FAQ

What is Cinematexas?

Cinematexas is an international short film, arts, music and politics festival in Austin, TX dedicated to showcasing work from emerging and established artists from Austin and the rest of the world. Cinematexas has evolved into the most cultivated short-film festival in the US, with an established international reputation as a festival of reference and a faithful audience of several thousand short-film lovers. This year’s festival will be held September 22-26.

How do I volunteer?

We are always looking for dedicated volunteers, who want to experience Cinematexas. Our biggest search for volunteers comes in late August, early September. This is when we look for volunteers to actually work during the festival. Here you will be able to do anything from box office management to hospitality to transportation. No matter what time of year, with all of your information and someone will get back to you quickly about any available volunteer positions.

How do I become a member?

Becoming a member is easy and incredibly valuable. All you need to do is visit our website! You can either download the membership form and send it in with a check or credit card information, OR you can simply pay online with your credit card.

How can I become a sponsor?

We are always happy to accept new sponsors! We need everything from in-kind sponsorships to monetary donations. If you would like sponsorship information please contact Laurel Row, the Managing Director.

How can I be an intern for the festival?

We have many exciting internship opportunities for the right person. We usually search for interns in the spring, and expect them to work through the festival (September).

Where is the festival going to be?

The festival is located throughout Austin. Our major venue locations are the Hideout Downtown (6th and Congress), The Texas Union Theater (UT Campus), The Arthouse Downtown (6th and Congress) and the Alamo Drafthouse (4th and Colorado). As it gets closer to the festival, we will post a detailed schedule of events with information about all the venues.

Where can I stay during the festival?

During the festival there are hotels rooms available at a discount. We can also provide you with a free couch or bed in a wonderful Austinite’s home. Please contact Ashley Kosatka if you need help. Austin is full of wonderful locally owned hotels and motels in the downtown area that will also be a great place to stay during the festival.

How much will tickets be?

Tickets range from $5-20 depending on what type of event it is. For non-festival events we usually charge $6 for general admissions and $5 for students (with a valid ID). During the festival, we sell passes ranging from $15 - $50 depending on how many events each pass allows entry to. We also sell individual tickets to screenings that cost $5 or $6. Please be aware that every event is subject to its own ticket prices depending on the venue and the nature of the program. As it gets closer to the festival, there will be specific information about ticket prices for the festival.

Where can I get tickets?

You can buy tickets and passes on our website or at Waterloo Records. During the festival you can purchase tickets at the various venues.

What are some non-festival events?

We have events throughout the year to support the festival. One of our most popular events is our Fourth of July show at Club Deville. As far as specific upcoming events, keep checking the website for information on scheduled events.

What kind of awards do you give out?

Awards may include cash, services, and/or equipment, with an average annual total over $10,000 in cash and in-kind prizes. For both International and Student Competitions, awards include four equal Gecko Awards, a No Budget Award for a project that achieves conspicuously rich results from conspicuously limited resources, the Audience Award, and awards for screenplay, cinematography, editing, and documentary.

My film isn’t quite finished, can I still submit it to Cinematexas?

Works in progress may be submitted for pre-selection with the understanding that the film must be completed and available before the festival begins.

What is Cinematexas's mission statement?

Cinematexas seeks to provoke, expose and explore the short format as the last true laboratory of cinema by selecting films that are brave in their brevity and expand the ever evolving, crucial landscape of cinema through their defiance of tired tropes, stale genres and vacuous representation, whether celluloid or digital.

What is Parallax View?

Parallax View is a forum for media-based artwork and dialogue that takes a critical position on contemporary political issues. It provides a way to challenge dominant ideologies while providing alternative views.

What is Terra Cognita?

Terra Cognita is a series of moving image installations. This sidebar focuses on unselfconscious genre mixing, mistaken identities, activist art, and an emergent post-human nostalgia for a sci-fi past. Terra Cognita reclaims public space with moving image installations and interventions throughout the city of Austin.

What is Eye and Ear?

Eye + Ear explores the relationship between sound and image as a crucial interface to explore. It looks at the visual as a new way to talk about time, space and the human image while sound provides a continuation through other means.

What is Cinemakids?

Cinemakids was introduced to Cinematexas in 2000 to honor young filmmakers who are actively producing visual art, as well as to motivate other youth to become more engaged in media production. In addition to displaying the art of young media producers, Cinemakids includes a workshop for Austin youth to get involved in the film world.

How do we choose our special guests?

Our special guests are chosen based on their discipline and availability during the festival.

What kind of films do we show?

We do not stick to one kind of film or genre. We are open to anything from experimental films to comedies, documentaries to narratives. If you are interested in submitting your film to our competition, the only thing to be concerned about is length. We only except films that are 60 minutes or shorter.

How can I submit my film to the competition?

There are only two categories for the films in the festival. The first is the University of Texas Student Competition. You must have been a UT student when you made your film to be eligible for this category and it must have been made in the last year. Everyone else is part of the International Competition. This does not mean that you have to live outside of the United States to be in the competition. It simply means that you aren’t a UT student. In the spring we start sending out our call for entries to prospective filmmakers.

What formats do you accept?

All submissions must be available for festival screening in Super 8, 16mm, 35mm, Beta SP, or DVD. Cinematexas must receive all selected work in its exhibition format within a week of the festival or the VHS preview tape may be used. Pre-screening copies may be submitted on VHS (NTSC or PAL) in SP mode or on DVD.

I want to be on the mailing list, how can I do that?

You can join the mailing list simply by sending your information to with mailing list in the header.