Submit Your Film for Manitoba Gaze 2025

Call for Manitoba Gaze Film Submission

Deadline: 11:59pm, May 20, 2025 

Attention Manitoba! Are you a filmmaker  eager to showcase your work on the big screen? Manitoba Gaze, a special event at the African Movie Festival in Manitoba (AM-FM), is your opportunity to share your voice, connect with audiences, and compete for prizes!

This event is in partnership with The 48th Film Festival. It is an exhibition of films spotlighting the universal creative spirit within our province. ‘GAZE’ showcases resonant artistic expressions born in Manitoba. This initiative aims to bridge the legacy film community with the vibrant African diaspora to foster a mutual exchange of thought, and celebrate our shared passion for film.

Event Details

Venue: Winnipeg Art Gallery
Date: September 18, 2025
Format: A showcase of short films by Manitoba filmmakers

Who Can Submit? 

This event is open to all filmmakers in Manitoba, including but not limited to:

  • Student filmmakers from high schools, colleges, and universities
  • Independent filmmakers looking for a platform to showcase their work
  • Newcomers to filmmaking with a compelling story to tell

Why Submit? 

  • Get your film screened at a prestigious festival
  • Participate in a friendly competition with awards and prizes
  • Gain exposure to industry professionals, fellow filmmakers, and the public
  • Join a network of Manitoba creatives

Submission Guidelines

  • Films must be shorts (maximum 8 minutes)
  • Any genre is welcome—documentary, drama, comedy, animation, experimental, etc.
  • Filmmakers must reside in Manitoba
  • Films must be original works made in the past two years
  • All languages welcome and should be subtitled

Application Requirements

  • All applicants must agree to the rules and regulations
  • Application Deadline is: 11:59pm, May 20, 2025
Rules and Regulation

All those applying to AM-FM (African Movie Festival in Manitoba) must agree to the following rules and regulations:

  • Individuals and groups (“Applicant”) submitting films to AM-FM for consideration and possible showing must possess all necessary rights and permissions for all video and audio tracks submitted to AM-FM. AM-FM is not responsible for clearing, publishing, performance or other rights for the films it screens or promotes on its site or at the festival.
  • All successful applicants grant AM-FM the non-exclusive rights to showcase the film for the purposes of the festival and/or its promotion (until December 31, 2026).
  • AM-FM retains the right to alter, shorten or cancel the festival, and will not be held liable for compensation in any of these situations. AM-FM agrees that in the event of festival cancellation, all rights related to the selected submission will revert to the Applicant and where relevant, the Applicant’s associates.
  • All applicants, by submitting to AM-FM, hereby allow AM-FM to preview the film. By agreeing to these rules and regulations all applicants pledge that they hold the rights to this film and have the right to distribute this material to AM-FM. All applicants understand that once submitted, their entry cannot be withdrawn. They understand that although AM-FM will take every precaution, AM-FM cannot be held responsible for loss or damage of submission materials. If accepted, AM-FM reserves the right to keep all films filed for AM-FM educational and archival purposes. If accepted, lead artists expressly grant AM-FM the royalty-free, irrevocable, non-exclusive right and license to exhibit their film or video and to use, reproduce, publish, translate, and exhibit any and all publicity materials related to the film, including but not limited to stills, press releases, bios, and trailers, in whole or in part, without limitation to territory, and/or to include said publicity materials with other works in any form, media, or technology. AM-FM agrees not to claim these rights in relation to submissions that are not selected for the festival.
  • All applicants agree to hold AM-FM, its management, employees and volunteers, as well as any of its funders, sponsors and affiliated entities, harmless from any damages or losses relating to any materials applicants may submit.
  • Successful Applicants may not have another public screening of their film in Winnipeg between May 2025 and the AM-FM (October 2025) without express permission from AM-FM.
  • Export your final video reference details below:
    • LABEL: Your films as “FilmTitle_TeamName”
    • USE: Frame size: Either (HD) 1920×1080 OR (2K) 2560×1440
    • USE: Aspect ratio: 16:9 (Except if its a creative decision)
    • USE: Frame Speed: 24fps (ONLY)
    • USE: Audio in stereo
    • USE: .mp4 (h.264) as your final export video file
    • Vimeo’s compression guidelines are also a helpful guide
  • AM-FM will pay screening fees in Canadian dollars for officially selected films screened at the festival depending on the length of the submitted film as follows. Fees will be paid within 30 days after successful screening at the festival.
    • $150 Shorts (5 to 30 mins from opening logo to end credits)