Theater, art gallery invite submissions for sustainability festival

The Sustainable Stories Film Fest will take place at University of Houston-Clear Lake's Bayou Theater, along with a jointly-themed exhibition in the UHCL Art Gallery Nov. 17 and 19, with the goal of screening and recognizing short films about sustainable solutions and lifestyles.

UH-Clear Lake students and local filmmakers are invited to submit films up to seven minutes long for review and possible public screening in the theater. Artists who would like to showcase their theme-relevant sculptures, paintings, drawings or graphic designs are also invited to send their submissions.

The deadline for all submissions is Oct. 15.

"We have had some wonderful submissions on topics related to sustainability, and we invite people to send us their films," said Associate Professor of Communications and Digital Media Michael Brims. "The films aren't always narrative; they can be experimental or non-traditional. Some might be screened in the Bayou Theater, others might be shown on a projector in the Art Gallery."

Cultural Arts Director Eric Despard said the idea for an art exhibition evolved when they realized it was a way to showcase ideas that don't necessarily fit into the category of film. "The Art Gallery will showcase a virtual reality submission, and include other media such as sculpture and two-dimensional art," he said. "The only requirement to submit your art or film is that it must be related to sustainability."

Brims said the film festival will expose the UHCL community as well as the larger local community to new ideas about sustainability, as well as empower filmmakers who are working on related topics.

"The films will be selected for the screenings by professionals in the areas of filmmaking and sustainability," Brims said.

For more information about how to submit artwork or film, visit the Sustainable Stories website.