RULES AND TERMS
The Ann Arbor Film Festival is open to experimental films as well as films that demonstrate a high regard for the moving image as an experimental art form, no matter the genre. Each year the AAFF selects 100-145 shorts and features for exhibition in the awards competition portion of the festival.
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Films previously submitted may not be re-entered unless there has been a significant change to the edit. Later versions of a film may be reviewed and/or selected at the programmer's discretion.
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Short and feature-length entries are accepted.
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Short films run no longer than 60 minutes. Feature films run 60 minutes or more.
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Entries not in English should have English subtitles.
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Works in progress may be submitted, but are juried in the same pool as all other submissions.
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Work must be contemporary - completed within the last three years.
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Entry fees are per film entered, and must accompany the entry form for confirmation. Entry fees are non-refundable.
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Make checks and money orders payable to the Ann Arbor Film Festival.
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The Ann Arbor Film Festival does not give waivers or discounts.
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Entries are accepted via secure online screening and 16mm only. We do not accept DVD, VHS or video data files for screening purposes.
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16MM
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If you would like the festival to preview a 16mm print of your film, please contact the festival directly at submissions@aafilmfest.org to make arrangements.
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THIS IS THE ARCHIVED 2021 FESTIVAL PAGE
The 59th Ann Arbor Film Festival will take place online from March 23-28, 2021. Each program is different. Films are not rated. All programs are intended for mature audiences unless otherwise noted. Some films have imagery of a stroboscopic nature.
All short Films in Competition screenings will take place as an online live event during our scheduled programming. After the initial live event, the programs will be available for on-demand viewing until 12am midnight EDT on 3/31.
Features in Competition and Special Programs will be available for on-demand viewing 3/23–3/31 unless otherwise noted. All programs are presented in Eastern Standard Time (EDT). While the majority of films will stream online, there are several in-person In The Screen! installations around Ann Arbor that are viewable from the street.
Passes are on sale now, get yours here.
TUESDAY 3/23 OPENING NIGHT!
In The Screen! Performance
IT'S NORMAL FOR SOME THINGS TO COME TO YOUR ATTENTION by Negativland and SUE-C
WEDNESDAY 3/24
THURSDAY 3/25
Films in Competition 8: Out Night
The 20th celebration of LGBTQ+ cinema at the AAFF
7:30pm
In The Screen! Performance
Sonic Escape Routes: Shall We Fly? or Shall We Resist?
Rena Anakwe & Akeema-Zane
FREE
9:30pm
FRIDAY 3/26
Juror Presentation: Thorsten Fleisch
Sensual Destruction: Disintegrating the Frantic Silence of the Universe
1:30pm
SATURDAY 3/27
In The Screen! Salon
Zoomation Workshop: Animating Connections Across Social Distances
Christine Veras and Steve Leeper
FREE
12:45pm
SUNDAY 3/28
The closing night of the festival offers two programs of select award-winning films, as chosen by this year’s panel of three distinguished AAFF jurors.
In The Screen! Salon
Maybe You're a Peach Tree Maybe
Sholeh Asgary and Heather Kapplow
FREE
2pm
Awards 1
See the announcement of the 59th AAFF awards and a screening of
select awarded films.
4:30pm
Awards 1
See the announcement of the 59th AAFF awards and a screening of
select awarded films.
4:30pm
Awards 1
See the announcement of the 59th AAFF awards and a screening of
select awarded films.
4:30pm
Awards 1
See the announcement of the 59th AAFF awards and a screening of
select awarded films.
4:30pm
Awards 2
Stay for a second screening to see even more of the award-winning
films from the 59th AAFF.
6:30pm
FEATURES
All Features in Competition will be available for on-demand viewing from March 23-March 31, 2021. The films will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers.
Al Largo
Anna Marziano
A Machine to Live In
Yoni Goldstein, Meredith Zielke, Sebastian Alvarez, Andrew Benz
The Annotated Field Guide of Ulysses S. Grant
Jim Finn
Instructions for Survival
Yana Ugrekhelidze
The Inheritance
Ephraim Asili
Iwianch, el Diablo Venado
José Cardoso
Just A Movement
Vincent Meessen
malni—towards the ocean, towards the shore
Sky Hopinka
Purple Sea
Amel Alzakout, Khaled Abdulwahed
The Quoddy Fold
Paulette Phillips
The Viewing Booth
Ra'anan Alexandrowicz
SPECIAL PROGRAMS
All Special Programs will be available for on-demand viewing March 23-March 31, 2021 unless otherwise noted.