The Atlanta HipHop Film Festival (AHFF), presented by Creative Circle Entertainment, is now accepting submissions to compete in one of the fastest growing, highly anticipated, and most innovative film festivals of its kind. AHFF, which will take place August 24-26, 2007, celebrates HipHop and its impact on film and music videos by providing a platform for independent filmmakers and music directors to showcase their projects. “The submission process is definitely one of our favorite parts of producing the AHFF. Accepting and reviewing films from across the world gives us the opportunity to screen interesting, informative and entertaining projects. Each year, the film quality and content surpasses the previous year and are more creative, so we encourage and challenge all filmmakers to step outside the box by capturing their vision for all to see,” states Shameka Gumbs, the Founder.

In 2005, the festival’s inaugural year, 45 films were screened which included international submissions from South Africa, Canada, and Italy. Several entries from 2005 went on to receive distribution deals through Warner Brothers, HBO and Maverick Platinum Entertainment Group. Read the rest of this entry »

Hey folks - I added a calendar to the site today, and I hope that it will help you to decipher or find deadlines for many of the “calls for entries” that I add to this site daily. Note that only the deadlines are noted - designers always work at the last minute anyway, so why worry about when the contest begins, right?

I probably won’t add the deadlines for contests posted before this date, because 1) there are too many, and; 2) I have better things to do. I’ll leave the links to the right (competitions 2007) active so you can use those links and the search engine to find anything you want to find. I hope the calendar is a welcome addition.

The Chartered Society of Designers has launched the CSD Student Awards 2007, an international design competition with prize money of £7000. Entries are welcome from students in any of the following design disciplines: exhibition design, fashion design, graphic design, interactive media design, interior design, product design, and textile design.

Entries will be accepted from any second year student studying on any full-time design course anywhere in the world. Students studying in year three of a four-year design course are also eligible to enter. Categories include exhibition, graphic, fashion, Interactive Media, textile, interior, and product design. Deadline is 1 May. Visit the site for details and entry form.

Despite the great write-up by Amanda Gore on the John Galliano for Dior runway show this past week, I had to chuckle when I viewed the images. I’m old enough to remember my grandmother, who - with her little Singer sewing machine - would slave over fabrics and patterns to knock off beautiful Chanel and Dior showpieces for her daughters and for herself. I can only imagine the recognition on her face (may she rest in peace) if she saw these nipped-in waists, stiffened fabrics and pleated trains that - at first glance - are reminiscent of the old Vogue couture. Then, the shoes, and the hats, and the gown that looks like a large white origami bird would place the poor old woman in shock. Yes, I agree that John Galliano is couture, but I couldn’t help but think that these gowns and the accessories that accompanied them were the result of a chance meeting between Dior and Sailor Moon.

My fashion-savvy daughter will kick me in the shins for this…

Works of graphic design carried out by students usually disappear into drawers after presentation to a relatively small college audience. There the work remains invisible. :output wants to change all that. :output is the biggest international competition for students of visual communication. The works selected by the jury will be published in the yearbook :output 10 (fall 2007).

Anyone who is currently studying any form of design or Visual Communication at a university or a college is eligible to participate. Students who have graduated within the last 12 months may also submit final degree works. The work may not be older than one year. The project does not have to be published. Work related to any area of Design, such as: Graphic Design / Architecture / Product Design / Typography / Photography/ Illustration / Typeface Design / Multimedia, Moving Image and Television Graphics / etc. is eligible for submission. Deadline 15 February. See site for details and entry form.

NYC based Animation Block Party is dedicated to exhibiting the world’s best independent, professional and student animation. There will be almost $30,000 worth of prizes up for grabs at the summer festival. All genres are welcome to submit. There are 10 award categories, including original design, computer animation, narrative short, under minute movie, personal documentary and more. ABP is also offering an opportunity to fund animators Public Service Announcement films for the entire festival season.

Last summer, more than 1,000 fans attended the Brooklyn based film festival, which screened just under 60 animated films. Late submission deadline is 4 June. Check the site for other deadlines.

The Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild is pleased to announce that it will be accepting entries for its fifth juried members’ exhibit, The Art of the Book ‘08, celebrating the 25th anniversary of CBBAG. A catalogue with photographs of all accepted entries will be published both in hard copy and on the CBBAG web site. Up to three works per participant may be submitted and they must reflect at least one of the following distinct but overlapping elements of the book arts: Fine Binding; Papermaking; Paper Decorating (including marbling); Calligraphy; Box Making; Fine Printing; and Artists’ Books. Visit the site for details.

A skier joyously dancing down the powdery Meriwether Trail. A majestic moose poised on a ridge. A victorious ten-year-old who just mastered his first rail in Zero Gravity Park. These are among the many faces of Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, Montana. Amateur and professional photographers are invited to submit their favorite face of the resort, with an eye toward capturing part of $17,000 in prize money being offered in Moonlight Basin’s “Shoot the Moon” photography contest.

The Contest awards winners in four categories include Action (skiing, riding, snowshoeing, hiking, dog sledding, etc.); Family (capturing the essence of family interaction in this tremendous environment); Scenic (images that portray the raw beauty and distinctive landscape of this Big Sky retreat); and Social (shedding a lens on the fun to be found at Moonlight Basin.) Read the rest of this entry »

All professional and amateur photographers who seek to capture the ideal image of the horse are invited to enter the Online Photography Contest sponsored by the Equine Photographers’ Network. Winners will be recognized on the contest’s website, http://www.equinephotocontest.com. Images are to be submitted in a digital format as per guidelines found on the contest’s website.

DEADLINE: 31 May 2007

Africa in Motion (AiM), the Edinburgh African film festival, is delighted to announce its call for entries for AiM 2007. ccept entries from all filmmakers of African nationality working in Africa or abroad. They are particularly interested in giving exposure to young, emerging African filmmakers living and working in Africa. Films could be fiction, animation, experimental or documentary and shot in any format. They will only accept films in English or with English subtitles. Visit the site for more information.