Bigfoot at Bumbershoot?

In one of the more intriguing events of this year’s fest, Bumbershoot captures the current zeitgeist with its “Big Fake Deep Foot” competition.  

Blurring the lines between fact and fiction, “Big Fake Deep Foot” asks artists, animators, and technologists to use deepfake technology to create unreal and surprising scenarios that feature the elusive creature. Different from the cheapfakes that have dominated headlines as of late, deepfakes use artificial intelligence to manipulate videos and create realistic footage of people doing or saying things they never did.

Bellingham may have designated itself the “Sasquatch Protection and Refuge Area,” but with this competition you’re sure to find Bigfoot placed in any situation imaginable – drinking at a local pub, running a relay at the summer Olympics, or even campaigning for president. The only limit is the creator’s imagination and a five-minute maximum runtime.

The top 15 entries will be screened at the Bumbershoot Animation District during the fest. And yes, this is a juried show so there will be judges including a Bigfoot expert, a comic artist, a deepfake specialist, an art critic, and a “really hairy guy.”  

If you think you’ve got the skills, the winner of this competition will take home a cool $5,000 cash prize. 

Here’s the deep take on the Bigfoot deepfake competition at Bumbershoot.

Create your Bigfoot deepfake video.

Upload it to YouTube and tag @BumbershootArtsFestival.
Include the hashtags #BFDF #BumbershootAnimation #BumbershootFestival in your video description.

Submission deadline is right around the corner (July 31st at midnight), so dust off that software and put your best bigfoot forward. Visit here for full details and rules.