Superfest

The International Media Festival on Disabilities

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What is SUPERFEST?

SUPERFEST, International Disability Film Festival, is a two-day showcase of juried films, videos, television shows and DVDs held in the San Francisco Bay Area. This annual competition showcasing cutting-edge films that portray disability culture in all its diverse, complex, and empowering facets, is the longest running festival of its kind in the world.

Why is SUPERFEST important?

SUPERFEST is an annual opportunity in the U.S. for film and media artists to introduce potent ideas and images from the disability experience into the cultural landscape, and to build and promote a vital disability culture.

What is the history of SUPERFEST?

SUPERFEST began in 1970 in Los Angeles as a small film showcase intended to encourage greater participation of people with disabilities in the telecommunications industry. Over the years, SUPERFEST has grown into an international media event that honors and celebrates the unique contributions of the growing disability arts and culture movement by exhibiting the most innovative and provocative works from both seasoned filmmakers and emerging media arts professionals.

Who presents SUPERFEST?

The Corporation on Disabilities and Telecommunication (CDT) is a non-profit, collaborative organization that works to transform disability stereotypes by providing access and opportunities for performers and mediamakers with disabilities. Comprised of disability cultural artists, activists and allies, CDT promotes artistic excellence and diversity by presenting disability cultural events.

What are my chances of winning a SUPERFEST award?

A difficult question, and one we devoted a whole page to. Click on the question above for the answer.

What do I get if I enter SUPERFEST?

Winners are screened at the festival in the San Francisco Bay Area in June and are listed on our website. Winners are presented awards according to placement (trophy, plaque or certificate) at the awards ceremony held in conjunction with the festival. The winners are also announced in our festival press release. A descriptive catalog of ALL entrants is disseminated widely during the year. Also, since CDT networks with many media venues, we often provide referrals that lead to sales and screening opportunities for entrants.

Why is your fee structure different than most festivals?

A review of other festivals shows that fees range from $10 to $105 for a 30 minute piece. We have tried to come up with a fee structure to give a break to independent, low-budget producers, but also help in meeting our costs.

Pricing is as follows:

Discounts are cumulative, so you could save up to $30 on each entry. We do not have any discounts for multiple entries.

The contract thing is a bit intimidating - what rights am I signing away?

Primarily, CDT needs permission to show your work at our festival (held in June), if it is selected. We often also curate showings at conferences, other festivals, and for PBS and cable access stations. We like to include works of SUPERFEST winners with fees going to the producers. Should any of these opportunities come up for your work, we would contact you personally.

If I entered a work before, can I enter the same work again?

If you won an award higher than a merit award, you may not enter that work again. Otherwise, you are welcome to enter it again, but the same judging criteria will be used to view your work. However, different panels may score differently.