Blog: Film festivals

Ars Independent Festival 2019 will be the 9th multimedia festival of film, animation, video games and music videos. The upcoming edition will take place in Katowice, between the 24th and 29th of September 2019.

The festival is searching for what’s cool in young, debuting, contemporary audio-visual culture. It’s not afraid to watch videos with 27 views on YouTube, it’s missing the “least popular” sorting option on itch.io and considers Festival Scope Pro decidedly “too mainstream”.

The heart of the festival are four international competitions, in which the audience decides about the awarding of prizes. The Black Horse of Film (feature films from all over the world) and the Black Horse of Animation (short features) present the cinematographic debuts by directors from the entire world, often as their Polish premieres. The Black Horse of Video Games and the Black Horse of Music Video are devoted to new games and music videos.

Additionally, every year festivalgoers are treated to: screenings of films, animations and music videos, video game exhibitions, virtual reality and new technologies, discussion panels and Q&As with artists, concerts, live acts and musical afterparties.

In previous years, the festival hosted a variety of artists from all over the world, including Béla Tarr, Nina Menkes, Phil Mulloy, Laila Pakalnina, Bruce LaBruce, Tami Tamaki, Stephen „M.O.O.N.” Gilarde, Jakuba Dvorský, Mariola Brillowska, Piotr Dumała, Arkadiusz Jakubik, Bodo Kox, Łukasz Barczyk, Sos Sosowski, Wiktor Stribog and Władysław Komendarek.

The event is organized by the culture institution Katowice the City of Gardens and the City of Katowice.

THE FESTIVAL:

The International “Cinema Povero” Film Festival is open to everybody: rich film-makers, poor film-makers of any gender or religion all welcome provided they have developed a beautiful, original idea on a limited budget.

The Marbella International Film Festival brings together artists and their films from all corners of the globe to display their talents to the commercial world.

The Festival is growing in stature and receives continuous worldwide accolade, recognition and support for its contribution to the arts.

We are delighted to now be entering our 17th Marbella International Film Festival, to be held 5th to 9th October 2022.

The Festival has expanded considerably since it’s launch in 2006 and we now have additional collaboration and association with the Marbella Town Hall and Tourist Board, Marbella Film Office and the Andalucia Film Commission.

During the Festival we host five glamorous evening events with many networking opportunities, culminating in the grand Gala Awards Ceremony.

Attendees come from all over the world and include filmmakers, industry professionals, exhibitors, dignitaries, celebrities and VIPs, special invited guests and the rich and famous of course!

Discover Festival PROTESTA, where cinema ignites social change.

This international event celebrates films that challenge, question, and inspire. With a diverse lineup of documentaries, fiction, and animation in both feature and short film formats, Protesta is a crucible for filmmakers committed to questioning and challenging the status quo.

We embrace creativity, positive social impact and innovative storytelling. With more than 11 editions, PROTESTA is the primary social impact festival in Catalonia and a main player in social cinema in Spain. Join us next October in the culturally vibrant town Vic in a series of parallel activities designed to enrich, educate, and inspire.

The San Diego International Kids' Film Festival promotes the idea of entertainment with education. Supported by many across the world, the festival supports the entertainment and education industries by showcasing international films, and gives young, aspiring filmmakers a channel to communicate to an international community. The resulting collaboration produces a unique multicultural experience, engaging young viewers with positive media, as a diverse education.

The 12 Months Film Festival (#12MFF) is farrest challenging film festival available which attracts, displays and awards filmmakers from six continents. Our finest selection system brings the benefits of a quality qualification in the #12MFF and also come with surprise awards where qualify all selected entries. #12MFF was designed to award you amazing prizes. Moreover, we will do our best in working with your needs in order for your talent and dedication to be appreciated by the public.
Together we build a global audience!

CHECK OUR TRAILER HERE :

https://vimeo.com/126007311


Entries requirements:
-> All films must have been made in or after 2012 and have English subtitles (unless English is the main language spoken); A creation date does not apply in case of the screen writings from being stopped for submissions, but the submitted must be in English or have a copy translated in English;
-> We accept shorts, documentaries, animations, experimental, music videos, web and new media, commercials (all specified previously under 45 minutes); feature films and feature documentaries (any length, 45 + minutes);
->A description between 50 and 150 words;
->Trailer (not required for movies under 7 minutes; optional) and the film must be submitted as an on-line screener (Vimeo preferred) which may be embedded on the website for visitors to see your creation; you can further opt for modifications in your entry;
->Cover of the film/screen writing or a defining photo;

We also offer the following services:
Film review; Film improvement support; Trailer for your movie; Web-design and coding; Complete graphic-design. Proceed here: http://12mff.com/services/

Mission:

A judged film festival described as "Sundance with Fangs" by Newsday Long Island. We provide a venue for showcasing your films within a celebratory & respectful environment, where fans can enjoy the independent films entered by those of you who passionately craft your Strange-ifical, Weird-ifical, Horror-ifical, Sci-fi-tastical, Fantastical and Macabre-licious films. The opportunity to win awards, increase film visibility via press and possibly obtain distribution is always part of the equation with the Macabre Faire Film Festival.

For starters the word "Macabre" is pronounced: Ma-Cob. The "re" is hardly ever heard. What does it mean?

Although it is an adjective meaning: disturbing and horrifying because of involvement with or depiction of death and injury, WE ARE NOT SOLELY A HORROR FILM FESTIVAL but instead a whole lot more than that. We usually approach the Macabre Faire Film Festival with a lighter touch in the sense that, not all of the films screened are horror and instead many may simply be considered a bit on the darker side. Of course, we will add some horror to this festival but, when we hear the word "Macabre" we remember those hauntingly fascinating films that starred legendary greats such as:
Vincent Price & Peter Cushing or those fantastic Gothic horrors like the "Hammer" films. These names in themselves represent what "macabre" means to us. What we are saying is that the word "Macabre" DOES NOT mean we only accept HORROR films but instead that we welcome those films that can tap into our fears through what you don't see or hear. A dark drama, mystery, suspense, thriller or dark comedy can do a lovely job making us feel uncomfortable in the dark. So folks, this is what many of the films selected for the Macabre Faire Film Festival offer. A buffet for any pallet. About the only thing we may have to say "No Thanks" to would be a romantic comedy/drama... unless, there's a monster under the bed during love making or other dark element.

All submitted films are pre-screened by select judges that includes Eileen Dietz, our Festival Ambassador, of the original "The Exorcist" film to ensure the films have followed guidelines and are an overall fit for the festival. Then the films are passed on to another set of judges consisting of more filmmakers, film critics, genre film fans and or seasoned actors to choose the Official Selections. Once these selections have been identified there is an additional judging process in collaboration with the original pre-screening judges to identify the different category nominees. Once you have been notified we insist on having the film festival entry form filled out and submitted back to the festival via email or snail mail within 4 weeks of acceptance. This form can be found on our website or it has been emailed to you as an attachment with your initial welcoming email.

URGENT NOTE: IF THERE IS NO CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE FESTIVAL AND INDIVIDUAL WHO SUBMITTED THE ACCEPTED FILM WITHIN 4 WEEKS FROM INITIAL ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATION, WHICH ALL FILMMAKERS RECEIVE FROM FESTHOME BY DEADLINE DATE, YOUR FILM WILL NO LONGER BE AN OFFICIAL SELECTION IN THE MACABRE FAIRE FILM FESTIVAL. So we urge everyone to check their spam folders at all times and or ensure to make contact with the festival within 4 weeks of the acceptance notification. Failure to do so will exclude your film from the festival. Please take the time to ACTUALLY READ all the pages of the submission form which contains mailing address information (if needed) and other very important details which includes getting your discs or film posters sent to the festival in a timely fashion. This does not mean mailing materials in 2 weeks before the event as they will not be accepted.

Moving on...
January's festival always falls on Martin Luther King Jr weekend for easy remembering. This 4 day event start with Thursday and Friday being solely screening days with minimal panels within 3 screening rooms. The festival continues for another 2 days with Saturday screenings starting at 12pm into midnight within 4-5 screening rooms and an intimately sized vendor room with additional panels available for guests. Saturday evening is capped with an elaborate Red Carpet Gala Award Ceremony that offers a glamorous atmosphere filled with Press, Photos, Entertainment, Dinner and Awards! This is NOT to be missed.

Sunday captures the conversations from the night prior winners and more. A perfect day to catch those shorts you may have missed as it usually hosts an encore segment for short films from 12pm until 6pm. Be sure to visit the vendor room before the day is over and sit in on another panel or other special treat before it all ends until the following year.

Several films that have screened at MFFF have received distribution at this time for titles like: Cannibal Diner, Caesar & Otto's Deadly XMas, Caesar & Otto's Paranormal Halloween, Model Hunger, The Perfect House, House of Afflictions, Dead Woman's Hollow, The Long Island Serial Killer, The Ghouligans, Devil Knows His Own, Coyote, and others being discussed at this very moment. Will yours be next?

The Ânûû-rû Âboro International Film Festival is committed to echo the words and aspirations of the indigenous peoples around the world, with a particular focus on peoples from the Pacific region.

ONLY FOR SPANISH FILMMAKERS // SOLO PARA CINEASTAS ESPAÑOLES.

Take 21 Film Festival(formerly TSFF) is a youth short film festival open to filmmakers ages 12-21 around the world. Learn more about us at take21.ca.

FARO 1540 - Association for the Defense and Promotion of Environmental and Cultural Heritage of Faro, after the success of the last editions of FARCUME - International Short Films Festival of Faro, is organizing the 11th edition of this Festival to be held in the city of Faro from 20 to 22 of September, 2024.

This 14th edition of FARCUME intends to exhibit and promote works in the short films section of up to a maximum of 18 minutes in length, divided into three categories: Animation, Documentary and Fiction.

In this festival, all national and foreign citizens can participate, individually or in groups, simply by complying with the stipulations in the regulation, filling out a registration form and having sent their works to the organization by June 21, 2024, subject to pre-selection.

The main purpose of this Festival remains the same: publicize and launch new talents as well as promote near the public the excellent works that are done in this area but not always have the desired and deserved promotion.

In other words, FARCUME within an informal environment, good mood and relaxed atmosphere intents to reward and recognize the dedication, commitment, creativity and merit of directors, actors and technical teams that, with modest means, can develop works of great quality.

Given the principles and goals of "FARO 1540", which even has the status of NGO (Non Governmental Environmental Organization) the Festival will continue to have a strong environmental concern and sensitivity alerting participants not to present short movies claiming or encouraging disrespect for the environment, human rights inequality or animal abuse. It will be further developed an Environmental Management Plan specifically "designed" for this event to ensure optimization of the resources needed for the promotion and accomplishment of the event and management of generated wastes.

It is a festival to promote an intercultural dialogue for a deeper understanding of others by presenting their creative works to the audience and to encourage filmmakers of documentary and short films.

The festival accepts Documentaries, Short Feature Films, and Animation Films, which are from the production of 2015, 2016.

CARAMBOLA is a traveling cinema short film program for children between 3 to 12 years constituted by independent European movies. It is a creative and interesting encounter with the seventh art aimed to enrich and widen the look of the young with contents far away from those proper of commercial films.

With twenty-two years of existence, (the first edition was in 1997) AVANCA Film Festival was awarded first place in 2011 contest of the support film festivals sponsored by ICA / Ministry of Culture.

An additional thematic programming has happened over all these years, giving space to screening of significant works of contemporary cinema appropriately framed in concerns and / or well-defined objectives.

The AVANCA is known as a space for workshops led by personalities of world cinema, and being more than a "master class", has allowed a unique cinema practice. Every year we have always 6 or 7 workshops, bringing together participants from all over Europe. The media have written that this is the largest European area of professional workshops in the field of cinema.

AVANCA is the only festival that congregates a Cinema International Competition, works from the television area, video and new supports of multimedia, with a special concern of exhibit the best world productions done in each category.
Since the first edition, the festival only accepts unprecedented films in Portugal.

The World Premiere competition is unique in our country and was only possible because Avanca became a passage point of unpublished authors and movies with great quality. Films that have their world premiere in the festival, independently of the submitted category, are also participating in the World Premiere Competition.
AVANCA is the Portuguese festival with the highest percentage of worldwide unpublished movies that find here their first showing.

In 2020 Edition, Avanca will bring for the first time the VR Competition, where films in virtual reality 360°, narrative or experimental (but with no interactivity) are allowed.

Since 2010, we have organized the international film conference AVANCA | CINEMA, becoming the most important conference in the field of cinema in the Iberian Peninsula. This conference brings together speakers and participants from around the world.
Thematic exhibitions, editions of books, bibliographic presentations and various projects have marked these last 10 years of AVANCA with the quality that compels the festival and the participants obviously require.

The Cisterna Film Festival is an international short film festival held in Cisterna di Latina, Italy, in July. It is organized by the Cultural Association MOBilitazioni Artistiche with the artistic direction of Cristian Scardigno.

From 2015 to 2023 the Cisterna Film Festival screened international and national premieres, from the major festivals (Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance, Clermont-Ferrand) and winners of the most important national and international awards (Oscar, David, Cesar, Goya).

Since 2017, the festival has hosted a “Focus” section dedicated to specific country. In 2017, Poland inaugurated it, with the support of the Polish Institute in Rome, and in 2018 it was the turn of Ireland, with the collaboration of the Irish Film Festa and the Irish Embassy. In 2019 there was a Focus on Germany, with the support of German Films and German Embassy in Rome and in 2021 the Focus on Greece with the collaboration of Drama International Short Film Festival, an European Film Awards qualifying festival. In 2022, the CFF screened shorts from Croatia with the support of Croatian Audiovisual Centre. Last year, the Festival hosted short-films from Palestinian authors, in collaboration with the Consulat Général de France a Jérusalem and the Palestinian Ministry of Culture.

The festival annually hosts key figures from the show business and organizes collateral events such as book presentations, workshops dedicated to teenagers and photography exhibitions.

www.cisternafilmfestival.com

The cultural associations AlchemicartS and Gruppo Augusteo, in collaboration with Tetra Vision Production, are pleased to announce the 15th International Short Film Festival, "CORTISONANTI 2024," renowned for its innovation and well-organized filmmaking workshops in Naples, Italy.

shnit Worldwide Shortfilmfestival is a premier venue for the exhibition and promotion of short films. The festival is an exceptional twelve-day event with a unique concept – a transnational film festival simultaneously taking place in eight cities on five continents worldwide. The festival includes three main segments:

shnit PLAYGROUNDS*
shnit EXPANDED
shnit OPENING | shnit FINALE*

In its twentyone years of existence, shnit has become a major international short film festival that reinvents itself in ever new forms. What started as a local initiative is now an exceptional transnational event that connects and inspires makers and fans of short films across the globe. shnit embraces diversity, originality, and exchange between creators and an audience from different cultures and backgrounds. It is the main goal to actively increase the perception of short filmmaking by creating a multi-platform event for high-quality short films. With its cinematic treats, the popular festival fascinates more than 30.000 visitors and therefore belongs to the leading short film festivals in the world.

shnit is a non-profit organization. The annual festival is created and centrally coordinated by the shnit ASSOCIATION in cooperation with the executives. The organization is built on principles of excellence and professionalism, enabling the global expansion of the festival possible.

*shnit Worldwide Shortfilmfestival takes place simultaneously in the several cities, shnit PLAYGROUNDS, on five continents. Planned for 2024 are screenings in Buenos Aires [Argentina], Cairo [Egypt], Goa [India], Hong Kong [China], Moscow [Russia], San José [Costa Rica], Australia, Canada, South Africa and the shnit OPENING in Bern [Switzerland] and the shnit FINALE in Amsterdam [The Netherlands]. Affected by the aftermath of the Covid-pandemic, there may be changes in this planning and / or a geo-blocked password protected online screening could replace a theatrical screening. The shnit FINALE in Amsterdam is held annually, as long as the contributions of the partners and sponsors make this possible.The definite festival-setup will be announced on September 1st 2024 on shnit.org.

Anibar International Animation Festival is the only event of the kind in Kosova, and one of the greatest events in the country. Since the beginning, the festival is organised and held in various settings in the city of Peja.

Anibar screens animated films coming from different places around the world, that in five cinemas, three of them set outdoors. Except the screening of the films during the festival, workshops, lectures, debates and additional daily activities (concerts and camping) are organized.

Year by year, the festival endeavors screening qualitative films, in both, technical and artistic aspect of the view. The selection of entries is made in accord with a criteria deriving from a limited staff of professionals who aim balancing the audience, artistic reviews and the market.

Anibar has also socially influenced the youth community in Peja, and further, enclosed with the film screenings and other events, before, during and after the festival, a wide group of youngsters are engaged in helping and working with the idea and preparations of the festival, meanwhile they gain an experience which as a matter has been truly acknowledged by a vast support of different local and national institutions (private and public).

ONLY FOR SPANISH FILMMAKERS // SOLO PARA CINEASTAS ESPAÑOLES.

The St Cloud Film Fest promotes film and filmmakers by creating opportunities for education, production, and appreciation during an annual festival and through year-long outreach.

2020 marks the 10th year of the St Cloud Film Fest!

The St Cloud Film Fest takes place over eight days in a historic theatre on the banks of the Mississippi River. The downtown art scene is a hub for the surrounding artistic community. Many local visual artists have exhibitions on display along St. Germain Street and 5th Avenue.

We are a non-profit organization devoted to promoting forward-thinking independent film and committed to giving students an opportunity to create their own projects. We hold stop-motion workshops for elementary students and give high-school and college students a chance to make a film as part of a weekend contest.

The crowds are passionate and intelligent about cinema. We'd love the chance to show your film to a new audience. From live action to animation, documentary to experimental all film makers have a place and a voice at this film festival.