Eight categories, one standard. Vanguard IFF judges on a quarterly cycle — four times a year — so submit whenever your film is ready, not when a single annual deadline says so.
Every shape a film can take — features, shorts, indie work, series pilots, web series, silent, experimental, vertical, found footage and screenlife.
Animation and stop-motion beside documentary of every length — plus mockumentary, nature and ethnographic film.
Comedy to horror, noir to musical, western to war, romance to sport. If it has a genre, it has a home here.
AI film, generative animation, synthetic performance, VR / 360, interactive, virtual production and game-engine filmmaking.
Music videos, trailers and commercials — judged as cinema, on craft.
Student films, underrepresented voices, no-budget work, youth and late-bloomer filmmakers, LGBTQ and social justice film.
The people who carry the film — directors, producers, screenwriters, and performers of every age.
The craft behind the frame — cinematography, lighting, editing, color, VFX, design, costume, sound, music, stunts and choreography.
Quarterly awards. We judge and announce winners once every three months — four editions a year — so there is no single annual deadline to miss.
One standard. Every entry — student short or studio commercial — is scored on honesty of intent and command of craft.
The Vanguard Spirit Award. Each quarter, one film that best embodies what this festival stands for receives our highest honor.
No point-of-view filter. We accept perspectives we disagree with. Selection is not endorsement.
Submitting is simple. All entries go through FilmFreeway — pick your categories there and press send.