ALIEN EXTRAVAGANZA, OPEN CALLS FOR SHORT FILMS FOR A SPECIAL NIGHT OF SCREENINGS AND CELEBRATIONS AT THE LONDON SHORT FILM FESTIVAL. 

Curated by Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian with Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival and presented by the SETI Institute.

SUBMIT HERE * WITH CODE ALIENEXTRAVAGANZA / close 10th September 2024 9am PCT / 5pm GMT 

ARE WE ALONE? 

The dream of space exploration, once capturing the imagination of millions, has become a concern of private corporations and the super-wealthy, hoarding heteronormative futures behind grey CGI renders.

A new collaborative programme between LSFF, Nelly Ben Hayoun Studios, Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival and the SETI Institute aims to disrupt this vision, imagining a queer, colourful, experimental galaxy of new filmmaking.

We invite submissions for a touring programme of short films that confront ideas of extraction, colonisation and profiteering that have wrought so much damage on Planet Earth, exploring utopian (or dystopian) spaces, alien territories, extraterrestrial life and intelligence, and ideas for off-world imaginaries.

This 90-minute programme of short film is specifically concerned with Alien Aesthetics, cosmic glamour, genderfluid and pluralistic futures, extraterrestrial matters and SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) research. We are looking for scientifically relevant, bold, colourful, original, experimental,  radical imagination, accessible and exciting visions for a queer outer space. If you’re out there, we’d love to see your work. 

If selected, your film will screen at the London Short Film Festival in January 2025, and at the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, the longest-running queer film exhibition event in the world,in June 2025.

The films will then have the opportunity to be distributed by Frameline distribution, and presented by the University of the Underground.

Co-Curated by Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian with Frameline for London Short Film Festival and presented by the SETI Institute. Founded in 1984, SETI is a multi-disciplinary research and education organisation whose mission is to lead humanity’s quest to understand the origins and prevalence of life and intelligence in the Universe, and to share that knowledge with the world. 

Your films must have been produced within the last 3 years- they should not have screened at the London Short Film Festival or Frameline prior- and they can be on any budget.

Maximum length: 15min. 

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR FILM/ TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• Submissions for this specific programme: Alien Extravaganza close 10th September 2024 9am PCT / 5pm GMT 
• Submit your film on https://filmfreeway.com/LondonShortFilmFestival using the code ALIENEXTRAVAGANZA at check-out.
• The submission fee for this programme is £5, which will cover the fee of the submissions viewers and administrative costs for the touring programme.
• If you are unable to pay the submission fee for financial reasons but would still like your film to be considered, please email us at alien-extra@shortfilms.co.uk
• If you do not use the code, your submission will not be recognised as part of this programme.
• If your film is submitted using the code but is not on the theme of Alien Extravaganza as outlined above, the film will be automatically rejected and you will not be refunded.

Should your film be selected, you will be required to provide a ProRes file or DCP of your film.

Questions? You can email us on alien-extra@shortfilms.co.uk