The Cosmic Rays Film Festival is now accepting submissions from August 24 - November 16, 2026.
Now in its ninth year, Cosmic Rays is an annual celebration of short films that expand our idea of what film is and what it can be.
The Festival presents several programs of experimental short films that are formally inventive; that explore hybrid forms and the hard-to-describe spaces between filmmaking modes and genres; that speak with a personal voice; and that are inspired by the possibilities of film as art.
Celebrating its 8th edition, Cosmic Rays Film Festival is an annual celebration of non-commercial short films that extend the idea of film as art. We are accepting submissions August 22 - November 16, 2025.
Open Call for 2025 Cosmic Rays Film Festival: A Festival of Experimental, Essay, First Person, and Artists' Film
Now in its 7th year, Cosmic Rays is an annual celebration of non-commercial short films that extend the idea of film as art. We are accepting submissions August 1 - November 15, 2024. Visit https://filmfreeway.com/CosmicRaysFilmFestival to learn more and submit your film.
The 3rd Cosmic Rays Film Festival will beam into Chapel Hill on Thursday, March 5th and Friday, March 6th, to present 6 programs of performances and film screenings that explore the artistic possibilities of film and media. All events including all screenings and performances are free and open to the public. Screenings will be held at the historic Varsity Theater (123 E. Franklin Street), and performances will be held at Nightlight (405 ½ W. Rosemary Street).
Dates:
Thursday, March 5, 2020 (All day) to Friday, March 6, 2020 (All day)
Cosmic Rays screens non-commercial short films that broaden the idea of film as art. We are looking for work that experiments with the formal possibilities of film and video; that explores hybrid forms and the hard-to-describe spaces between filmmaking modes and genres; that speaks with a personal or poetic voice, or explores novel ways of telling stories; that eschews convention and commerce; and that expands our sense of what film is and what it can be.
Cosmic Rays screens non-commercial short films that broaden the idea of film as art. We are looking for work that experiments with the formal possibilities of film and video; that explores hybrid forms and the hard-to-describe spaces between filmmaking modes and genres; that speaks with a personal or poetic voice, or explores novel ways of telling stories; that eschews convention and commerce; and that expands our sense of what film is and what it can be.
