SUMMON YOUR PAST

The 1st Annual ISAC Smartphone Film Festival

Submissions deadline: Saturday, July 15, 2023



How do you assign significance to the objects and spaces that surround you? In what ways do we reclaim our culture and our history?

ISAC calls for short smartphone film submissions that explore how we reengage with heritage in our daily lives. The first ISAC smartphone film festival, inspired by our current special exhibition, Artifacts Also Die, is open to anyone, anywhere.

Films submitted should relate to how you interact with one or more of the following themes:

  • Heritage
  • Landscapes
  • Culture
  • History
  • Archaeology
  • Art
  • Media
  • Technology
  • Diversity

The rules are simple:

  • Submissions must be created using a smartphone or a tablet
  • Submissions may not be longer than 3 minutes
  • Everything else is up to you

Filmmakers do not need to live in the greater Chicago area or attend the festival to submit. We welcome submissions from around the world!


Three films will receive prizes in following categories:

  • Jury Award: $150 gift card
  • Curator's Choice: $100 gift card
  • Audience Award: $100 gift card

To submit by July 15, 2023:

Email isac-communications@uchicago.edu with the subject line: ISAC Smartphone Film Festival

Include the following information in the email:

  • Title of the film
  • Your Name
  • Contact Email
  • Brief director’s note or synopsis of the film

Once the email is sent, please upload your film in the following video formats .mp4, .mov, .mpeg to this box folder: https://uchicago.app.box.com/f/b821a686fbb1406e932422f9960a05ce

We look forward to seeing how you summon your past!

Fil Festival Call for Submissions