Visual AIDS invites artists and filmmakers to submit proposals for new video works focusing on harm reduction, drug use, and their intersection with HIV. Selected videos will premiere on December 1, 2025, at over 150 venues worldwide as part of Day With(out) Art / World AIDS Day.

Up to five artists will receive a $3,000 honorarium to produce a short video (6–8 minutes) for Day With(out) Art 2025. Visual AIDS will commission five short videos centered on the experiences of drug users and harm reduction practices in the context of the ongoing HIV crisis. The program will highlight the role of harm reduction in saving lives and providing community support.

Possible Video Directions:

• Share unspoken histories or new harm reduction approaches.
• Reposition of drug use narratives from personal failings to systemic issues.
• Focus on pleasure, sexuality, and community support among users.
• Highlight the role of drugs in pain and anxiety relief during the AIDS epidemic.
• Explore drug use across different racial, gendered, and geographical contexts.
• Discuss loss, remembrance, and memorial for those living with HIV.
• Examine sobriety and personal journeys.
• Investigate the carceral system and envision decriminalization and restorative justice.
• Emphasize AIDS activists’ contributions to drug legalization.
• Showcase experimental or abstract views of drug experiences.

Proposals should connect HIV and drug use/harm reduction in innovative ways, honoring the humanity of drug users and emphasizing first-person perspectives.

Key Details and Dates

• Application Deadline: June 26, 2024 (11:59 PM EDT)
• Result Announcement Dates: All applicants will be notified by September 2024
• Any Important Dates:
  • Commissioned videos delivered by July 1, 2025
  • Videos premiere on December 1, 2025
• Funding Type: Honorarium
• Organizer: Visual AIDS
• Eligible Countries: Open to all
• Eligible Gender: Male/Female
• Target Group: Emerging and established artists and filmmakers
• Focus Area: Drug use, harm reduction, and HIV intersection
• Number of Opportunities: Up to five artists will be selected
• Duration: Short video work (6–8 minutes)
• Program Language: Proposals in English; videos can be in any language
• Host Country: United States (Visual AIDS headquarters), but open to international submissions

Benefits and Financial Aids

The benefits of the Call is as follows:

• Honorarium award of $3,000 per selected artist
• Additional Stipend towards mentoring and ambassadorial duties within the Visual AIDS community

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Applications are open to both emerging and established artists and filmmakers
• Collaborative proposals are welcome
• No geographic restrictions
• Applications are open to individuals regardless of HIV status
• Proposals should be submitted in English (with options for translation assistance)
• Encouragement for artists living with HIV to apply

Required Documents

Submit these requirements:

• 250-word video proposal
• Personal statement
• Work sample

Selection Process

• Proposals will be reviewed by a jury including Eva Dewa Masyitha, Heather Edney, Charles Ryan Long, and Leo Herrera.
• Evaluation based on:
  • Thematic relevance
  • Strength as artwork
  • Past work suggesting the ability to execute the project as described and on schedule

How to Apply?

• Prepare a 250-word video proposal detailing your concept.
• Write a personal statement outlining your background and interest in the project.
• Compile a work sample showcasing your previous work.
• Submit all materials through the provided Google Form (a Google account is required).

Proposal Submission

For additional details, refer to the Visual AIDS website or contact the Visual AIDS program managers:

• Blake Paskal, Programs Manager: [email protected]
• Kyle Croft, Executive Director: [email protected]
• J Triangular (for artists based in Africa or Asia): [email protected]