Blog: Film festivals

The Central American Film Festival in Vienna has become a firmly rooted tradition, establishing itself as a key cultural event in the city.

Vienna, recognized as one of the world’s most important cultural hubs, provides an ideal and prestigious platform to showcase the increasingly innovative and notable productions emerging from the Central American region.

This year, the festival returns from November 17 to 22, 2025, with the hope of once again welcoming our loyal audience, who will have the opportunity to enjoy the latest and most outstanding works of Central American cinema.

The program includes the categories of Feature Film, Short Film, Documentary, and Animation, along with several non-competitive parallel sections, including: “Pioneers of Central American Cinema,” “Works in Progress,” “Guest Film,” “Bonus Films,” and “Latin American View,” the latter dedicated to works portraying contemporary life in Latin America. All details are specified in the official festival regulations.


Le Festival du Cinéma d’Amérique centrale à Vienne est devenu une tradition solidement ancrée, s’imposant comme un événement culturel de référence dans la ville.

Vienne, reconnue comme l’un des centres culturels les plus importants au monde, offre une scène idéale et prestigieuse pour mettre en lumière les productions de plus en plus innovantes et remarquables provenant de la région centraméricaine.

Cette année, le festival revient du 17 au 22 novembre 2025, dans l’espoir d’accueillir à nouveau notre fidèle public, qui pourra découvrir le meilleur et le plus récent du septième art centraméricain.

Le programme comprend les catégories Long-métrage, Court-métrage, Documentaire et Animation, ainsi que plusieurs sections parallèles non compétitives, parmi lesquelles : « Pionniers du Cinéma Centraméricain », « Œuvres en Cours », « Film Invité », « Bonus Films » et « Regard Latino-Américain », cette dernière consacrée aux œuvres qui dépeignent la vie contemporaine en Amérique latine. Tous les détails sont précisés dans le règlement officiel du festival.

Heads Up was founded with a bold mission: to spotlight fearless and unconventional cinema that dares to challenge norms and elevate unheard voices. We are a platform for filmmakers who defy expectations, push artistic boundaries, and tell stories that demand to be seen.

Based in one of the world’s most diverse and dynamic city, Heads Up London exists to connect curious audiences with independent films from around the globe — films that are raw, radical, intimate, and unapologetically original. We believe that great cinema doesn’t just entertain — it disrupts, provokes, and transforms.

At Heads Up, the filmmaker comes first. We are committed to celebrating creative risk-taking and giving space to the stories that don’t fit neatly into boxes. By supporting and showcasing bold new talent, we aim to build a vibrant, inclusive space for cinematic expression in the heart of London.

The 2025 edition of Heads Up London will take place in summer at a Young Actors Theatre, bringing together a bold selection of international and UK films that challenge convention and celebrate originality. This year’s program will feature narrative, documentary, and experimental works from emerging voices and established auteurs alike, alongside filmmaker Q&As, networking events, and panel discussions focused on innovation in
independent cinema.

Summer 2025
Young Actors Theatre

#NarrarelFuturo: XII Film & New Media Festival is a meeting point for exhibition, training and industry where local, national and regional industry professionals interested in filmmaking and audiovisual in its most recent and interesting narrative and technical trends within the digital environment meet; transmedia, web and interactive documentaries, virtual reality (VR/AR/XR), webseries, artificial intelligence, futurisms, narratives and crowdsourcing/funding, vertical video and other film and new media concepts are some of the Festival's thematic axes.

Similarly, during the event, development and creation scenarios are carried out such as the #NewMediaLab, Ibero-American laboratory for the development of new media projects and the #HackathonVR360, which this year reaches its eighth edition.

We also open the doors to the Colombian and international creative industry to create meeting and conversation points around ongoing projects: 10 tips to #NarrarElFuturo, speed networking sessions and the launch of the Hispanic American Projects Database and the new media industry manual are some of the activities in which attendees from the industry area will be able to participate in this new version.

During the 12th version -which takes place from September 16 to 21, 2025, in person at various venues in Bogota (Colombia)- attendees will enjoy more than 65 hours of film and digital content, 100 hours of training scenarios, 40 international and national guests and a broad and diverse spectrum of topics, processes and projects under construction and development.

The 18th edition of the Razor Reel Flanders Film Fest, the only Flemish genre film festival, takes place in Fall 2025, in the city center of Bruges. During the Razor Reel Flanders Film Fest, we present a quality selection of the best national and international genre films (fantasy, thrillers, action, fantastic comedies, animated films,...) to our audience, in a unique, intimate and cosy atmosphere! We also welcome many guests and we host lectures and Q&A's that enrich the visitor’s knowledge.

NIFF is a space for criticism, denunciation, impact and social growth through the dissemination and promotion of cinema.

NIFF aims to be a statement against non-involvement, disregard and lack of commitment, which is the real disease of this century, where we produce more than we can consume, and happiness is subject to the law of supply and demand.

NIFF was born with the intention of triggering, debating the issues that are hidden under appearances and confronting the public with the social realities that show each individual as a part of those that make us complex, unique and human.

Festicini will award independent productions of long and short films, as well as documentaries and animations, in several categories including the category for films whith environmental themes.

Around International Awards ✈ Barcelona ✈ Paris ✈ Amsterdam ✈ Berlin.

Annual Independent event with 4 major programs for all Features, Shorts, Documentaries, Experimental, Commercial, Music Video, Animations, Student Films, TV, Series, and New Media. The international community evaluates the all-genre creations to serve ARFF Official Laurels and to certify the awarded filmmakers at the end of the annual festival run. Thus, all the ARFF Finalists will be mentioned multiple times to have the best out of the entire year altogether. Submit today to participate in all 4 programs, regarding the unique system of ARFF International.

Submissions made via Festhome are getting evaluated and selected, directly for the yearly festival run and participating in the Official Certificate Program exclusively. Monthly selection is available on other associated platforms. Regarding the Unification Program of ARFF International, all 4 editions will gather at Amsterddam November/December 2024, till then Barcelona, Paris & Berlin editions will take place online.


See you Around & Fest Regards

Around International Awards ✈ Barcelona ✈ Paris ✈ Amsterdam ✈ Berlin.

Annual Independent event with 4 major programs for all Features, Shorts, Documentaries, Experimental, Commercial, Music Video, Animations, Student Films, TV, Series, and New Media. The international community evaluates the all-genre creations to serve ARFF Official Laurels and to certify the awarded filmmakers at the end of the annual festival run. Thus, all the ARFF Finalists will be mentioned multiple times to have the best out of the entire year altogether.

Submit today to participate in all 4 programs, regarding the unique system of ARFF International.

Submissions made via Festhome are getting evaluated and selected, directly for the yearly festival run and participating in the Official Certificate Program exclusively. Monthly selection is available on other associated platforms.

See you Around & Fest Regards

The Zaragoza Film Festival, founded in 1995 to create a cinematic activity in the city. At first his main title was the Young Filmmakers. Since 2007 its official name became the Zaragoza Film Festival.

Festival with various events, generalist and national character (although some of its events are international).

Starting in 2021, after celebrating the 25th edition of the Festival, we propose an evolution of the project.

The 27th Kinoarte Film Festival, to be held from November 2nd to November 9th, is receiving applications for its competitive sessions of short films. Films up to 25 minutes long, produced from January 2024 may participate in the Ibero-American, National, Paranaense and Londrinense competitions.

The Zaragoza Film Festival was born in 1995 to create a cinematographic activity in the city. In principle its main denomination was that of Young Directors. As of 2007, its official name became the Zaragoza Film Festival.

Festival with different Contests, of a general and national nature (although some of its Contests are International).

As of our silver anniversary, we are carrying out a renovation and updating of the project.

As of our 28th edition and within the Official Section of our Festival, the Short Film Contest for New Latin American Talents was born, thanks to the collaboration with the Pampa Film Commission, from Argentina.

The 19th edition of CORTOCOMENIUS intends to show the best valencian productions , with the intention of promoting, broadcast and support to the development of the digital cinema.

The International Film Festival «Catharsis» will be heldfrom November 21 to November 30 at more than 15 venues (cultural centers, film clubs and libraries) in several Russian cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ekaterinburg, Penza, Vladimir, Novosibirsk, Pskov, Vladivostok, Arkhangelsk, Novogorelovo, Leningrad region. Zheleznogorsk of the Krasnoyarsk Territory and Zaozersk of the Murmansk region.

Part of the film screenings and awards will be held in a large modern cinema hall in St. Petersburg.

The festival contributes to the strength of morality in the audience. The tasks of the film festivals are also to support of the cinematographers and the popularization of cinematography in the regions.

Every film, videoclip or public service announcement that is chosen will be shown at several venues. The festival accepts films of any genre. There will be separate programs for films on human rights, films for children and screenings, films for up to 120 seconds. We also accept Music Videos, public service announcements, and posters.

The Festival is in place to raise part of the funds for moral films by the Catharsis film company. Part of the funds will cover organizational expenses and some money will be sent to charitable funds for sick children.

The theme must focus, from the values ​​of solidarity, tolerance, culture of peace, nature and commitment to gender equality, on ways of life, traditions, trades, crafts, sustainable economy, respect for the environment and living beings, that is, all aspects of the diversity of human culture, with a specific section dealing with issues of the peoples of Siberia and Central Asia.

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

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

The Golden Dunes Dubai International Film Festival is a curated cinematic celebration designed to spotlight visionary storytelling from around the world, with a special focus on innovation, diversity, and cultural resonance. The festival runs over two dynamic days filled with screenings, panels, networking, and red carpet moments.

Dates: 8–9 November 2025 | Location: Paramount Hotel Dubai


Festival Highlights:

Opening Ceremony – 8 November 2025
Kick off the festivities in style with our red-carpet Opening Ceremony, where filmmakers, special guests, and media gather for an unforgettable launch night filled with excitement and celebration.



Daily Screenings – 8 & 9 November 2025
Enjoy a curated selection of international films, powerful documentaries, and emerging voices from the region and beyond, all showcased in the luxurious theatre space at Paramount Hotel Dubai.



Industry Talks & Panels – 8 November 2025
Gain insights from leading voices in film production, screenwriting, distribution, and AI in cinema. These sessions offer valuable networking opportunities and actionable knowledge for both newcomers and veterans.



Golden Dunes Awards Night – 9 November 2025
Conclude the festival with glamour and recognition as we honor outstanding achievements in film. Awards will be presented across key categories, followed by a closing celebration with special appearances, performances, and more.

PLUM! is an international animated film festival that aims to disseminate and promote the art of animation in its diversity of techniques, voices and stories through the exhibition of works by local artists and from the rest of the world.

We wish to generate a platform for independent animation with an emphasis on those works that expand the visual, conceptual and narrative limits of animated cinema and, at the same time, build a meeting point to promote creativity, exchange and collaboration between artists and the general public.

The two main competitions, one for animated shorts produced in Latin America and those from the rest of the world will complement each other with the other activities organized by the PLUM! festival: retrospectives, special programs, activities for children and adolescents, workshops related to the production of animated content, discussion panels, exhibitions and installations, creation of video games and special screenings with the CineMóvil in other parts of the Calchaquíes Valleys, among others. We seek to give the festival an eco-sustainable profile, diverse and inclusive and generate a close bond of respect, work and cooperation with the different communities that make up the Tafí Valley.

Fotofilm Internatıonal Short Film Festival is an innovative concept that aims to shine a spotlight on new generation world-language filmmakers and to give internet users across the globe the chance to share their enthusiasm for world cinema.

Our mission is to promote films, and be another step up in the filmmakers' careers.

Fotofilm International Short Film Festival is a festival open to filmmakers and film lovers. Is festival of world cinematography, where short films, videoclips, webseries and video arts from all over the world come together to compete for the various prizes of the festival.

Welcome to the six edition of Diminuto, International Minimal Film Festival, a celebration of short-films.

Diminuto comes from the Latin: extremely small. The minimal cinema is that tiny cinema, but immensely deep; brief, but extensive in possibilities; tiny, but capable of creating endless universes. Because we know that every second is important, this is a celebration of small short films, small projects that leave us with enormous emotions and diverse sensations. That is why we say that: The minimal cinema is the maximum.

Categories in competition.
In all categories we receive: fiction, documentary, fiction, animation, experimental and hybrids.

Zero: Under 59 seconds
One: 1 minute
Fractal: Between 1 and 3 minutes
Silent: Short without dialogues, between 1 and 3minutes
Vertical: Vertical shorts, between 1 and 3minutes
Tik Shorts: Shorts made by Tik Tok, under 3 minutes
Spot: Spot, under 5 minutes
Cassette: Videoclip, between 1 and 5minutes
Wide: Shorts between 3 and 5 minutes
XL: Shorts between 5 and 8 minutes

Non-competitive category.
For this category we receive fiction, documentary, animation, experimental and hybrids.

Alternative silms: Shortsfilms under 3 minutes, made by authors from Mexico, Cuba and Venezuela.

In this edition, it is contemplated that the works selected in the teen competing categories will be screened, scheduled and viewed in three modalities:

1. Screening of the official selection in at least four cultural spaces located in Mexico City.

2. The Official Selection will be hosted on the Retina Latina streaming platform, and Wahu Streaming.

The winning works of each category in competition will be screened in a cultural venue in Bogota, Colombia. Place and date to be confirmed.

The works selected in the Alternative Films will be programmed streaming on the festival's social networks and on Wahu, streaming platform.

The origin of Diminuto is referred to the online workshops: Short films taught in the last year by Aarón Álvarez, the director of the festival. In them, the concept of brevity and the ideology that allows highlighting the creative processes of the authors are promoted. Some works that were part of the Official selection and the Alternative films of the first edition were produced in these workshops.

Complementary to the exhibitions, programming and visualizations, the workshops will be given: Short films, short formats (level 1 and 2), there will be talks and master classes with specialists in cinematography, these activities will be carried out online, they are planned for the attendees and the interested public, seeking to promote new authors. Special online activities will be held for the authors of the winning short films in each category and the honorable mentions.

The TASTE AWARDS are the premier awards celebrating the year's best in Food, Fashion, Health, Travel, Sports and Lifestyle programs on Television, in Film, Online, in Podcasts, and on Radio.

The Awards have included appearances by stars, celebrities, producers and executives from networks and platforms such as the Food Network, the Style Network, Bravo, the Cooking Channel, Sony Pictures, DreamWorks, TLC, Discovery, Lifetime, E! Entertainment Television, PBS, APT, Create TV, NBC, ABC, the CW, HGTV, the Travel Channel, HD Net, Hulu, YouTube, Vimeo, Vice, LiveWell Network, Esquire Network, Bio/FYI Channel, iHeart Radio, HBO, MyxTV, Small Screen Network, StyleHaul, PTA, Zagat, Mode Media, WatchMojo, and more.

“There are the Emmys, the Grammys, the Oscars, and finally, the Tastys.”