Moondance International Film Festival
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| Website | moondancefilmfestival.com |
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The Moondance International Film Festival is an independent annual film festival and awards competition in the USA that takes place in the fall. The first Moondance Film Festival was held in 2000. Until 2012, the festival was held in Boulder, Colorado. In 2013, it moved to Mystic, Connecticut. The festival will be held in a new location in 2014.
The festival honors filmmakers, writers and composers who actively increase awareness, provide multiple viewpoints, address complex social issues, and strengthen ties between international audiences. According to the festival's website, the festival and festival entrants are "independent, mostly uncensored (except for gratuitous violence), totally unfettered, often irreverent, and definitely not beholden to any special interests. We select films, written works and music with these criteria: a unique story, well-told."
The festival was founded in 1999, following the events of the Columbine High School massacre, by Elizabeth English, a film technician and Boulder resident. The intention was for the festival to be an empowering outlet for underrepresented storytelling and for people to share their perspectives in a fresh and non-violent way. English's desire was "to make a ... difference in the world and make the audience a part of that." The festival also offers an opportunity for writers, composers and filmmakers to participate in workshops with professionals and to receive a consultation.
English named the festival Moondance as a complimentary contrast to the Sundance Film Festival, where in 22 years no women filmmakers had won. In its first year, the Moondance festival was only open to women, but it has subsequently been open to all.
Past sponsors of the festival have included Jodie Foster, the Writer's Guild of America – West, Celestial Seasonings and Oprah Winfrey's O magazine.
Women writers and filmmakers. Men may be co-writers or co-filmmakers, but the entry must be submitted by a woman.
Male writers and filmmakers. Women may be co-writers or co-filmmakers, but the entry must be submitted by a man.
Male and female writing or filmmaking teams where both men and women or a man and woman work as a team on the project.
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