The Des Moines Arts Festival has announced the addition of the Interrobang Film Festival to its 2008 roster of arts-centric activities. Film submissions for the inaugural Interrobang Film Festival are now being accepted, due postmarked by May 31, 2008, and public screenings of accepted films will take place at the Des Moines Arts Festival on June 27-29, 2008, in downtown Des Moines? Western Gateway Park.

?We are very excited to debut the Interrobang Film Festival in concert with the 2008 Des Moines Arts Festival,? Stephen King, Des Moines Arts Festival Executive Director said. ?Our goal is to support the growing film-making community, while also adding to the art forms celebrated at the Arts Festival, an event that has already established itself nationally as a premiere arts destination.?

The Des Moines Arts Festival has secured the leadership of Sam Tuomi to produce the Interrobang Film Festival. As the current Des Moines producer of the 48 Hour Film Project, Tuomi aims to continue the expansion of the Des Moines independent film scene. Focusing mainly on film production, Tuomi incorporates photography, transfer print making and digital creations into his continually expanding palette. Film works include two 16 mm shorts entitled Raw Energy and B.J. Dick, as well as the independent feature Tasty. Tuomi has also produced several short films for art installations and as part of national film contests such as the National Film Challenge.

The Interrobang Film Festival will combine a traditional film production competition with a public screening during the weekend of the Des Moines Arts Festival. Interrobang?s vision is to celebrate creativity, while promoting the widest array of film types possible.

Categories for entry in the competition include Feature, Mids, Shorts, Short Shorts, Documentary and Free Form. Entrants will have the option of applying in either the Professional or Student Competition. Feature films must be from 60-140 minutes in length, mids are films between 15-60 minutes long, shorts must not exceed 15 minutes in length, and short shorts can not exceed one minute in length. There is no application fee to submit films in the debut event.

Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of local jurors, and awards will be determined based on a Best of category system. Cash prizes will be awarded in various categories. Jurors will also award a Best Iowa Filmmaker Award to a production company or department that is a resident of the state of Iowa. Guests will have the opportunity to view accepted films at various times throughout the three days of the Des Moines Arts Festival.

All entrants must submit films on DVD or MiniDV, along with an official entry form. Submissions are due postmarked by May 31, 2008, and must be received by June 5, 2008. Download rules and regulations, and official entry forms at interrobangfilm.org.

The Des Moines Arts Festival is presented by The Des Moines Register, founded by the Des Moines Art Center and produced by Downtown Events Group. The Festival is sponsored by Prairie Meadows, Principal Financial Group, GuideOne Insurance, Meredith Corporation, Mercy Medical Center and U.S. Cellular.

Please direct questions regarding the Interrobang Film Festival to Sam Tuomi at samtuomi?gmail.com, or Kelley Crosbie at (515) 286-4923 or Kelley.Crosbie?desmoinesartsfestival.org.

Learn more about the Interrobang Film Festival at interrobangfilm.org. For more information on the Des Moines Arts Festival visit desmoinesartsfestival.org.