Organizer Information
The International Bad Video Art Festival (BVAF) is an independent, artist-run initiative founded in 2017 by video artists and B-movie enthusiasts Natalia Monakhova and Andrey Slaschilin. The festival was created to explore whether a category of "bad" video art exists in the way that B-movies have long formed their own recognized cultural niche, and to study extreme, deliberately or accidentally poor forms of video art as a distinct artistic category. Past editions have travelled internationally, including in Moscow, at the artist-run space L.A.M.A. in Cosenza, Italy, and online via the platform Visualcontainer TV. The 9th edition will be hosted at Civico 23 Art Space in Salerno, Italy.
Title & Description
IX International Bad Video Art Festival — Open Call 2026
The 9th edition of the Bad Video Art Festival will take place in November 2026 at Civico 23 Art Space in Salerno, Italy. The festival is looking for video works positioned at the intersection of bad art, bad painting, and bad cinema — works the curators propose to study and single out as "bad videos" or "B-videos," examining the issue of quality and boundaries in art. Applicants are asked to submit work meeting at least one of three criteria: technically poor execution (e.g. low resolution, poor exposure, lack of stabilization, wrong focus, bad sound or editing, incorrect color correction); a lack of content (irrelevant, empty, purposeless, or conceptless); or conscious or unconscious use of camp, trash, or B-movie aesthetics. When applying, artists are asked to explain why they consider their video "bad"; a concept statement is optional.
Theme
Bad video art — works exploring the intersection of bad art, bad painting, and bad cinema, examined through the lens of quality and boundaries in art.
Categories
- Video/Film
- Multimedia
- New Media
Eligibility
- International, open to video artists and collectives worldwide
- One video per artist/collective accepted for consideration
- Video length must be between 1 and 8 minutes
- Animation is not accepted
- Videos made by people under 18 are not accepted
- Family home videos are not accepted
- Pornographic content is not accepted
- If the video contains dialogue in a language other than Italian, Italian subtitles must be added, or an SRT file must be provided so the organizers can assist with translation (the festival is held in Italy)
Program Benefits & Awards
- Inclusion in the 9th International Bad Video Art Festival screening/exhibition at Civico 23 Art Space, Salerno, Italy, in November 2026
- No screening fee is paid to artists, as the festival states it is a non-profit, artist-run initiative unable to offer compensation for screenings
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application, via Google Form. The source does not include the form link directly; applicants experiencing technical problems with the form are directed to email badvideoart@gmail.com.
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 5 October 2026
- Festival Dates: November 2026
Location
Civico 23 Art Space, Salerno, Italy
Additional Details
- When submitting, applicants must explain why they consider their video to be "bad"; submitting a concept statement is optional even if one exists
- The direct Google Form application link is not included in the source text; applicants are directed to the organizers' contact channels for access or assistance
- Contact: badvideoart@gmail.com
- Social channels: Facebook (facebook.com/badvideoart), YouTube (BVAF channel), Instagram (@badvideoart)