About the Festival

The UNLV Department of Film is excited to host the Atmosphere Film Festival, which is dedicated to experimental cinema.

We invite you to explore the rich expressive boundaries of the medium with unconventional approaches to style and form, including abstract, non-narrative projects. We embrace all modes, methods, and techniques, including live-action, animation, and scratching directly on film.

Atmosphere Film Fest Logo

Submit Your Entry

  • Entries can be no more than 10 minutes in length, including credits.
  • The organizers reserve the right to select and program entries, which will become official selections of the Atmosphere Film Festival.
  • Official selections will be screened at UNLV’s Maryland campus inside room 109 of the Flora Dungan Humanities (FDH) building.
  • Filmmakers must be 18 years of age and older. Each film requires a completed submission form, which requests a downloadable film link. Participants can work on as many projects as they wish, although no filmmaker may enter more than three projects.
  • All entries must include the following:
    • A creative title
    • Burned-in, human-corrected, fully accurate captions for all dialogue, lyrics, and major sound effects; captions can be created by the filmmakers or obtained via online captioning services such as rev.com (but should be reviewed and edited as needed before submission)
    • Complete and fully accurate credits, including the names and position(s) of all participant(s)
    • Acknowledgement of UNLV FILM ATMOSPHERE with a five-second outro that can be downloaded from the submission form
    • An official film poster (18x24 inches; 2250x3000 pixels) for each entry

Please note that all filmmakers and attendees must adhere to the deadlines and policies of the festival and UNLV codes of conduct. UNLV is committed to providing a supportive environment free from harassment or discrimination.

All dates and submission details for the current festival cycle are available on the entry submission form. For questions, email jason.edmiston@unlv.edu.

Submit An Entry

Festival Rules

Overview and Deadlines

  • The UNLV Department of Film is hosting the Atmosphere Film Fest. All entries must be received by the deadline stated on the submission form. Each film must be no longer than ten minutes in length, including credits; see details above. Screenings for in-person audiences will be held in room 109 of the Flora Dungan Humanities (FDH) building.
  • Filmmakers must follow all UNLV guidelines related to health and safety during the production of Atmosphere entries. Use of real firearms, ammunition, or explosive devices of any kind is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate disqualification.
  • A completed entry form constitutes the agreement of the participant(s) to be bound by these festival rules and any other rules posted on the Department of Film website or announced during the festival.
  • Failure to abide by any festival rules may result in disqualification from the festival at the sole discretion of the chair of the Department of Film, Heather Addison (heather.addison@unlv.edu), and/or the festival coordinator, Jason Edmiston (jason.edmiston@unlv.edu).
  • At the discretion of the coordinator(s), late entries or entries that exceed 10 minutes in length may be accepted as “unofficial” selections for screening in the festival.
  • As part of the submission process, participants must disclose whether the subject matter or content of their film is appropriate for an all-ages public screening, so that the festival coordinator(s) can make a determination regarding a screening of the project.

Audience Favorite Awards

For each night of the festival, the audience will submit ballots for their favorite film, and the winner will be announced at the conclusion of the evening.

Use of Films and Intellectual Property Rights

Participants are solely responsible for protecting any intellectual property rights the participants may have in their contest entry, and are further solely responsible for obtaining permission, or otherwise complying with intellectual property laws pertaining to the film’s content (such as use of music, literary and other artistic expression of others). Participants, on behalf of themselves and their cast and crew, agree that the UNLV Department of Film is given non-exclusive express permission to make and maintain copies of films and to use the films, along with names of participants and winners, as part of advertising of the competition, and for other instructional, educational and historical purposes without any compensation to participants or their cast and crew.

Legal Issues

The festival is void where prohibited by law. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. All Participants, including cast and crew, assume liability for all costs, damages and injuries related in any way to participation in this contest, and agree to indemnify the contest director and the NSHE Board of Regents and UNLV from any and all such costs, damages and injuries, including any claims of violation of copyright law. UNLV will not be providing insurance for the Participants, or their cast and crew, and Participants are encouraged to obtain insurance on their own behalf. Participants, on behalf of themselves and their cast and crew, release the Board of Regents, UNLV and their respective employees, officers and agents, as well as the judges, from any and all liability from injury, cost and damage resulting from participation in the contest. Participants agree that they will not use any cast and crew members unless the cast and crew members have reviewed these Festival Rules and have agreed to their terms.