Organic life arose incidentally from basic chemical interactions. Consciousness is a product of the coordinated activity of one hundred billion neurons. This is the phenomenon of emergence, the ability of simple parts, acting together, to give rise to complicated properties unobserved in the parts alone. By this process, complexity appears spontaneously at every level of the universe, not an anomaly but a basic and deeply ingrained trait of all that exists. By this process, discreet atoms erect elaborate structures, ecosystems form and refine, and coordinated efforts bring about unforeseen and powerful effects. If simple components can be imagined, even expected, to accomplish so much, then this suggests a path forwards in uncertain times. Against universal entropy, even the individually inconsequential possess the synthetic power to collectively effect change. And on planet Earth, in 2019, this may be no small matter.

Emergence may also be much more. The shoot of a plant just breaking from the ground after winter, or after nuclear winter. The end of a dark age. The beginning of a movement, of a new era. If last year's festival sought survival, this year's flies free, seeking the future. Send us your breakthroughs, your self-organizing systems, your schematics for tomorrow.

Though this subject is the special focus of this year's festival, we'll also be accepting films of any and all other genres, methodologies, and subjects, as always.

The 12th Imagine Science Film Festival will run October 18 - 25, 2019.

Each year, the festival travels to venues throughout New York City. Recent venues include the American Museum of Natural History, the Rubin Museum, the New School, Littlefield, the New York Hall of Science, the Museum of the Moving Image, Anthology Film Archives, Rockefeller University, Spectacle Theater, Made in NY Media Center, BRIC Arts, and many more.

Startle us, surprise us, amaze us! We always love films that defy categorization: show us fictional documentaries, scientific fact expressed through gripping stories, eye-grabbing data visualizations, thought-provoking experimental film, and innovative animation! And of course, we'll always welcome documentaries with a strong narrative thread, and science fiction with a sound scientific basis. It's really very open-ended.

We accept submissions in three categories: Shorts, Documentaries, and Features. Shorts and Documentaries may be up to 40 minutes in length, features are considered to be any film, fiction or documentary, over 40 minutes in length.

+ Earlybird deadline April 15 — $15
+ Regular deadline June 15 — $20
+ Late deadline August 1 — $25

Yes. All of our documentary and short films are eligible for several awards, and over $5,000 in prizes. Awards include the Scientific Merit Award, the Scientist Award, the Visual Science Award, and the People's Choice Award.

We currently accept online submissions through FilmFreeway.

We prefer online screeners via FilmFreeway, Vimeo, or Youtube, but you can mail DVDs (Region 1 or Region 0, PAL or NTSC) to:

Imagine Science Films
New Lab
19 Morris Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11205

For any other questions or requests, please contact: programming@imaginesciencefilms.org.