The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul Announces Dates and Call for Submissions for the 37th Mpls St. Paul International Film Festival

THE FILM SOCIETY ANNOUNCES DATES AND CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR THE 37th MINNEAPOLIS ST. PAUL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul announced the dates and call for submissions for the 37th Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF).

MSPIFF will return April 12-29, 2018, bringing filmmakers, audiences and industry members from around the world to Minneapolis, St. Paul and Rochester, MN for 17 days of films, events, panels, and more. Produced by the  Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul, this highly anticipated celebration of international independent cinema annually debuts more than 250 films to a large and diverse audience, and welcomes the attendance of more than 150 filmmakers from around the world.

The Film Society seeks to build off the success of the 36th MSPIFF, which saw over 45,000 attendees, an expanded slate of short and feature-length films, and innovative new programming that included a Virtual Reality exhibit, silent film screenings, and popular gallery of local, national and international music videos.

Submissions are now open for all facets of MSPIFF, from short to feature length films, narratives and documentaries, music videos and animation. Creators are able to submit their feature-length and short films to 2018 MSPIFF 2018 through Withoutabox and FilmFreeway, the online festival submission systems favored by filmmakers for their ease of use and streamlined processes. Filmmakers may visit the Film Society’s website for information and links to those sites for submission: http://mspfilm.org/mspiff-submissions/

“For almost four decades, the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival has given filmmakers from around the world a platform to present their short and feature films, and engage with enthusiastic audiences, instructors and members of the local, national and international filmmaking community,” said Susan Smoluchowski, Executive Director of the Film Society.

Featured programs include: Asian Frontiers, Childish, Cine Latino, Frame Forward (avant garde and experimental), Images of Africa, Midnight Sun (Nordic films), New American Visions, World Cinema. Shorts programs include Documentary and Narrative, Childish, Dark Out, Frame Forward, Music Videos and Nextwave, the Film Society’s youth cinema program.

In recognition of Minnesota’s filmmaking community, MSPIFF offers one complimentary submission per individual for projects that qualify as “Minnesota Made” and are submitted before the Late Deadline, November 15, 2017. Eligible “Minnesota Made” films submitted between November 16 – December 22, 2017 may request a 50% discounted entry. To qualify as “Minnesota Made”, a film’s director must be a current Minnesota resident OR a combined 50% or more of production and/or post-production must have taken place in Minnesota. Please email submissions@mspfilm.org to claim this fee waiver.

Films completed after January 1, 2017 are now being accepted for consideration. Submitters will be notified of their acceptance status on or around February 23, 2018.

MSPIFF is presented by the Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul, a dynamic 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to fostering a knowledgeable and vibrant appreciation of the art of film and its power to inform and transform individuals and communities.