GAMESCENES

CFA: MAGIC CIRCLES: A LABORATORY OF VIRTUAL WORLDS (DEADLINE: JULY 1 2024)

MAGIC CIRCLES - A laboratory of virtual worlds
Online, Sep-Nov 2024
CAD$1000 + production support for participating projects
Read the full call and apply by July 1 2024

Seeking to investigate virtual worlds in all their wealth and diversity, the Magic Circles laboratory program invites practitioners from different areas to engage in an eight-week cycle of online discussions, tours, and experiments. We are looking for projects at any stage of development that explore the possibilities (and shortcomings) of virtual worlds. The laboratory is conceived as a sort of horizontal production residence, through which participants will be encouraged to support and guide each other in their online spaces of choice. Participating projects will receive a CAD$1000 stipend. Ad hoc production support may also be available on a case-by-case basis.

EXAMPLES OF ELIGIBLE PROJECTS INCLUDE

- Surveys of in-world ecosystems, economies, cultures, and communities;

- Development of world-specific interactive content (games, puzzles, automata, Turing-complete computers, Rube Goldberg machines, etc);

- Creation of in-world artworks and performances of any kind (sculpture, installation, exhibition, theater, concerts, etc.);

- In-world photography and filmmaking practices (video essays, fiction, experimental, etc.);

- Pocket and purpose-built worlds in private servers;

- Development or détournement of control/sensorial interfaces (accessibility hacks, mocap systems, teledildonics, etc.);

- Archaeology of defunct or discontinued platforms (MUDs, Habbo hotel, Club Penguin, The Palace, etc.).

And some virtual worlds we hope to explore include but are not limited to Second Life, VR Chat, Cluster, Minecraft, Roblox, Fortnite, World of Warcraft, EVE Online, Elder Scrolls Online, Red Dead Online, and what have you.

TO APPLY, please submit 1. a CV and/or portfolio; and 2. a cover letter outlining the virtual world-related project you are currently developing (max 500 words) to the address [email protected] by July 1. If you want, you may also submit additional materials about your proposed project in the form of links in the email body.

Magic Circles is committed to the diversity of publics as well as to free and open methodologies. The lab is supported by the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s MetaMetaverse project and the Zentrum für Netzkunst.

Magic Circles is directed by Dr.Gabriel Menotti and produced by Dr.Sojung Bahng. 

LINK: MAGIC CIRCLES

CFA: NOUVELLE BUG VOL. 3 (DEADLINE: JUNE 15 2024)

Il Varco and Lago Film Fest are delighted to announce the third edition of the internationally acclaimed residency, Nouvelle Bug. This unique program is dedicated to the exploration and production of cinema within the realms of video games and Artificial Intelligence. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Revine Lago, this intensive week-long experience combines webinars and live lessons designed to immerse participants in the experimental frontier of Cinema. Under the guidance of the most renowned filmmakers in this niche, attendees will not only gain invaluable insights but also actively engage in the creation of avant-garde short films. Arrive with ideas and leave with a masterpiece that pushes the boundaries of traditional filmmaking.

The workshop is designed to familiarize participants with cutting-edge techniques, supporting them through the development and production phases of their short film projects. Moreover, these projects will have the opportunity to compete for awards offered by prestigious partners such as Gargantua Distribution, Gioia Film, Sayonara Film, and Lago Film Fest.

Participants will explore new aesthetics and solutions introduced by the widespread use of artificial intelligence, learning to adopt a machine-like perspective. This approach not only opens up new vistas for storytelling but also prompts a reflection on humanity’s god-like role in software creation and its implications for our future.

Through this workshop, filmmakers will embark on a journey to discover and harness the unique narrative power of digital worlds, translating them into compelling cinematic experiences. Nouvelle Bug stands as a beacon for those eager to pioneer the fusion of technology and art, offering a platform to redefine the essence of storytelling in the digital age.

TUTORS

The tutors for the workshop include:

• Andrea Gatopoulos, a Rome-based film producer and director with a background in Modern Literature from Sapienza University, Rome. His work, which explores virtual environments, includes the project Bit-Reality and the short film Happy New Year, Jim, presented at the 54th Quinzaine des Réalisateurs in Cannes. His productions have been featured in over 100 festivals worldwide, such as Cannes, Venice, Rotterdam, and Camerimage.

• Ismaël Joffroy Chandoutis, an artist and filmmaker trained at Le Fresnoy, known for exploring the intersection of identity, technology, and the virtual world. His work Maalbeek,a deep dive into the fragmented memory of a Brussels terrorist attack victim, was selected for the 59th La Semaine de la Critique and won the 2022 César for Best Short Documentary.

• Total Refusal Crew, a pseudo-Marxist media guerrilla group focusing on the artistic intervention within mainstream video games to expose their underlying political messages. Their films have been showcased at numerous festivals, including Berlinale and Locarno, and their research has been featured in museums and art fairs globally.

• Gala Hernández López, an artist filmmaker and researcher applying a feminist and critical perspective to analyze discourses within virtual communities. Her film La Mécanique des fluides won the 2024 César for Best Documentary Short Film and the 2023 Experimental Work Award from la Scam (France), among other accolades. She regularly conducts workshops and lectures at prestigious institutions and festivals.

IMPORTANT DATES

March 28th 2024 Opening of the call for entries

June 15th 2024 Closing of the call for entries

June 28th 2024 Announcement of the 30 selected directors

August 18th 2024 Start of the workshop

October 1st 2024Selection of the winning project

Learn more

Apply

CALL FOR ART: FU:BAR (DEADLINE: AUGUST 10 2023)

/’fu:bar/ is an annual program focused on electronic experiments and research in contemporary error-themed digital art theory and practice.

/’fu:bar/ 2023 is focused on the practices and value of DIY – Do it yourself, but for others with&//in art SOFTWARE | METHODS | ARCHIVES | COMMUNITIES | THEORY and other relevant facets of our shared contemporary electronic culture.

This call is open to on-topic or general error-themed glitch work. The work can be submitted into 3 categories:

• MEDIA ART
• MEDIA THEORY
• SOFTWARE CODE

Exhibition applications (extended) deadline: August 10th 2023
Exhibition selection announcement: September 2023
Event program: Oct 7th – 13th 2023 @ MaMa / Zagreb & online

Festival website: https://fubar.space
Inquiries contact: [email protected] 

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Fubar is a project by the Format C Artist Organization. It’s supported by a number of collaborating authors and participating artists, as well as many program and media partners. The event program is financially supported by the Kultura nova Foundation, the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, the City of Zagreb as well as many glitch art supporters over the years.

LINK: /’fu:bar/ 2023

CALL FOR ARTWORKS: THE ART OF GAMES IN GREECE 2023

The Athens Digital Arts Festival (ADAF) and the Game Developers Association of Greece (GDA Greece) are organizing The Art of Games in Greece (A.G.G.) 2023, inviting creators to reimagine digital games in Greece.

This joint project aspires to promote game development in Greece and contribute to the recognition of digital game as a form of contemporary art while encouraging creators and audiences to engage in this field. A.G.G. consists of three complementary parts: the “Crown” and “Blossoms” competitions, and the “Pollen” series of seminars and workshops.

The competition section is focused on games related to the theme of ADAF 2023, “Welcome to the Uncanny”. Both competitions are exclusively for digital games made in Greece, accessible from computers. Winners and finalists, selected by a five-member jury, will exhibit their works on the festival’s online platform, where the audience can play and vote for their favorite games.

CROWN
Crown invites developers with existing games, which they have already announced or published, related to the theme “Welcome to the Uncanny” to submit them through the relevant form to claim mentions and promotion on the festival’s online platform during the event.

BLOSSOMS
Blossoms invites developers to create new games inspired by the theme of ADAF 2023 and claim a cash prize of €1000, in addition to the awards and the promotion on the online platform of the festival.

POLLEN
Pollen, the educational component of A.G.G., consists of a series of sessions aimed at introducing new creators to game development by established professionals in the field. These sessions will be freely accessible on the festival’s online platform.
The detailed program of Pollen will be announced soon.

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The Athens Digital Arts Festival and the Game Developers Association of Greece are working together to highlight the digital game as a work of art. The Art of Games in Greece aspires to create a new point of interest for the development of digital games in Greece and promote them both locally and internationally.

Find more information click here

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*/ The Art of Games in Greece 2023: Κάλεσμα Συμμετοχής

Το διεθνές φεστιβάλ ψηφιακών τεχνών της Ελλάδας, Athens Digital Arts Festival (ADAF) και ο Σύλλογος Δημιουργών Ψηφιακών Παιχνιδιών Ελλάδος (GDA Greece) διοργανώνουν το The Art of Games in Greece (A.G.G.) 2023 και καλούν τους δημιουργούς να επανοραματιστούν το ψηφιακό παιχνίδι στην Ελλάδα.

Η κοινή αυτή δράση φιλοδοξεί να προωθήσει τη δημιουργία ψηφιακών παιχνιδιών (game development) στην Ελλάδα και να συμβάλει στην ανάδειξή τους ως μορφή σύγχρονης τέχνης, παροτρύνοντας συγχρόνως δημιουργούς και κοινό να εμπλακούν με το πεδίο των ψηφιακών παιχνιδιών. Το A.G.G. απαρτίζεται από τρία συμπληρωματικά μέρη: τους διαγωνισμούς “Crown” και “Blossoms”, και τη σειρά σεμιναρίων και workshops “Pollen”.

Το διαγωνιστικό κομμάτι αφορά σε παιχνίδια που σχετίζονται με την θεματική του ADAF 2023 “Welcome to the Uncanny”. Και οι δυο διαγωνισμοί είναι αποκλειστικά για ψηφιακά παιχνίδια made in Greece, προσβάσιμα από ηλεκτρονικούς υπολογιστές. Νικητές και φιναλίστ, που θα επιλεγούν από πενταμελή κριτική επιτροπή, θα εκθέσουν τα έργα τους στην διαδικτυακή πλατφόρμα του φεστιβάλ όπου το κοινό θα μπορεί να παίξει και να ψηφίσει τα αγαπημένα του παιχνίδια.

CROWN
Tα Crown προσκαλούν developers με ήδη ανακοινωμένα ή δημοσιευμένα παιχνίδια που σχετίζονται με τη θεματική “Welcome to the Uncanny” και διαθέτουν δωρεάν demos να τα καταθέσουν μέσω της σχετικής φόρμας για να διεκδικήσουν μνείες και προβολή στην διαδικτυακή πλατφόρμα της διοργάνωσης κατά την διάρκεια του φεστιβάλ.

BLOSSOMS
Tα Blossoms καλούν τους developers να δημιουργήσουν νέα παιχνίδια που εμπνέονται από τη θεματική του ADAF 2023 και να διεκδικήσουν χρηματικό έπαθλο της τάξης των 1000€, επιπρόσθετα με τα βραβεία και την προβολή των έργων στην online πλατφόρμα του φεστιβάλ.

POLLEN
Tο Pollen, το εκπαιδευτικό τμήμα της διοργάνωσης, θα αποτελείται από μία σειρά συνεδριών με σκοπό την εισαγωγή νέων δημιουργών στην παραγωγή ψηφιακών παιχνιδιών (game development) από καταξιωμένα άτομα του χώρου. Οι συνεδρίες αυτές θα είναι προσβάσιμες δωρεάν στην διαδικτυακή πλατφόρμα της διοργάνωσης.
Το αναλυτικό πρόγραμμα του Pollen θα ανακοινωθεί σύντομα.

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Το Athens Digital Arts Festival και ο Σύλλογος Δημιουργών Ψηφιακών Παιχνιδιών Ελλάδος συνεργάζονται για να αναδείξουν τα ψηφιακά παιχνίδια ως καλλιτεχνικά έργα. Το The Art of Games in Greece φιλοδοξεί να δημιουργήσει έτσι μια νέα κοιτίδα ενδιαφέροντος για την ανάπτυξη του ψηφιακού παιχνιδιού στην Ελλάδα και την προώθησή τους τόσο σε εγχώριο όσο και διεθνές επίπεδο.

Περισσότερες πληροφορίες για τη συμμετοχή σας μπορείτε να βρείτε στο online.adaf.gr/GDA_the_art_of_games_in_greece_2023

CALL FOR ENTRIES: FILE 2023 (DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 15 2023)

 

One of the most exciting digital arts festivals in the world, FILE - Electronic Language International Festival has recently launched its 2023. After a three years hiatus, FILE is back in grand style. Applications will be open from December 19th to February 15th.

 

The 22nd Edition of the Electronic Language International Festival will take place at the FIESP Cultural Center, in São Paulo, from July 5th to August 27th 2023. The selected projects will also be able to collaborate in parallel events in different states of Brazil, also taking place in 2023. The submission is free of charge.

FILE 2023 focuses on four  categories: Electronic Sound, Interactive Art, Digital Language (including video games and machinima, VR and AR) and Educational.

Click here for more information about the submission process. (Thank you Clarissa!)

CALL FOR ARTWORKS: HOPS AHEAD: THE ART OF ALTERNATE HISTORIES, PRESENTS, AND FUTURES (DEADLINE: JULY 31 2022)

The International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling (ICIDS) has released the 2022 Art Exhibition's call for work.

It's available here.

This year's curators are Clara Fernández-Vara and Nick Montfort, and the deadline is July 31.

This year's theme is "Hops Ahead: The Art of Alternate Histories, Presents, and Futures." It is inspired by the 60th anniversary of Julio Cortázar's novel Rayuela (in English, Hopscotch), which connected a well-known game with the novel in February 1963, inviting readers to encounter the text in more than one order. We welcome submissions that explore the potential of interactive narrative to envision alternate and future realities in the following themes

• Alternate histories, presents, and futures
•  Social connection and disconnection
• Cultural universals and differences
• Working across languages
• Playful words and languages

Artworks are welcome in (at least) the following forms and formats:

• Browser-based interactive digital art
• Electronic literature
• Parser-based interactive fiction
• Narrative-driven games
• Twine games/"Twines"
• Visual novels
• HTML5 narratives / games
• Bitsy games
• Art installations
• AR, VR, and XR works

 

LINK: Hops Ahead: The Art of Alternate Histories, Presents, and Futures

REMINDER: CALL FOR ARTWORKS_MILAN MACHINIMA FESTIVAL 2022 : ONE WEEK LEFT!

The MILAN MACHINIMA FESTIVAL is an annual event showcasing audiovisual non-interactive works produced with video games otherwise known as machinima.

The fifth edition will take place between March 21-27 in Milan, Italy.

The call for submissions is open until December 15 2021.

Check out the past editions: MMF 2021, MMF 2020, MMF 2019, MMF 2018

LINK: MMF 2022

CALL FOR ARTWORKS: [RE|DIS]CONNECTION (DEADLINE: AUGUST 31)

ICIDS 2021 Art Exhibition – Curatorial theme: [Re|Dis]Connection

“City rooftops from the Radisson Blu hotel” by Stephen Colebourne is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

The ICIDS 2021 Art Exhibition provides a platform for artists, makers and creators to explore interactive storytelling from the perspective of a particular curatorial theme: 

[Re|Dis]Connection 

The curatorial team seeks to inspire proposals with the following open questions:

• How might interactive storytelling aid or represent experiences of reconnection?
• What effect might sensations of disconnection (from each other, from technology, from the internet) have on interactive storytelling?
• How far do the connections and disconnections (between different technologies, methodologies, creative practices, creators, story nodes etc etc) shape interactive storytelling?

This year, the exhibition will be held in connection with the ICIDS conference in Tallinn, Estonia, which runs from 7-10 of December. It will be open to the public under free admission at a venue to be announced later. A virtual catalogue of the works will be hosted online by the conference, and descriptions and scholarship published by Carnegie Mellon ETC Press in a peer-reviewed, ISBN-numbered volume in the year following the exhibition.

The ICIDS Art Exhibition welcomes proposals for interactive digital storytelling artworks that explore the curatorial theme [Re|Dis]Connection, and that engage with the challenge of combining computational digital media and storytelling. Artworks can include, but are not limited to:

• screen-based computational works;
• web-based works,
• interactive installations;
• augmented, virtual, and mixed reality,
• mobile and location-based works;
• computer games;
• interactive documentaries;
• transmedia works;
• and any other artistic works that involve some combination of computational and/or rule-based system and interactive storytelling.

August 31, 2021 (11:59 pm, Eastern European Summer Time) artwork proposal submission deadline.

ICIDS is the premier conference for researchers and practitioners concerned with studying digital interactive forms of narrative from a variety of perspectives, including theoretical, technological, and applied design lenses. The annual conference is an interdisciplinary gathering that combines technology-focused approaches with humanities-inspired theoretical inquiry, empirical research and artistic expression. This year is the 14th edition of the conference. ICIDS is the main academic conference of the Association for Research in Digital Interactive Narratives (ARDIN).

A downloadable version of this call can be found here: pdf | plain text

Full call available here

CALL FOR ARTWORKS: PUBLIC ART CALIFORNIA COLLECTION

Dyson & Womack, public art curators, are working with the State of California to select artists and artworks to be included in the Digital Art Call for Entries for the Public Art CA collection. Public Art CA is a contemporary art collection commissioned for the California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) and the California Health and Human Services (CHHS) new buildings in downtown Sacramento. The call centers digital artworks on a 32.5ft high 24ft wide digital display within the CNRA building. This opportunity embraces a contemporary and accessible concept of what public art is, who makes it, and for whom it is for. Dyson & Womack is seeking to commission artists and artworks that consider experimentation, innovation, and inclusion as central components of creation.

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Press release:

Interested in creating your own public art showcase of digital media or working with Dyson & Womack? We are available for new projects now. Contact us with any questions or if you would like any additional information on our services. 

Digital media artists, Dyson & Womack are accepting submissions for the Public Art CA digital media call for entries. Submit your ideas for new or existing digital artworks to join our latest public art collection for the State of California. Have a question or just want to learn more? Join one of our upcoming online artist information sessions for more info on how to apply. Artists working across all forms of digital media are welcome to apply - link @dysonwomack. 

Video still, artwork by Allison Janae Hamilton @allisonjanaehamilton

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Los artistas de medios digitales, Dyson & Womack están aceptando presentaciones para la participación en la convocatoria de medios digitales de Public Art CA. Envíe sus ideas para obras de arte digitales nuevas o existentes para ser parte de nuestra última colección de arte público para el estado de California. ¿Tiene alguna pregunta o simplemente desea obtener más información? Únase a una de nuestras próximas sesiones de información para artistas en línea para obtener más información sobre cómo aplicar. Artistas que trabajan en todas formas de medios digitales estan bienveinidos a aplicar. Enlace @dysonwomack.

Official Tags and Hashtags: @dysonwomack @calartscouncil #publicartca #dysonwomack 

Video still, artwork by Eve-Lauryn LaFountain @songsoffilm

For more information, deadlines, formats and more, check the attached PDF: CNRA_Media Wall_RFP

CALL FOR ENTRIES: MILAN MACHINIMA FESTIVAL 2022 (DEADLINE: DECEMBER 15, 2021)

The fifth edition of the MACHINIMA FILM FESTIVAL will once again take place at IULM University (Milan, Italy) during the Milano Digital Week, which celebrates the driving forces that are reshaping art, culture, and technology of Italy’s most vibrant city.

Filmmakers and video artists engaged in the practice of appropriating, repurposing, and remixing video games are encouraged to send us their work for consideration. All submissions will be judged by an international panel of jurors comprising scholars, curators, and critics. A Critics' Choice Award will be awarded to the most groundbreaking work.

Screenings of selected machinima will be curated around different themes and presented in different sections. The most interesting submissions are those which seek to capture or highlight a specific facet of contemporary life, from politics to art, from violence to creativity, from technology to ideology, through the aesthetic lenses of digital gaming.

The deadline for submissions is December 15, 2021

The full program will be announced in February 2022

Please carefully read our simple submission guidelines and requirements below before sending your work.

INTERNATIONAL OPEN CALL FOR NEW MEDIA ARTWORKS GUIDELINES:

The MILAN MACHINIMA FESTIVAL defines machinima as any digital video made using video games technology (game engines, game tools, assets such as characters, items, environments etc.).

Submissions must feature machinima made with specifically with video games (not virtual worlds, e.g. Second Life).

Submissions must be 10 minutes or less in length. The minimum duration is 2 minutes.

Submissions must have been produced between January 1, 2021 and December 15, 2021.

Multiple versions of the same machinima will not be considered.

Acceptable submission formats: Digital video files only.

Acceptable exhibition formats: mp4, avi, mpg, Quicktime file (ProRes 422).

All applicants must complete the official festival submission form located on filmfreeway.com

One-time, nominal submission fee: 15 euros payable via PayPal to the festival organizers. Submissions that have not been accepted will not be refunded.

The applicant holds the sole responsibility of copyright clearance of any copyrighted material in the machinima.

The submission must include an accompanying artist statement/description and a biography no longer than 500 words.

The MMF is under no obligation to provide comments regarding submitted machinima to any applicant.

Submission deadline: December 15, 2021

Click the button to begin the process

LINK: MILAN MACHINIMA FESTIVAL