Blog: Film festivals

Wallachia International Film Festival is a highly professional, industry connected film festival, an exclusive independent grassroots film festival taking place in an exquisite location in Downtown Bucharest, only hundreds of meters away from Dracula’s former court in the grand Old Town!

Our aim is to discover the directors, screenwriters and photographers of the new millennium and award their fresh, out of the box ideas in order to accelerate their careers.

We won multiple cinema prizes including important awards at major film festivals, like Cannes, Locarno, Montreal, London, Milan, Miami and Atlanta. Also, our advertising work received accolades at Ad’Or, while working for companies like UNICEF and Nestlé-Purina.

But there’s nothing we love more than indulging ourselves with cinematic candies from all over the world, under the summer night sky of Wallachia. We will be arguing for a long time about which ones we feel are the best, and about the most promising unproduced screenplays.

Welcome to Wallachia, the Legendary Land of Principe Vlad III Dracula, universally known as Vlad the Impaler, Voivode of Wallachia. Born in 1431, Vlad was an authoritarian Principe, he revolutionized the affairs of Wallachia and refused to pay tribute to the sultan Mehmed II, resulting in a bloody war with the Ottomans. Multiple works containing stories about Vlad's cruelty were published soon after his assassination in 1475. In 1897, Bram Stoker downgrades Prince Vlad to Count Dracula, a blood-sucking vampire inspired by Wallachian ancient folklore. Loosely based on the book, Dracula (1931) casts immortal Bela Lugosi as the doomed romantic Count.

Just think cinétopia! Feel hundreds of years of mythic Wallachian history under the night sky! It’s a 100% natural multimedia affair!

We watch all movies and video, we read all screenplays and we select exclusively based on artistic merits. Networking does work on us. But only if we're talking art.

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.

Immerse yourself in the heart of Paris, where the Singularity Film Festival opens the doors to a universe where science fiction and fantasy come to life like never before.

Discover short films and series pilots ranging from 5 to 30 minutes, crafted by bold filmmakers — both emerging and established — ready to surprise and captivate you.

The festival is divided into two categories:

Out of Competition, dedicated to works screened freely, celebrating creativity and discovery without constraints;

In Competition, where films are subject to an official submission and evaluated by a professional jury.

Each edition begins with a signature short film — an immersive experience that instantly transports you into extraordinary worlds.
Open to all, the festival celebrates the richness and diversity of talents, styles, and imaginations, offering a vibrant and captivating spectacle.

Through the competitive selection, IMDb qualification, and personalized support for filmmakers, each project gains increased visibility and recognition.

Screenings, networking sessions, discussions, and an awards ceremony make the Singularity Film Festival an unmissable event for cinema lovers and fans of fantastical worlds.

Quiprocó Filmes will host the II Goitacá International Film Festival from August 06 to 11, 2026, in Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil.

The festival aims to promote and disseminate Brazilian and international independent cinema through screenings, debates, and exchanges among audiences, filmmakers, producers, industry professionals, curators, exhibitors, distributors, and critics. The in-person and free event comprises the International Competitive Program, Brazilian Competitive Program, Zezé Motta Program (focused on ethnic-racial and gender diversity), Olhares do Interior Program (featuring films produced in the interior regions of Rio de Janeiro), the Cabrunquinho Program (dedicated to children and youth films) as well as the Futuro do Clima (Future of the Climate) Informative Showcase.

The Festival also includes a Workshop and training activities; the Goitacá Cine Market, providing opportunities for the creative development of new audiovisual projects and business meetings focused on facilitating new film projects; and the North and Northwest Fluminense Cinema and Audiovisual Seminar, featuring debates, conferences, and lectures.

Before filling out the form, please carefully read the Program Regulations available on the event's official social media channels (@festivalgoitaca). Submissions are open until February 20, 2026.

If you encounter any difficulties during the submission process, please contact us at festivalgoitaca@quiprocofilmes.com.br.

The Madrigueras Film Festival (FESCIMAD), organized by the Madrigueras Film Association, aims to promote audiovisual culture by showcasing short films and their creators, fostering the development of new cinematic proposals and the exploration of contemporary narrative languages. The festival is committed to bringing cinema closer to the public, strengthening audiovisual education, and promoting a sustainable and participatory culture.

The Polbert International Touring Film Festival announces its 2026 edition, which will take place on May 8–9–10, 2026, at the Theatre of Savoy Beach Hotel & Thermal SPA, Bibione (Venice, Italy).

The Festival is organized by Polbert Cinema, with over 10 years of experience in the film festival industry.

The Festival was created with the aim of promoting national and international independent cinema, highlighting high-quality works, new talents, and contemporary cinematic languages.

What is Womanimation!? As the name implies, it's a festival showcasing acclaimed animated films created by women from around the world.

From satire to drama, from the everyday to the surreal - in styles from traditional 2-d to stop-motion to computer animation - the festival features something for every taste.

Zinema Film Festival - Is a film festival whose objective is to showcase independent cinema with auteurist and experimental narratives and forms. The 3rd edition of the Zinema Film Festival will take place in November 2026.

The 10th edition of "Chaniartoon - International Comic & Animation Festival", will be held in Chania, from 18 September to 4 October of 2026.

The Festival, is designed to showcase animation short films from all around the world, made both by students and professional. There will be a special section for greek animation movies.

During the festival there will be a comic exhibition with a great artist alley, workshops and some special events !

Acocollona’t, Girona Fantasy and Horror Film Festival, has been held since 2011 as a key meeting point for fans of the genre. For one week, the festival fills the streets and venues of Girona with fantasy and horror cinema, along with dozens of related activities that turn the city into a true hub for genre culture.
Over its 15 editions, more than 600 short films have been screened, consolidating Acocollona’t as a major event within the fantasy and horror film circuit.

QUALIFYING FESTIVAL FOR THE GOYA AWARDS OF THE SPANISH FILM ACADEMY.

Santiago-Pontones International Short Film Festival (Jaén).

The Cisterna Film Festival is an international short film festival held annually in July in Cisterna di Latina, Italy. Over the years, the festival has established itself as a vibrant meeting point for contemporary short cinema, showcasing outstanding works by emerging and established filmmakers from around the world. The festival is organized by the cultural association MOBilitazioni Artistiche and promoted by Municipality of Cisterna di Latina, with artistic direction by Cristian Scardigno.

From 2015 to 2025, the Cisterna Film Festival presented a wide selection of national and international premieres, including films showcased at major festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance, and Clermont-Ferrand, as well as award-winning works recognized by the most prestigious film honors, including the Academy Awards, David di Donatello Awards, César Awards, and Goya Awards.

Since 2017, the festival has featured a “Focus” section dedicated each year to a specific country, fostering cultural exchange and international dialogue through cinema. The section was inaugurated in 2017 with a focus on Poland, supported by the Polish Institute in Rome, followed in 2018 by Ireland, in collaboration with the Irish Film Festa and the Irish Embassy. In 2019, the festival turned its attention to Germany, with the support of German Films and the German Embassy in Rome, and in 2021 to Greece, in collaboration with the Drama International Short Film Festival, an Academy Award–qualifying festival.

In 2022, the Cisterna Film Festival presented a curated selection of short films from Croatia with the support of the Croatian Audiovisual Centre. In 2023, the festival hosted a focus on short films by Palestinian filmmakers, in collaboration with the Consulat Général de France à Jérusalem and the Palestinian Ministry of Culture. In 2025, the festival hosted a focus on Cuba, in collaboration with the Festival de Cine Ínstar in Havana.

Each year, the Cisterna Film Festival welcomes leading figures from the international film and entertainment industry and enriches its program with a variety of collateral events, including book presentations, workshops for teenagers, and photography exhibitions, confirming its role as a dynamic cultural hub for cinema and the arts.

www.cisternafilmfestival.com

The Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival (hereinafter Yubari Fanta) is held in Yubari, Hokkaido, and is organized and managed by the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival Executive Committee.

This film festival focuses on science fiction, horror, fantasy, adventure, action, thriller, animation, and other fantastic films rich in imagination and entertainment.

The purpose of Yubari Fanta is to provide a space for citizens, filmmakers, and audiences to connect and interact, discovering and nurturing new talent, promoting cultural exchange, and fostering mutual understanding between countries worldwide through cinema.

2º International Social Film Festival.

Tropheum Regale International Film Festival is an annual film festival and it gets its name from the city of Trofarello in which it is based. It is said that Trofarello in Celtic means “trophy”, probably in honour of a warrior of some success.

For many years now, we are in the film industry and understand the defies each filmmaker face when trying to realize their projects. The costs and efforts required can be prohibitive, so our festival aims to support independent filmmaking.

Each year our jury of professionals will make a private viewing to decide the winners of each category. The judgment is based on the artistic merit, creative contribution and technical level of each entry. The results will be published on our website and on our social media profiles.

In 2003, the non-profit created the International Strange and Unusual Fantasy Short Film Festival, Court Métrange.

The event offers a creative harbor for authors wherein to expose and endorse their ideas. With an irrefutable penchant for a different form of filmmaking, these motion picture partisans fascinate countless audiences, the latter of whom paradoxically struggle to reap the same attention.

The purpose of the Court Métrange Festival is, ultimately, threefold, boasting: a place to screen, a place to scream, letting its "cult" shorts thrive, and a place whose limitless resources endeavor to not only emphasize the credentials of those having fought to make Fantasy film what it is today, but also attribute to them what is rightfully theirs. Court Métrange has become crucial not only in putting back on the radar screen the artistic and cultural value in a certain category of works, but also in breaking down barriers between film genres.

Sole member specializing in short films of the renowned European Fantastic Film Festival and CNC Category 1 Festival, Court Métrange is, in a way, a rite of passage for some authors in the quest for validation of their work with their sights set on becoming the directors of tomorrow. As a result, it is unrivaled, and plays an influential role on the short film scene in Europe.

Artistically agile, film communicates in a number of languages. The Fantastic is one of them. Court Métrange has chosen to hand over the mic and screen to those who share the same speak. For Fantasy filmmakers, this moment with their audiences is invaluable. Theaters teeming with fans and backing from a significant part of the profession have, in turn, legitimized the festival in its entirety. The enthusiasm and support from the teaching community and the active involvement of its student population in the educational and cultural initiatives organized by the festival come full circle with the idea that Fantastic films are a formidable breeding ground for culture and reflection.

Alongside its screenings, the Festival also strives to open up channels for exchange between film and other creative disciplines in order to broaden and boost the manner in which the "Fantastic image" materializes. Every year, conferences, exhibits, music, encounters, and debates round out the Court Métrange agenda.

The Latin American Environmental Film Festival - FLACA is the first Brazilian environmental film festival that aims to exclusively curate Latin American films, valuing audiovisual production and promoting dialogue between different socio-cultural and environmental realities. In a global context of climate urgency and intensifying socio-environmental inequalities, FLACA emerges as a space for reflection, exchange, and awareness-raising through cinema. Conceived by an experienced team, FLACA seeks to strengthen environmental education and inspire new ways of seeing the world.

VITA SHORTS is presented jointly by the Cadillac Shanghai Concert Hall, Hoyts Cinemas, and Goethe-Institut Shanghai, serving as the only member festival of the Short Film Conference (SFC) in Shanghai and Beijing, China.

Since its founding 5 years ago, VITA SHORTS has curated spotlight programs featuring directors such as Christian Petzold, Tsai Ming-liang, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, and Truong Minh Quy, and has collaborated with organizations including the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, Busan Shorts, Deutsche Kinemathek – Museum für Film und Fernsehen, UCCA Center for Contemporary Art, and Beijing Film Academy. Starting in 2025, the festival introduced the Discovery Short Film Award, which carries eligibility for the Annual Short Film Selection of the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival under the International SFC.

From October 16–19, the four-day VITA SHORTS (2025) took place in Shanghai, presenting 64 shorts and medium-length films. All screening sessions were free and open to the public and film fans, and a “Shanghai Choice Honor” Audience Award was determined by popular vote. Participating filmmakers included Helena Wittmann, Danzuka Yui, and Tetsuya Mariko, among others. Nearly 30 crews from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, Vietnam, Japan, Korea, and Singapore participated, with a total attendance of over 2,000 viewers.

VITA SHORTS 由上海音乐厅、寰映影城（上海）与德国驻上海总领事馆文化教育处联合呈现，是国际短片联盟（Short Film Conference, SFC）中国上海及北京地区唯一成员节展。

成立5年来，曾策划克里斯蒂安·佩措尔德、蔡明亮、黑泽清、张明归焦点影人，与德国电影资料馆、UCCA 尤伦斯当代艺术中心、北京电影学院导演系、奥伯豪森、日本亚洲短片、釜山短片合作节目。历任评委：邱阳、张吉安、周飞、李冬梅（2025）；杨弋枢、耿军、姜秉和（2024）；高志森、陈东楠、大飞、邓伟、蒋能杰、廖勇（2023）。2025年起，增设 Discovery 短片发现奖，具备克莱蒙费朗国际短片电影节国际短片联盟年度短片评选资格。

10月16日至19日，为期4天的 VITA SHORTS（2025）在上海举办。期间共呈现64部短片、中长片，所有放映场次均免费向市民、影迷开放，并票选产生“上海选择荣誉”公众奖项。参展作者包括海伦娜·维特曼、団塚唯我、真利子哲也等。含中国内地、香港、台湾、澳门、越南、日本、韩国、新加坡在内的近30个剧组，累计超2000人次观众抵达。终审评委邱阳、张吉安、周飞还与入围导演们携手“上天台”，在上海音乐厅95周年之际，共创城市艺术行动。

5 Vilafamés International Film Festival. A town officially recognized as one of the Most Beautiful Towns in Spain.

The Valsusa Filmfest celebrates its thirtieth anniversary and has published on its website, www.valsusafilmfest.it
, the call for entries for its 30th edition, scheduled to take place between March and April 2026 in several municipalities of the Susa Valley.

This milestone marks an important achievement for a festival that, since 1997, has become a point of reference for the local community and for many filmmakers who, through cinema, have explored themes of memory, territory, rights, the environment, and social change. Thirty years of the festival represent a cultural and civic journey that has engaged generations of students, volunteers, artists, and audiences. A journey that continues today with the same founding spirit: promoting culture, fostering critical thinking, building aware communities, and reflecting on the social and political changes of our time.

Once again, the heart of the Valsusa Filmfest is its film competition, open to emerging and established filmmakers and divided this year into six sections: Cortometraggi, Disertare, Fare Memoria, Le Alpi, Videoclip Musicali, Green Screen.
The new section of this edition is Disertare, developed in collaboration with the Civilian Victims of War Association – Piedmont and Aosta Valley section, and dedicated to works that tell stories, experiences, and testimonies of nonviolence, rejection of war, antimilitarism, and civil disobedience, with particular attention to the contemporary issue of military spending and new forms of war propaganda. This section closely reflects the festival’s dedication to Fabrizio De André and its strong civic identity.

Alongside this new section, the competition includes the following categories: Cortometraggi, a free-theme section welcoming fiction films with a maximum duration of ten minutes; Fare Memoria, organized in collaboration with ANPI Valle di Susa, which invites works focused on the Italian Resistance or on contemporary interpretations of its values; Le Alpi, dedicated to exploring the mountain as a place of identity, community, environment, and adventure, with films up to thirty minutes in length; Videoclip Musicali, aimed at promoting visual and musical originality; and Green Screen, developed in collaboration with IISS Des Ambrois of Oulx, giving voice to works focused on environmental sustainability and the climate challenges affecting both the present and the future of our planet.

The full regulations, technical requirements, and details on awards are available on the website www.valsusafilmfest.it
.

To participate, filmmakers must register on the dedicated platform https://concorsi.valsusafilmfest.it
, where submissions can be uploaded until 11:59 pm on February 1, 2026.

DATES AND THEME OF THE EDITION DEDICATED TO FABRIZIO DE ANDRÉ

The 30th Valsusa Filmfest will take place between March and April 2026 in numerous municipalities of the Susa Valley, featuring screenings, cultural and artistic events that involve schools, associations, and many individuals, thanks to a network of relationships that over time has made the festival a permanent laboratory of active citizenship and critical reflection.

The 30th edition is dedicated to Fabrizio De André, the “bard and poet of the marginalized,” an artist who gave voice to injustice, marginalized communities, and the fragile beauty of nature. This dedication renews the festival’s connection to its original identity, born thirty years ago from the desire to create a space for culture, participation, and collective memory.

In 1997, Armando Ceste – a Turin-based director and visual artist, one of the founders and the first artistic director of the Valsusa Filmfest, who passed away in 2009 – designed what is still the festival’s logo today: a symbol inspired by Native American imagery (Unkathae), half North American indigenous deity and half strip of film. Ceste also created the image for the first festival poster, depicting a Native American on horseback seen from behind, evoking the beginning of a long journey often undertaken in a “stubborn and contrary direction.”

Drawing on this visual intuition, the Valsusa Filmfest now renews its journey toward the future through the figure of the legendary “Faber” and the image from the cover of one of his albums, Fabrizio De André (1981), commonly known as L’Indiano, which features an image taken from the painting The Outlier (1909) by Frederic Remington. In this image, the Native American on horseback is portrayed frontally: a proud figure moving toward us, evoking a people who resist, a memory that returns, and a path that continues—just like the journey of the festival throughout its long history and into this new edition.