Since 1981, the mission of the Black Maria Film Festival has been to promote innovation in the art of the moving image. Films that are the centerpiece of the festival honor the vision of Thomas Edison. Edison’s employees thought his film studio resembled the so-called “Black Maria” paddy wagons, which is how the festival got its name. Black Maria is an international juried competition. We have embraced our mission for 37 years by focusing on short films including those, which shine a light on issues and struggles within contemporary society. We welcome all genres including narrative, experimental, animation, and documentary that push the boundaries of film. The festival’s juried collection of short films address topics such as public health, climate change, substance abuse, gun violence, sustainability, immigration, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ issues. Short films are celebrated as central to the festival - not as a sidebar to feature length films. Black Maria reaches out to audiences in settings including universities, museums, galleries, libraries, community-based religious and art organizations, art house cinemas, and schools. We visit far-flung inner city, rural, and suburban locations as diverse as Jersey City, NJ; Fond du Lac, Wisconsin; and Gloucestershire, UK. The artistic vision of Black Maria is inseparable from our mission. We expand public appreciation of short films as a vital art form through public exhibition. Through our national tour, we present unique opportunities for filmmakers working in the short form, to have their films shown across the US and abroad for a twelve-month period rather than merely a single screening in a single destination. We facilitate access to the work of these often-under-represented filmmakers whose exposure to the public has been limited by the dominance of commercial media outlets. These artists benefit greatly from wide exposure to diverse audiences through inclusion in the Black Maria’s festival tour, and often go on to submit their work to Black Maria year after year.

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1981