What is SMIBE?

SMIBE is a volunteer-run educational and professional organization that supports the advancement of moving image arts about the built environment. Who is SMIBE for? SMIBE welcomes anyone creating stories in moving images about the built environment. Who is SMIBE and what does SMIBE do? SMIBE was founded in 2007 by Bill Ferehawk and Sarah Lorenzen as a means to bring together the growing body of video and digital media about the built environment, to provide a forum where work can be exhibited, critiqued and discussed, and to advocate for the medium in broadcast and theatrical distribution. At this time SMIBE does not fund projects.

SMIBE accomplishes its goals in five ways:

• SMIBE brings people and ideas together through an annual online competition of moving images by college students and professionals. The competition submissions are available to view by the public and judged by a world-renowned panel of moving image artists and broadcast commissioning editors. Prizes are awarded to the winners.
  
• SMIBE advances the subjects of the built environment to decision makers in broadcast and theatrical distribution. Our goal is to see more programming on television and in theatrical distribution about the built environment.
  
• SMIBE supports the education and training of moving image arts about the built environment to participating educational institutions. This is accomplished by offering master classes to participating educational institutions around the country.
  
• SMIBE offers members peer review of grant applications and a focused peer-to-peer network that helps grant seekers develop funding strategies that work.
  
• SMIBE promotes ethical guidelines that help moving image artists develop projects with impeccable professionalism, because the behavior and ethics used in making projects determines their value in education and for broadcast.