lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender (LGBT) rights, youth activism, health advocacy, racial justice, human rights, HIV/AIDS and other social issues.
• Youth-produced projects are welcome.

The Media That Matters Film Festival is a project of Arts Engine, Inc, an organisation that supports, produces, and distributes independent media and promotes the use of independent media by advocates, educators and the general public. By fostering the production and use of independent film, video and new media, Arts Engine connects media makers and active audiences in order to spur critical consideration of pressing social issues.



All music and other rights must be cleared and the submitted film must be available for home video, educational, broadcast and theatrical distribution.



Limit two submissions per filmmaker; youth and community media centres may submit up to five pieces.

Submission fee: US$25. Free for students.


Deadline for submissions is January 12 2007.

Click here for additional details and for access to the online submissions.