How to Apply:

Submit via our FREE application form or via FilmFreeway ($10 CAD to submit) below:

About F-O-R-M

F-O-R-M presents films that investigate the body in motion through curiosity, experimentation, and imagination. We are interested in films that creatively explore our personal lived experiences and how such themes can be told through narrative or experimental approaches. Cinematography, experimental and DIY (Do It Yourself) editing approaches, and post-production effects are also considerations that contribute and add layers to the subject matter. We invite proposals to consider the interplay between the camera and the movement, regardless of the form. Learn more about F-O-R-M on our About page. 

F-O-R-M strongly encourages and prioritizes applications from Youth artists, and those from intersectional and traditionally marginalized communities; Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, folks with disabilities, and diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions (LGBTQ2S+).

Our 2025 festival will offer a hybrid of in-person events in so-called Vancouver and online programming. Screenings will take place in cinemas, our Digital Library, and outside in public spaces through our Public Screens Program.

If selected, artists will receive a minimum screening fee of $250 CAD as well as free admission to all festival screenings and events.

How F-O-R-M Defines “Movement”

F-O-R-M is interested in how movement can be utilized as a vehicle for expression. Some ways we’ve seen movement be expressed are through walking, sports, shadows, animation, the movement of nature, and dance practices. 

Movement can be understood in relation to the body, or it can extend beyond into other realms. We believe that every day gestures and mundane interactions are forms of movement. Movement can also be represented through the intangible, such as a transformative social justice movement. Our curiosity is to broaden the scope and possibilities of recorded movement. 

Additionally, we recognize the movement that happens behind the camera, such as approaching filming and editing as choreography. We’re constantly evolving our understanding of how movement and film relate, and your films help us shape these curiosities. 

How do you define movement? How do you portray this definition within your practice or discipline? How does this movement collaborate with film?

Our programming team makes an ongoing effort to invite artists to submit who have not historically seen themselves represented on screen or have not previously connected with F-O-R-M. This year, we will be prioritizing films that consider and incorporate either accessibility and/or street dance in their work.

Learn more about these creative approaches: please click the plus sign (+) to expand the section and read more.

Learn more about Recorded Movement➡️

Films in reel in order of appearance:
1️⃣ All It Gives - Talia Woodland
2️⃣ Northbound - Jorn Ranum
3️⃣Phase - Kalaisan Kalaichelvan
4️⃣1180 and More - Riccardo De Simone
5️⃣Hell You Talmbout - Denzel Boyd
6️⃣Whose Land - Karmella Cen Benedito de Barros
7️⃣Dumplings / 餃子 - Kimberly Ho
8️⃣Sanctuary - All Bodies Dance Project

Edited by Tamar Zehava Tabori
Sound by Gonu Kim (xxiv / Chimerik 似不像)

Accessibility

still from My Body is a Poem/The World Makes with Me by Brandon Wint (screened 2023)

Street Dance

still from BOSSY by Glo Romy (screened 2024)

  • At F-O-R-M, we are continually learning about how accessibility inspires creative practices, fosters community care, and informs tools of collective liberation**. Holding conversations with artists in the community*** who work within disability justice frameworks is a key pillar of our ongoing process in expanding our understanding of how to integrate these values holistically into our work. We strive to remain responsive to our community and acknowledge the mistakes we make along the way, and are eager to learn from these experiences. Our practice of integrating accessibility is non-linear. We believe that being transparent about our limitations in providing access support is just as important as sharing what we are able to offer.

    Films that intentionally incorporate accessibility and disability justice in their creative approaches include (but are not limited to):

    • Work made by self identified disabled artists (individuals with personal experiences of navigating chronic illnesses, disability, d/Deafness, neurodiversity, and/or mental health conditions)

    • A project that amplifies the perspectives of artists from the disability community through meaningful relationships

    • An audio described film

    • A film with ASL interpretation embedded 

    Here are some examples:

    *A key principle from Kinetic Light’s curriculum and teachings on access in the arts, shared through their ongoing workshop series Access ALLways.
    **Inspired by Sins Invalid’s 10 Principles of Disability Justice
    ***Throughout 2024, F-O-R-M connected with local artists romham pàdraig gallacher, Sarah Wong, Brandon Wint, and Harmanie Rose, among others.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Films in reel in order of appearance:
1️⃣ Sanctuary - All Bodies Dance Project
2️⃣ Rhizophora - Davide de Lillis
3️⃣ Inclinations - Danielle Peers
4️⃣ Stopgap in Stop Motion - Stephen Featherstone
5️⃣ Ho.Me - All Bodies Dance Project

Edited by Tamar Zehava Tabori
Sound by Mana Saei

Films in reel in order of appearance:
1️⃣ E_GO - Eric Cheung & Alimzhan Sabir
2️⃣ Duel - Alfonso Sales
3️⃣ The Meeting Place - Juan Imperial
4️⃣ Triangulate - Cydney Eva representing PatternNation
5️⃣ All It Gives - Talia Woodland
6️⃣ Moments of Movement #65 - Mark Valino
7️⃣ The Bushwaackers and Paddy Show - Clarence Tang
8️⃣ AION - Sevrin Emancen Boyd
9️⃣ SYNC - Layla Wei & ScRach MarcS
🔟 Lunacy - Simran Sachar

Edited by Tamar Zehava Tabori
Sound by Mana Saei

Submission Requirements

  • We are accepting submissions from international applicants 

  • Artists may apply with a maximum of 2 films each

  • Applicants must identify as either a Youth Artist or Emerging Artist:

    • Youth: Lead creator must be between the ages of 15-25 by November 2025 (born 2000 or later)

    • Emerging: Lead creator must be 26 years or over (born 1999 or earlier), and self identifies as an Emerging artist or is new to the practice of movement and/or filmmaking

      For the Emerging category, we will prioritize films where:

      • This is the applicant’s first or second time exploring movement-based filmmaking

      • The film features youth mover(s) ages 15-25 

      • There are 2 or more Youth working on the production

      • See this video What is an Emerging artist? to help determine if you are an Emerging artist (source: CADAC)

  • Film genres accepted (but not limited to):

    • Animation (i.e., drawing, stop motion)

    • Documentary

    • Experimental

    • Narrative

    • Music Videos

  • We prioritize films that are between 3-15 minutes

    • While we prioritize films within this length, we are open to discovering films shorter or longer than this. Please reach out via email if you have questions about your film's eligibility

    • Please note: we unfortunately cannot consider films that are 35+ minutes

  • All applicants must agree to the Rules and Regulations

    • Please note: if selected, artists must own all necessary rights and permissions of the video and audio material in their films (i.e., you must have the rights to use copyrighted music) by September 2025

    • Here is a resource about Licensing Music for Short Films (source: Show Me Shorts Festival)

Submissions Deadline: May 9, 2025
Notification Date: July 18, 2025

If you have any questions about our application process, please e-mail Associate Artistic Director Erin Lum at erin@f-o-r-m.ca

How To Apply

  • Submit via FilmFreeway here

  • Submit via our FREE application form here


Applicants will be notified on July 18, 2025 if their film is selected for programming. Successful applicants will have until July 30, 2025 to deliver their films to F-O-R-M in 1080x1920p, mov or mp4 format. Please note, closed captions must be included in your final film deliverable if your film includes spoken dialogue. If this requirement is a barrier, please contact danielle Mackenzie Long at danielle@f-o-r-m.ca to discuss alternative options/support for meeting this requirement. 

Questions?

If you have any questions about our application process please e-mail Associate Artistic Director Erin Lum at erin@f-o-r-m.ca, or fill our the contact form below:

“I can’t say thank you enough for all your support throughout this entire festival! I really appreciate and admire your passion and dedication to the community and I feel so honoured to have been a part of this year’s festival. Thank you for seeing the vision and helping it come to life — WE did that 💖🎉”
— Glo Romy, 2024 Artist (BOSSY)
“F-O-R-M was a surreal experience. Being raised in the world of dance and only recently trying to establish myself as a filmmaker, I think it’s amazing that a festival like this exists. I will forever be grateful for being accepted into the F-O-R-M community with such amazing likeminded people who share my experiences.”
— Sam Adam-Johnston, 2022 Artist (NOAH)
“My experience with F-O-R-M was super magical. It was inspiring and exhilarating to see beautiful ideas on screen. It is a beacon of hope for the next generation of artists and a testament to the current emerging ones. There is so much beautiful art out there to discover.”
— Sophia Laurio, 2022 Artist (Maleta)