Blog: Film festivals

CINESONIKA is the premiere international exhibition for works which make full artistic use of sound's contribution to the moving image, showcasing fascinating soundtracks, idiosyncratic sound design, eclectic scoring and innovative approaches to the sound-image relationship.

Since it's founding in 2010, the CINESONIKA website has averaged ~5000 unique visitors annually, a much larger audience than most boutique film festivals gain in actual screening attendees.

To take advantage of this established global exposure, CINESONIKA 6 will also have an online festival in the Summer of 2017, running in parallel to the Vancouver VFX Festival (www.vvfx.ca). Live screenings of both festivals will take place in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia.

Cinesonika is also partnering with the NW Film Center in Portland, OR for screenings of select films as part of our touring anthology.

We are open to works in any format, including narrative, documentary, animation, experimental, and uncategorizable styles. Videos will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the deadline, so earlier submissions will result in earlier notifications.

We accept in all genres (e.g. animation, narrative, documentary, performance, experimental, shorts, etc.)

HIGHLAND PARK INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL (HPIFF) fosters emerging and established filmmakers by providing forums for screening projects, networking with industry professionals and mentoring student filmmakers in Northeast Los Angeles. All films will screen at the historic Highland Theatre on a DCP system

Kanyakumari International Film Festival
Celebrates its 4th year !

Event Type: Live Screening of Films from worldwide and Connected Programs including Film Making Workshops, Film Seminars, Film Appreciation Camps and Exhibitions.

The call for entries for the film festival is now open!


Screening Categories:

Feature Film Over 60 Minutes
Long Documentary Over 60 Minutes
Long Animation Film Over 60 Minutes
Long Experimental Film Over 60 Minutes
Music Video Over 60 Minutes

Short Film Under 60 Minutes
Short Documentary Under 60 Minutes
Short Animation Film Under 60 Minutes
Short Experimental Film Under 60 Minutes
Music Video Under 60 Minutes

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.

Concorto Film Festival is addressed to cinephiles, both general audience and professionals.

The purpose is to promote short films and to generate contacts among audience, young directors and professionals.

Since the International Short film Contest Festival “Ciudad de Soria” considers at all times Short Films CINEMA in capital and appreciates as essential culture dissemination, our purpose is to promote as mean of audiovisual expression; the contribution to acknowledgment and dissemination. This format must be essentially and basically a part of CINEMA.

The New York State International Film Festival is located in the heart of New York, Albany at The Linda Performing Arts Studio.

Since 2016, we have screened over 400 short films from all around the globe.

We have connected filmmakers with their audiences through short films each year, and we'd like to thank everyone for joining us! We continue to aspire to become one of the greatest film festivals in the nation. We are an international short film festival.

The festival invites people from all over the Capital Region of New York and all over the world.

Everyone is welcome to submit their short films.

We support students and first-time filmmakers too. We encourage all types of documentaries, animation, drama, comedy, experimental, music videos and horror short films.

Films will be viewed during the festival by the public. We have Q/A Panels throughout the festival. Our greatest goal is to celebrate the art with you and your viewing audience, so it's important that you have fun in the process!

Chennai International Independent Film Festival, CIIFF, Tamilnadu, India is an initiative to encourage and promote Independent Film makers all around the world. Our mission is to collect; screen and award the works of independent film makers, actors, writers and so on. The event serves as a purpose to introduce local films in international stage and international films in local stage. We are aiming to become one of the notable brand in the independent film Industry.

Location :
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Chennai is one of the biggest metropolitan city in India. Being the Headquarter of South-India's Film Industry, Chennai, has over millions of movie loving people. The city loves and nurture's movie like anything. Movie is in its rich culture and heritage. Tamilnadu has over 100+ film related colleges and institutions and releases over 1000+ movies a year. Being the capital of Tamilnadu, chennai is the best place to bring talents together from all over the world.

Screening Day:
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On Event day, we connect filmmakers with potential producers and like minded people through networking and film markets. The event partners also have vast experience in public relationships and promotions; have launched films, sound tracks and individual short film screenings.

Screening Venues:
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Instead of closed screening with projectors/TV's, We Screen in locations with good acoustics and quality preview theaters.We bring elegant movies without losing its picture quality and sound quality.

Other Events:
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In Addition to screening, we collect and list final list of films in our website. Every film is given a separate page & details will be available to share in public. We also do promotions and interview with the winners and publish the videos after the festival.

All efforts are taken to celebrate the art of films. We welcome all.

The AutoMoto Film and Arts Festival is an event that embraces all the incredible aspects of our emotional attachment to all things motoring, telling it’s rich history through the visual, auditory and written art.

The work presented should be a story from the automotive or motorcycling world that is told in a wonderful cinematic way and embodies the passions of our audience.

International Film Festival "Prvi kadar"/First Frame is an important film event in Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose mission is to promote film art of authors from all over the world. The Festival is of competitive character neither. Films compete in two categories: documentary and short films.

Fifteen editions of the festival, a large number of authors interested in the festival, proving that the festival recognized among artists all over the world, as an important and prestigious film event.

Festival selections confirm continuity, primarily artistic approach, on which is built the whole idea of the first frame. In considering the relationship between themes and ideas, stress is given to the author's attitude or an artistic idea.

Rich noncompetitive and competitive program of high artistic quality, educational programs, lectures DokMasterClass, Film Campus of art documentaries, exhibitions, promotion of book of film art, numerous guests from the world of film, proof that the festival from year to year expanding, enriching the content of the program. This years Festival will takes place from 20th to 24th November 2023 in East Sarajevo and Zvornik, Republic of Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

IndieFlicks is the UK's monthly film festival, supporting the best up and coming filmmakers from around the world. IndieFlicks is continuously growing, hosting simultaneous screenings in Manchester, London and Sheffield. We also host a repeat screening the following week in Liverpool.

"They only pick the best films for their screenings so it's not only a great festival to enter, but a great film night to attend. I've enjoyed every film i've seen so far.”
Chris Cronin, Director.

How our monthly festival works…

Our Monthly Festival is a showcase of Short films from around the world, screening 50 minutes of short film in the first half, followed by our selected Feature Short in the second. We also host a Q&A with filmmakers able to attend and talks with local creatives.
At each event, two films will be selected to win either one of our awards:

The People’s Choice Award
The Directors Choice Award

Films included in the first half are nominated for our 'The People's Choice Award’; This is evidently voted for our audiences on the night and votes are calculated collectively from all of our venues.

In the second half of the night we host our 'Feature Short', one film no longer than 50 minutes. This is our headliner for the event. This film is awarded, ‘The Directors Choice Award’, one that our Judging panel felt deserves recognition.

"Not only is IndieFlicks a brilliant opportunity to network within the Manchester filmmaking community, it offers insight into short filmmaking approaches worldwide."
Martyn Ellis, Sound Engineer, Noise Four

Notifications:

Filmmakers will be notified throughout the year. If successful, your film will be screened on the first Wednesday of a selected month.

17th SiciliAmbiente Film Festival - July 14-19, 2025
The aim of SiciliAmbiente Film Festival is to promote independent and documentary cinema, encouraging creative exchange and networking among filmmakers.
The Festival is organized and sponsored by Demetra Produzioni SAS and the CANTIERE 7 Cultural Association, made possible by public and private partners and sponsors who share the ethical principles of the Festival.
ELIGIBLE THEMES
Films addressing the following themes may participate in the Festival:
Environment / Anthropology / Human Rights / Biodiversity / War / Integration / Civil Rights / Sustainable Development / The Relationship between Humans and the Environment
FESTIVAL SECTIONS
The Festival is divided into the following sections:
• Documentary Film Contest (minimum runtime: 31 minutes)
• Fiction Feature Film Contest (minimum runtime: 70 minutes)
• Short Film Contest for Fiction and Documentary Shorts (maximum runtime: 31 minutes)
• Animated Short Film Contest (maximum runtime: 31 minutes)
• Overview of documentaries, fiction films, short films, tributes, retrospectives, seminars, and panel discussions
The Selection Committee will evaluate films based on the quality of writing, imagery, and the use of a creative language that characterizes artistic documentary cinema.

IPHIAS

/ ī - 'fē - əs / (noun): a rare species of butterflies. A butterfly is the symbol of change, the soul, creativity, freedom, joy and colour. Their power is transformation, shape shifting and soul evolution. The eyes of butterflies consist of thousands of individual lenses. This gives them the gift of being able to see a single image clearly.

Iphias International Film Festival (IIFF) is committed to showcasing films that will change lives and empower audiences. Though diverse in content and presentation, IPHIAS selections are unified by themes that promote positive values, celebrate family, and further important social interests. IPHIAS will be that platform for promising filmmakers who have not yet exploded onto the international scene and will screen an intoxicating blend of national and international features, documentaries, music videos, and shorts.

Set against a stunning Caribbean landscape, visiting filmmakers at IIFF can enjoy luxurious accommodations in the host city of Falmouth. The 1st Annual lPHIAS International Film Festival (IIFF) presents an opportunity for groundbreaking and dynamic independent films to be recognized by some of Hollywood's hottest stars, producers, distributors, critics, and media, meaning prime exposure opportunities for selected films and screenplays.

IPHIAS enriches the experience with a range of audience awards and juried prizes, ensuring that numerous filmmakers leave the festival with renewed vigor and limitless opportunities for expanding their professional networks. Winning filmmakers will receive IPHIAS custom glass trophies, cash prizes, and possible distribution deals.
More than 1,500 film enthusiasts and media professionals will flow through this four-day extravaganza. Of course, most people go to Jamaica to take in the island! Filmmakers can head up to neighboring cities in the Parish of Trelawny for some of the best beaches and dining in the Caribbean. World-class food and drink and fantastic parties every night all add up to one of the most welcoming, filmmaker-friendly festivals on the circuit.

Mecal Pro, the Barcelona International Short and Animation Film Festival, will celebrate its 28th edition. The long history of MECAL PRO has consolidated it as one of the most important short film festivals in Europe and the world, thus receiving the support of local, national and international institutions. We have screened in 2025 more than 300 short films in 29 sections that we program.

Mecal is strongly committed to promoting the exhibition and dissemination of audiovisual creations in the short format, not only with the public, but also in having creators and distributors meet through different activities. Mecal is also devoted to foster emerging talent, by holding events and awards specially aimed at young creators. In this sense, it also works as a short film dissemination network, organising screenings both at a national and an international level, collaborating with festivals, embassies, and institutions around the world.

Stop Motion Barcelona Festival is the first animation festival in Barcelona dedicated to stop-motion, including all his techniques: pixilation, cut out, puppets...

The day of the festival, the films selected will be screened and two prizes will be awarded: the jury and the public .

The main cultural event for films at Hidalgo Mexico: The encounter of national and international filmmakers.

The purpose of the festival refers to awareness of both the external filters on the screen, including censorship (commercial, ideological, aesthetic), and the internal filters of screen perception and projection, including self-censorship. NEFILTRAVANAE KINO is an exploration of aestheticization and commodification in art. The next aim of the festival is to expose the complexity, manysidedness, and variety of filmmaking.

NEFILTRAVANAE KINO (NoFilter Kino) is a film festival that is held by the Short Movie Club, the platform for cinematic projects. NEFILTRAVANAE KINO is ADAMI Media Prize qualified festival. The International Film Studies Conference is held at the same time as the film festival. In this way, film theory and practice are integrated together at the NEFILTRAVANAE KINO.

Originally the festival was held in Belarus, but because of political repression and publicly stated anti-war stance, screenings and events can be held in different countries. First of all in Poland (Warsaw), Germany (Berlin, Hamburg), Lithuania (Vilnius). For example, the 11th and 10th Nefiltravanae Kino took place in Warsaw, Berlin, Hamburg, Vilnius and Helsinki. The content of past years' film programs can be found on the website https://shortmovie.club/programmes/

The festival will be held in a hybrid format. We will have a part of live screenings and online screenings on a video platform https://film.nofilterkino.org/ . The video is cryptographically secured. In addition, we pay attention and promote films from our previous years that are released to the public on the Internet after their festival curcuit.

Nefiltravanae Kino involves theater, artists to interpret symbols and history. We work with the audience's reaction and participants' as well.

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The concept of the NEFILTRAVANAE KINO (NoFilter Kino):

ALIENATION PROBLEM

We live in a world of malls and cinema multiplexes. We see that indie cinema and non-commodity art go to the periphery of public attention. Primitive attractions replace the cinematography. The escape audience is alienated behind the big screen. So modern mainstream cinema is part of a manipulating tool that leads to the society of alienation. Thus the tendency is that indie cinema becomes more unreadable for the wide audience. We should understand the context of the filmmaker to understand the independent cinema. That is why the NEFILTRAVANAE KINO concept implies the physical presence of filmmakers.

FILM SELECTION PROBLEM
Filmmakers shoot millions of movies. And thousands of short film festivals organize screenings all over the world every year. On average, several thousand films are submitted to a film festival. So various good films can be neglected for whatever reason. Often selecting probability is like winning a lottery. As a result, filmmakers are left with no feedback. It is a paradox that no one can hear you in the age of the Internet! The mainstream culture prefers attractions and casual viewing.

Also, this idea is based on the film selection problem. Perhaps it’s no surprise one person, i.e. programme director at best, or even students of film schools make a preliminary decision to select a movie. Сoncordance of judges or previewers is more seldom thing than the difference of background, tastes. So selection or judging can be one-sided or perfunctory. It is not bad as the programme director has a good taste and aesthetic sensitivity, of course. But we’ve discovered another conception of “unfiltered cinema”. We matched it against “the best of the best” way. This way aids to perceive cinematic idiom without the dictate of art-curators.

CELEBRATION OF INDIE CINEMA
So the NoFilter Kino tries to avoid “the best of the best” way but it does not ignore it completely, sure. The festival selects fiction, animation, documentary, experimental and virtual reality sections. A jury awards the best film in every section. The festival holds the screenings at cinema theatres, the National Centre for Contemporary Arts, and art-spaces.

Our aim is to gather people in art, to have a dialogue to be happy with smart communication. Cinema is art but not sport. The key point of our project is to establish communication between the filmmaker and the audience.

Please, read about the festival history through the link to the festival's website. http://shortmovie.club/history/