About the Open Call

ZED Festival welcomes international screendance and cross-media works, with a particular focus on virtual reality and augmented reality technologies, triggering connections between dance and new media. The festival features two competitions: an International Screendance Film Competition for short dance films up to 20 minutes and a VR 360° Dance Film Competition with no duration limit. The event aims to foster immersive creative processes and showcase works that effectively communicate contemporary global challenges through the body in motion.

What is Offered

Selected works may be screened at the festival in Bologna (July 2-4, 2026), considered for the touring PRO|D|ES CARAVAN program, or shown on the DIGITAL ZED online platform. Multiple cash prizes are available for award winners.

Requirements

Film production dates must be 2023 or later for the Screendance competition. No production date limit for VR competition. Max 20-minute duration for Screendance. Full HD quality (1920x1080) for final submission. English subtitles mandatory if dialogue exists.

How to Apply

Submit via the FilmFreeway platform at https://filmfreeway.com/ZEDFestivalInternazionaleVideodanza by providing filmmaker contact information, a film synopsis (up to 400 characters), artist biographies (up to 400 characters each), and a record of past screenings/awards.