Blog: Film festivals

Bizitegi has been organizing the Homeless Film Festival in Bilbao since 2016, creating awareness-raising sessions on social inclusion through cinema and theatre.

The Bizitegi Team works for the incorporation into society of people at risk or in a situation of social exclusion in Bizkaia through intervention processes, aimed at improving their living conditions, and through these awareness-raising and denunciation actions that allow raising awareness in building a fairer society.

GIJÓN/XIXÓN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (FICX) aims to showcase a wide and varied selection of auteur cinema currently being produced worldwide and especially focused on innovative films and emerging filmmakers. High quality, personal, young in its shape, edgy and independent cinema at a creative level. During its selection process, the Festival will prioritise those works of interest that have their World, International, European or Spanish premiere at FICX as well as those that do not have commercial distribution agreements in the Spanish territory.

Acknowledged as “Specialized Festival” by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Association)

Contest is open to everyone !

Topic of the contest is "The Dream life".

You can submit your any type of film up to 15 minutes max.

Festival Atmospheres uses all kinds of art forms in order to arouse afterthought and commitment to an accessible and constructive sustainable development.

Since 2013, the International Film Festival for Human Rights Colombia offers attendees an audiovisual, cultural and academic program that contributes to the formation of audiences, the strengthening of film and cultural industries, the creation of spaces for dialogue around life, reconciliation, the promotion and defense of human rights, and the construction of ideas for peace.

The Festival is the ideal setting for the film community of Colombia and the world that bets on audiovisual narration with a focus on human rights, which is why it becomes the main platform for the promotion, circulation, distribution and exhibition of audiovisual works whose demand is limited due to their non-commercial subject matter.

The Festival is being held simultaneously in the cities of Barranquilla, Medellin, Cali, Bogota, Soacha, Cartagena, Manizales, Pereira and Villavicencio, and in about 10 municipalities in the country, organized by Fundación Impulsos.

Acid'Animé Fest is an Paris international short-film competition. Our mission is to bring international independent animated short films to the widest possible audience in Europe and beyond. We want to give this opportunity to young filmakers and animators.

The International Horror Film Festival of Valparaíso convokes professional filmmakers and aficionados of short films, featurettes, and feature films from chile and abroad to participate with their movies, related to the genres of terror, horror, gore, suspense, fantasy, bizarre, and variants.

Objectives

Foment the production of independent films, look for novel and diverse content, and being a place for reflection and spread of independent cinema, with sights to the world from Valparaíso.

Date of the Festival.

The International Horror Film Festival of Valparaíso will be online, on / 13th/14th of December of 2024.

T´öhö International Mountain - Adventure Film Festival celebrates its First Edition in Mexico. This festival arises from the need to find exhibition forums for documentary and fiction films; of short and feature films, which deal with themes of mountains, adventure and extreme outdoor activities.

T´öhö, is a festival that originates in the middle of the mountains of Mexico.

RIZOMA is a unique international festival that combines film, art, music, conferences and community engagement to build each edition around a central concept.

Like the rhizome itself, RIZOMA is interconnected, interdependent and non-hierarchical. RIZOMA values that the different branches of culture feed and inspire each other. We believe in the horizontality of a rhizome so it is important to bring together emerging and established artists so that some feed off each other and of course the public as a part of the festival.

Known for having brought to Madrid for the first time creators of the stature of David Lynch, John Waters and Debbie Harry. RIZOMA also stands out for its efforts to bring to light the work of new Spanish artists. To this end, it has created the RIZOMA CINEMA Award, for the distribution of the winning film.

Call for short films

The FIFP opens its registrations for its new official selection in competition devoted to short fiction and documentary films.

Directed by Women Spain is a film viewing celebration of films directed by women in Spain.

Our celebration is part of the International movement Directed by Women, that for the past 9 years has been dedicated to promote and give visibility to films directed by Women.

Cineteca of Madrid and the CICUS of Seville are hosting the tenth edition with a complete program of short film sessions, feature films, unseen documentaries, sessions for young audiences and children. Filmmakers will be invited to present their pieces to the public and to participate in a Q&A.

There will also be debates, professional gatherings, workshops and a lot of celebration!

#DirectedbyWomenSpain

£2,500 in CASH PRIZES for the EMERGING TALENT from our sponsor Katie Partridge, CEO of the Saphira Group, to support a new generation of filmmakers/artists.

NEW RENAISSANCE LONDON #8

Apart from a high number of UK and International films, NRFF London has a category for EMERGING TALENT (debut or early stage filmmakers embarking on their careers in the film industry).

Previous winners and nominees have gone onto win major international prizes or have directed their first feature film.


ABOUT NEW RENAISSANCE LONDON

Our friendly and welcoming art-house festival based in London is genuinely passionate about promoting the highest calibre of independent cinema around today. New Renaissance has been described as “One of the UK’s top film festivals,” alongside Raindance and Aesthetica (London METRO, O1.08.16), appeared in reputable publications such as Vogue, GQ and iD magazine, and we are a registered IMDB film festival.

Filmmakers are a discerning audience and the 100+ five star reviews from filmmakers around the world is proof of our commitment and respect for the hard work and care that goes into making a film. Since 2021, we have been awarding cash prizes to support talented up-and-coming filmmakers we believe in thanks to a generous sponsor (see below).

SUCCESS STORIES

We have premiered and screened films that went on to win an Oscar (The Silent Child, 2017) or later received a major distribution deal (A Bird Flew, 2022; Avi, 2022; Roy, 2022; A Living Dog, 2021; Into The Mirror, 2019; You Go To My Head, 2019; and Phantompain, 2018) to name just a few.


Despite the festival's relatively small size, there are each year many gems to be found among the many short and feature films in the programme. Furthermore, many filmmakers and actors are traditionally present - and a lot of productive networking takes place.

OUR CURATION: ARTISTICALLY-DRIVEN FILMS, INSPIRING STORIES

Film is a unique medium, and NRFF’s mission is to support and champion inspiring, independent artists and storytellers. This includes experimental work, emotional drama, music, dance, and emerging talent (see below).

Our festival is built around ARTISTS and their STORIES. By doing so, we aim to establish an international COMMUNITY of inspiring storytellers. We are not interested in following current fashions or being politically divisive. We seek out stories that are genuinely imaginative, emotional and life-affirming. At the heart of what we do is our passion to tell great stories.

Curating a festival is never easy but we strive to put together a great programme each year in an environment that is warm, inclusive and truly dignified. You can visit last year's programme online at ww.nrff.co.uk to get a feel for the quality of curation we are known for.

NEW RENAISSANCE LONDON 2025

2025 will be our tenth year in London, a city known for its diversity and innovation in the creative arts. For 3 days in September, we will screen around 100 outstanding films in the heart of London. The programme will include narrative shorts, features, documentaries, animations, dance and music videos, a NETWORKING party and AWARDS CEREMONY.

Running alongside the festival will be a SCREENWRITING COMPETITION, a series of MASTERCLASSES by film industry experts, a filmmaker's PANEL DISCUSSION, Filmmaker Q&A's, and other networking opportunities.

EMERGING TALENT AWARDS

Apart from a high number of UK and International films, NRFF London has a category for EMERGING TALENT (debut or early stage filmmakers embarking on their careers in the film industry). Those selected can win CASH PRIZES. We found a sponsor for this in 2021 and are happy to announce that they continue supporting these cash prizes for emerging talent in 2025.

Please read our Rules & Terms before making your submission.

Key Dates:

Submissions for 2024 will be open. The festival will take place in October 2024, and all contestants will be notified at least 4-6 weeks prior to the event.

SUPPORTING THE INDEPENDENT FILM COMMUNITY

It is our passion to not only provide a stage for our filmmakers but also to strengthen the INDEPENDENT film community, by building an engaged audience through social media - especially Instagram and Facebook. We actively encourage directors, screenwriters, producers and actors to network during the festival and after the event. By doing so, new artistic collaborations have occurred.

NEW RENAISSANCE ALUMNI

Former New Renaissance attendees and or winners include: Oscar winning couple Chris Overton and Rachel Shenton (The Silent Child); Oscar winning actress Whoopi Goldberg (Palace); BAFTA and Emmy winning actress Anna Friel (The Sea); Great Expectations and Top Boy director Brady Hood (Sweet Maddie Stone); Oscar winning writer/director James Lucas (Paint The Dragon's Eyes); BAFTA winning actress Sophia Myles (All That Glitters); BAFTA winning actor George MacKay (Infinite); Ivor Novello winning musician Gary Kemp (InSolo); BAFTA winning and double Emmy nominated documentary director Zoe Dobson (The Cunning Man); BAFTA winning animator Catriona Black (You Are At The Bottom Of My Mind); Emmy winning actress Tatiana Mislany (Souls of Totality); Oscar nominated cinematographer Jarin Blaschke (A Million Eyes); BAFTA nominated director Shona Auerbach (Rudy); Actor Tom Cullen (Souls of Totality); BAFTA nominated actress Celine Buckens (Prangover); Silent Witness actress Emilia Fox (The Ghost); Chicago actor Darren Day (Rudy); Rag Doll actor Ali Cook (The Cunning Man); Olivier Award nominated actress Amy Lennox (Near); student Oscar winner Tristan Holmes (The Fragile King); and student Oscar winner Ariel Heller (Mammoth).

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► imdb official list
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► IMPORTANT NEWS !!!
Turin Underground Distribution is born.

For its 12th edition, the festival event will last 12 days, allowing more time for in-depth discussions with the authors. TUC12 will take place in a very important location for the Turin "Cinema" universe, located in the heart of the city, at the wonderful Cinema Baretti.

The 12th Torino Underground Cinefest, taking place from September 26th to October 7th, will continue this year's partnership with Sooner.de, aiming to increase the distribution of independent films it receives each year.

Films selected at Torino Underground 2025 will automatically be considered for potential distribution through Sooner. Torino Underground Distribution is an opportunity for directors to take their work to the next level. It's the real chance to distribute your film on Sooner.de and consequently on Amazon Germany and Amazon UK. In recent years, many of the films selected at TUC have been distributed by the German company with whom we have strengthened our partnership. This includes, for example, the Danish film "Needle boy" by Alexander Bak Sagmo, the Iranian "Numb" by director Amir Toodehroosta, "The Exam" by Iraqi director Shawkat Amin Korki, "SOMEHOW" by the German collective Aki T. Weisshaus, and many others.

Sooner.de features the best of independent cinema from: Achtung Berlin, DOK Leipzig, Diagonale, FILMFESTIVAL MAX OPHÜLS PREIS, MEC film, RAPID EYES MOVIES, SWISS films, Kinoherz, Film Academy Baden-Württemberg, Märchenfilme, alles Kino, and more...

Cash prizes will be awarded for Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, and Best Documentary. In addition, special awards will be presented for Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Best Sound Design. An Audience Award and mentions from our media partners are also planned.

The festival is supported by media partnerships and cultural organizations from the region.

*IMPORTANT:* *FOR SALES AND VARIOUS CATALOGUES: NO SCREENING FEES ARE EXPECTED!*

“It is obvious that art cannot teach anyone anything, since in four thousand years humanity has learnt nothing at all.”
― Andrei Tarkovsky

Insular & other seas Film festival(IOSAFF)

For outdoor performing arts and film screenings: How to bring your art to beaches, plazas and streets>

IOSAFF, not only competitions and film screenings but also an artists' tour during which we explore creative activities in various artistic specialties.

»IOSAFF is a coherent whole of a multidimensional cultural and cinematographic project will take place Palms Casino Resort Las Vegas

four days for a traveling festival (artist tour), we launch creative projects that bring people together, and we create high impact campaigns with influencers to motivate audiences to share their creativity.

If You're a filmmaker, screenwriter, designer, actor or actress, musician or band, painter or sculptor, or any other creative expression, we welcome you to the tours of creative artists...

Let's explore the oceans, seas & islands

-Adventures,

- Environment,

- Designs animations,

-Documentary,

- Author's cinema,

Islands in music & video



Ai

Oceans and seas cover 71% of the earth's surface, produce half of the oxygen we breathe, absorb 25% of carbon dioxide, capture 90% of the additional heat generated by these emissions and feed 3, 2 billion people. The oceans, seas & marine resources, lungs of the earth, are essential for sustainable development.

Promoting the heritage and creativity of the world's islands and caring for the oceans & seas is a major factor in developing the blue bio-economy, which is why we adopted it as the main axes of our cultural and media project.

The islands of the world, through the oceans and the continents of the planet, conceal important cultural and patrimonial wealth, as much by their variety, their specificity as by their authenticity. The islanders, being cut off from the continent, are forced to live in osmosis with their environment, to vibrate to the rhythm of the elements of their natural setting, and to dominate the rigors of their daily life by giving free rein to their creative imagination and their innovative spirit. In this perspective, artistic creativity is the best support for the expression of their dreams, their emotions & their collective memory

DESCRIPTION OF THE FESTIVAL

The Muma Patagonia International Audiovisual Festival will take place on Friday the 15th - 17th of November 2024 in person in Comodoro Rivadavia, in the city of Chubut, in Argentina.

It will be screen only films directed by Women, Lesbians, Transvestites, Trans, Bisexuals, Intersexuals and Non-Binaries are allowed.

It will have the following sections:

International feature film competition (4 features)
International short film competition (2 programs of 5 shorts)
Argentinian feature film competition (4 features)
Argentinian short film competition (2 programs of 5 shorts)

HEADQUARTERS

Chubut, Comodoro Rivadavia
Art School Auditorium

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES

In online mode

- Conversation between networks of audiovisual women from different regions of Argentina and Latin America

OBJECTIVES OF THE FESTIVAL

- Strengthen ties between distribution, production and production companies in Patagonia.

- Know and recognize the narratives of women and dissidents from around the world and put them in dialogue with the public.

- Provide tools for professional training that contribute to the labor insertion of women and dissidents in the Patagonian region.

- Generate a space for exchange with networks of audiovisual women from other parts of Latin America and the world.

AWARDS

Presentation of the winning films in the Patagonian Tour: screenings in other locations in the Argentine Patagonian region

- Neuquén, Villa La Angostura
Osvaldo Bayer Library

- Río Negro, San Carlos de Bariloche,
Carrilafquen Popular Library

The 3rd FESTIVALITO will take place on August 12-27 2023, with official headquarters at the CINE SUNSTAR in the city of San Carlos de Bariloche, Patagonia Argentina.

We want girls and boys to begin to have contact with Latin American audiovisual content from an early age, fostering interest and knowledge of the productions made in our region, telling stories closer to the reality they live.

We have training and production workshops.

Only for Latinamerican film-makers // Solo para cineastas latinoamericanos y se abrió un capitulo para España y lenguas extrangeras con subtitulos en español para el 7º festival 2023.

We are happy to inform you that the SVCAPlex International Short Film Festival of India, Anantapur  (ISFFIA) is celebrating its 1st Annual.

The Registration for the 1st SVCAPlex ISFFIA 2022  is now open.

 
 
 The Earlybird Deadline is June 12, 2022, 2022, for all submissions; the
    Regular Deadline September 19th, 2022,
The Late Deadline September 24th, 2022, The Notification Date September 26th, 2022, The Event Date is Oct 01, 2022, 10:30 AM – Oct 07, 2022, 6:00 PM for Shorts, Submit today!  

please visit more info SVCAPlex.com

International Short Film Festival of India, Anantapur runs OCT 01–07, 2022.

About
This Festival was founded in 2011

Film night at the castle is multicultural open air galery of short films, unique in Europe and Slovak area. Thanks to its` unique placement at Saris castle open air grounds, festival attracts` film lovers since 2011.

Since then around 500 short films has been screened at Saris Castle hill. In 2020 we would like to increase this number, using not only one screening place as it was usual during previous years, but 3 screening places during two film nights. Festival will be accompanied with series of workshops about audio-visual and film, and other activities focused on families (theatre for kids, painting activities,) and music performances for all. During this year we would like to offer two, new competition sections. Award for
- The best protagonist at the documentary film (selected by expert jury), and Anti Award -

Worst short film of the festival (audience award). We also want to create new ‘Chill out zone’ for visitors who want to enjoy nature around The Castle Saris. For Family visitors we would like to offer full-fledged program as usual. Visitors will also appreciate unique opportunity for camping which is not allowed during regular year. This opportunity is one of many benefits visitors enjoy during our festival. Film night starts with one feature film and a whole night of short films after from various productions and countries.

Website: TransparentFilmFestival.com
YouTube: Youtube.com/TransparentFilmFestival
Facebook: Facebook.com/TransparentFilmFestival
Cable: Every Friday Night at Midnight in Manhattan Ch. 33 (Fios), 34 (Spectrum) 82 (RCN)

Our commitment to watching every film and providing our review notes on Facebook is something frankly EVERY FESTIVAL should do if they're accepting a submission fee. We're starting to add original content, script contests, readings here in NYC, filmmaker spotlights and more.

The 5th Transparent Film Festival will take place live Thursday Night May 18th and Friday Night May 19th at the Theater Under St. Marks in New York City's funky & fun East Village.

Some important things you should know.

We watch every film - PERIOD. Then we a) post screen grabs on Facebook with the Director's name, Country of Origin, Date we watched the film and a blurb about what we saw; and, b) Fill out the ratings card on Film Freeway and send to the filmmaker with a note saying that we're either moving to the next round for judging, passing or putting in the maybe pile.

From that point, our judges (who have either an Emmy, Grammy or Oscar award and/or nominations will decide whether or not a film is selected, and determine the winners.

The SunChild 12th International Environmental Festival will take place from the 13th to the 18th of October 2023, screening over 40 newest best environmental films from all around the world. On a planet that faces complex issues that threaten to tear us apart, we hope to provide a platform to find the connection to sustain life․ SunChild IEF is a celebration of nature, creating space for people to come together, learn and create solutions.

About the Festival

SunChild International Environmental Festival, established by the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC), is the first and the only environmental festival in the South Caucasus region. More than 780 films from 150 countries of the world were screened over the last 15 years of existence. The film festival includes various activities such as carnival marches, dozens of workshops, conferences, and exhibitions. Besides being rich in content, all events are eye-catching due to their colorful and unique approaches. The festival travels in the regions of Armenia throughout the whole year, involving a large number of children and youth, facilitating identification and creative solutions to community environmental issues by organizing thematic film screenings, discussions, and other initiatives, and encouraging and supporting taking action locally. The festival aims to bring nature, wildlife, and the environment into the focus of public attention and increase knowledge about issues among citizens and especially among children and youth.

Theme: Biodiversity: The Fabric of Life

Each year SunChild IEF highlights different environmental topics to raise awareness and become a platform for discussion. For the 12th edition of the festival, we chose Biodiversity Conservation as a central theme, and all our events will any way or another unveil the complex nature of biodiversity conservation challenges in Armenia, the South Caucasus Region, and the world. Biodiversity is the rich tapestry of life on Earth, a canvas of diverse forms and colors. Conserving it is crucial for maintaining the balance and stability of our ecosystems. But this tapestry is under threat by habitat destruction, pollution, over-exploitation, and climate change. Our responsibility is to protect vulnerable species, and habitats, and implement sustainable practices. By raising awareness, we can ensure this tapestry remains vibrant for future generations.

SunChild 12th International Environmental Festival has 4 nominations

• Feature-length Documentaries about Biodiversity Conservation

This program is dedicated to promoting public awareness of Biodiversity Conservation stories, issues, and challenges in the world. Conserving Biodiversity is crucial for maintaining the balance and stability of our ecosystems. Our responsibility is to protect vulnerable species, and habitats, and implement sustainable practices.

Documentaries released after the 30th of July, 2022 are welcome to be submitted for this competition.

The film may run between 60 minutes and 3 hours. To have a longer film considered, please contact SunChild IEF.

• Short Films about Biodiversity conservation

This program is dedicated to promoting public awareness of Biodiversity Conservation stories, issues, and challenges in the world.
Short films of any genre released after the 30th of July, 2022 are welcome to be submitted for this competition. The film may be 5-45 minutes in length.

• Youth and Children about Environmental Conservation

Films about environmental issues made by children and youth, released after January 1, 2022. Age range: 10-25 years.

• John Burton Conservation Award: Films about Young Conservationists

Films about Young Conservationists from all around the world.
Named after conservationist John Burton, this award will spotlight films about nature conservation with a strong directorial vision.
With this award, SunChild IEF wants to honor the memory of John Burton, who died in May 2022.
The award will be granted to the best conservation films about young individuals, who strive to make a change in the world. John Burton was a revolutionary, visionary, and inspirational conservationist whose creative thinking saved over 300,000 hectares of threatened habitat from damaging development. He challenged the usual approaches to preserving wild creatures and their habitats. Sir David Attenborough described him as “a truly wonderful man, more altruistic, more energetic, braver and more original than almost anyone I have known.”

Films released after the 1st of January, 2022 are welcome to be submitted for this competition.

And Non-Competition Films’ Section for the Educational/Informational program.

In this Non-Competition Program, we welcome films about environmental issues and challenges from all around the world.

Films of any genre released after the 1st of January, 2022 are welcome to be submitted for this competition.

The film may run between 60 minutes and 3 hours. To have a longer film considered, please contact SunChild IEF.