It’s a safe bet to say that the Antimatter Underground Film Festival is one of the best short film festivals in the world, especially in the avant-garde, experimental and underground film category. It’s definitely the biggest and the most extensive.  Oh, they do show a handful of features and are looking this year for expanded cinema performance pieces, but every year Antimatter is an astounding nine-day extravaganza of fantastic shorts.

There are two deadlines to be aware of and one of them is coming up fairly quickly, although the fest will run Oct. 9-17 in Victoria, BC, Canada. But, here are the deadlines (and dates mean when material must be received):

Early Deadline:
April 17
$15

Late Deadline:
June 5
$25

As to what Antimatter is looking for, here’s an excerpt from their manifesto found on their submission form:

Antimatter exists to provide a public platform for underground productions of film and video — imaginative, volatile, entertaining and critical works that exist outside of the mainstream. It is a forum for innovative and radical ideas overlooked or marginalized by contemporary culture.

Antimatter is the neutral ground designed to support the independent/individual voice regardless of the subversive or dangerous nature of its content, stylistic concerns or commercial viability.

Let’s sum up: Subversive, dangerous, volatile and imaginative. If your film fits that criteria, send in on in!

You can also check out last year’s full lineup of films on the Underground Film Journal; and for more info and full submission guidelines, please visit the official Antimatter website.

And check out the Underground Film Journal’s list of film festivals for more great underground fests to submit to.