Festival cover image

Durango Independent Film Festival dba Durango Film

Durango, CO, United States, North America

03 - 07 Mar, 2021

Category

Short

Festival cover image
Durango Independent Film Festival dba Durango Film logo
Durango Independent Film Festival dba Durango Film

Durango, CO, United States, North America

Is this your festival?

Is this your festival?

General Information

edition

16th

Contact details

PO BOX 1587 Durango, CO 81302 United States

81302

diffadmin@durangofilm.org

970-375-7779

Web & social

Venues

Animas City Theatre 128 East College Drive Durango, Colorado 81301, , United States Show me on the map
Gaslight Twin Cinema - Durango 102 East 5th Street Durango, Colorado 81301, , United States Show me on the map
Durango Stadium 9 900 Trans Lux Drive Durango, Colorado 81301, , United States Show me on the map

About the festival

The 16th Durango Independent Film Festival is an early spring destination festival cultivating a reputation as a filmmaker’s festival. Located in picturesque southwestern Colorado, filmmakers will enjoy staying within walking distance of two of three venues, fine restaurants, boutiques, brew pubs, art galleries, and historic Victorian hotels. Durango offers many recreational diversions such as the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge train and early spring skiing at nearby Purgatory Ski Resort. In addition to festival parties, we host nightly gatherings in the private filmmaker’s lounge with complementary beverages such as our own festival beer artfully brewed by SKA Brewing.

We are optimistic that we will be able to present a theatrical festival so that attending filmmakers will be able to experience a live audience reaction to their films. We are planning a virtual component which may compliment our live programming, or possibly replace live programming should we find ourselves unable to gather in a theatrical setting. We will be transparent with any possible changes, such as the need to go virtual only, so that we can be socially responsible in these unpredictable times. However, we will continue to champion the art of independent filmmaking and will showcase your film in the best possible way.

We have signed the 2020 Festival Survival Pledge. We have no premiere status requirements. Therefore, if your film has screened in an online film festival event, your film will be given the same consideration as all other submitted films.

If a live festival is held as planned, all films selected will be screened at least twice during the festival. Filmmakers are encouraged to participate in Q&A sessions following screenings to further engage and connect with the audience. There are opportunities for filmmakers to participate in panels, workshops, and our Coffee Talk with Filmmakers. Each year, our festival seeks out an eclectic mix of narrative features, documentaries, and short films. We seek all genres of film including: Adventure, LGBTQ, Native Cinema, and Family. We also curate creative films suitable for students of all ages for our REEL Learning School Program.

This is a juried film festival with both juror and audience award presentations:
Jury Awards
Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature
Jury Award for Best Best Documentary Feature
Jury Award for Best Short Documentary
Jury Award for Best Live Action Short
Jury Award for Best Animated Short
Audience Awards
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature
Audience Award for Best Documentary
Audience Award for Best Short
Audience Award for Best Native Cinema film
Audience Award for Best Adventure film
Audience Award for Best Family film
Audience Award for Best REEL Learning film

About

The 16th Durango Independent Film Festival is an early spring destination festival cultivating a reputation as a filmmaker’s festival. Located in picturesque southwestern Colorado, filmmakers will enjoy staying within walking distance of two of three venues, fine restaurants, boutiques, brew pubs, art galleries, and historic Victorian hotels. Durango offers many recreational diversions such as the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge train and early spring skiing at nearby Purgatory Ski Resort. In addition to festival parties, we host nightly gatherings in the private filmmaker’s lounge with complementary beverages such as our own festival beer artfully brewed by SKA Brewing.

We are optimistic that we will be able to present a theatrical festival so that attending filmmakers will be able to experience a live audience reaction to their films. We are planning a virtual component which may compliment our live programming, or possibly replace live programming should we find ourselves unable to gather in a theatrical setting. We will be transparent with any possible changes, such as the need to go virtual only, so that we can be socially responsible in these unpredictable times. However, we will continue to champion the art of independent filmmaking and will showcase your film in the best possible way.

We have signed the 2020 Festival Survival Pledge. We have no premiere status requirements. Therefore, if your film has screened in an online film festival event, your film will be given the same consideration as all other submitted films.

If a live festival is held as planned, all films selected will be screened at least twice during the festival. Filmmakers are encouraged to participate in Q&A sessions following screenings to further engage and connect with the audience. There are opportunities for filmmakers to participate in panels, workshops, and our Coffee Talk with Filmmakers. Each year, our festival seeks out an eclectic mix of narrative features, documentaries, and short films. We seek all genres of film including: Adventure, LGBTQ, Native Cinema, and Family. We also curate creative films suitable for students of all ages for our REEL Learning School Program.

This is a juried film festival with both juror and audience award presentations:
Jury Awards
Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature
Jury Award for Best Best Documentary Feature
Jury Award for Best Short Documentary
Jury Award for Best Live Action Short
Jury Award for Best Animated Short
Audience Awards
Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature
Audience Award for Best Documentary
Audience Award for Best Short
Audience Award for Best Native Cinema film
Audience Award for Best Adventure film
Audience Award for Best Family film
Audience Award for Best REEL Learning film

Awards & Winners

There are no winners yet for this festival

Terms and rules

Please no requests for submission fee waivers. Alumni filmmakers may contact the festival for a waiver code for one submission.
Works in progress must be received prior the early bird deadline and final completed work must be received by November 6, 2020.
For exhibition formats, BluRays are accepted for back-up purposes only and are not used in presentations.
Please notify the festival if your film will be broadcast on cable or network television or released for sale on DVD prior to the beginning of the festival.
Please note that DCP is the required exhibition format for all feature length documentaries and narrative features as well as short films. All festival venues have DCP formats.
Durango Film will only return ship to domestic destinations, including domestic film festival destinations.
Selected films will not be paid a screening fee. Films that require a screening fee are not eligible for either a juried or audience award. All films will screen twice during the festival and filmmakers will be notified by mid-January 2020 when both screenings have been scheduled.


Ratings & Reviews

Categories and fees

Narrative Feature
Entry fees
Early Bird (7th August, 2020) $30
Regular (11th September, 2020) $40
Late (9th October, 2020) $50
Description

Any narrative feature films, including animated and experimental features, 50 minutes or more total running time are eligible for consideration. We consider films in any language and our audience loves global cinema. However, please make sure that if your film is not in English, that English subtitles are provided. Again, we do not require premiere status so even if your film has premiered at another festival, whether live or online, it will be eligible for consideration.

Documentary Feature
Entry fees
Early Bird (7th August, 2020) $30
Regular (11th September, 2020) $40
Late (9th October, 2020) $50
Description

A documentary film 50 minutes or more total running time. We consider films in any language and our audience loves global cinema. However, please make sure that if your film is not in English, that English subtitles are provided. Again, we do not require premiere status so even if your film has premiered at another festival, whether live or online, it will be eligible for consideration.

Documentary Short
Entry fees
Early Bird (7th August, 2020) $20
Regular (11th September, 2020) $25
Late (9th October, 2020) $30
Description

A short documentary film 49 minutes or less total running time. We consider films in any language and our audience loves global cinema. However, please make sure that if your film is not in English, that English subtitles are provided. Again, we do not require premiere status so even if your film has premiered at another festival, whether live or online, it will be eligible for consideration.

Native Cinema Films
Entry fees
Early Bird (7th August, 2020) $20
Regular (11th September, 2020) $25
Late (9th October, 2020) $30
Description

Any film featuring Indigenous content including indigenous cultures around the globe should be submitted to this category. We also spotlight Native American stories. Films that are considered in this category include narrative and documentary shorts, and documentary and narrative features. Please make sure that if your film is not in English, that English subtitles are provided. Again, we do not require premiere status so even if your film has premiered at another festival, whether live or online, it will be eligible for consideration.

Family Films (including films suitable for students for our Reel Learning program)
Entry fees
Early Bird (7th August, 2020) $20
Regular (11th September, 2020) $25
Late (9th October, 2020) $30
Description

Durango Film encourages the creation and sharing of artistic family films suitable for a general audience the express fundamental respect for the positive values and stories of life and it's adventures. In addition to the family films, we seek films that are suitable to show to area students in our Reel Learning school program. Both our Family film programmers and our Reel Learning programmers will preview films in this category and DIFF reserves the right to show in either program, sometimes both. Films should run 30 minutes or less to be eligible for the Reel Learning school program. Good family oriented feature films will be considered, however the main family program is comprised of a collection of short films.

Adventure
Entry fees
Early Bird (7th August, 2020) $20
Regular (11th September, 2020) $25
Late (9th October, 2020) $30
Description

Outdoor adventure films are popular in Durango so any type of film featuring outdoor adventure will be considered. Films can be any length and genre such as documentary or narrative. We consider films in any language and our audience loves global cinema. However, please make sure that if your film is not in English, that English subtitles are provided. Again, we do not require premiere status so even if your film has premiered at another festival, whether live or online, it will be eligible for consideration.

LGBTQ
Entry fees
Early Bird (7th August, 2020) $20
Regular (11th September, 2020) $25
Late (9th October, 2020) $30
Description

Any LGBTQ film which can be a narrative or documentary of any length. We consider films in any language and our audience loves global cinema. However, please make sure that if your film is not in English, that English subtitles are provided. Again, we do not require premiere status so even if your film has premiered at another festival, whether live or online, it will be eligible for consideration.

Live Action Short
Entry fees
Early Bird (7th August, 2020) $20
Regular (11th September, 2020) $25
Late (9th October, 2020) $30
Description

Narrative shorts with a total running time of 45 minutes or less. We consider films in any language and our audience loves global cinema. However, please make sure that if your film is not in English, that English subtitles are provided. Again, we do not require premiere status so even if your film has premiered at another festival, whether live or online, it will be eligible for consideration.

Animated Short
Entry fees
Early Bird (7th August, 2020) $25
Regular (11th September, 2020) $35
Late (9th October, 2020) $45
Description

Any animated film with a total running time of 45 minutes or less. We consider films in any language and our audience loves global cinema. However, please make sure that if your film is not in English, that English subtitles are provided. Again, we do not require premiere status so even if your film has premiered at another festival, whether live or online, it will be eligible for consideration.

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