Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival, the qualifying UK festival for the Oscars and BAFTAs, has opened its call for short film submissions from around the world for its 2017 Bristol event.
Hosted at venues across the city, including Watershed and Arnolfini, between September 19 and 24, the festival showcases the best international short filmmaking talent with a diverse programme of screenings and special events. 
The film festival is seeking entries for 2017 including for a new award category for virtual reality/augmented reality and 360-degree filmmaking as well as its popular short film competition DepicT!.
Highly regarded worldwide as a gateway to other film prizes, Encounter alumni have gone on to receive prestigious nominations including the European Film Festival and BAFTAs.
Issa Touma, Thomas Vroege and Floor Van Der Meulen collected the European Film Academy Award for Short Film for 9 Days – From My Window in Aleppo while three Encounters winners, Daniel Mulloy for Home, Andrea Harkin for The Party and Jennifer Zheng for Tough, each went on to be nominated for a 2017 BAFTA.
Encounters Grand Prix winner Sweet Maddie Stone by Brady Hood also won the 2017 Critics Circle Award.
Encounters’ new chair Simon Perry said: “The festival already has a high reputation in the industry for its innovative and strong curatorial vision, and can be counted upon to showcase new trends and cutting-edge filmmakers.
“In 2017 the festival will introduce an entirely new category among its awards – for work in Augmented and Virtual Reality, genres that are still relatively unexplored in short filmmaking and exhibition.
“In addition to our normally strong line-up of live action and animation, we expect the festival to reach new and wider audiences this year from the best new talent in those disciplines.”
Entries are now being accepted for live action, animation and the best of VR/AR with an early bird deadline of March 31. DepicT! will open for entries at the end of February with a submission deadline of July 3.
Filmmakers looking to enter the 2017 competition should apply by visiting the website for details on film submission.
Pictured: Last year’s festival screening at Watershed. Photo by JonCraig.co.uk
