Blog: Film festivals

FESOHCURT is, in its 9th edition, a reference within the short movie festivals, as it contributes to fostering the use of Valencian through cinema. Thus, at least 50% of the short movies selected for this edition will be in Valencian language (or any of its dialectal varieties).

We are a non-profit organization. Our mission is to provide workshops for production and distribution of films. Our goal is to enrich the talent of thriving filmmakers.

Our IMDb qualifying festival champions independent filmmakers with original ideas. We are primarily a Short Film Festival but award feature length submissions and include clips and trailers at our awards events. Award Winners are welcome to add their accolades to our IMDb page.

Winners will receive Official Laurels and Digital Certificates. Printed Certificates are presented at live events only.

Award winners can add their accolades to our IMDb page here: https://m.imdb.com/event/ev0073770/2025/1/

Folkestone Film Festival are recognised by the Global Recognition Awards for our significant contribution to independent cinema and our commitment to inclusive filmmaking. We try to minimise financial barriers for filmmakers by keeping submission costs low.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel:
https://youtube.com/@folkestonefilmfestival?si=D-ntZzi7Li9k0hEF

We are a small festival who love to hold Q&A sessions with filmmakers. We thank you for your patience when waiting for us to respond to emails and uploading online content. Selected submissions will be notified via Festhome and Email.

We look forward to seeing your films soon!

A big thank you to our sponsors A. Simmons, the Jewellers of the South East. Our festival partners, Silver Screen Cinema. BritFlicks, FilmmakerDASH, StudentFilmmakers Magazine & Kent Kino.

IBERSHORTS aims to provide international visibility to the production of fiction and animation short films made in Ibero-American countries, including Portugal and excluding Spain.

IBERSHORTS is organised by Festival de Málaga in collaboration with Festhome and seeks to strengthen the cultural and cinematographic ties between these regions, offering a privileged showcase within one of the most relevant festivals in the Spanish and Latin American film landscape.

In order to fulfil these objectives, IBERSHORTS will take place within the framework of Festival de Málaga, which will hold its 30th Edition from 26 February to 7 March 2027.

Fringe Flicks is PVTV’s underground short film night in Liverpool, built for filmmakers and audiences who like cinema with edges: strange, playful, unsettling, excessive, formally adventurous or impossible to categorise.

For Season 5, we’re looking for short films that don’t quite behave: surreal comedies, strange dramas, experimental videos, animated nightmares, political satire, odd little micro-shorts, polished provocations, awkward miracles and anything else that feels too weird, funny, furious or alive to sit comfortably in the mainstream.

Selected films will screen across three Fringe Flicks events in Liverpool in 2027, with each programme curated as a live, communal cinema night rather than a generic festival block. We care less about industry polish than whether the film has a distinctive voice, image, rhythm, atmosphere, idea or point of view.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

We welcome short films, experimental videos, animations, artist moving image, hybrid work and anything that sits awkwardly between categories.

We’re especially interested in:

- experimental cinema
- surreal, absurdist, anarchic, and dreamlike shorts
- political and social satire, especially work that punches up
- films with cult energy
- formally inventive filmmaking, whether polished, rough, digital, analogue, animated or live action
- films that challenge norms, twist expectations or refuse to behave properly
- distinctive micro-shorts with a strong idea, image, joke, rhythm or atmosphere

Your film does not need to look a particular way. It can be polished, rough, funny, angry, quiet, maximalist, tiny, beautiful, grotesque or completely wrong. We’re looking for work with something distinctive about it: a strange idea, a sharp joke, a memorable image, an unusual structure, a strong atmosphere, a specific voice, or just that hard-to-define quality that makes a film stick in your head.

WHY SUBMIT TO FRINGE FLICKS?

Fringe Flicks champions short films that don’t fit neatly into the mainstream festival mould. We screen to real, engaged audiences in Liverpool, in a social, low-pressure setting designed for people who actually want to encounter strange cinema together.

Each event is carefully curated rather than treated as a random block of shorts. We think about rhythm, tone, atmosphere and how films speak to each other across the night. The screenings are friendly, informal and audience-facing, with space for conversation, drinks, voting and creative exchange.

We’re interested in filmmakers working in their own way, whether that means polished production, DIY methods, experimental process, strange comedy, animation, video art, genre mutation or something harder to name. Fringe Flicks is a home for cinema that bites, glitches, mutates, provokes, confuses, amuses or delights.

WHO CAN SUBMIT?

We welcome submissions from filmmakers anywhere in the world, regardless of background, training, budget or career stage.

Most of all, we’re looking for imaginative work told in distinctive ways. Tell the stories you want to tell, in the way only you can.

For Season 5, we also offer free submission routes for:

- filmmakers based in Merseyside
- under-represented filmmakers based in North West England or North Wales

These free routes are intended to help reduce barriers for filmmakers who may not have easy access to festival submission budgets, industry networks or formal film opportunities. Our general fees are also kept deliberately low so the callout remains accessible to DIY, emerging, low-budget and self-funded filmmakers.

SCREENING DETAILS

Selected films will screen as part of Fringe Flicks: Season 5, across three live screening events in Liverpool in 2027.

Current planned season dates:

- 12 February 2027
- 21 May 2027
- 8 October 2027

Each event will include a curated short film programme, an interval, refreshments and a relaxed community atmosphere. Our screenings are pay-what-you-can, not-for-profit events, with audience voting and space for people to talk, meet and share thoughts after the films.

Screenings take place at DoES Liverpool.

HOW TO SUBMIT

Submissions are open exclusively through Festhome.

For questions, please email:
peopleversustv@gmail.com

You can also find more information about Fringe Flicks here:
https://www.peopleversus.tv/fringe-flicks

Sex Education Film Festival has been created in a time of controversy, which has seen society as a whole debate whether or not schools should receive sex education. Our main goal is to educate and highlight the importance of sex as a part of health education while showcasing how vital it is for young people's development, learning, and overall well-being. The Sex Education Film Festival launches its first edition in February 2021 and is made up of a team of qualified professionals from education, communication, and audiovisuals. We believe this expertise will not only widen the audience’s knowledge and learnings regarding sex education but will also work to make the festival a success.

INDEPENDENT CINEMA IN THE HEART OF MEDIEVAL ITALY

The Cultural Association Aedon is pleased to present the 6th Festival dei Lumi, an arts festival that takes place annually in Soriano nel Cimino, in the heart of the Cimini mountains, in the province of Viterbo.

A PLACE FULL OF HISTORY, LOVED BY ARTISTS

A place steeped in history, which belonged to the greatest families of the Italian papal aristocracy (Orsini, Colonna, Albani), it retains a strong tradition and in its recent history was the creative residence of world-famous Italian artists such as PierPaolo Pasolini, who lived in the of Chia, or Luigi Pirandello who also dedicated a poem to the beech forest of Soriano nel Cimino, from which he was greatly entranced.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR YOUR ART

Festival dei Lumi aims to propose independent Italian and international cinema to the Soriano audience.

We are looking for spontaneous films, created by artists who have the courage to use their intelligence and put their essence into their work. We are looking for sincere works, we don't care about the budget, the genre, the nation, the medium used for filming.

We are looking for artists who care about their work, who love the creative process and who don't make art out of vanity.

PRIORAT FILM FESTIVAL

The Priorat Film Festival aims to highlight the value of cinema in a region with limited access to commercial cinema and without a film festival of its own, with the goal of contributing to the creative, associative, cultural, educational and business fabric of the region and of bringing cinema closer to its entire population, without exception.

Screenings will take place in different villages of the Priorat region. In addition, there will be an opening screening and a closing ceremony with the awards presentation held in symbolic venues of the region.

inFCTA 2026 – 10th Edition of the Terra Alta Film Festival
Bot, Catalonia – August 2–8, 2026
www.infcta.com

The Terra Alta Film Festival — inFCTA is a competitive short film festival held annually in Bot, in the heart of the Terra Alta region (Catalonia, Spain). The project is rooted in the conviction that cinema is a tool for thought and encounter, and that artistic excellence can be developed with the same rigor in a rural context as in any major cultural centre.

Since its first edition, inFCTA has developed a distinctive model that combines a solid competitive structure, professional presence, and a strong connection to its territory. The festival understands its setting not as a backdrop, but as a cultural context that actively engages in dialogue with the works and their creators. The programme places cinema at its core, surrounded by industry activities, training initiatives, and spaces for exchange between filmmakers and audiences.

The call for entries is open annually. Submitted works are evaluated by a professional selection committee and assessed by an independent jury, according to clearly defined curatorial criteria: narrative and formal quality, artistic coherence, creative risk, and plurality of perspectives. The festival is committed to singular voices, to supporting emerging talent, and to fostering the active presence of selected filmmakers throughout the event.

The 10th edition, to be held from August 2 to 8, 2026, consolidates this trajectory and reinforces its competitive and professional dimension, while maintaining an open outlook towards the European context and the evolution of contemporary audiovisual language.

These regulations govern participation in the following sections and awards:

– inFCTA HighLand Pro Section
– inFCTA HighLand No Pro Section
– inFCTA Talents Section
– inFCTA School Section
– inFCTA Youth Section
– inFCTA FEM Award
– inFCTA VR Section

Participation in any of these sections implies full acceptance of these regulations.

Submit your work.


Contact: info@infcta.com

ASSERTING WOMEN'S RIGHTS is a project that emerged from the Festival de Málaga, in collaboration with documentary filmmaker Mabel Lozano and the Equal Opportunities Department of the Malaga City Council, as a tool for protest and advocacy. This section was created with the aim of exploring and addressing issues that raise social awareness about women's rights each year.

Launched in 2008, this section of the Festival de Málaga is now in its 19th edition. The project has a dual purpose: to shed light on the injustices that women continue to face in the 21st century simply because they are women, and to promote and support films created by women.

Through Asserting Women's Rights, we have brought attention to the challenges women face in different parts of the world. Even today, there are many places where women and girls must fight daily for their survival. In these regions, traditional practices and cultural norms often hinder their personal and social development, preventing them from achieving equality with their male counterparts.

From filmmakers to filmmakers.

Showcase your film in London, get real audience exposure and connect with fellow filmmakers!

The London Vaporetto Shorts showcases bold, original short films with a strong focus on storytelling, craft, and creative vision.

We offer filmmakers the opportunity to screen their work on a big screen in central London, engage directly with audiences, and connect with fellow filmmakers in an intimate, supportive setting.

???? Why submit to London Vaporetto Shorts?

• Live London screenings in a curated festival programme
• Open to both emerging and established filmmakers
• Filmmaker Q&As, pitching exercises and industry panels
• Networking opportunities
• A festival run by filmmakers, for filmmakers

Submit your film and now and join us at the festival in June 2027!

Welcome to the Northstar Filmfare International Film Festival—an avant-garde cinematic journey that extends beyond traditional boundaries. Focused on empowering emerging filmmakers in the dynamic world of cinema, NFIFF emphasizes globally showcasing your work, securing press coverage, and fostering connections with influential figures in the industry.

At NFIFF, we warmly embrace filmmakers from around the world, anticipating films that embody courage, determination, and unique voices. Our commitment extends to supporting content creators and cultivating an environment where creativity thrives.

In the realm of NFIFF, the spotlight illuminates filmmaking every month. Winners receive an exclusive laurel and certificate, tangible recognition of their accomplishments. Submit your masterpiece today and explore new horizons in the world of filmmaking with NFIFF.

VIII Almassora International Short Film Festival (Castellón) SPAIN

We excited to announce the the Fantasy Film Festival in Paris. An opportunity for regional and international filmmakers to release their imagination.

The Fantasy Film Festival team wants to meet, inspire and support the next pioneers of Fantasy, Science fiction and drama genres.

The Fantasy Film Festival is the first of its genre in Paris.

The FFF Lab exists to provide huge opportunities for filmmakers, producers and festival goers discussions, feedback on your work, workshops, and future support for your project.

The Fantasy Film Festival accepts Shorts, Features, Animations, Scripts, Works in Development, Web Series, music videos and VR.

Our focus will be to provide live, interactive entertainment throughout the entire festival. We want people to feel like there are things to do and see at every turn.

Aside from all of the above, you will be able to forge connections with your attending peers interested and working in Sci-Fi and Fantasy. It will be a day packed with insight, all developed so you may take your work, and ultimately your career, further!

The Canadian Independent Film Festival (CIFF) is an independent festival born in Canada, the land of diversity.

The vision of the CIFF is to establish Montreal as a center for local and international filmmakers to share global perspectives as well as independent thoughts to a large audience through film.

The mission of the CIFF is to promote independent film culture and encourage its development along side with empowering minorities.

No Premiere Status is required.

Only for Spanish Filmmakers

Mecal Pro has consolidated its long history as one of the most important short film festivals in Europe and the world. Backed by local, national, and international institutions, the festival maintains its strong commitment to the exhibition, promotion, and networking of audiovisual creations in the short format—connecting filmmakers, distributors, and audiences alike, with a special focus on fostering emerging talent. In 2026, we screened more than 300 short films across the 29 sections we program.

Niagara Canada International Film Festival (NCIFF) is an IMDb qualifying festival conducting an innovative international film festival and invites participation from aspiring and upcoming independent filmmakers. A unique film Festival, focusing on opportunity creation for global filmmakers.

[Niagara Canada International Film Festival is to promote new movie makers, exchange of knowledge, information, ideas & culture between Canadian & other nations in context of their social and cultural ethos. NCIFF also promotes friendship and co-operation among people of the world through the medium of films & documentaries.]

Our festival supports independent cinema across formats and aims to showcase the best talent & cinema from across the globe.

Also, The Niagara Canada International Film Festival is an annual showcase of World Cinema created by world film makers. Films include short, feature, documentaries and Social & Music which explore the culture, history and tradition. It is a unique festival to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the film industry from Canada, USA, Europe, Asia and other parts of the world.

Reaching a potential audience of millions of Ontario-based movie lovers, NIFF (Niagara Canada International Film Festival) provides a unique cultural destination for Niagara and Ontario based ex-patriots to connect with the culture of home through the magic of cinema.

Our Vision:

"Bringing the World to Niagara Falls, Canada through a shared passion for film and the power of storytelling.”

Our Mission

The Niagara Canada International Film Festival is dedicated to the discovery and promotion of Film Makers, Storytellers and Artists and sharing with audiences. Everyone has a story to tell, our goal is to inspire and encourage people to share their stories using the media of film and to create events that enable the sharing of those stories across communities and beyond.

We accept all genres of films from all over the world. We create an opportunity for filmmakers to get their films judged and let them compete with other filmmakers. We perform a comprehensive evaluation process and select only high-quality films.

★ IMDb-Qualifying Film Festival ★
https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0073754/

Oleaje Film Festival, organized by the Network of Museums of Manabí, invites filmmakers to participate in its first edition.

This festival aims to establish a platform for exhibition, training, and film production in the province of Manabí, promoting reflection on identity and territory through cinema.

In dialogue with its curatorial line, the 2026 edition, titled “Cinema is Alive!”, invites submissions of feature-length and short films—both fiction and documentary—that explore tangible and intangible heritage, such as gastronomy, music, festivities, traditional knowledge, the sea, and the ways of life that develop around it.

Special consideration will be given to works that examine how these cultural practices, together with the relationship to coastal and rural landscapes, shape memory, identity, and community, and that portray the life stories emerging from this territory between sea, mountains, and everyday life.

In 3 countries - Austria, Hungary and Slovakia

Join us for the best films and filmmakers from November 21 to 28, 2026, at the 9th Blue Danube Film Festival, taking place in Vienna, Budapest, and Bratislava.



The Blue Danube Film Festival showcases independent films from around the world, encouraging creativity and experimentation. We welcome all types of films and aim to inspire talented filmmakers exploring new forms and examining societal issues through a critical lens.

Films are evaluated by our professional jury based on the criteria of their entry category, considering generally accepted filmmaking quality standards such as artistic vision, production quality, aesthetic positioning, structure, cinematography, direction, and creativity.

Selected films will be screened in art cinemas and cultural centers in Vienna, Budapest and Bratislava.

BDFF is the region's first cross-border film festival, sailing up the Danube from Budapest to Bratislava and Vienna. We will showcase short films in three cities at four festival locations. Our jury will evaluate the films, and winners will receive not only media attention but also cash prizes.

We look forward to celebrating cinema with you!