Blog: Film festivals

The festival has an international character and all authors with films in compliance with other propositions can participate. Films selected for competition will be judged in two categories:

1. FILM RECIPE - a sort of documentary that should display complete image and/or text instructions for preparation of culinary creations (meals, drinks or deserts), including information about required ingredients and sequence of work. Based on those, after watching film one should be able to prepare the recipe.

2. OPEN CATEGORY - a film that should thematize or depict content related to food and/or drink.

Duration of individual films submitted is limited to 15 minutes.

The L’Hospitalet Short Film Festival celebrates its 21st edition, firmly established as a landmark cultural event in the city. Over the past two decades, it has supported and promoted the talent of young filmmakers committed to human rights, cooperation, and a culture of peace.

In this edition, the festival also introduces the thematic focus “Territories”, an invitation to engage in dialogue with other realities, explore new physical and symbolic geographies, and decentralize perspectives in order to amplify diverse voices and non-hegemonic viewpoints.

Fantafestival (Italian: Mostra Internazionale del Film di Fantascienza e del Fantastico; English: International Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Show) is a film festival devoted to science fiction, fantasy and horror films that is held annually in Italy since 1981.

Fantafestival takes place every year in Rome. In the past years, while maintaining its headquarters in Rome, some editions were held in contemporary in different Italian cities like Milan, Naples, Genoa, Verona, Parma and Ravenna.

For more than 40 years, Fantafestival has been one of the leading Italian events specialized in fantastic films and one of the most important international events of this kind. It has presented and launched in Italy many filmmakers who later would become among the most popular in the fantastic film world.

The nineth edition of RIR (International Comedy Shortfilm Festival), a theme festival where humor is the fundamental base.

Open from March 2 to May 1, 2026

Voces Contra el Silencio, Video Independiente A.C., the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, with the support of TV UNAM and the UNAM Film Archive, invite filmmakers to participate in the fourteenth edition of the Hispano-American Independent Documentary Film and Video Encounter: Contra el Silencio Todas las Voces, to be held from September 4 to 12, 2026, in Mexico City and in different states across the Mexican Republic, in a hybrid format.

The main objective of Contra el Silencio Todas las Voces is to serve as a window that brings together independent documentary cinema from Mexico, Latin America, and Spain, through free, accessible, and open spaces that embrace a diversity of perspectives, encourage collective action, and foster collaborative networks in support of the development of the documentary genre and the construction of a more just, equitable, and tolerant society.

Contra el Silencio Todas las Voces has explored new audiovisual exhibition alternatives, successfully reaching audiences it had never previously imagined. For this reason, in this thirteenth edition it has decided to maintain a hybrid format consisting of: in-person activities at various alternative film exhibition venues; on-demand content on the MXPLUS platform; and broadcasts on public television channels in Mexico City (Canal 11, Canal 21, Canal 22, and TV UNAM), as well as on public channels in other states across the country. Therefore, participation in this call implies acceptance that the documentary will be exhibited in these three formats during the fourteenth edition of the Encuentro Hispanomaericano de Cine y Video Documental Independiente: Contra el Silencio Todas las Voces

5th Cineteca Veracruz Showcase

CALL FOR ENTRIES

The civil association Cineteca Veracruz invites Mexican and international filmmakers to submit their cinematic works to the different non-competitive sections of the Fifth Cineteca Veracruz Showcase, which will take place during October and November 2026.

Submission period: March 2 to June 12, 2026
Selection notification: July 20, 2026

Non-Competitive Sections

Veracruz Cinema

All Veracruz-based, national, and international filmmakers are invited to participate in this section with films that maintain a thematic or conceptual connection to the territory of Veracruz. Submissions must be short films (between 5 and 30 minutes in length), either fiction or non-fiction.

Mexican Short Film

All filmmakers of Mexican nationality are invited to participate in this section with short films (between 5 and 30 minutes in length), either fiction or non-fiction.

Mexican Feature Film

All filmmakers of Mexican nationality are invited to participate in this section with feature films (between 60 and 120 minutes in length), either fiction or non-fiction.

International Feature Film

Filmmakers of any nationality are invited to participate in this section with feature films (between 60 and 120 minutes in length), either fiction or non-fiction.

Animation Special

Filmmakers of any nationality are invited to participate in this section with animated short films (between 5 and 30 minutes in length), either fiction or non-fiction.

EDITA is a festival of short-films with the aim of social transformation through audiovisual creation, encouraging critical thinking, engaging citizens in the promotion of rights and making the viewers feel seen and motivated pursue a social change.

Through this festival, ASAD aims to discover and share new social imaginaries, change the point of view and get closer to non-hegemonetic proposals evoking social justice, human rights, gender equity and environmental sustainability

Drag Me To Fest is the independent horror film festival that lights up Milan with a unique and immersive program and takes place at the end of November. Founded in November 2021 through the collaboration between Joe Godoy Gonzalez, Art Director and creator of the horror website Non Aprite Questo Blog, and filmmaker Chiara Natalini, the festival is a shining beacon for horror lovers—an event that has become a unique point of reference for fans, filmmakers, collectors, and the entire Italian horror community, ready to drag you straight into horror.

Located in the heart of Milan, at WAO Romolo C30, Drag Me To Fest offers a celebration of independent horror cinema in a 480-square-meter space designed to host screenings, talks, and special activities in a single, atmospheric home for horror. With the aim of rediscovering and enhancing the collective experience of cinema, the festival creates a unique environment where the magic of the big screen is shared and enjoyed live. This partnership, strongly supported by WAO, seeks to open new and thriving horizons for culture and cinematic meeting spaces in the city of Milan.

Drag Me To Fest collaborates with sponsors and partners such as Midnight Factory (a label of Plaion Pictures), WAO, Taboo, Rustblade Records, Vagin Lover, Horror Park, Fulci, Mostro Production, Bloodbuster, Horror Italia 24, Horror Dipendenza, and Nocturno Cinema.

Drag Me To Fest is much more than just a festival: it is a celebration of creativity and innovation within the horror film landscape. If you are passionate about horror movies and want to discover the latest trends in the genre in a stimulating atmosphere, don’t miss the chance to take part in this unmissable event.

Our prize is the audience

Since its birth, Drag Me To Fest has embraced an ideology that abolishes the concept of awards—a system that pushes cinema to be seen more as a competition than as a “place” of intellectual and emotional encounter. This does not mean that we do not believe in the pursuit of quality, and for this reason we always work to guarantee a careful selection of the films that can access our festival. But we want to remove the idea of assigning hierarchical value to works and avoid rhetorical thank-yous and self-celebration, focusing instead on giving visibility to the entire crew and to the stories that led to the completion of each film. The only “prize” we aim to guarantee through our work is a high-quality audience.

Films taking part in the festival may be selected to be included in a DVD-format anthology distributed worldwide.

The Umbrales Film Festival opens its 2025 call for entries, inviting filmmakers, audiovisual artists, and emerging creators to participate with works that explore innovative narratives, perspectives, and formats in Mexican cinema.

For this second edition, only works in short film and cineminute formats will be accepted. The maximum running time is 20 minutes and 1 minute respectively, including credits. Winners in each category will receive the festival statuette, as well as honorable mentions.

Festival of fantasy and horror genre shorts, open to all types of filmmakers, whether professionals or amateurs. The festival will be held in the town of Roses (Spain), from November 19 to 22, 2026. We accept short films of the Fantastic, Horror, Animation, Gore, Freak and Trash genres.

La GEEK SHOCK CINEMA, on Sunday the 22th we will hold a marathon of short films, we are looking for underground, festival, comedy, gore and fantastic short films, fake trailers, so that the public can have fun, and shout at the screen, These short films that are selected WILL NOT ENTER THE COMPETITION, participation will be free, but we repeat, THEY WILL NOT ENTER THE COMPETITION, it will only be screened in said marathon, with a maximum of 15 minutes.

On November 27 and 28, 2026, the T-Short Festival will take place at the Kinemathek Karlsruhe cinema in Karlsruhe, Germany.

From November 30 to December 13, 2026, the festival films will be available online only for residents of Germany, as well as for festival participants and guests.

______HIGHLIGHTS______

T-Short Festival for professionals from all over the world and animated movie fans in Germany.

Only short films up to 15 minutes are presented at the festival, preferably without monologues and dialogues.

Films finished after January 1, 2024 are accepted for selection.

T-Short Festival treats any auteur animated films with trepidation, however, it prefers abstract, experimental, and surreal animated films.

T-Short doesn’t target children’s audience and doesn’t allow movies or series that target only for children’s audience.

The festival accepts the films for adult audience and films that will be interesting to both children and adults.

The festival is international and has no national awards.

National awards can only be presented by sponsors and partners of the festival.

Films are judged by our highly respected Jury.

Festival films can be watched both Online and Offline in the Cinema.

ONLY FOR SPANISH FILMMAKERS // SOLO PARA CINEASTAS ESPAÑOLES

El Festival PSICURT está organizado por el Colegio Oficial de Psicología de Cataluña, el Ayuntamiento de Reus y el Ayuntamiento de Tarragona.

El objetivo es dar a conocer los diferentes ámbitos de la salud mental (prevención, promoción e intervención) a través del cine. Un proyecto cultural, social y de salud que permita promover la creación artística y la sensibilidad del público con la salud mental.

The 2026 Rio LGBTQIA+ is the 15th official international film festival of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, showcasing LGBTQIA+ themed fiction, documentary, animation and experimental films in all formats: feature, medium-length, short and micro-length.

MON·DOC, International Documentary Film Festival from Montaverner.

International Thai Film Festival a.k.a. ITFF is an internationally recognized film industry event and registered international (IMDb qualifying) film festival of Thailand. The event of ITFF is a film screening event and film entertainment industry expo, founded by S.E.G. Alongside screenings of a wide variety of films (Official Selection), there are Panel Talks session, networking opportunities and the ITFF Award Ceremony. ITFF brings together film, animation and entertainment industry professionals from around the world, celebrating and awarding the very best productions and artists, from emerging talents to seasoned professionals.

ITFF Competition is a film, animation and video competition for industry professionals and amateurs alike, who are passionate about filmmaking and wish to screen their work and compete for ITFF Awards to gain a wider recognition and reputation in the industry.

Entrants have a chance to win a trophy and prizes at ITFF. The selection of productions is executed by the ITFF Judging Board that includes established Thai film and entertainment industry professionals and guest judges from major studios, overseas. With their extensive industry experience and knowledge, each project submitted to ITFF Competition is viewed and studied closely, awarding creativity and the execution of their story regardless of the budget of their production. Submit your work and take us on a journey that surprises us, shocks us, melts our hearts, makes us laugh or simply entertains us.

Lifestyle Spectrum International Film Festival is a curated international film festival based in Austin, Texas, dedicated to independent cinema, visual storytelling, and author-driven films.

The festival focuses on strong cinematic vision, narrative identity, and bold creative voices from around the world. Our mission is to create an intimate and professional screening experience that connects filmmakers, audiences, and industry professionals in a meaningful way.

The festival includes official screenings, filmmaker discussions, and an awards ceremony, presented in a theatrical environment.

Now in our second year, the Inspired Screenwriting Competition is doubling down on our mission to amplify bold and unique new voices and disrupt the status quo of the film industry. In an effort to make this opportunity more accessible to everyone, we're lowering our entry fee and asking writers to submit only the FIRST 20 PAGES of their screenplays. After reviewing those pages, we'll reach out and request full scripts from everyone who advances to the second round.

We’re looking for feature-length screenplays that stand out, break the mold, and connect with audiences in unforgettable ways.

The Inspired Screenwriting Competition was founded by experienced filmmakers and screenwriters who have had a long history in this business. Frustrated with what felt like a decrease in opportunities for newcomers and unique voices and an increase in the amount of organizations that were happy to take an entry fee and offer nothing in return, we felt it was time to take matters into our own hands.

Our mission is to shake up the industry by changing the kinds of scripts that make it to the screen. We feel that now more than ever, the film business needs to embrace new talent telling authentic stories from unique perspectives.

As writers ourselves, we also hate it when people try to put us in a box. And we don’t want to put you in a box, either. That’s why we don’t have separate genre categories.

WE’RE LOOKING FOR THE STRONGEST VOICES IN SCREENWRITING.
We believe that it’s only through showing who you are with your writing can you truly reach your audience in a meaningful way.

So, send us your best. Send us your personal. Send us the crazy out-there ideas that could have only come from (insert your name here).

Because, whether it’s a high concept comedy, historical drama, elevated horror or something in between (if anyone has that script, btw, def send it our way), if it came from you, we want to read it.

And when we do find that special script? That script that blows our minds?

WE ARE GONNA WANT TO TELL EVERYBODY.

So, use your voice and shout it from the rooftops because…

We’re listening.

FILMETS Badalona Film Festival, is an international short film festival with 52 years of history. It is a reference festival in Catalonia awarded by the Barcelona Provincial Council and is a prescriber of the Goya awards.

Badalona celebrated the first edition of the old festival in 1971, on a biennial basis. The Amateur Cinema Section of the Museum was the entity that organized that international contest with the name 'Badalona World Amateur Cinema' and also held other contests such as Images (for members of the entity), the National Festival of Filmed Song (state wide) and the Religious Film and Human Values Contest (state wide). The entity collaborated with the main amateur film festivals in Catalonia, such as those held in Barcelona (Union of Amateur Filmmakers, the Catalonia Excursionist Center or the Barcelona Photographic Association) and others in Figueras, Terrassa, Valls, Mataró, Manresa, Vilanova i la Geltrú, etc.

These festivals screened films in 8 mm, Super8, Single 8 and 16 mm, where works by amateur filmmakers Tomàs Mallol, Rafael Marcó, Enric Menal, Miquel Esparbé, Jan Baca, Toni Garriga, Tomàs Freixas, Arnal S. Licer, Josep Parra, Enrique Montón, Agustí and Rafel Argelich, Joan Vidal, etc. At the end of the 1980s, a new association was created, with the name of Badalona Independent Filmmakers, which took charge of the new festival, the Badalona International Film and Video Festival, until the end of the 1990s.

In 2001, the Badalona City Council and Badalona Comunicació SA, with the support of historical members of the festival, launched the 27th edition of the new festival, under the name of FILMETS Badalona Film Festival. That new edition had 400 registered short films and 2,000 viewers and was the starting point and the new benchmark for short film festivals in Catalonia.

From then on, FILMETS Badalona Film Festival has been a benchmark not only for the short film festivals with the most international coverage and echo, but it is also a meeting point for filmmakers and, above all, for the most loyal public. Since its recovery, it has had the participation of the main short filmmakers from Catalonia and from the rest of the state and in its twenty-two years of the new stage, true film talents have participated who have subsequently stood out with the production of feature films with worldwide impact.

Some of the directors who have participated in the festival are Álex de la Iglesia, Fernando Trullols, Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza, Kiko Maillo, Judit Colell, Mar Coll, Javier Fesser or Àlex Pastor among others, as well as the participation of prominent international filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Pedro Almodóvar. It has also given way to the new current generations of short filmmakers such as Bill Plympton, JA Bayona, Ari Sandel or Carla Simón, among others. The international jury has been made up of people of recognized prestige in the audiovisual scene such as Manuel Huerga, Josep Maria Forn, Roland Nguyen, Joao García, Ventura Pons, Antoni Verdaguer, Lluís Marco, Roger Coma, Romà Gubern, Florence Keller, Judit Colell, Jaume Figueras, Llorenç Soler, Sílvia Quer, Carles Bosch, Albert Solé and Oriol Sala-Patau, among others. In recent years, professionals from the short film distribution sector have attended, such as Marvin&Wayne, Freak, Kimuak, Catalan Films, Agence du Court Métrage, Nikita Distribution, France TV, RTP, or festival programmers such as Medit, Mecal, Fec Cambrils-Reus , Cittadella di Corto, Biennale di Vicenza, Off Courts Trouville L'Alternativa, My first festival, OH, LA LA!, BCN Sports Film. They have also played an important role in the film schools of Catalonia (ESCAC, Bande à Part, CECC, 9 Zeros, ECIB, FX Animation, EMAV) or the renowned Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg in Germany, ESRA, ESMA, Arte FX, Les Gobelins of France USC California, etc.

The festival is also a platform for our filmmakers, since the presence of the festival in the main international markets (WSFF Toronto, Regard Saguenay Quebec, Short Film Corner Cannes, Tous Courts Aix -en-Provence, Off-Courts Trouville, Clermont-Ferrand , BISFF Brussel·les, etc) has made it possible for FILMETS Badalona Film Festival to be a catalyst for the genre, also promoting its own productions. Directors and producers of short films that have subsequently won the Oscar, or Goya, Gaudí, César, Donatello, etc., have attended and participated.

FILMETS Badalona Film Festival has maintained relationships and collaborations with the main festivals in the world since its origins, from the USC of Southern California, the New York Film Institute, the London Film School, among others, but mainly the most important producers and distributors of independent short films (Premium Films, European New Sales, Marvin&Wayne, Freak, Agencia du Cortmétrage, Interfilm Berlin, Kurtz Film Hamburg, Ouat Media, etc.)

In this regard, the festival is active throughout the year and beyond the dates of the celebration it has organized sessions all over the world, with anthological sessions in several European cities. FILMETS develops year after year a pedagogical work of the best cinema, with contents that have been carefully worked on by the programming team. At the same time, members of the organizing committee of the festival have actively participated in different conferences, round tables, professional meetings and as members of the official jury of the festivals: ImagineNative Toronto, WSFF Toronto, Regard Saguenay Quebec, Off-Courts Trouville/Deauville, Très Courts Aix -en-Provence, Short Film Corner Cannes, Huesca International Festival, Docs Barcelona, Cryptshow Badalona, BISFF Busan South Korea, Clermont-Ferrand, etc. On the other hand, they have also participated as speakers or moderators in: Short Film Corner, Clermont-Ferrand, Quebec, Trouville, and in different exhibitions and festivals in Catalonia, as well as a member of the short film commission of the Gaudí Award by the Catalan Cinema Academy.

FILMETS Badalona Film Festival has promoted all over the world not only the festival brand, but also the main short film festivals of Catalunya Film Festivals CFF (founding member).

The MAFF, the Moscow Asian Film Festival, has been launched to support independent filmmakers throughout Asia to display their unique ideas, to tell the stories deep down inside their hearts, and to inspire both audiences and other independent filmmakers.

The Moscow Asian Film Festival features work produced by filmmakers of Asian decent as well as stories about Asian culture and heritage. We will be accepting submissions from asian filmmakers, directors, writers, majority asian crew and/or asian stories.

The festival will primarily support Asian filmmakers to showcase their talents. The event will show short to full length movies and documentaries of Asian cultural, social and historical significance by Asian as well as non-Asian filmmakers. The festival will host filmmakers for a reception and audience engagement. The festival will be a marquee event for the city with support from Big Asia TV-chanel with the goal to promote asian films in Russia.

Festival features live screenings in Global Cinema in Moscow with six 100 – seat theaters with laser DLP projectors and JBL speakers throughout the venue, delivering top notch quality in an intimate screening environment. Filmmakers whose work is accepted into our festival will receive free passes to screenings, invitations to networking events and are eligible for awards consideration.

MAFF is organized and produced by Valery Shanin’s Film Club and Big Asia TV-chanel with generous financial support from private donors.

All best films that were selected for the screening, will be shown on the big screen during the solemn final ceremony on September 02 – 05, 2027 in Moscow, Russia and will be able to struggle for the main prize and the title of the “Best film”. As well as for the prizes in the standalone nominations.

Festival only for Spanish speakers: Spanish and Latin American productions.