It’s No Laughing Matter
Although Comic-Con sounds like a competition for comedians telling jokes, in reality it is the be-all and end-all of all comic book conventions.

But the love of comic books is only the beginning of this annual event. It has also expanded its scope to  include science fiction fans, movie fans, and virtually anything that has to do with the supernatural or weird science.

If you are an aficionado of the above and have always imagined yourself as the next Spielberg the Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival may be just the ticket to fame, fortune, and free tickets to the convention.
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What the Festival is About
Comic-Con has traditionally been an event where previews of science fiction movies or television shows are shown. But it also serves as a venue for aspiring film makers. writers, and artists.

This year’s Comic-Con film festival is seeking independently produced films that fall into the following categories:

* Action/Adventure
* Animation
* Comics-oriented
* Pop Culture-Related Documentary
* Horror/Suspense
* Humor
* Science Fiction/Fantasy

Entries must be fully edited. No in-progress projects or rough-cuts will be eligible. Do not submit trailers, test footage or scenes from upcoming film projects.

There will also be a Judge’s Choice Selection as well.

Film Festival Guidelines
In order to be eligible for this contest, the official rules state:

* All films must be appropriate for an all-ages audience. No nudity, excessive ….violence or swearing.
* All films must be no longer than 95 minutes in length.
* One submission per filmmaker.
* Films previously submitted to the CCI: IFF, whether accepted or denied, ….cannot be entered again.
* Films submitted must have a completion date within the last two (2) years ….(2009-2010).
* Four (4) copies of the submitted film must be sent.
* At least one member of the film-making crew should be in attendance at ….the CCI: IFF to introduce and discuss the film.
* Films submitted cannot have distribution deals or distribution deals pending.

How to Enter
All submissions must include the following items:

* A completed entry form.
* A written brief synopsis of your film (50 words or less).
* A brief bio of the director or film makers.
* One production still photograph for possible PR use.
* Four (4) DVD copies of your film in Region 1 format (No PAL).

Mail your finished entries to:

Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival
P.O. Box 128458
San Diego, CA
92112-8458

Prizes
Awards will be issued to the winners, plus film screenings of the winning entries during the 4-day Comic-Con event. Winners will also receive a free 4-day professional membership to the event.

Other Information and Contest Links
Please direct all question about this contest to: programs [at] comic-con.org.

The deadline for entries is February 15, 2011. Winners will be announced at the Comic-Con event on July 24, 2011 in San Diego, California.

There are no entry fees for this contest.

Follow these links for additional information:

Official Contest Site
Contest Rules and Entry Form (PDF file)

Poster Clash 2010 is seeking entries for its contest. The theme for this graphic design competition is “Change one thing.”

According to the sponsors:

“From the simplest action of changing to compact florescent bulbs, to more in-depth changes such as political parties and life habits, motivating change in visual communication is one of the most basic and fulfilling aspects of the communication profession.

“Use this poster platform to engage, educate and drive change in your viewer’s world through the use of type and imagery.”

Contest Submission Details
All poster art must be submitted digitally to the official contest website. Click here for the entry form.

* Submissions must have a URL link to a low-resolution and high resolution version of your image. Low submitted images must be formatted in PDF. Low resolution images should be 72dpi while high resolution files should be 300 dpi and be 18″ by 24″ in size.

* The links to your images must be active until the conclusion of the contest.

*Your poster design must include the “Poster Clash” footer bar. The templates for the poster contest can be found by clicking here.

* The student entry fee is five dollars (5 USD) for each entry and ten dollars (10 USD) for non-students. There is no limit to the number of entries you may submit.

* For the official entry form, click here

Judging
According to the official contest rules:

“Posters will be judged on the fulfillment of the entry guidelines and by the execution of the conceptual direction for this year’s contest. All entries will be thoroughly evaluated and considered for the finalist positions by our panel of professional designers.

“After the selection of the final 64 entries by the judges, the voting turns online where the general public will be able to vote for your poster submissions using an online voting system.

“You will not need to be present at the final event to win.”
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Prizes

First Place:

• Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 Design Premium ($1799 Value)
• Poster Clash Trophy Belt

Second Place:

• 10 full size professional copies of your poster ($300 Value)

Top 64 Finalists:

• Award Certificate
• Discounted Admission to the Main Event

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Other Details
Questions about this contest can be answered by sending an email to clash (at) aigablueridge.org. The deadline for this contest is February 24^th, 2010.

The Contest
The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is announcing its poster contest for its 13^th annual film festival.

One winning design will be selected from all entries and will be printed and sold at the festival.

The winning designer will be awarded a special artist “Priority Pass” (valued at $500) for the 2010 festival plus paid hotel accommodations for the 4-day event (April 8-11 in Downtown Durham North Carolina).

Contest Guidelines
All entries must include the following details in the overall poster design:

• Festival dates: April 8-11, 2010
• Location: Durham, North Carolina
• “Full Frame Logo”

To receive the complete guidelines and Full Frame Logo graphic send a request to fullframeposter (at) gmail.com.

What to Submit
The final poster size should be 11″ x 17″ and include a ¼ inch bleed on all sides. The actual artwork size will be 11.5″ x 17.5″. The maximum file size is 5MB and must be in a PDF or JPG format.

For submissions that are non-digital, a scan of the artwork will be acceptable. The original artwork must be presented if selected as the winning entry for reproduction purposes.

Use of the “Full Frame” logo can be displayed in any single solid color. The logo must be at least 2″ in width. To receive the PDF file of the document and full contest guidelines, send a request to fullframeposter (at) gmail.com.

All submissions and artwork must be original and not copied from other published sources, magazines, copyrighted material, books or online sources. No team created entries will be accepted.

The contest sponsors do not have a theme for contest submissions but have indicated the following subject matter that is preferred:

Trees
Anatomical drawings
Scientific illustrations
Collage
Buildings
Wood grain
Blueprints
Ed Ruscha
Gig posters
Silhouettes
Kodachrome
Negative space
European compact cars
Aircraft
Lines
Penguin books
Criterion covers
Kites
Alligator gar
Bikes
Suitcases
Power tools
Letterpress
Telephone lines
Gymnasiums
Tom Waits
Things not made on a computer
Freshwater fish
Semaphore/flags/pennants
Icebergs

The contest sponsors have requested that poster submissions do not contain the following themes:

Deer
Ticket stubs
Cats
Hollywood sign
Sad children
Popcorn
Sprocket holes
David Caruso
Vampires
Snakes

The deadline for this contest is February 15^th, 2010.

The Contest
The latest Venus Febriculosa Book Cover Design Contest is open to all graphic designers, illustrators, and artists.

The contest involves the creation of a hypothetical book cover for Umberto Eco’s novel The Name of the Rose — a murder mystery set in the confines of a monastery during the 14^th century.

Please note that this contest is for a hypothetical book cover and there are no plans for actually transitioning the winning entry for an actual book cover contract.

This graphic design contest is open to anyone 18 years or older. Graphic design students are encouraged to enter. A limit of only one entry per person is allowed. There is no entry fee.
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Guidelines
Submissions must be original and created by the entrant. Any use of copyrighted material or images in the book cover art is grounds for disqualification. Submissions must include your name, address, email address, country, and school (if attending).

Submitted designs must be in JPG format. The minimum size for entries is 4.25 x 7″. The maximum is 5″ x 8″.

The design must contain the words “The Name of the Rose” and “Umberto Eco.” The title of the book must be in English. No other words or phrases are to be used unless they are used as graphical elements. The cover design is only for the front of the book.

For a complete listing of the rules of this contest, click here for the PDF file.

Prizes
The winner of the contest will receive a cash award of $1000. The winning artwork will be featured on the venusfebriculosa.com website.

Other Info
The winner will be announced on April 30, 2010. The contest deadline is February 26, 2010.

About the Contest
The Chelsea International Fine Art Competition 2010 is seeking entries from artists and illustrators 18 years and older. Agora Gallery, the sponsor of this contest, is host to this event.

Agora Gallery Director Angela Di Bello said, “Carving a space for new talent is very much at the core of our business.”

Artists who are selected for the competition will have their works exhibited in the Chelsea Art Gallery District and will be given special promotional consideration in print and online venues.

Agora Gallery donates 25% of its proceeds from the sale of artwork and competition fees to the non-profit organization Art Start.

Entry Guidelines
All fine art media is eligible for this competition with the exception of video art, film, performance art, crafts and jewelry.

Submitted artwork must be insured and mailed to the gallery before the deadline date. Entries may be submitted through a representation via digital format in JPG and must not exceed 1MB in file size.

All entries must be submitted with your:

• Contact Information
• The title, dimensions, and description of the medium used for each entry.
• An image file of each art submission in JPG format

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The most recent information and updates about this contest can be accessed by joinng the contest mailing list by clicking here.

There is an entry fee of $35 for up to five images and a $5 charge for each additional image over five.

Awards
According to the sponsors the following prizes, cash awards, and special recognition will be:

Exhibition - 15-20 Artists will participate in a collective exhibition at Agora Gallery 530 West 25th Street , Chelsea , New York City.

Cash - $1000 will be awarded to three (3) artists each receiving $500, $ 300 & $200 respectively.

Internet Promotion-Six (6) artists will be awarded placement of 6 images on www.Art-Mine.com for a period of one year.

Review by an art critic - One (1) artist will be awarded a one-page review with two (2) color images in ARTisSpectrum Magazine .

Other Details
The competition officially opens on February 4^th, 2010
The competition deadline is on March 14^th, 2010
The winners will be announced on March 26^th, 2010
The exhibition for selected artists at the Agora Art Gallery will be from August 17^th through September 10^th 2010.