Blog: Film festivals

Near Nazareth Festival ( NNF ) invites all film lovers to partake in our celebration.

Near Nazareth Festival hospitably opens its doors to filmmakers. Festival participants from around the world will show their works.

We believe that the best place for them to present their work - is Near Nazareth Festival.

More than 3500 participants from 70 countries of 5 continents presented their films and works at the Festival in Israel since 2015.

The works are evaluated by an international jury. Many participants became prize-winners and winners in their nominations.

A festival diploma increases the prestige of the piece.

We invite you to take part in it. We will be glad to review your work.

Our motto is: Everyone has a chance to be evaluated and win! We wish you creative success.
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An important addition.

We continue our work.

We believe that film and art is very important during this time.

We still accept submissions and will hold online screenings as scheduled.

We look forward to your new works.

Art is life.

Stay safe and healthy!
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Our festival - NNF - is the first of its kind.

Our festival will serve to strengthen mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of the world. Through cooperation with movie lovers from around the world, we will make history.

Today filmmakers from 70 countries are participating in the festival, and presented his works.

Near Nazareth Festival Online Film Market - Free of charge for all participants of the NNFestival.

We post your film info on Near Nazareth Festival Facebook page - post + image.
We'll set up info about your film on Near Nazareth Festival website.

Page is opened and distributed among national and international distributors.

We are inviting of you to join
We do not limit the categories of participants. All films are presented in their original language. There is no need for subtitles in a foreign language different from the original.

Every submitting will be reviewed by a qualified jury and the audience.

Event venue - The Poznak Community Centers, Givat Ha-More

TU PUOI, the film festival for young people under 35, is the first edition of the Grosseto film festival.

A festival to promote the talent of young artists; this is our mission.

The idea was born from festival creator Sendy Giamattei, who wants to give a voice to young people whose voices are being taken away.

A festival for young people, created and conceived by young people.

The festival was created in 2015 and has the goal to become a space for professional development for filmmakers and amateurs that are looking for a platform to show their films and do some networking.

It has different categories for competition open for high school and university students (in Mexico) and international filmmakers. In addition, it has two international film exhibitis, one for gender and sexual diversity and one for long feature films.

You can find more info in cchfilmfest.com

Brussels Short Film Festival is an exhibition intended for cinema lovers, both audience and professionals. The purpose is to promote and circulate short films and to generate contacts between audience, young directors and professionals.

Since 2018, the winner of the Great Prize of the International competition will be eligible for consideration in the Animated Short Film/ Live Action Short Film category of the Academy Awards® without the standard theatrical run, provided the film otherwise complies with the Academy rules.

Short Films for Childhood.

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.

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/

Sykehouse Filmfest is an international film festival dedicated to rewarding filmmakers and writers from all over the world. We are running our next live event - SYKEHOUSE FILM AND WRITER'S FESTIVAL - on 16-17 May 2026 with back to back screening of selected entries and an award ceremony at the end of the day to announce the winners.

IMDB approved in our first year due to our success and immediate prestige. https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0073772/overview/

Our judges range from award winning writers, producers, directors and bloggers. All of whom have a love for the art of film and music.

The event will take place close to the picturesque village of Sykehouse, at the beautiful country hotel Owston Hall Hotel (DN5 0LP), set in its own grounds with golf course and all amenities. Food, drink and all amenities are available throughout the festival.

And if you wish to stay on site: hotel rooms are available and can be booked direct with the Hotel (https://owstonhall.com/).

You can buy all day VIP Screening & Awards and VIP Awards from https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sykehouse-film-and-writers-festival-tickets-1379246636819?aff=oddtdtcreator

This is our 12th Year running Jewish Film Festivals. Veteran Film Festival Directors Wendy Honig, Lesley Rich and Arleen Roberts invite you to join our new International Jewish Film Festival. We started our Jewish film adventure in 2014 at the Palm Beach International Film Festival, moving our group of dedicated screeners and patrons thereafter in 2017 to create the Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival with a commitment to grow the festival into one of the largest in the nation, and thereafter becoming the 2nd largest in the US in 2023.

WE DO NOT CHARGE A SUBMISSION FEE, UNLIKE OTHER MAJOR FESTIVALS IN FLORIDA. One of our purposes is to support filmmakers to get exposure for their films and find distribution opportunities.

We have now expanded to become a new International Jewish Film Festival that will be held in February and March with film programs planned year-round. Our large selection of exciting premiere films will be screened at Cinemark Palace 20 and Movies of Delray and Lake Worth. The Festival is a 501(c)3 charity organization formed as a celebration of Jewish / Israeli cinema. It is a gathering of filmmakers, film enthusiasts, and industry professionals who come together to appreciate and showcase the art of filmmaking. We reach out, excite and bring together our community with and through the power of films that showcase Jewish spirit, culture, traditions and humor.

The Festival features many World and US Premieres. The Festival is proud to introduce new films and filmmakers to distributors and its audiences, including both full length and short films. The Festival is run by Wendy Honig and Lesley Rich

Submissions are for consideration the festival to be held early 2026.

Colombian Urban Art Film Festival (CUAFF) is an independent film festival based in Bogotá, Colombia. We spotlight bold, raw, and vibrant cinematic works that capture the spirit of the streets — exploring urban art, hip hop, identity, resistance, and the pulse of unsanctioned expression.

We are especially drawn to stories that emerge from the underground — train yards, rooftops, and city walls — where creativity exists outside the lines. Our mission is to amplify the voices of filmmakers who see the street as a living canvas and cinema as a tool for disruption and truth. We welcome short films, documentaries, experimental pieces, and hybrid formats that break boundaries and provoke thought.

The Susquehanna Film Festival is the 1st festival of its kind to be held in historic Williamsport, Pennsylvania by founder Tim Yasui, an LA-based independent film producer and film distributor who was originally born and raised in Williamsport. Our Festival will celebrate and acknowledge not only international films, but also regionally-produced feature films and short films from the Greater Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic states. We will encourage all film makers and young students also who are studying Film to submit their films which otherwise might be ignored by the national festivals.

We are the West Coast’s premier festival dedicated to showcasing fresh and innovative filmmaking, screening everything from festival favorites like Damsel (starring Robert Pattinson and Mia Wasikowska), to world premieres like Netflix favorite Abducted in Plain Sight.

We are committed to discovering and supporting emerging filmmakers. There’s a reason MovieMaker magazine has named Mammoth Lakes Film Festival as one of the “Top 50 Film Festival’s Worth Your Entry Fee” for the last nine years in a row: We put our filmmakers first! And now we are one of the "Top 25 Coolest Festivals in the World" named by MovieMaker Magazine — a true testament to the experience you will have with us.

We always secure top-level press to attend the festival in order to get exposure for our filmmakers. Attending press and industry professionals have included Variety, The Wrap, Indiewire, MovieMaker Magazine, Hollywood Reporter and more.

The 11th annual Mammoth Lakes Film Festival takes place on the five days leading up to Memorial Day, May 20-24, 2026.

MLFF captures the imagination of audiences and contributes to the vitality of film culture by providing emerging filmmakers with an opportunity to show their latest work in a vibrant and nurturing atmosphere. Visitors are drawn to the area to experience exciting new films by both new and established independent artists, and for the opportunity to mingle with them at fun and friendly daily events. The festival is also a forum for filmmakers to have their work seen by industry professionals who have the potential to provide mentorship and propel their careers.

We are committed to promoting film as an art form by focusing on personal, innovative, imaginative films by writers and directors with a unique style and point of view. We present these films in the beautiful natural setting of Mammoth Lakes — a perfect backdrop for an independent film festival and a premier tourist destination in its own right. Because we are a destination resort, just a 4 to 5-hour drive or a quick flight from Los Angeles, we have strong allies within the entertainment industry. Our jury members are acclaimed artists and professionals from the world of independent film. We give out multiple awards in the categories of Narrative Features, Documentary Features, and Short Films.

We award cash and prizes valued at more than $40,000.00. We provide housing and festival passes for our filmmakers. Our juries have included Tim Moore (Producer of AMERICAN SNIPER, INVICTUS), Allison Amon (Producer of THE QUEEN OF VERSAILLES), Rachel Winter (Academy Award winning producer of DALLAS BUYERS CLUB), and John Fiedler (Producer of SERIAL MOM and PECKER).

The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival is a DBA of the Eastern Sierra Arts Alliance and is a 501(c)3.

MAMMOTH LAKES FILM FESTIVAL SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival Screenplay Competition is dedicated to discovering and supporting emerging, innovative screenwriters. We welcome screenplays in every genre, on any topic, from anywhere in the world. We are looking for stories from writers that have a unique voice and a specific point of view. Every submission will receive 3-5 lines of feedback. You can request detailed feedback of 4-5 pages of feedback for an additional fee. MLFF will present the Grand Prize for the best screenplay at the 2026 Mammoth Lakes Film Festival, May 24th, 2026.

We look forward to reading your work!

The top 10 screenplays will be offered housing and passes to attend the festival and network with attending press, industry, distributors and filmmakers. Along with a Writers Round Table at the festival with an industry professional that offers one on one advice.

Only for Spanish Filmmakers.

The Umbria Underground Film Festival is dedicated to independent and experimental cinema. We are looking for shortfilms out of the mainstream either in its style, genre or financing. The festival is organised by Ospizio Giovani Artisti of Rome (also organizer of the (S)exhibitions, on Festhome), in its space in Umbria. The intention is to offer the opportunity to visual artists and filmmakers to show their works in a context that stimulates reflection and free artistic expression. With a curated selection of films that challenge conventions and expectations, the festival celebrates the variety of cinematographic languages and welcomes proposals ranging from narratives through experimental films, to postporn cinema.

Our Story

+4,500 films screened at our drive-in cinema
+2.3 million viewers over our 45-year history
+25,000 followers on Facebook
+18,500 followers on Instagram
+2,700 Google reviews

Welcome to the first edition of the AutoCine El Sur Mutxamel Film Festival, a unique open-air film event held at a historic drive-in cinema operating since 1980, located in Mutxamel (Alicante, Spain).

This event is organized and managed by the owners of the drive-in themselves, ensuring a professional and high-quality experience. With over 4,500 films screened and more than 2.3 million viewers over 45 years, we are committed to creating a truly memorable event for both filmmakers and audiences.

Our festival features an open theme, embracing both independent and commercial cinema, with the goal of showcasing a wide variety of creative voices from around the world.

Selected films will be screened on May 15, 2026, in a nostalgic drive-in setting where the audience will enjoy your work from the comfort of their cars, with food and drinks served directly to each vehicle.

All submitted projects will receive free promotion on our Instagram account, helping to increase visibility and reach.

We believe festivals should offer more value to filmmakers and screenwriters—this is our way of supporting you and showing appreciation for your work.

Why participate?
• Outdoor screening at a legendary Spanish drive-in cinema
• Exposure to both local and international audiences
• Free Instagram promotion for every submitted project
• Mixed programming: independent and commercial films
• Family-friendly atmosphere under the stars

What can you expect as a participating filmmaker?
Official Welcome: Starting at 8:00 PM, we will welcome all selected filmmakers and teams with accreditations, a formal reception, and a networking opportunity.

Double Screening Session: From 9:00 PM onward, your film will be shown on a giant screen in front of a live audience, in a retro, family-oriented setting. Sound will be broadcast via FM radio directly to the vehicles, while the audience enjoys food and drinks from the comfort of their cars.

Q&A (Questions and Answers): After each screening session, directors and teams will take part in a short talk with the audience, sharing insights about the creative process and connecting directly with viewers.

Audience Award: At the end of the event, attendees will vote for their favorite project. The film with the most votes will receive the Audience Award for Best Project of the Festival.

Guaranteed Promotion: All selected projects will receive visibility on our social media (over 25,000 followers on Facebook and 18,500 on Instagram), increasing the reach and exposure of your film.

Additional Information for Participants:
• The event is organized and run by the drive-in owners, with extensive experience in film exhibition.
• The festival is pet-friendly and offers free parking.
• There is an on-site bar and restaurant available.

Experience your film like never before: outdoors, under the stars, on a giant screen, in front of a real audience.

Connect, share, and celebrate your cinema at a festival made by and for people who love telling stories.

Be part of a different kind of festival — retro, authentic, and unforgettable.

Celebrate your film on the big screen under the stars and connect with the audience in the most classic way.

Making its fourth appearance on 12th October 2025 and again at our beautiful home at Etcetera Theatre in Camden, London, Noli is the festival for short films too experimental, too daring, too real or simply too long for the mainstream circuit.

Our third edition was our most successful yet and continued our mission of building a network of like-minded artists and collaborators across London and beyond. Our fourth edition promises to be even more special as our name spreads further both at home and abroad- this is your chance to be part of something that matters.

We are looking to champion a British New Wave of filmmaking, from narrative to essay to experimental films that have a unique perspective on cinema and on modern life. We love pieces that eschew traditional, commercial narratives in favour of a bold vision, innovative techniques, and a clear aim in perspective & idea on the world through art.

Art needs to reclaim its lost sense of verve, daring to push the held conventions of current cinema and society to usher in a new wave of creation and reflection. The medium is currently stagnant and we want to be the change we wish to see by bringing art back to its grass-roots approach, jumpstarting an unshackled form of cinema that is once again subversive, in the name of entertaining avant-garde fables, piercing essay films, innovative and exciting animations or art pieces, or honest and well-crafted narratives.

We want to reflect the new, in a way that is authentically inclusive of fringe artists that are truly contributing to the medium but feel like they have no home, whether you've frequented the institutional channels like BFI, or are indie through-and-through.

As such, we are looking for realised FILMS.

Previous programmes included a pulpy modern noir following an online erotic fiction writer trying to inspire new ideas by stranding his real-life lovers in overlapping fantasies and dreams until reality itself begins to dissolve, a satirical punk-DIY essay film with an acid tongue, tying in blues music with the royal family, parallel Pierrot puppets, a Bill Forsyth-esque comedy showing an alienated young night security guard trying to make friends wherever he can, a striking Daido Moriyama & Bresson-inspired hard-hitting drama on a subversive nocturnal journey, a beautiful documentary about a reclusive author living in a yurt in Normandy, a poetic reflection on the distance between an immigrant's life in the far east and life in England with images worthy of Hou, a vision of UFOs and fairies on an English common, a moodily dreamlike experimental number following the pain of a man with a TV for a head, sun-drenched aquatic journeys along the Cornish coast, a scathingly hilarious mockumentary take on the day in the life of a dishevelled Tory MP and a showcase of animations that displayed raw emotion and hand-crafted talent.

This is exactly what we love!

Our previous events have been sell-outs, with an audience comprised of the general public, fellow film-makers and industry professionals.

We want to establish an independent network of our own that values cinema and creativity, outside of the corporatised events that have come to dominate the scene.

We're looking to fill a programme running to roughly three hours.

All submission costs go towards helping us to keep this festival running.

With this event, you are buying into cinema culture, which means having an atmosphere to be part of, a place to hang out, your own corner of London in a medium that can often be isolating and exclusive.

NOLI is all about cutting-edge cinema, where you can join us in standing for something exciting and true!
We are different to the usual festival set-up, as we are not about industry griping, but giving fresh & passionate talent a chance to contribute to something meaningful and sustainable and establish a network of (y)our own.

Hence – TOO LONG, TOO DIFFICULT, TOO REAL.
Ie. – TOO CREATIVE. TOO HUMAN.

We are named in honour of Jacques Rivette’s opus ‘Out 1’. Rivette scrawled the Biblically-derived message ‘Noli Me Tangere’ (‘do not touch me’ in Latin) across 13-hours worth of film canisters to indicate he did not want the work cut further; this instruction is sometimes included now as the film’s subtitle. We hope to carry forward his uncompromising but generous spirit.

We are not looking for:

- Visual Art pieces without a clear, personal perspective

- Films with graphic sexual assault or violence (if your film includes sexually violent or violent imagery, but is still a fully-realised piece, please just add a content warning on your submission).

- Loose projects that aren't fully conceptualised

Barcelona Queer Film Festival is a Queer Film Festival (LGTBIQ+) that runs its second edition in Barcelona, Spain. There will also be activities related to Queer literature and Art the days before the festival.
The festival screenings will take place on November 28, 29 and 30 2025 at the Cinema Maldà in Barcelona.

https://www.cinemamalda.com/

Instagram: @cinemamalda

TRANSCINEMA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Transcinema is Peru's most important avant-garde film festival. It presents films that explore cinematic language and eschew thematic and formal clichés, with no length limits from all over the world and as exclusive premieres in Peru.

What Is the Irreverent Film Festival?

Have you made something bold? Awkward? Hysterical? Emotionally scarring in the best possible way? Perfect. You exactly what we’re looking for!

This is the film festival for creators who color outside the lines.

We celebrate the absurd, the offbeat, the unhinged, and the unexpectedly brilliant. We enjoy the unapologetic, cinematic chaos, and filmmakers who bend the rules. So if your film makes people laugh, think, gasp, squirm—or call their therapist—send it in.

The Department of Culture of the Municipality of Mentana in collaboration with Ricreazione Soc.Coop.Soc.ONLUS ,organizes the seventh edition of the historical audiovisual Festival "STORY IN SHORT".

The idea was born because our territory is rich in testimonies, from the pre-Roman era up to the Risorgimento: the enhancement of this heritage therefore also passes through a film festival that collects the works of authors who have ventured into an area that is not very 'frequented' such as reconstruction and historical analysis through short films, documentaries and audio-documentaries.

There are no content limits set for participation in the festival: all of History will be the subject of the works presented.

The jury will reserve the right to select the works to be screened in the event that the number of works presented exceeds the times and possibilities of programming.

All the selected works will be presented and the author will be able to tell his work to the audience in the room.

Abycine Lanza se ha convertido en la plataforma de referencia del audiovisual independiente nacional y de desarrollo del talento español. Cada edición sumamos nuevas alianzas y adhesiones que completan un programa de encuentros y talleres de formación así como los pitchs de los diferentes foros que conforman Lanza. Más de 250 profesionales españoles y europeos pasan cada año por este meeting point fundamental de la industria.
Se trata de una experiencia 360º que combina una serie de actividades con las que reforzar conocimientos sobre elementos claves en la realización cinematográfica (producción, marketing, participación de la audiencia, venta y la distribución de películas…) con la orientación personalizada, la retroalimentación grupal y el networking ampliado. Además, el importe total de los premios otorgados asciende a más 55.000€ con partners como CMM (Castilla-La Mancha Media), Filmin, ECAM o MAFIZ.

Distribuidores, festivales y agentes de ventas tienen la oportunidad de conocer propuestas emergentes del panorama independiente nacional. Por otro lado, los proyectos, reciben un valioso feedback y crean sinergias muy valiosas para la maduración, fortaleciendo la colaboración y asesoría de expertos, para lograr avanzar y consolidarse.

En su 10ª edición se desarrollará por primera vez una zona profesional específica para el cortometraje alineada con el compromiso de Abycine Lanza por visibilizar el cortometraje.