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Calling All Documentary Fans and Filmmakers

The American Film Institute’s annual documentary film festival, AFI DOCS 2016, will take place June 22–26, 2016 in the nation’s capital and is now open for entries. Each year, AFI DOCS presents a diverse slate of documentaries from around the world that draws documentary fans from the Washington metropolitan region and across the US and convenes filmmakers with policymakers and opinion leaders in DC.

How to submit:

Filmmakers are invited to submit feature and short documentaries at AFI.com/AFIDOCS or through Withoutabox.com.

The 14th edition of AFI DOCS will have three submission date deadlines — early, regular and late — for both short films (40 minutes and under) and feature films. Filmmakers can email programming@AFIDOCS.com for more information about the submissions process.

When to submit:

December 4, 2015: Early submission

February 5, 2016: Regular submission
March 4, 2016: Late submission

More details on submitting your docs here.

Earlier this year, AFI DOCS 2015 presented 81 films from 25 countries. Among the films were the most celebrated documentaries so far this year, including BEST OF ENEMIES (DIRS Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon); LISTEN TO ME MARLON (DIR Stevan Riley); THE LOOK OF SILENCE (DIR Joshua Oppenheimer); MAVIS! (DIR Jessica Edwards); STEVE JOBS: THE MAN IN THE MACHINE (DIR Alex Gibney); WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? (DIR Liz Garbus); and THE WOLFPACK (DIR Crystal Moselle).

Among last year’s attendees were some of America’s greatest documentary filmmakers, including Alex Gibney, Barbara Kopple, Morgan Neville and Stanley Nelson.