Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival 2027: Experimental Film and Artists’ Moving Image Open Call, 30 October Deadline
Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival has opened submissions for its 2027 edition in Hawick, in the Scottish Borders, United Kingdom. The festival is dedicated to experimental cinema, artists’ moving image, moving-image exhibitions and interdisciplinary moving-image presentation. Its next event is scheduled for 29 April to 2 May 2027. The organiser’s FilmFreeway page lists 30 October 2026 as the regular submission deadline, giving filmmakers and media artists a defined date to enter. It is an international programme, not an opportunity limited to artists resident in Scotland.
Key dates, location and entry route
The 2027 festival is scheduled for 29 April–2 May 2027, in Hawick, Scotland. FilmFreeway lists 30 April 2026 as the opening of the submission period, 7 August as the early-bird date, 30 October 2026 as the regular deadline and 11 February 2027 as the notification date. Selected artists may be contacted before the listed notification date. Applicants should use the current FilmFreeway submission page and check any last-minute changes to submission availability, categories or fee bands rather than relying solely on a reposted deadline.
What kinds of artworks is Alchemy looking for?
Alchemy describes itself as a non-competitive festival of experimental film and artists’ moving image. Its programme combines cinema screenings, live performances, exhibitions and new commissions, and emphasises cinema that crosses boundaries with the visual arts. Work that experiments with image, time, montage, documentary form, material processes, sound, performance or the relationship between projected image and exhibition space may be relevant. The festival does not promise acceptance of every format simply because it is unusual; the programme is curated.
Multi-channel installations are explicitly addressed in the entry rules. Artists submitting installation-based work are asked to provide detailed documentation where possible and explain essential requirements for space and technical equipment. The organiser states that it provides dedicated technical support during installation and de-installation. This is particularly relevant to moving-image artists working with several synchronized projections, spatial configurations or hybrid exhibition formats. Applications should make the experience legible to curators without assuming a cinema screen can accommodate every installation.
Can older works or previously screened films be submitted?
The organiser states that there is no formal premiere-status restriction. A film does not need to be a world premiere or a UK premiere to be eligible. Alchemy nevertheless prefers not to screen work that has already been widely shown in Scotland, and says it will favour films completed after 1 January 2026. These are curatorial preferences, not a rule automatically excluding every earlier work. Artists should give honest screening histories and completion dates rather than presenting a previously circulated film as a premiere.
Submission fees: pay what you can afford
This is not a free-to-enter call. Alchemy offers a sliding-scale, pay-what-you-can-afford submission structure and asks applicants to choose a band honestly, without requiring evidence of income or personal circumstances. At the regular deadline, the listed standard fee choices are £14, £17 or £20 depending on the applicant’s financial situation. The earlier early-bird bands were £12, £15 and £18 respectively. FilmFreeway Gold members may see discounted rates. Applicants should confirm the exact total, tax treatment if applicable and currency displayed during checkout.
An entry fee must not be mistaken for an artist payment. Alchemy separately states that all selected artists are remunerated for their work, with screening fees paid to artists whose work is included. The public submission page does not provide one universal screening-fee amount that every selected contributor is guaranteed to receive. Entry fees do not entitle the applicant to selection, reimbursement or a screening slot.
Film formats, subtitles and accessibility
The festival can screen DCP in a Digital Cinema Initiatives-compliant cinema auditorium and accepts most common digital film formats. The submission guidelines explain that Alchemy commissions descriptive subtitles for Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences, known as SDH captions, where they are not already available. Artists should therefore preserve accurate dialogue, sound and language information and be ready to work with organisers on exhibition materials and accessible screening versions.
If selected, the festival asks for final screening files within one week of notification. Digital materials can ordinarily be transferred through a downloadable link or a file-transfer service; the organiser tests playback files in advance. Failure to meet delivery timelines can lead to withdrawal from the programme because organisers must safeguard the screenings of other selected films. Applicants with complicated installation specifications should communicate technical needs as early as possible.
Why this opportunity matters to digital and media artists
Unlike competitive awards that rank films and announce a first prize, Alchemy describes its programme as proudly non-competitive. The opportunity is therefore best understood as a curated international presentation of experimental practice, accompanied by artist remuneration rather than a cash-prize contest. It may be attractive to independent filmmakers, moving-image artists, sound-and-image collaborators, digital cinema experimenters and artists making site-specific multi-channel work.
The festival takes place in the Scottish Borders and is produced by Alchemy Film & Arts, an organisation working with artists and local communities year-round. Its approach connects screenings and visual-art practice with public engagement. The distinction matters when choosing which project to submit: work made to provoke conversation, challenge the conventions of film exhibition or engage unusual visual languages may fit the organiser’s stated identity more closely than a conventional commercial showreel.
A practical application checklist
Before submitting, prepare a clear synopsis, accurate running time and production date, a working preview file, any relevant language and caption information, and a concise technical note explaining intended presentation conditions. For multi-channel installations, describe the number of channels, synchronization needs, projector or monitor requirements and spatial arrangement. These are preparation recommendations; the authoritative list of mandatory fields and permitted upload formats appears in the live FilmFreeway entry form.
Check whether your work has already been screened extensively in Scotland, and accurately disclose this if asked. If you are submitting with collaborators, make sure you have the rights to use images, sound, music, archival content and performers’ contributions in a festival context. The organiser may contact selected applicants by February 2027, so monitor the email address attached to your FilmFreeway profile and keep exhibition files accessible.
Where to apply and what to verify
Information checked 16 October 2026. Applications are made through Alchemy’s official FilmFreeway listing, which includes the deadline, selectable fee bands, submission rules and entry buttons. Since this is a paid application, review current pricing and submission terms before paying; no separate intermediary is required to submit. The festival website and submitted applicant communications take precedence if practical details change.
Official Alchemy Film and Moving Image Festival — FilmFreeway submissions and rules: https://filmfreeway.com/alchemyfilmandarts
Film London — current artist opportunities listing referencing the Alchemy deadline: https://filmlondon.org.uk/resource/artist-opportunities