SIMA 2017 IS CLOSED FOR SUBMISSIONS

FINALISTS WILL BE ANNOUNCED JANUARY 2017

ABOUT THE 2017 SIMA AWARDS

DOCUMENTARY FILMS (FEATURES AND SHORTS)

We are looking for original, wise, brave, eye-opening and creative productions that increase the awareness of viewers to global injustices, to the resilience of humans facing deprivation, to the politics of international development, and to efforts and agents of change worldwide. We seek productions that raise important questions about the state of our contemporary world, and inspire people to reflect on the meaning and potential of social activism, social justice and social transformation.

VIRTUAL REALITY (VR)

Social impact virtual reality films are said to be the future of empathy-building impact storytelling. We are looking for the trailblazers in this emerging field.

1. Documentaries
2. Reporting / Citizens Journalism
3. Experimental / Creative Advocacy and Campaigns

IMPACT VIDEOS (INNOVATIONS + CREATIVE IMPACT)

Organizations, foundations, creative agencies and content creators are invited to submit their work. We are looking for:

1. Innovation videos that share unique insight into “how impact works”, capturing distinctive approaches, creative models, successful tactics and innovative projects in global development, education and social justice initiatives.
2. Creative impact and awareness videos that inspire critical consciousness of current social issues, for example: social-advertising, cause marketing, changemaker features, impact poetry films, or artistic takes on social advocacy.

We are especially interested in:

• Issues relating to UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
• Transparency and Sustainability in the humanitarian/ human rights/ global development sector
• Everyday stories of individuals, groups and cultures
• Campaigning films geared to raising awareness and calls to action
• Examples of social engagement and activism - both positive and those that have not been successful

Example themes:

EDUCATION MODELS	INDIGENOUS RIGHTS
FOOD SECURITY	LGBTQ RIGHTS
WATER	ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION/ JUSTICE
ENERGY / TECHNOLOGY	RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
CONFLICT RESOLUTION / DIPLOMACY	CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
LOCAL & GLOBAL ECONOMY	DISEASE CONTROL / PREVENTION
TRAUMA RECOVERY / REHABILITATION	REFUGEES
HEALTH	DISCRIMINATION
STIGMA	AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT
GENDER BASED VIOLENCE / EQUALITY	GIRLS & WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT
YOUTH PROGRAMS	COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT/ MOBILIZATION
SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP	MICROFINANCE
MEDIA / CONSCIOUS COMMUNICATIONS	ARTISTIC ADVOCACY
racial justice	DISASTER RESPONSE
DISABILITY JUSTICE	LABOR RIGHTS

RULES & REGULATIONS

ELIGIBILITY

Films must be completed between October 2015 and September 2016 to be eligible for entry. Each title is permitted to enter once to SIMA. Titles that have entered in the past are not permitted to enter into the competition in subsequent years. Each entry may be submitted by only one individual or organization. If the film is a co-production, the entrant assumes full responsibility for notifying the other co-production partners of the entry. In the event of multiple entries for the same film, copyright ownership will determine which entry is accepted. The entrant is responsible for securing and clearing all rights.

CATEGORY RULES

FEATURE - Individual, stand-alone documentary, 40 or more minutes in length.

SHORT - Individual, stand-alone documentary, less than 40 minutes in length.

VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) - Individual, stand-alone VR films, less than 20 minutes in length.

IMPACT VIDEO - Individual, stand-alone video, between 2 and 20 minutes in length.

(NOTE: Videos merely geared towards fundraising or brand advertising are NOT ACCEPTED)

AWARDS RECIPIENTS

Limited to two persons, one of whom must be the credited Director who exercised directorial control, and the other of whom must have a Producer/Director credit.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE AWARDS

Best Feature Documentary | Best Director | Best Cinematography | Best Editing | Best Sound Editing

VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) AWARDS

Best VR Experience | Best Director | Best Cinematography | Best Editing | Best Sound Experience

DOCUMENTARY SHORT AWARDS

Best Short Documentary | Best Director | Best Cinematography | Best Editing | Best Sound Editing

IMPACT VIDEO AWARDS

Humanitas | Creative Activism

DOCUMENTARY JURY PRIZES

Transparency | Stylistic Achievement | Ethos | Lens to Action

VIRTUAL REALITY (VR) JURY PRIZES

Immersive Impact | Experimental Advocacy | Journalistic Achievement 

IMPACT VIDEO JURY PRIZES

Innovation |  Impact

JUDGING

Judging of the SIMA Awards is based on overall creative excellence and educational excellence. Committees of filmmaking and global development professionals screen all entries and select all finalists. Award winners in the Documentary Feature, Documentary Short, VR, and Impact Video category are selected by a group of SIMA Judges from the finalists.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

All (non-English language) entries must be sub-titled in English. Multiple projects may be submitted, however each film must have a separate completed submission form.

If your submission is short-listed as a FINALIST, we will require an electronic press kit (EPK) to be sent via email to [email protected], and a high-res digital download of your film (MPEG4/ h264 @1080p / 10—25mbps) H264/MPEG. For documentary entries only, we will also require 2 DVDs and Blu-ray (if available) to be sent to: SIMA AWARDS - 632 Westbourne Drive, West Hollywood CA 90069.

ENTRY FEES

Entries must be accompanied by the appropriate entry fee. Entry fees are not refundable. Fees cover registration, notification that your entry has been received, notification of results, media management and storage. These fees may be paid via Paypal and credit card. You will find links for payment on your respective Submission Form page.

Early Bird Deadline (September 8th – September 29th)

Documentary Features: $ 35 | VR: $ 35 | Documentary Shorts: $25 | Impact Videos: $15

Regular Deadline (September 30th – October 13th)

Documentary Features: $ 40 | VR: $ 40 | Documentary Shorts: $30 | Impact Videos: $20

Late Deadline (October 14th – October 27th)

Documentary Features: $50 | VR: $ 50 | Documentary Shorts: $40 | Impact Videos: $30

PRE-PRESS, PUBLICITY, MEDIA

Entry in this competition grants SIMA the right to use clips (2 minutes maximum), photographs, and biographical data for publicity and promotional purposes for the SIMA website, as well as websites of SIMA’s promotional partners, media sponsors, and web aggregators.  All entrants in the Virtual Reality and Impact Video Category agree to release the digital video file of their production for online circulation (if short-listed) to be curated on SIMA websites. SIMA reserves the right to use any submitted materials for all promotional purposes, including all existing and future media platforms in perpetuity.

ARCHIVE

All entrants agree to release DVDs, Blu-Ray copies and/or digital files of their production for non-circulation reference at the SIMA organizers archive. DVDs and publicity materials submitted to SIMA will not be returned.

Lina Srivastava (Strategist, Founder)

Lina Srivastava, founder of CIEL, is a strategist who catalyzes and amplifies social impact through cultural forms, creativity, and technology. She brings new narrative forms and distribution techniques to human rights and global development initiatives, including migration and refugee issues, poverty alleviation, and gender rights. An attorney by training from New York University School of Law, Lina has worked with organizations such as UNESCO, the World Bank, AARP, UNICEF, Internews, and BYkids, and on campaigns for several documentaries, including Oscar-winning Born into Brothels, The Devil Came on Horseback, Oscar-winning Inocente, and SIMA Award-winning Who Is Dayani Cristal?

Trevor Hall (Executive Director | Open Roads)

Trevor Hall is an experienced educator, writer, business consultant and the president of Creative Visions Foundation, a non-profit incubator that provides tools, mentorship and resources to Creative Activists using media, arts and technology to solve global problems. Trevor founded Open Roads Creative, a business development consultancy, and Open Roads Academy, a month-long summer program for low-income high school students that combines outdoor travel with an immersion in the documentary arts. He holds a Masters Degree in Education from Harvard University where he was the Head Teaching Fellow of Pulitzer Prize-winning author and Professor Dr. Robert Coles and the recipient of the Derek Bok Award for Excellence in Teaching in each of his three years at Harvard. Trevor also served as the Associate Editor of DoubleTake Magazine, and as a Director of the Chicago Sister Cities International Program (CSCIP), where he managed corporate partner programs, establishing relationships with companies such as, Motorola, The Boeing Company, and United Airlines. Among other programs at CSCIP, Trevor initiated and managed CSCIP’s Genographic Project, uniting National Geographic with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project.

Enat Sidi (Academy Nominated Editor)

Born and raised in Tel Aviv, Enat Sidi is now one of the leading editors in the documentary film world. Recently she edited “The Wolfpack”, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. She is a frequent collaborator with directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, having edited most of their nonfiction feature films including “The Boys of Baraka” (2005 Emmy nominee), “Jesus Camp: (2006 Academy Award nominee), HBO’s 12th & Delaware (Peabody winner) and recently DETROPIA for which Enat won the editing award at the Sundance Film Festival. In addition, Enat has worked on many prestigious films for a myriad of diverse filmmakers including Ellen Kuras (“The Betrayal”) and Jennifer Vendiiti (“Billy the Kid”). She recently acted as the consulting editor on “Bully,” the high profile doc released in 2012 by the Weinstein Company. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Dr. David Craig (Communications & Media Professor, Producer, Activist)

Dr. Craig is the Clinical Assistant Professor at USC’s Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism, synthesizing theory and practice, production and management in his courses that consider the massive transformations occurring within the global and US media industries. In addition, Craig has produced numerous career-based initiatives and media conferences, and is an Emmy-nominated veteran media producer and programing executive.  His production company, Media Nation, produced Directors Guild of America Nominee, Girl Fight, and has sold, developed and/or produced scripted and non-scripted series for HBO, ABC, CBS, and History, graphic novels to Hill & Wang Publishers, and web pilots to Sony Digital/Crackle.com.  Dr. Craig was previously an executive at A&E Networks where he supervised over 20 movies, mini-series and drama series. He is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the British Academy of Film and Television. Dr. Craig’s research has been published in the Journal of Popular Film and Television and the International Journal of Communication and presented at the conference for the Society of Media and Cultural Studies. Dr. Craig earned his Masters in Cinema Studies from NYU and his Bachelors in Communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed his Doctorate in Education at UCLA, where his research considers the intersection of popular culture, education and social movements, featuring a critical cultural and production history of LGBT-themed television movies.

Camilla Andersson (Creative Director, Strategic Communications)

Camilla Andersson is an entrepreneur with 25 years of experience from interactive development and design; from building brands, services and products, and for creating strategic communication platforms. As creative director/producer she focuses on emerging technologies, film/storytelling, interactive media solutions, virtual reality/augmented reality and immersive experiences. She is awarded the Presidential Order of Terra Mariana by the President of Estonia Mr. Toomas Hendrik Ilves, and the Sir John Templeton Freedom Award for Excellence in International Relations, Brand Development and Strategic Communications. Camilla has conceptualized, developed and produced a broad spectrum of international strategic communications, cross-media campaigns/platforms, media/mobile services and solutions for international brands, NGOs and government institutions. She has has long and extensive experience from working with innovative, fast growing companies, large international organizations and businesses, as well as NGOs, think tanks, foreign ministries, cultural institutions and other government institutions. Camilla was the first in the world to develop and produce a digital solution for online sales in early 1999, founding the HyperMedia platform, a disruptive online content, marketing, distribution and publishing platform for music, films and videos, with thousands of participating music artists and film/video producers. She’s the founder of history, democracy and human rights-focused think tank IICC, and co-founder of the international Platform of European Memory and Conscience platform organizing 21 countries and 41 member organizations. In 2015 she founded the Virtual Reality Academy & Innovation lab, a professional education focusing on emerging technology, creativity and storytelling.

Kimberley Hassett (Editor)

Kimberley Hassett is an LA based editor who has worked on a wide range of projects, most recently an indie comedy, Uncle Nick (2014) by Chris Kasick, Executive Produced by Errol Morris, and a documentary feature Farewell to Hollywood, which premiered at IDFA 2013 and was named by the Film Society of Lincoln Center as one of the top documentaries to watch in 2014. Her other feature credits include The Disappearance of McKinley Nolan (DocNYC & the Sundance Channel) produced by Danny Glover and Joslyn Barnes at Louverture Films, Talibe: The Least Favored Children of Senegal by Daniela Kon, which has significantly moved the needle on this social issue in Senegal, and Highway (Berlin International Film Festival & MOMA 2012) by Nepalese director Deepark Rauniyar. Hassett has also worked on a variety of short format documentary content for CBS News Productions, Logo TV, MTVu, Digital Kitchen and Corra Films.  She received an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in Photography, Video and Related Media and is currently working with Jason Kohn (Manda Bala: Send a Bullet, Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner 2007) on his upcoming film Diamond, Silver and Gold.

Maria Gambale (Director, Producer, Cinematographer)

Gambale’s directorial debut Sarabah, premiered at the 2011 Movies That Matter Film Festival winning the Matter of ACT prize for Best Documentary. It screened at forty festivals around the world, has been broadcasted on Link TV in the US, France and Sweden and won the CINE Golden Eagle Award for Independent Television Documentary in 2012. Gambale has worked as a cinematographer and producer in both fiction and documentary for the past 18 years. She was a mentor with teen filmmaker organization Reelworks from 2004-2012, a Shooter-Producer for the acclaimed ABC News documentary series "NY Med", a producer on the Link TV series “Rappers, Divas and Virtuosos" and served as a Post-Production Consultant on Jehane Noujaim’s film “The Square" in 2011. Gambale also produced the large-scale hybrid art/theater installation “Habit” by David Levine, winning an Obie in May 2012; and works in casting with a range of international directors including Christian Frei and Albert Maysles.

Anders Hjemdahl (Creative Director, Creative Technology)

Anders Hjemdahl’s passion for digital art and visualization has lead him to design, develop and produce interactive media for over 25 years, starting with digital design, 3D and visualization in the early 1990s, before becoming a cross media producer at pioneering Swedish interactive production house Hanser & Co in 1993, working on numerous interactive titles and exhbitions as well as early web solutions. Anders co-founded production company Hypnosis in 1996, working for clients like Ericsson and Nokia (developing web, mobile solutions and business strategy) as well as e.g. Virgin Records, Sony, Universal Music Group, Kinetix, Media Evolution, BMG, the Swedish Post Office, Expressen, Dagens Nyheter, the Regional Government of Scania, the Atlas Foundation, Stanford University and many others. He co-founded Hypermusic.net in 1999, selling the world’s first digital music file online, as well as developing the world’s first online video solutions for short films and live concerts. He has also worked as executive producer and lead creative director of interactive at Sweden’s leading TV production house, Jarowskij. A passionate historian, Anders has also been instrumental in several cultural/historical projects, and is a founding member of the international Platform for European Memory and Conscience with 41 member organizations from 21 countries, headquartered in Prague and Brussels. He has received numerous awards for his international work, including the Order of Terra Mariana by the President of Estonia and the Templeton Freedom Award. He is mentioned for his digital art in e.g. “200 Years of Swedish Design”. A proponent of Virtual Reality ever since its first wave in the 1990s, after moving to Los Angeles in 2013, Anders has increasingly focused on VR ideation and development, producing VR content in a wide range of projects, from experimental to art, to commercial and documentary work.

Dr. Daniela Baroffio (Clinical Associate Professor of Communications)

Daniela Baroffio received her Ph.D. from USC Annenberg in 2006 and now serves as a Clinical Associate Professor, teaching foundational theory courses in the undergraduate program and research methods in the graduate programs. As faculty in the undergraduate program at USC Annenberg, Dr. Baroffio teaches courses that examine the politics of gender in the media, interpretations of popular culture, and the politics of social change and advocacy in the political economy of the entertainment industry. As Assistant Director of the Master of Communication Management graduate program, Baroffio (together with Dr. Ben Lee and Dr. Mathew Curtis) guides communication management students in their capstone course, assisting and guiding students in the research design, collection of data and analysis of data for their own original research. At the administrative level, she also serves as the faculty advisor for all progressive B.A./M.A. students. Dr. Baroffio has published an essay on sports and gender in the Handbook of Sports and Media and her current research and teaching interests examine the potential for social change and advocacy in entertainment, media and marketing with a focus on the possibilities and limitations posed by the current political economy.

Andrew McGregor (Journalist, Filmmaker, Founder | The Tiziano Project)

Andrew McGregor is a filmmaker, comic book publisher, film festival founder, chess boxing champion, photojournalist, TEDx speaker, and founder of The Tiziano Project, an NGO that teaches citizen journalism to people living in conflict zones and neglected parts of the world. By providing equipment, training and affiliations necessary, The Tiziano Project allows community members to report their stories and improve their lives. Training programs have been held in areas all over the world including Rwanda, Somalia, DR Congo, Iraq, slums of Kenya, South Central LA, and beyond.

Beth Karlin, Ph.D. (Research Director, Founder)

Beth Karlin, PhD, is Research Director at the University of Southern California’s Norman Lear Center, where she studies the impact of entertainment on society. Current projects investigate a wide variety of topics, including solutions journalism, cultural diplomacy, science engagement, and virtual reality. In addition to her role at the University, Beth founded the See Change Institute, which brings together leading academics to work with government, private, and non-profit organizations on strategy, implementation, and evaluation of energy efficiency and behavior change programs. She has published her work in venues ranging from Psychological Bulletin to Peace Studies (as well as some that don’t start with the letter “p”) and lectures regularly on Transformational Media and the Psychology of Sustainability. Before receiving her Ph.D. in Social Ecology, Beth spent nearly a decade working in K-12 education, holding positions as a teacher, counselor, and school administrator. She believes that the role of a researcher is not only to better understand the world but also to improve it and hopes that her work is able to serve both purposes.

Agathe Dalisson (Media Consultant, Filmmaker)

Agathe Dalisson is a dynamic and creative filmmaker and media expert, with over 14 years of experience in the field of media development. She believes media and media products can have huge impact on development, social justice, and people's ability to become change makers. After graduating from the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES) of UCL in 2001, she joined Internews Europe, a leading media development organisation. Her work with Internews enabled her to engage with local media, social justice activists and development players in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Among other things, she set up the successful Afghan NGO Nai, and its training center for professional journalists in 2005; she created two high profile global media awards with the active participation and back up of leading activists and Nobel Prize winners (the Every Human Has Rights Media Awards in 2008 and the Earth Journalism Awards in 2009); and she helped produce 100s of hours of news and information programs with local and community media. In 2010, she decided to turn to filmmaking and attended the National Film and Television School (NFTS) Summerdocs program for media professionals. Based in the South of France, Agathe now continues to work as a media development consultant while developing her documentary film projects.

Claudia Flores (Creative Director, Communications Consultant)

Claudia Flores is a social and political communications consultant, with expertize in audiovisual and digital media messaging and strategy. Dedicated to advancing social consciousness and reform through integrative design thinking, Claudia's career includes working as a counselor for the presidency of Mexico through the Representative Office of Development for Indigenous People, ORDPI, and for the General Consulate of Mexico in Los Angeles, launching programs dedicated to the empowerment and support of immigrant families. She is the Founder and Creative Director of "The Angel Station" and "Servicios y Practicas de Integridad" specializing in strategic communications, and collaborative work for conscious creative media and interactive methodology for societal advancement. Claudia designs and implements creative ways for media to be interactive and have universal access. In addition to graduates and studies in Sociology and Anthropology, Claudia is a certified Professional Life Coach. She holds a BA in International Relations and Political Science and a Masters degree in Psychology. By virtue of Claudia's experience, her work focuses on strategies in problem solving by "building reliable bridges" allowing empathetic connectivity to be as dynamic as technology, activating integrative communications for the development of communities and the human condition all over the world.

Darius Fisher (Producer, Filmmaker)

Darius Fisher is the producer, founder and president of Digital Neural Axis (DNA) a production and post boutique based in Los Angeles. Darius’ work has been Oscar short-listed and featured at Tribeca, Sundance and the Cannes Film Festival. He produced and co-produced 6 award winning documentary features including, Bhutto (Emmy nominee, Peabody winner), Fuel (Sundance winner), The Big Fix (Cannes official selection), and numerous trailers, including the funding trailer that led to the financing of James Cameron’s Avatar.

Jennifer Lentfer (Development Consultant, Writer)

Jennifer Lentfer works to place grassroots-driven development initiatives, which can be more genuinely responsive to local needs, at the forefront of international aid, philanthropy, and social enterprise. She is the creator of the blog, how-matters.org, and was named as one of Foreign Policy Magazine’s “100 women to follow on Twitter.” Lentfer has worked with over 300 grassroots organizations in sub-Saharan Africa, focused on organizational development and learning. Over the past decade, she has served with various international organizations in Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia, and the U.S. including Oxfam, American Red Cross, Firelight Foundation, Catholic Relief Services, and UNICEF.

Shawn Humphrey (Innovator, Development Consultant, Educator)

Shawn is the founder of the Two Dollar Challenge, La Ceiba Microfinance, the Month of Microfinance and the Poverty Action Conference. He is also on the Board of Directors of "Students Helping Honduras," a former mentor at the Clinton Global Initiative University, Opportunity Collaboration alum, and IMAGINE Social Good’s 1st Social Good Fellow. He is currently an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Mary Washington (since 2005), where he practices his personal pedagogy of Tribal Teaching.

Gentry Lane (Virtual Reality Producer, Social Impact Strategist)

Gentry Lane is the CEO of TDO Productions, a social impact-focused Virtual Reality studio.  TDO Productions helps changemakers harness the storytelling power of VR for action, fundraising & awareness campaigns.   Ms. Lane is a VR veteran, industry thought leader, evangelist & startup mentor. She sits on the BOD of several technology start ups as well as the Los Angeles chapter of Ellevate, a professional women's investment network.

The annual SIMA Awards celebrate the best impact filmmaking from around the world that inspires activism, compassion and social transformation. Each year, films are selected from over 140 countries, competing for awards, cash prizes, industry accolades, media features, distribution opportunities, and entry into SIMA’s signature film programs. 

JUDGING

SIMA's JURY consists of award-winning media industry leaders, impact producers, educators, film and humanitarian professionals who select winners for each award category and jury prize. Films are judged on their potential to ignite critical consciousness through concept, direction, integrity and creativity, and their ability to inspire awareness, dialogues, actions, and best practices through outstanding storytelling for progressive social change.

ENTRY CATEGORIES & AWARDS

DOCUMENTARY FILMS (FEATURES & SHORTS) 

• Finalists are eligible for entry into the SIMA Collection and SIMA Traveling Series
• Winners may be featured at the SIMA 2017 Festival in Los Angeles, California

AWARDS

Best Feature Documentary | Best Director | Best Cinematography | Best Editing | Best Sound Editing

JURY PRIZES < $1000 per category

Transparency | Stylistic Achievement | Ethos | Lens to Action

VIRTUAL REALITY (VR)

• Finalists are eligible for entry into the SIMA Collection, SIMA Traveling Series and SIMA Classroom
• Winners may be featured at the SIMA 2017 Festival in Los Angeles, California

AWARDS

Best VR Experience | Best Director | Best Cinematography | Best Editing | Best Sound Experience

JURY PRIZES < $1000 per category

Immersive Impact | Experimental Advocacy | Journalistic Achievement

IMPACT VIDEOS (INNOVATIONS & CREATIVE IMPACT)

• Finalists are eligible for entry into the SIMA Collection, SIMA Traveling Series and SIMA Classroom
• Winners may be featured at the SIMA 2017 Festival in Los Angeles, California

AWARDS

Humanitas | Creative Activism

JURY PRIZES < $500 per category

Innovation |  Impact