For several years the International Bluegrass Music Association had been wanting to do something to nurture and support filmmakers whose work relates to bluegrass music and/or culture. But adding new features to their already jam-packed week of activities was something of a challenge.
In 2014, they are delighted to announce the 1st annual IBMA World of Bluegrass Film Festival which will take place during their big week in Raleigh, NC (9/30-10/4). A pair of films will be selected by a World of Bluegrass Film Committee for featured screening during their Business Conference, with additional projects to be screened during that weekend’s Wide Open Bluegrass Festival.
Submissions are being accepted for the Film Festival now through June 15, with the selected projects announced in mid-July.
Two films will be shown during the Tuesday-Thursday Business Conference portion of World of Bluegrass week, open only to registered attendees. They will be screened again during the weekend, along with as many as eight additional projects during what they are calling Bluegrass at the Movies, which will be open to the general public. All screenings will be held in the Raleigh Convention Center.
IBMA has set up an online submission form for interested filmmakers, and full submission details can be found online.
In short, films must have not be shown publicly prior to January 1, 2011. We presume that once the festival is more established, only films from the previous year will be eligible. There is a $25 submission fee and a $100 screening fee for selected projects. Representatives for each selected film will be expected to attend the screenings to speak and take questions about their projects.
Before submitting, please read the rules and requirements carefully, especially for non-US films, as they are quite detailed.
Now we all have a few more things to try to squeeze into our busy week in Raleigh!
