Blog: Film festivals

Raindance Film Festival is the largest independent film festival in the UK. It is based in the heart of London’s buzzing West End film district.

Raindance Film Festival is officially recognised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences USA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the British Independent Film Awards. Selected shorts will qualify for Oscar® and BAFTA considerations.
Festival Sections:

- World-renowned programme of the best UK and international independent films
- Masterclasses with special guests
- Raindance Forum and Marketplace – talks and panels
- Raindance Virtual and Augmented Reality Strand
- Raindance Web Fest
- Networking events

Each year, Raindance attracts dozens of thousands of visitors including hundrends of industry professionals into London. The 27th Raindance will take place 25 September – 6 October 2019 in central London.

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Amongst others, Raindance has hosted the UK premieres of What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Blair Witch Project, Dead Man’s Shoes, Memento, Humpday, Love Exposure, Ghost World, Capturing the Friedmans, Down Terrace, I Origins and Old Boy. Our programming receives plaudits from press and public alike.

Over the years, the festival has hosted such guests and filmmakers as Christopher Nolan, Shane Meadows, Ken Loach, Marky Ramone, Iggy Pop, Anton Corbijn, Quentin Tarantino, Faye Dunaway and Lou Reed. Over the last few years our international Jury has included Sean Bean, Imelda Staunton, Celia Imrie, Martin Freman, Ewen Bremner, Jason Flemyng, Andrew Scott, Tom Waits, Vicky McClure and Sheridan Smith among top UK industry guest jurors.

Raindance members can submit one short/music video or a feature at half price. If you are a member email festival@raindance.co.uk to receive your unique waiver code. Please include your membership number and expiry date. To join Raindance please go to: http://www.raindance.org/premium/

Submissions for the Raindance WebFest should go through https://festhome.com

The Festival de Cinema de Terror de Sabadell, celebrates the Sixth Edition of our Fiction Short Film Competition.

They have space for all the short films of Terror, Gore, Thriller, Fantastic, Science-Fiction, Dark Humor or Freak, in all their meanings and variants.

£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).

The festival’s mission is to spread the knowledge of film art, especially in the form of short films, in order to show the public all the different aspects of contemporary international cinema.

The Festival is held annually in April in San Sebastian. An appointment with quality cinema for all those sensitized to human rights.

Veterans Film Festival is dedicated to sharing stories that explore real or imagined perspectives, in and out of war.

The Veterans Film Festival (VFF) presents an annual program that showcases the human experience of our serving and ex serving personnel and their families. We also include stories about the influences, impact and the complex situations before, during and after war.

The Veterans’ Film Festival presents a unique annual festival program: feature films and short films, film competitions, spotlights and retrospectives, film and TV previews, special screenings, industry events, networking sessions, discussion panels and other events.

The festival embraces all genres, including:
Action, Adventure, Alternative, Animation, Art, Avantgarde, Biography, Classics, Comedy, Comedy Drama, Crime, Culture, Dance, Dark Comedy, Documentary, Family, Fantastic, Fantasy, Film Noir, Flash, Health, History, Horror, Human Rights, Independent, Kids, LGBTI, Live Action, Medical, Melodrama, Mockumentary, Music Video’s, Mystery, Nature, News, Parody, Postmodern, Realism, Reality, Religion, Road Trip, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Satire, Science Fiction, Silent movie, Social Issues, Spiritual, Surreal, Thriller, Transgender, Underground, Urban, War, Western… and more.

The Veterans Film Festival is curated by a not for profit creative enterprise that engages, entertains and educates audiences by showcasing films made by creatives of all ages, cultures and abilities around the world.

The Zanzibar International Film Festival is an esteemed annual event showcasing films from diverse regions, promoting cultural exchange and celebrating the vibrant art of filmmaking. Established in 1997, ZIFF continues to inspire and unite global audiences through the magic of cinema.

The Zanzibar International Film Festival 2024 is set to take place from 01st Aug to 04th Aug, 2024. ZIFF management would like to inform film professionals worldwide that the festival is currently accepting applications for all African films (including African Diaspora) and films from the Dhow Countries’ region- South East Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, The Persian Gulf, Iran, Pakistan, India and the Indian Ocean Islands from 06th April, 2024 till 05th May, 2024. Films must be have been produced after 2022. ZIFF reserves the right to accept any films with a specific interest to the festival.

This year ZIFF management extend special interest to Tv Drama Series from East African Countries (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia & Republic of the Congo) The Tv Drama series should be between 25 to 60 minutes in length per episode.

Films should preferably depict the Festival theme; Rejuvenation. Films reflecting the theme of global cultural interaction, cultural encounters or sociocultural commentary will be given priority. Films must have been completed no later than May 05th, 2024.

We will accept submissions of works in progress only after agreement with ZIFF management. The Submission Deadline is 05th May 2024. The festival reserves the right to also invite films for screening at ZIFF.

- Chilean or Argentinian Film-makers, or foreign film-makers who was shooting in Patagponian region.

Schreck Fest is a festival to show and share the best of fantasy and terror national and international.

The three-day long Hollywood International Film Festival features a host of international artists and offers such events as panel discussions, workshops, Q&A sessions and exhibits.

Hollywood International Film Festival's overall goal is to provide space where filmmakers can thrive as media makers. We accomplish this by putting strong films on screen, growing the next generation of filmmakers, and making it easier for anybody to make films.

Our criteria for a film is simple `a film which is driven by, or, ultimately concludes with an aim of building up something without destruction.

Hollywood International Film Festival seeks films that are imaginative, evocative, innovative, inspiring and entertaining.

IMAGINARIA is the first and only international animated film festival of Apulia region.

In its history Imaginaria has grown enormously, earning an important artistic and social position in the international festival sector.

Festival of “people and places”, Imaginaria manages to create a family atmosphere among the public and professionals who come in open air cinemas of Conversano. Imaginaria, which is characterized by the importance of “numbers” and the excellent quality of thousands of works of international standing, is a project to promote, disseminate, film training, which aims to promote the independent authors of animated films. Imaginaria intends to trigger, in a long-term perspective, all possible synergies in the community helping to create socio-economic opportunities in the area and at the same time promote the culture of animation. The festival, therefore, is a project which aims to spread the use and knowledge of animated films not only during the event, held every year in Conversano, but also in places and times of the year using different networks, made up of other festivals and exhibitions (national and international) to which Imaginaria participates or which it is the promoter.

Founded in 2016, TRAVEL FilmFest International Film Festival is a non-profit and non-government organization. Our mission is to promote all types of travel and outdoor sports, identify and support independent filmmakers, shooting films that deserve the attention of all travel and outdoor sports lovers around the world. By bringing together travel filmmakers from all parts of the world, we want that they could obtain feedback from professional travellers, sportsmen and the film community, as well as from the broad segments of the ones who love to travel and outdoor.
The Travel FilmFest International Film Festival collects the best travel/outdoor sports films from around the world, which were created both by professionals and by enthusiasts, and helps to get them across to the audience.
We admit only the films about travels and outdoor sports, both modern and historical ones. As well as those films, where travel or outdoor sports is an important part of the synopsis. Fiction, production, animated and documentary films on any types of travel, outdoor, extreme sports and adventures on the water and in the air, on land and under it, in the mountains and forests, on seas, rivers, lakes, swamps, about hiking, ski trek, rides on public transport, on vehicles and motorcycles, bikes, hitch-hiking, bus tours, pilgrimage tours, round-the-world trips... as well as films about cultures, traditions, lifestyle, history, countries, emigrants, wildlife & nature, world around us.
Not all creators of travel and outdoor sports films are necessarily the professionals, who work in the movies industry or on television. This is just a hobby for the majority of contestants. However, this does not mean that their films are worse. The original story that is told in the film plays a far more important role than its budget or the awards of its creator. You can make a good film even if you do not have a large budget, stellar cast and a large production team. You hold the keys to the kingdom. Go ahead!
All officially selected travel and outdoor sports films will be shown during the solemn final Award ceremony on October 19 - 20, 2024 in Limassol, Cyprus, and will be able to struggle for the main prize and the titles of the "Best travel film" and "Best outdoor sports film". As well as for the prizes in the standalone nominations.

"Els Curts del BRAM!" will take place in the 9th edition of the Film Castellar del Vallès (from 3 to 12 March 2017).

The Green Me GmbH is a Berlin based company and the organizer of the annual environmental film festival called the Green Me Global Festival for Sustainability. This festival was initiated in 2008 by Nicolai Niemann, and has over the years transformed from a lounge to a full blown film festival with three major sections: Film – the festival offers a platform for the green films, green publicity and green economy. Movies with environmentally related topics from all over the world are evaluated and screened; Congress – on this platform, professional minds engage in panel discussions on diverse environmental topics; Marketplace– where companies and NGOs represent themselves and exhibit their products and services; Gala Night- where awards are given out to the award winning films. Finalising each festival is the award night, during which the best films from different categories receive awards. Since 2016, the Green Me Global Festival has been hosted in four continents and five cities, including Berlin, Germany; Lagos, Nigeria; Tehran, Iran; Cannes, France; Los Angeles, USA.

Festival of Cinema NYC, New York City's fastest growing film festival enters its fifth year in 2021! Beginning the first Friday of August, this year Festival of Cinema NYC is planned to take place from August 6th - 15th.

Festival of Cinema NYC seeks the best in independent film of all lengths and genres. Whether your film is a drama, comedy, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, documentary, experimental, LGBTQ, animation, etc. - we want to show it! Our Opening Night, Closing Night, Midweek Red Carpet Event, and Midnight Madness Grindhouse Horror films are all selected from the very best submissions we receive. Plus, every filmmaker that submits their film(s) will automatically receive a one-year subscription to Videomaker Digital Magazine, a leading subscription service that focuses on guiding independent filmmakers with online tutorials and publications (a $20 value). Our only criteria is that your film be truly independent and not backed by any of the seven major movie studios. All selected filmmakers get VIP passes that allow entry into our screenings, events and parties.

Because Festival of Cinema NYC was founded by independent filmmakers, we understand the needs and challenges that filmmakers face. Our festival staff is committed to offering filmmakers the opportunities they seek to promote and ultimately have their film seen and sold. Since our inception in 2017, many films have found distribution through our sponsors, with many more being offered distribution deals by visiting distributors. Our festival’s growing reputation of top-notch independent films has consistently attracted more distributors every year, making it a possibility to interact with distributors directly! One of the key components to Festival of Cinema NYC's success, is making sure each filmmaker and their film get the proper attention and publicity that they deserve. Our publicity department works around the clock to ensure that filmmakers get as much coverage in news and local media. Filmmakers at the festival have had their films covered in various news publications around Queens and New York City, including the N.Y. Times, the NY Daily News, The NY Post, The Queens Chronicle, CBSN and NY1 News on Spectrum cable. Attending filmmakers each get a Q&A following their screening, giving them the chance to engage our audience.

Additionally, Festival of Cinema NYC hosts panels and workshops that strongly appeal to filmmakers. Subjects including distribution and production resources, as well as workshops by industry leaders such as Sag-Aftra and Seed & Spark.

Festival of Cinema NYC is a competitive festival that accepts films and media of all lengths, genres and subjects, with awards in 18 categories. Past Jury members have included Anna Garduno, Executive Producer at Netflix; Amy Peters, Emmy award winner; Doug LeClaire, founder of Asbury Shorts USA; and Isil Bagdadi, president of distribution at Cavu Pictures. Winners walk away with an amazing custom statuette as well as prizes being offered from some of our amazing sponsors.

2020 has sure been an unprecedented year unlike any before. Many Arts & Cultural institutions Including movie theaters were impacted by the pandemic caused by Covid-19. As a result, many festivals in 2020 were forced to re-imagine, and restructure their format. Facing new regulations and guidelines set by New York City and the State, Festival of Cinema managed to convert the 2020 festival into a Drive-In Theater, becoming one of only a handful of film festivals around the country to hold a live event. As a film festival created by filmmakers for filmmakers, our goal is to bring your film to the big screen. While 2021 hasn’t guaranteed the opening of theater venues at full capacity, the team at Festival of Cinema NYC promises to continue to work hard in creating an event that filmmakers and the public can attend in person.

We accept only films about the right to health and subtitled in Italian or English

The Fausto Rossano Award Association promotes the eighth edition of the “Premio Fausto Rossano” that will take place at the end of October 2024, in Naples, Italy. The award commemorates the life and work of Jungian psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Fausto Rossano, who died in 2012.

It is the purpose of the award to combat the stigma and prejudices that surround the many forms of psychic suffering and the importance of the individual person in the concrete context of his or her life by stimulating social awareness through the language of cinematography and dialogue with authors, professionals and experts of the field.

Our festival happens in London, UK, one of the world's most cosmopolitan cities, and screens short comedy films from around the globe. Our festival is held at the prestigious and lovely Hackney Picturehouse, home to many film premieres. We are proud to showcase, connect and promote talented comedy filmmakers from all over the world.

It is curated by WWCSFF Film Festivals which also produces the London-X4 Seasonal Short Film Festival and the Asia South East-Short Film Festival.

A US$100 Audience Favourite prize will go to the most popular film of the festival. Awards & Laurels will be available for the following categories:

– UK Comedy Short
– American Comedy Short
– European Comedy Short (including Ireland)
– Canadian Comedy Short
– Australasian Comedy Short
– African Comedy Short
– Asian Comedy Short
– Latin American Comedy Short
&
– Student Comedy Short
– Experimental Comedy Short
– Animated Comedy Short
– Music Video Comedy Short
– Shorter Comedy Short (under 2 minutes)
– Longer Comedy Short/ Web Series/Pilot (between 15 and 30 minutes)

Awards are judged by people involved in the comedy and film industry. In previous editions we were lucky to have on our panel:

-MATT TILLER (head of development for Comedy Central UK)
-MONA YOUSEFI (star of her own BBC show and comedy actor)
-TIM RENKOW (star of his own BBC show and stand up comedian)
-ALEXIS DUBUS (well known UK comedian)
-JOANNE LAU (part of the BBC Writersroom Comedy Room)

The Festival Directors have been involved in live and filmed comedy promotion, performance and production for over fifteen years.

Exciting, creative content is more important to us than slick production values. With comedy, if you make them laugh, audiences won't care if you filmed your masterpiece on your uncle the swinger's 1980s video camera.

London and the UK has a long, illustrious history of comedy from The Canterbury Tales to Monty Python. It is also a global centre for production companies and talent agencies that are looking for new talent to provide comedy content for the ever expanding market of online entertainment, digital content marketing and advertising. We have a database of these companies and agencies and update them about the talented filmmakers participating in our festival.

Most importantly though, the films we screen aim to entertain our festival audiences so we have some important criteria for the films we show:

GET TO THE FUNNY BITS QUICKLY.
BE ORIGINAL AND AVOID CLICHES.

"Brevity is the soul of wit" William Shakespeare
(and he knows better than us because he wore tights)

Being able to share great, undiscovered comedy films is a real buzz and delight for us and our festival is an essential calendar feature both for audiences wishing to have some great nights of laughter and for the discovery of new comedy creators.

All participants in our festival (if they wish) will have their contact details along with their film details made available to our industry database.

Festival Internacional de Cinema da Figueira da Foz - Film Art, , is an independent film festival. It is committed and dedicated to the showcase of both emerging and established, national and international filmmakers’ work, within the world of independent cinema. The organization committee is proud of its independence and ethics in the official film selection.

The Student Film Prize Serge Daney is a competition for short films by students of any films studies organism (public or private). The competitors have to speak French to be able to take advantage of the main Prize.

There is no theme, but the spirit of the Serge Daney Film Prize can be told through a Serge Daney quote : "a film must convey a point of view, a vision of the world, that give it it's sense, it's logic" (Serge Daney, "Perseverance").

We are proud to present the fifth edition of the competition dedicated to short films is hosted in Pietrasanta.

In 1877 the poet Giosué Carducci praised this municipality now known, internationally, for its arts and crafts, such as the prestigious laboratories of marble, the famous foundries, numerous art galleries. With their work and with their presence, the artists, alongside the studios hosting authoritative masters from around the world, have made this town an open air museum. For such reasons, Mondo Cinema chose the beautiful city of Pietrasanta the ideal venue for their international film festival of short films, which aims to give visibility to authors that are little known to the general public, in a artistic and cultural environment known and appreciated worldwide.