The Calvert Journal Film Festival has announced the call for submissions for its second edition, to be held online in October 2021. This year’s festival will feature an open competition inviting filmmakers from across the New East (“from Slovenia to Kazakhstan”) to submit across six categories.
“Showcasing both documentary and fiction and features of all lengths with authenticity and originality in voice, in storytelling, and in aesthetic approach, the festival invites audiences to engage with experiences, issues, and stories from different parts of the region and celebrate the rich culture and creative output of these countries,” the festival statement reads.
Launched in 2020, the first edition of the Calvert Journal Film Festival brought together 5,000+ people to watch seven films over the course of a week. In 2021, The festival will screen over 30 titles across the seven categories of the Official Festival Competition: documentary, animation, minority language, fiction, student films, experimental films and shorts. In each category, selected films will compete for a Best Film Prize. Additionally, an Audience Favourite Prize will be awarded to one film across all categories.
The competition is open to professional and non-professional filmmakers alike, with selection based on artistic merit of their film. Shortlisted films will be selected by an international jury of critics, programmers and filmmakers, after initial review by The Calvert Journal curatorial team and external selectors. A special series of features and online events will run alongside the screenings, creating a conversation around the region’s challenges, opportunities, and contemporary identity, says the festival
Speaking about the festival’s mission, festival co-organiser and Calvert Journal staff writer Lucía de la Torre told Business Doc Europe: “The mission of The Calvert Journal Film Festival is to go beyond the mainstream film circuit and create a platform that celebrates the diversity of cinematic voices from Slovenia to Kazakhstan. Films from Eastern Europe and Central Asia still go unseen and often have shorter theatrical runs. By showcasing films that broaden our perceptions of this region and bring something new to contemporary cinema, we want to start a dialogue, inviting our audience to engage with the issue, experiences, and creative output of the 29 countries we represent.”
The Calvert Journal is an award-winning, London-based publication dedicated to exploring the culture and creativity of the New East and delivers a daily briefing on art, design, film, architecture, fashion and travel to a global audience through a mix of reportage, interviews, photography and videos.
The deadline for submissions is 15 June.
