The 2018 West Virginia Mountaineer Short Film Festival is an international, competitive film festival that screens compelling and innovative works in narrative film, documentary, experimental video and animation.

The festival takes place this year on Saturday, April 14 in the WVU Creative Arts Center. From 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., the festival will screen upwards of 50 independent films and videos from across the country and around the world, including works from such diverse countries as Germany, Japan, Turkey, Poland, Iran, Russia, Bulgaria, Italy, Brazil, Slovenia, Canada, Switzerland and the UK. In addition to showcasing new and exciting works in the genres of Documentary, Short Narrative, Animation and Experimental Video, this year’s festival includes a special screening of works that explore the topical theme of “Borders.” Student works from aspiring filmmakers at the college level and young filmmakers under 18 will also be screened. Awards will be presented in each of the festival’s competitive categories. 

The festival schedule is:

11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.: student films and animations

2 - 3:30 p.m.: alt stories

These works include documentary, animation and experimental narratives. They are presented together here for their unique approach to visual storytelling. 

4:00 - 5:30 p.m.: Documentaries and Films addressing the Borders theme

6 – 7:15 p.m.: award ceremony and refreshments 

7:15 – 9:15 p.m.: narratives and animations

9:30 – 11 p.m.: experimental works

Throughout the festival, there will also be three films presented as a video installation that will be on view. They address issues of identity, space, belonging and the landscape, and how people define themselves in relation. 

Admission is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. Please visit the festival website for exact times and locations: www.westvirginiamountaineershortfilmfestival.com

Established in 2010, The West Virginia Mountaineer Short Film Festival is an international competition, accepting submissions in the categories of narrative, documentary, animation, experimental video, virtual reality and student works. Its mission is to foster creative and artistic approaches to these genres, while connecting West Virginia University students and the surrounding Morgantown community to the world of independent filmmaking and new media art. The festival is a non-profit event. Admission to all screenings is free. There are no rules governing content or artist approach. Festival organizers only seek to display well crafted, compelling or conceptually challenging works in video, film and multimedia. All festival films have a 10-minute maximum running time, with the exception of select, out-of-competition films.

Contact: Gerald Habarth

Associate Professor of Art/Electronic Media

School of Art and Design, WVU

Phone: 304-290-3067 Email: Gerald.habarth@mail.wvu.edu