- We consider no cultural or national identity rooted in the Middle East as canonical. We therefore leave it up to our prospective submitter what "MENA" means to them. Keep in mind, however, that our programming strives to represent heterogenous regional and sub-ethnic identities within the larger so-called Middle East that have often been amalgamated in official narratives of nation-state: be they aboriginal, nomad, sub-national linguistic groupings and other identities that don't fall neatly into any Orientalist image of MENA.
By the same token, we wish to champion immigrant narratives from ethnic and linguistic enclaves across the diaspora: pan-Arabic, West Asian and Persic, religious heterodoxy; as well as personal identities that interface with a post-modern politics: queer, post-colonial, anti-racist and indigenous selfhood.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
- Works must have a significant (more than half) representation of MENA-identifying people in key creative roles OR the subject matter must largely treat the MENA region/identity in some significant way (see above for what we mean by "MENA").
- Films in a language other than English must have English subtitles.
- All submissions, by established or emerging artists, are welcome and will be guaranteed two screenings during the ajudication process; films by artists 30 and under who are "breaking into" the industry will be given particular consideration as part of our effort for NEW GENERATION filmmakers to reach a wider public.
- All genres are welcome, and experimental and original portrayals of the MENA region are encouraged (see "VISION" above).
- As a non-profit, we do rely upon submission fees to help cover costs of reviewing and programming films. Keeping our commitment to young artists and community accessibility in-mind, however, we are providing a limited number of *20* fee waivers to filmmakers on a first-come, first-served basis. We will not be assessing the eligibility of each request, but we do expect that those asking for a waiver are being honest about their circumstance and are aware that receiving a waiver may deprive others of the same courtesy.
To request a waiver, please email *info@menafilmfestival.com*.
FAQ
DO YOU PAY SCREENING FEES?
Yes, we pay every artist a screening fee in CAD as per 2019 CARFAC rates: https://carfac-raav.ca/2020-en/
WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM RUNTIME MENA FILM FESTIVAL ACCEPTS?
Your short film cannot be more than 30 minutes in length, including credits. For feature, we accept up to 140 minutes, including credits.
HOW OLD DOES THE FILM HAVE TO BE TO QUALIFY?
All films presented for the 2020 edition of MENA must be completed after December 31, 2016. Projects completed after January 1, 2019 will be prioritized.
CAN I EMAIL MY SUBMISSION?
No, we only accept submissions via FilmFreeway.
DO ALL SUBMISSIONS GET VIEWED?
Yes, every single film submitted to MENA Film Festival gets at least two separate viewings by MENA's programming committee.
DO YOU ACCEPT ROUGH CUTS?
Yes, but please make sure to mark the submission as a rough cut and let us know which elements are incomplete (music, sound mix, colour, missing scenes) and give us a firm deadline by which the final film will be completed (no less than 2 weeks before the event).
DOES MENA ACCEPT SUBMISSION WAIVERS?
As a non-profit organization, we rely upon submission fees to help cover some of the costs of reviewing films. However, we are offering a limited number of submission waivers. To request a waiver, please email info@menafilmfestival.com.