In 2023, The Bigger Screen will enter an exciting new phase with its partner festivals. The festivals' tried-and-true formula of physical in-person movie theatre screenings will be expanded with a special online section: the 'OFF ON Selection'.
The new section creates interesting opportunities for both festivals and filmmakers. The OFF ON Selection will allow festivals to broaden their 'official selections' and present film-lovers with a larger number of quality films to discover. On the other hand, filmmakers will be able to reach a larger audience with their work, screening on the biggest screen of them all, the internet.
The new 'OFF ON Selection' will transform our partners into full-fledged hybrid festivals: up to speed with present viewing behaviour in an increasingly digital world, yet keeping their feet firmly planted in the tradition of hosting warm and open in-person screenings at movie theatres.
Submit your work for the OFF ON Selection consideration.
The call for entries to this new category will run simultaneously with the existing call for entries, exclusively through FilmFreeway.
Once the selection procedure has been concluded, the OFF ON Selection will go online one week prior to the opening of the physical part of the partner festival and will stay online until its last day. Viewers will be able to watch, but not download the OFF ON films. Filmmakers should only submit in the OFF ON category if they are comfortable with having their film streamed online, but if requested their film can be geo-blocked to only the festival's region.
The OFF ON category will be open to any genre (narrative, web series, made for tv, documentary, experimental …) and especially any duration (which is often an issue for the physical part of the festival). Selected filmmakers will receive all official selection perks (The Tarkovski Grant, The Producer’s Night nomination, …) and are in the running for any of the award titles. When a film is submitted for consideration to both a physical section and the OFF ON Selection it is possible to be selected for both, although this is of course not guaranteed.
Which partner festivals will implement the OFF ON Selection?
The first festival to go live with the new section will be the Brussels Independent Film Festival, a mainstay festival organising its 43rd edition in February 2023. After this will be following all other festivals partnering with The Bigger Screen: Toronto Film Week, Doc.London, Sydney World Film Festival, Doc.Sydney, Ghent Viewpoint Documentary Film Festival, New Jersey Independent Film Festival, Hong Kong Arthouse Film Festival, Boston Short Film Festival, Somerville International Film Festival, Doc.Boston, Venice Film Week, Verona International Film Festival, Bruges International Film Festival, Obskuur Ghent Film Festival, Amsterdam Independent Film Festival, Toronto Arthouse Film Festival, New York Super Shorts Film Festival, Los Angeles Super Shorts Film Festival, London Super Shorts Film Festival, Doc.Berlin.
About The Bigger Screen
The Bigger Screen aims to make film as an art form more accessible and more inclusive: "We don’t want to see important pieces tucked away in the dark. At The Bigger Screen, we work on both sides of the screen. We are behind the screen encouraging and supporting filmmakers in their quest to spread their work through grants and opportunity. We stand in front of the screen by welcoming audiences to enjoy this art form, no matter what their social or financial status is."
