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Published triannually, we delve into film, TV, music videos, and celebrity culture through essays, conversations, and unconventional forms of criticism like film diaries, poetry, and comics.
Our focus is on the viewer, their viewing habits, highs, and hang-ups. Why can't we stop thinking about the exact shade of pink of Suki’s car in 2 Fast 2 Furious? Or the look on Marnie’s face after she’s fired the shotgun? Tell us what you're obsessed with, we want to hear all about it. But you should know that we’re terrible at keeping secrets.
So… are you in the mood?
Submissions are OPEN for In The Mood Magazine Issue 9: HOMETOWN! We’re looking for writing about film, TV, and pop culture related to your hometown—however you may define it. These could be films shot or set in your town, state/province, or country. Or maybe it’s a town you’ve always identified with, an invented hometown, or a hometown hero.
- Theme: HOMETOWN
- Deadline: December 31st, 2023
- Word count: 1,000 words max for features, 300 words max for Film Diaries
- Honorarium: $30 CAD for features, $20 CAD for Film Diaries
💡 Some ideas for inspiration:
- Cities pretending to be others (Vancouver as L.A., Toronto as New York)
- Films set in your hometown, school, or workplace (What do they get right/wrong? How does it affect the town's reputation?)
- Hometown heroes (stars or filmmakers from your hometown, what the hometown thinks of them) or celebrities that went to your school
- Movies that were big in your hometown (Phantom of the Paradise in Winnipeg, Bon Cop/Bad Cop in Ottawa)
- Imaginary hometowns (In the Mouth of Madness, Pleasantville)
- Films about places you wish were your hometown
- Film/TV production hotspots (Atlanta, New York, Vancouver, Toronto)
👇 Please read our guidelines before submitting:
Submission/Pitch Guidelines
Magazine: Submissions are open 3 times a year, and issues are themed. If you have an off-theme and/or timely pitch, consider sending it to our newsletter.
Newsletter: Submissions are always open, and we publish 1-2 times a month. We especially welcome timely pieces on new releases or seasonal topics (e.g. horror in October, summer films).
What We Publish
We’re looking for writers with a distinctive voice, who aren't afraid of getting personal, and who are curious about why we watch what we watch. We appreciate thoughtful analysis but also a playful tone; we want intelligent pieces that aren't too full of themselves. We don't think of ourselves as an authority, but a confidante.
🎬 We publish the following about film, TV, pop culture, and moving image media—click for some examples we love:
- Personal essays and non-academic essays
- Conversations, roundtable discussions, interviews
- Poetry
- Round-ups, lists
- Experimental pieces, fan fiction, spec scripts
- Games, questionnaires
- Visual art, comics
- First-person, on-the-ground pieces about going to movies or working behind the scenes
- Film Diaries (short personal piece about something you've watched lately)
- Anniversary pieces (but try to think beyond "this movie is still great")
- Works on other moving image media, e.g. music videos, celebrities, commercials, filming locations, interesting areas of the film industry
❌ Things to avoid:
- Straight up reviews
- Excessive summary
- Academic or overly-formal tone
- Flat-out pans (if something is bad, tell us why that's interesting!)
- Pre-1970s media
- Clickbait/hot takes
Please check out our past issues and our newsletter to get a sense of what we publish!
How To Submit
We strongly prefer completed pieces, but we understand that writing on spec is not a realistic prospect for many writers. With that in mind, we still accept pitches.
👇 Please include:
- Completed piece (doesn't need to be perfectly polished!) OR if you’re pitching, a short paragraph on the piece (topic, relevancy, intended word count) - 1,000 words max for features, 300 words max for Film Diaries
- Why you think your piece or pitch is a good fit for In the Mood
- 1-2 writing samples (they don’t need to be published)
- Short bio or link to your website
Send Submissions, Pitches, and Queries to:
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