Submissions sought for 20th BI Film Festival

Submissions are now being accepted for the 20th annual Bainbridge Island Film Festival (formerly known as Celluloid Bainbridge Film Festival), organized by Arts & Humanities Bainbridge.

For its 20th iteration, the festival will present a number of exciting transformations, including the debut of a new name, the inclusion of more days of screenings, a slate of new events and workshops and the introduction of new submission guidelines which will open up festival to films from around the country and the world.

Bainbridge Island Film Festival, to be held from Nov. 9 to Nov. 11 at the Lynwood Theatre, will showcase its broadest ever mix of selections in a variety of categories, as selected through juried review by local film professionals, students and enthusiasts.

For the first 17 years, the festival showed only films made on Bainbridge Island, or made by island filmmakers. Beginning in 2016, however, the festival expanded its reach to the rest of the Pacific Northwest, welcoming submissions from all of Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska and British Columbia.

This year will see festival officials embrace an even broader vision, now welcoming all submissions, regardless of place of origin.

“Opening up the festival’s entry requirements to include a larger field of contributors will increase [it’s] regional profile and will increase the interest and entertainment value for festival goers,” said longtime festival organizer Pernell Tyus. “We’re looking forward to screening a diverse array of high quality films.”

So as to not abandon the spirit of the original festival, though, Tyus said time will be specifically allotted for films with an island connection and local films will be judged in a separate category. Island filmmakers and film students are still strongly encouraged to submit their works.

All submissions will be accepted online at www.filmfreeway.com/festival/bifilmfest.

Early bird submissions, with discounted submission fees, are being accepted until Tuesday, May 15. Regular submission period runs May 16 to June 30.

Late entries will be accepted, with increased submission fees, until Sunday, July 15.

A complete festival schedule, including opening night events, will be announced when selections have been made and the film lineup finalized in late August, officials said.

Additional details and updates will be published throughout the submission period. More information is available at ahbainbridge.org.