Skip to main content

2015 Call for Entries

VirtFilmLogo2015Lrg.jpgThe Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) has instituted a film festival showcasing student films that can be used as classroom resources for social work educators and students. Submit your film to the CSWE 2015 Virtual Film Festival, which is scheduled to open April 8, 2015, and run through September 18, 2015. Complete your entry by Friday, February 27, 2015, to have your film considered for inclusion in the festival.

 

Why Should I Participate?

  • Although deserving, the best films that deal with social work issues may not have the prominence of popular Hollywood films, depriving social work educators of films and documentaries that could enhance their teaching. The CSWE Virtual Film Festival can raise awareness of your film among educators, students, and other social work leaders.
  • Student films often have a lower profile than those issued by film companies because of a lack of resources for production and dissemination. The Virtual Film Festival provides a way for your film to reach a wider social work audience, placing marketing and ordering information directly into the hands of decision makers. 
  • Film programs and courses at CSWE member institutions may highlight social work issues and projects in films produced, yet may not receive due attention. Through multimedia efforts such as its YouTube channel, blog, Twitter, website, and e-newsletters, CSWE provides highly visible platforms to spotlight these worthy efforts. 
  • CSWE will award a $500 prize to the film that receives the Virtual Ovation Award (see below).
 

Why Virtual?

  • CSWE wished to provide a flexible venue so that the films featured in the 2015 Virtual Film Festival could be included in social work courses and projects. Providing a virtual environment for these films enables educators and students to login according to their own schedules, to see films multiple times if desired, and to conduct online discussions of the films.
 

Guidelines and Information

  1. Two nonreturnable DVDs (NTSC Region 1 or 0) of each film must be submitted for consideration. 
     
  2. All films must address issues that pertain to social work education such as aging, human rights, lesbian/gay/ bisexual/transgender issues, mental health, and similar areas. To ascertain if a film may be a good fit for the festival, consult the list of APM programming Tracks or review the Official Selection for the CSWE 2014 Virtual Film Festival.
     
  3. Eligible films are those produced after January 1, 2013. Films produced by faculty-student teams also may be submitted.
     
  4. Films will be prescreened and evaluated on the basis of usefulness to social work educators and students in the social work classroom. A limited number of films will be accepted into the Virtual Film Festival. Submitted DVDs will not be returned for any reason. Entry fees are nonrefundable.
     
  5. A 50-word synopsis of the film is required.
     
  6. If your film is accepted, we will request ordering information for the film.
     
  7. Online Q-and-A sessions with filmmakers are by invitation only.
     
  8. Each film accepted into the Virtual Film Festival will be eligible for the Virtual Ovation Award. The winning film is determined by audience scores for content, presentation, technical aspects, potential benefits of the film for students/faculty members, and overall attendance. A $500 prize will be presented to the winner.
 

Submission Deadline and Entry Fees

Entries must be received by Friday, February 27, 2015.
Entry fee, short films (less than 40 min.): $25
Entry fee, feature films (more than 40 min.): $50