Blog: Film festivals

Since its foundation, with Michelangelo Antonioni as its godfather, the Capalbio Film Festival has been a showcase for the next generation of cinematic talent from around the world. During its 22nd edition, Capalbio hosted the first Sundance Institute Screenwriters Workshop as an European exclusive.

From Stoker to Rice; from Nosferatu to classic Hammer onto Twilight, The Strain and beyond - the vampire genre is the world’s most enduring and influential horror genre straddling film, television, literature, theatre, games and new media.

IVFAF brings together vampire media-makers from across the World in one cross-industry event – an intense four-day programme of film screenings, book launches, readings, theatre, seminars, workshops, networking events, a trade fair and parties.

And where else to hold this unique event but in Transylvania - within the walls of the dramatic medieval citadel that was the birthplace to the real Vlad Dracula?

Selected Feature, Short and Smartphone movies will be shown in a network of subterranean pop-up cinemas in the heart of Sighisoara’s medieval citadel. There will be an intense programme of seminars, workshops, director Q&As, a pitching competition and plenty of networking events and parties.

Delegates with an Executive Badge will also get access to the VIP Bar and a private lunch at nearby Fagaras Castle – Vlad Dracula’s base for six years.

Our vision at IVFAF is to be a unique World leading one-stop meeting of the vampire industry, networking filmmakers and performing arts professionals with funders, promoters, distributors and of course each other.

We screen the best documentaries from around the world at the Roxie Cinema, the oldest art house theater west of the Mississippi. Many of our titles end up with calendared runs at the Roxie later in the year. We get great press coverage in San Francisco, the second largest film market in the country, plus industry reviews.

San Francisco is a very receptive town for documentaries and our fest has built a passionate following over the past 24 years.

LAST YEAR'S PRESS COVERAGE: https://sfindie.com/press-coverage

SF DocFest is an annual festival devoted to documentary cinema. Since 2001, this event has brought the most weird and wonderful aspects of real life to the big screen.

"What makes the scrappy San Francisco Documentary Film Festival a treasure to SF Bay Area filmgoers is its willingness to take that extra step to show films a little more out there than bog standard documentaries." - Peter Wong, Broke Ass Stuart

“Docfest offers a zippy blend of politics, music, social issues and youth-oriented subcultures. The good news is that DocFest promotes documentaries as a vibrant, irreverent form of entertainment to a younger demographic, blasting the notion of educational films to smithereens. There’s no room for anything approximating — watch it, I’m about to blaspheme – the obsessively measured and utterly somnambulant musings of Ken Burns.” – Michael Fox, KQED

“Since its inception, DocFest (May 31-June 15 at the Roxie and the Vogue, with opening night at Alamo Drafthouse) has compiled a colorful scrapbook of genuine characters in contrast to the current events survey, educational seminar or social-issue forum that defines many documentary series… There are one or two people in Off the Charts you won’t soon forget, which could be said about nearly every film in DocFest. That’s one of the pleasures of scrapbooks.” – also Michael Fox, KQED

Michael Fox just loves DocFest, here's another:

"Welcome to SF DocFest, the beloved annual compendium of odd, unusual nonfiction films from every nook and corner of our bizarro country and beyond. Waving off the pedigreed, high-profile docs that premiere at Sundance, get theatrical releases (or these days, national virtual releases) and chart a course for the Academy Awards, SF DocFest’s programmers opt for poignant, intimate works that miss the mainstream by dint of their iconoclasm and/or lack of a marketing hook." -KQED

"This week brings the kickoff to the 20th edition of SF Docfest, the rapidly-becoming-venerable nonfiction showcase that nonetheless continues to put the fun in documentary cinema appreciation. While other such showcases tend to be soberly issue-themed, focusing on the environment, activism, or some such, Docfest pursues—though not exclusively—colorful human interest stories, musician profiles, and other subjects on which there will not be a class quiz afterward." - Dennis Harvey, 48Hills

Mario Cervantes ha organizado el XII Festival de cine social ManzanaREC que tendrá lugar en febrero de 2025 en la localidad de Manzanares (Ciudad Real). Los trabajos serán exhibidos en la Sala de la Casa de Cultura de Manzanares.

BSFF believes in short films! Recognizing the important role shorts have in cinema, storytelling, and culture, BSFF wants to help empower the next generation of artists. The Boston Short Film Festival is an annual event showcasing shorts films with an edge. The BSFF focuses on the unconventional, the unusual, the underground, the intuitive, the innovative, the minimalistic and the true artists of our time. Based in Boston/Somerville (MA, US) the festival aims to screen up to 100 short films. All screenings will take place in the MicroCinema theatre at the Somerville Theatre.

FEAST YOUR EYES
The festival discovers, supports and develops new talent in filmmaking, providing a platform for emerging and established filmmakers from around the world, and an unique focus on Boston based filmmakers. Connecting industry and audiences, the festival celebrates the creativity, diversity and impact of short film. There will be unmissable evening screenings where audiences can watch the best new short films from the hottest new talent, and opportunities to network with the industry. So whether you are a filmmaker looking to launch or develop your career, an Industry professional wanting to stay ahead of the game or a film lover wanting to soak up the festival atmosphere by watching great films, come along and feast your eyes.

A fun filled film festival over 6 nights at HighPoint Shopping Centre in Melbourne's West. Joy To The West is the theme for this festival of film celebrating the Christmas season. Projector Bike will be showing festive family favourites sure to warm the most dedicated of grinches out there! As well as films from the West of Melbourne for the people of the West.

With an international call out for film entries we look forward to bringing you truly global insights into the festive season. Our submissions call out is still open so please head here to enter. There is a cash prize for the overall winner.

Each screening will be either family friendly or suitable for adults. Please see below for more information. All of the screenings are completely free.

1. Wednesday November 25th 8 - 10 pm Family friendly

2. Saturday December 12th 6.30 - 8.30 pm Family friendly

3. Sunday December 13th 6.30 - 8.30 pm Family friendly

4. Sunday December 20th 9.00 - 11.00 pm Adults

5. Sunday December 21st 9.00 - 11.00 pm Adults

6. Sunday December 22nd 9.00 - 11.00 pm Adults

OPEN CALL AT https://docsbarcelona.com/

DocsBarcelona is an international festival specializing in the documentary genre comprised of international and national competition sections, non-competitive sections, and retrospectives. The Artistic Direction and Programming Committee select all of the documentaries that make up these sections.

DocsBarcelona will celebrate the 28th edition from May 8 to 18, 2025.

The LA MIRADA TABÚ film festival wants to motivate artists and creators to show their view of the “taboo” concept, which is broad and diverse, encompassing from the dreams, the unconscious, the mental worlds and the ghosts that populate them , the mystery, the magic, even the untold reality, the unsaid, "the clothes hanging", in the workplace, emotional, family, vital ... from a vision as polyhedral as human thought is: casual, humorous, dramatic, dreamlike ... always from respect for all ways of thinking and from creativity.

LA MIRADA TABÚ launches an invitation to bring to light the personal and non-transferable world of each creator, which, as we have been able to verify throughout the history of art and cinema, through great names in world cinematography, connects with the deepest, unknown and elusive imaginary of the spectators

The festival is an event aimed at the talent of film professionals, artists and students, to emerge creativity with the noble diffusion of values and deep thought.

It is the festival with more theaters of release in Catalonia, 10 theaters.
It has an exclusive entrance to the city center, the emblematic Plaza de la Independencia.
It is the oldest festival in Catalonia after Sitges,
All the films in the world are registered.
400 films are screened between feature films, shorts, documentaries, etc.
It has more than six thousand spectators.

The European Fantastic Film Festival of Murcia SOMBRA is a project that aims to spread and serve as a reference to fantasy films produced in Europe, as well as support European, national and regional production of gender.

The Superman Celebration Film Festival is for films in the comics, superhero, science fiction, and fantasy genres. It is especially geared towards films about superheroes, super-villains, or films that fit in the general superhero archetype, including fan-made films about existing characters in comics and film, as well as superheroes/super-villains of the entrant's own creation. The films must be 20 minutes or less in length and be family-friendly.

The Superman Celebration Film Festival is a family-friendly film festival and contest dedicated to showcasing films that appeal to fans of science fiction, comics, video games, and fantasy, with a special focus on films that fit within the archetypes covered by comic books. Sponsored and hosted by Superman Celebration, the world's largest festival dedicated to Superman, and the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce, the Superman Celebration Film Festival screens films from around the world and celebrates the creativity and ingenuity of filmmakers as they bring to life their favorite characters from comics books, films, television, literature, and other media, as well as those of their own creation.

The festival is open to short, family-friendly fan films of 20 minutes or less. All submissions must fit the genres covered by comics and pop fandom, including science fiction, video games, fantasy, and fan films. (For a definition of what a fan film is, please see the end of the article.) There is no admission charge to attend the festival, and there is a nominal submission fee of $10 USD.

Introduced at the 2015 Festival, the "Super Grab Bag" category is a challenge for filmmakers to create a fan film with three off-the-wall required elements. This year's required elements are a map, an banana, and a private detective.

Films will be screened during Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois, June 9th-12th, 2016. Trophies and prizes will be awarded during a special ceremony. Date, time, and location will be announced on the Superman Celebration website at www.supermancelebration.net.

The deadline for entry is April 15th, 2016 at 5:00 pm CST. .

Superman Celebration attracts around 40,000 fans from around the world every year. It is sponsored by the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce and the City of Metropolis, Illinois and is held annually during the second weekend in June. The festival features celebrity appearances, comics artists and writers, musical acts, a costume contest, and a wide array of programming for superhero fans of all ages.

----------------------
DEFINITION OF A FAN FILM: A fan film is a film or video inspired by a film, television program, comic book or a similar source, created by fans rather than by the source's copyright holders or creators.

Lyon International Film Festival also known as LIFF International Film Festivals for all Short, Documentary, Feature, Music video, Web Series, Animation, Experimental. Basic object of LIFF is Provide to group of vibrant film enthusiasts who are committed in creating spaces for independent cinema and devoted to spreading of the knowledge of the modern visual art form to all interested.

Your film will be viewed by our international community and will be judged by a jury of film professionals. Judges will award the best films in each category. We, at Lyon International Film Festival, aim at bringing out the best films from around the globe. LIFF's library will has some very remarkable award winning films from across the globe.

Cafodd LLAMFF ei eni yn fynyddoedd Eryri sy'n gartref i rai o'r dringwyr, mynyddwyr, padlwyr, beicwyr mynydd ac anturiaethwyr arloesol yn y byd.
Gan gynnig sgiliau awyr agored, gweithgareddau teuluol a dosbarthiadau meistroli gan athletwyr a noddir yr wyl.

Registration is now open for the 13th International Film Festival in Balneário Camboriú, a complete event that presents the best of International and Brazilian cinema to the public.

Programers seek to present the work of new or consolidated directors, who stimulate different types of sensitivity, through feature films, medium format and short films. FICBC also seek innovative audiovisual works made in different production support aimed for different exhibition formats.

Filmmakers, professionals and artists participate in activities with the public and contribute to the development of cinephiles, new professionals and critical thinking.

The Audiovisual Market includes the Screenplay Contest, Co-production Meeting, Directors' Room, Country Focus and others.

The Audiovisual Residency provides workshops, lectures and public debates with artists and professionals.

"Each year FICBC is more complete, never forgetting to give visibility to each selected film. There were many meetings between the public and professionals and between professionals from different countries that made it possible to consolidate new co-productions ”, says André Gevaerd, founder and director of the festival. For the curator, Barbara Sturm, the objective is "to show the best of current art cinema in national and international productions and by placing directors to interact with the public and press."

It is a cultural event with an innovative format that has consolidated itself as an event of great importance. Several media outlets follow its development and place it as an official part of the annual calendar of major film festivals. In ten years, presented important guests such as directors Carlos Sorín, Frederike Jehn, Helene Klotz, Hanna Doose, Beto Brant, Renato Ciasca, Sérgio Machado, Rubens Velloso, Patrícia Moran, Francisco Garcia, Chico Faganello, David Schurmann, artist Hans Op Beeck, actresses Bianca Byington, Paula Braun, Djin Sganzerla, Christiane Tricerri, actors Marcos Azevedo and Ivo Muller, critic Rodrigo Fonseca, among many others, who were present and had direct contact with the public.

THE DIFFERENT SESSIONS OF THE FESTIVAL:

Internacional: shows films that make their international or national debut. Short, medium and feature films, from all around the globe, that participate in a competition.

Nacional: Especial for Brazilian productions. Short, medium and feature films.

Live: open to new manifestations of the audiovisual language through new means of production and different exhibition supports. Expanded cinema, live cinema, installations and formats that go beyond the possibilities of the dark room.

Catarina: projects films made by directors from Santa Catarina or who have a relationship - director, producer, cast, crew, location, others - with the state of Santa Catarina.

Nocturnal: opens a window to fantastic cinema at night sessions.

Little Owl: brings programming for all ages, training young film fans.

The Mexico City International Independent Film Festival STUFF MX celebrates its 10th edition in June 2025 and opens its official call to filmmakers from all over the world to register all their film materials, music videos; in all formats, genres and categories of any length, in animation, documentary, fiction and live-action, which will be valid from December 1, 2024 until March 31, 2025 at 23:59 CST (CST), Washington, D. C. time. CST (CST), Mexico City time.

Medina del Campo Film Week (SECIME) is one of the most consolidated events on the national film scene, standing out as a benchmark in the promotion and dissemination of short films, and being a key exhibitor festival for the Academy of Arts Awards. and the Cinematographic Sciences of Spain. Its main objectives are to support both new talents and established filmmakers, promote the creation and production of short films and contribute to the growth of the audiovisual industry.

Cryptshow Festival is an initiative that promotes the fantasy genreand terror. Every July fill Badalona de Zombies, aliens, vampires and serial killiers most infamous. And to much horror ... the horror!

Animalada, Seville Animation Festival announces its fith Animation Short Film Competition.

Animalada Sevilla’s main objective is to bring the world of animation from all areas to the public in general.Also intends to create a meeting point and discussion for fans and industry professionals, promoting the exchange of ideas, coworking between companies and producing and showing the potential of our community to the world.

Finally, the project was created with the intent to arouse the interest of young creatives in the animation as a valid professional commitment to their future by providing training and bringing them closer to the higher schools worldwide.

Animalada Sevilla is born to become a reference in our community as a meeting place between professional and novice artists who aspire to enter the sector, thereby promoting industry growth and the addition of new talent.

FRESCO: a New Formula of a Film Festival
Fresco is an international initiative that represents a thoroughly new format, distinct from the notions typical to the society. A festival that aims at the presentation of international spiritual works and cultural pieces combined with the organization of free and healthy social discussions concerning the issues raised by them.

Many festivals demonstrate films on global problems in the frameworks of their program. As a rule, after such films the audience needs to discuss and adopt what they have seen, however, the film remains the only source for an answer to the questions arisen. “FRESCO” film reviews come to fill in this gap.
FRESCO: an Informal Approach
"FRESCO" offers an informal approach to the participants of the film festival along all the stages of the festival starting from the film review up to the places the events are held, from the seat up to the prize.

The wonderful films, photo exhibitions, and shows brought to Armenia will go out from cinemas and literally “enter the streets”.
Round-the-clock open air demonstrations and film reviews “with no ticket” will literally become part of the Armenians’ everyday life 10 days on.

FRESCO Film-Program: Let’s Speak the Language of Humanism
The festival will contain both competitive and non-competitive programs. Fiction and documentary, full-length and short-length films and video materials of different formats, in which wars, violence, national, religious and any other types of discrimination, ecological disasters of human origin are denounced, and where peace, tolerance, humanism and global values are advocated.:

Cinema figures of worldwide fame and other guests corresponding to the subjects of the films shown, that is - church clerks, the intellectuals, musicians, psychologists, etc., will be invited to Armenia from different countries to participate in the festival.

About the Global problems in a Comprehensible/Simple Language
Not only the creators of the film strip will take part in the discussions following, but also church clerks, psychologists, and specialists directly concerning the issues arisen in the film and people responsible for the field. Any conceptual and technical detail concerning the film review is to contribute to the active and unconstrained participation in the discussions. The specialists will be part of the film watchers, professional orations will be replaced by unconstrained communication and active discussions. The films and direct communication with their creators will enable to “notice” the claimed issues in our country, observe them in the context of other countries’ experience, and the discussion with the people specialized and responsible for the field will become one of the most effective ways of developing versions for the solution to those issues.

FRESCO is Open to Anyone
The festival also gives a special importance to the employment of special social groups and especially individuals with limited abilities. Due to the cooperation with the institutes specialized in the field individuals with a disablement will not only participate in all the measures of the festival but also be actively involved in all the organizational works of "FRESCO".

The goals of the festival are:
- To promote the establishment of love, solidarity, and human values in the society with the help of spiritual and cultural dialogue,
- To spread international and religious tolerance,
- To create and promote the development of spiritual and moral films and to raise their social awareness as a social-cultural factor,
- To promote the communication among cultural representatives of different countries and the creation of the mutually beneficial field for their collaboration.

Diversity Short Film Festival- Argentina
LGBT VIDEO ART- Anniversary Edition- 15 years

2025

Edition 15

cineversatil.com

The 15th edition will include a non-competitive exhibition dedicated to LGBT+ video art and parallel exhibitions of collaborating festivals.