Blog: Film festivals

A home for the biggest, baddest, in your face, down your throut, melt your brain Horror, Sci-fi , Action , Martial Arts , Exploitation , Mobsploitation , Sexploitation and everything-elsploitation. You will find no dramas, no rom-coms and no musicals ( unless totally twisted )

The best new Grindhouse movies are shown at an epic festival held at one of the UK's longest running entertainment venues - The Legendary Shed Venue.

What you will find at the Grindhouse Planet festival is a playlist of movies like no other. Each film is selected by a Panel of Grindhouse connoisseurs form around the globe. The festival is for film fans and filmmakers to meet like-minded people, have a drink, watch some movies, eat some Pizza ( for free!! ) and have a bloody good time. There is a movie stall hosted by The Cult Movie Store where some rare Grindhouse flicks can be purchased, along with lots of other stalls offering Grindhouse goodies.

There is also a chance to attend Q&A sessions with some of the planet's best Grindhouse directors and producers.

Want more?

There is more! Much more!! How about a music festival at the same time? You got it. As well as all of the awesome films, there are live bands playing throughout the day. From Thrash Metal and Punk to Acoustic & Electronic, there is something for everyone. You may even find your next Grindhouse soundtrack.

From the creators of the Depth of Field International Film Festival, Docs Without Borders Film Festival, and the WRPN.tv Women’s International Film Festival (among a few other successful festivals) and, under the umbrella of the WRPN.tv Network we bring you the Hispanic International Film Festival (HIFF)

“I wish to blur the firm boundaries which we self-certain people tend to delineate around all we can achieve.” - Hannah Höc

The International Experimental Film Festival organised by the Institute for Experimental Arts

The International Experimental Film Festival is an international encounter dedicated to experimental film art, announces the call for submissions. The festival will take place in Greece. The festival will experience screenings, installations, performances, conferences, film concerts, workshops. The festival seeks to expand the possibilities of film beyond traditional formats and spaces, creating a zone of creative contagions between cinema and the visual arts, historical works and the current production, analogic and digital, filmmaking and critical thinking.

Experimental cinema is a free, radical and purposeful cinema that responds to the aesthetic, political or philosophical need to see and explore cinematic horizons, away from large industries and hegemonic formulas of creation. It is through experimental cinema that we find authentic ways to create audiovisual art.

A cinema that breaks the narrative, and most of all visual, bounds to which we're used. A cinema that elaborates on film medium to its fullest, by including even the most extreme possibilities. John Cage said it well: an experimental action is one the outcome of which is not forseen; the cinema we're looking for is a cinema of the unpredictable.

The International Experimental Film Festival is the pioneering space, in the exhibition of experimental content in cinema, which seeks to show excellence and innovation in the independent production of the film world. Celebrate aesthetic diversity, new narratives, and new media and formats; a program that reveals the complexity of social, cultural and artistic phenomena. We understand experimental cinema like a divergent cinema, that vanishes the boundaries with art, emphasizing the experimental modes of creation.

The Institute for Experimental Arts was founded in 2008 in Athens- Greece as a non-profit platform of creative expression and research in the fields of theater, performance art, digital media, installation, poetry and art theory. The Institute is committed to existing as an open meeting point for poets-writers, directors, actors, theater engineers/ technicians, performance artists, photographers, video artists and the writers who develop new analytical tools on contemporary art, media & communication.

We accept all works that fits into the experimental film category and all its sub genres like found footage, essay film, expanded cinema, experimental animation, abstract film, experimental documentary, video art, virtual reality, direct animation or any other alike.
There is no genre, topic or length restrictions. The International Experimental Film Festival features Avant-Garde and Experimental films of any length.

The festival will always see the development of the cinematic language with critical thinking, regardless of the terms ‘cinema industry’ or independent cinema. For this reason, the International Experimental Film Festival will always bring a critical discourse to observe it through curatorial programs, symposium, and public lecture to broaden the knowledge of the ever-changing cutting-edge cinema aesthetics.

Our mission is also to create relations within contemporary art and cinematic spheres and to highlight cultural areas of immediate interest. Our goal is to generate interest in experimental cinema.

If your film has *any* dialogue, subtitles in English or Greek is a requirement.

Submissions without subtitles will be considered incomplete.

Terms and Condition:

+ All films with dialogue must have ENGLISH or GREEK subtitles
+ A submission does not guarantee a screening
+ OK if your film has screened before

We believe in culture as a pluralistic and intangible value, the awards assigned by the jury are purely symbolic. The selected films are going to be judged by an exceptional jury, and seen by a vast audience of film lovers.

Golden Arrow Best Film
Golden Arrow Short Film
Golden Arrow Best Director
Golden Arrow Best Original Screenplay
Golden Arrow Best Music
Golden Arrow Best Performance
Golden Arrow Best Picture

The International Experimental Film Festival reserves the right to use small portions and stills of accepted films for promotion of events.

Deadline: All submissions must be submitted, emailed, or postmarked no later than August 15, 2024

The IEFF will announce the 2024 program selection on October 2024.
The IEFF will take place in October 24,25,26 & 27 2024.
The International Experimental Film Festival is a project of the Institute for Experimental Arts

If you have any questions : athensfestivalfilm@gmail.com

Process Submission Fee

Deadline for all submissions is August 15, 2024
Submission fee is 25 euro per video, or media project.
NATIONAL BANK OF GREECE
IBAN GR3701101320000013200441999

EMAIL SUBMISSIONS
All email submissions must be accompanied by a completed PDF submission form, the receipt of the online payment to the Bank Account (details above).
Please name all the attach files in the email with your name and your country.
You are welcome to attach additional documents to your email submission pertaining to mission or artistic statement, exhibition history, publicity materials, press kits, bios, and curriculum vitae.
If you want to submit your participation to the IEFF by email, you have to send only ONE email with ONE wetrasfer file. All the files in the wetrasfer must be titled your name and your country.
Email your submission to the following address:
athensfestivalfilm@gmail.com

POSTAL SUBMISSIONS
If you want to post your material. You have to post a USB including all the material that we want. Your media files, the application form, still images, the receipt of the online payment to the Bank Account (details above) and all other material that you would like to share with the festival. All the files in the USB must have as a title your name and your country.
Postal Address :
THE INSTITUTE FOR EXPERIMENTAL ARTS
KREONTOS 159
SEPOLIA
ATHENS 10443
GREECE

ALTERNATIVE SUBMISSION METHODS

The International Experimental Film Festival proudly accepts entries on Festhome, a way to enter film festivals and creative contests.

“In its purest form, done right, watching an experimental film is the closest you can come to dreaming another person’s dreams. Which is why to watch one is, essentially, to invite another person into your head, hoping you emerge haunted.”
― Gemma Files, Experimental Film

Because of how much movies cost, it's dangerous to be experimental on one film after the other. But we can experiment with television. We can do things that are fringe and bring ideas to the table that are offbeat and original.
— Steven Spielberg

You dont do an experimental film to become rich, so the people who are involved are involved because they enjoy the creative aspect of it.
— Isabella Rossellini

Everybody's a mad scientist, and life is their lab. We're all trying to experiment to find a way to live, to solve problems, to fend off madness and chaos. — David Cronenberg

Al Este is a festival coming out from the french festival A l'Est du Nouveau. Present in Peru since 2008, the mission of the festival is to promote film culture of the other Europe, that relegated to independent circuits, owning however, an invaluable wealth and tradition. Thus, Al Este seeks to spread the filmography of Europe, Latin America and Asia.

Cinema Father International Film Festival (Previously known as Hollywood World Film Festival) is a competitive festival of Feature, Shorts, Doc, Music Videos & Animation produced by worldwide professionals. The festival was established by Education Expo TV & managed by Miniboxoffice in order to salute the great contribution of earlier filmmakers who has developed the cinema and considered as cinema fathers like Lumière brothers', Thomas Edison, Lev Kuleshov, Sergei Eisenstein, Dadasaheb Phalke, Vsevolod Pudovkin, William Kennedy Dickson, DW Griffth, George Melies, Edwin S Porter and many others great visionaries of cinema. The festival is celebrating the achievement taking place in cinema & honoring the innovativeness, effectiveness, creativity & new ideas globally.


The objective behind the festival is to recognize the best talent and setting new milestone in the most amazing indie cinema industry. The CFIFF is an Thailand's first independent films festival providing platform to showcases the work of aspirant, young & experience professionals globally. CFIFF is also providing platform for professional networking, sharing of ideas & knowledge. The CFIFF awards honor the groundbreaking films and talent. We extend warm invitation to participate in 2024 edition and hope it turns milestone in your film career.

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

We are LISBIFF • Lisboa Indie Film Festival, an international film festival with screening events from the enchanting Lisbon, Portugal, and member of the IBERIFF • Iberia Indie Film Festivals, which celebrates and showcases new productions and independent artists from all over the world in Lisbon (LISBIFF), Madrid (MADRIFF), Barcelona (BARCIFF), València (VALÈIFF), Seville (SEVIFF) and Montpellier (MONTIFF), that you can also find them here in Festhome.

LISBIFF shares the mission of its associate festivals of supporting emerging talents, encouraging artistic exploration, fostering networking, promoting cultural exchange and engaging the local community by providing a platform to present the work of independent filmmakers.

Fiction films, animation, documentary and experimental works of any genre and subject are welcome!

The International Film and Human Rights Festival - HUMANS FEST, developed in Valencia since 2008, is one of the main activities promoted by the Fundación por la Justicia that aims to bring audiovisual culture closer to both the general public and especially vulnerable audiences, as well as such as the defense of human rights and the denunciation of their violations throughout the world and at the same time carrying out a series of activities with a social content.

The Festival reaches its XV edition to be held in June 2024.

FICCUE was born from the need to promote local, national and international cinema in Cuenca and its province of a genre as yet unexploited as comedy. Addressing this genre as the exclusive objective of this festival makes it unique both on a national and international scene, making Cuenca the headquarters of comedy cinema.

Our principle is anthropophagic and cannibalistic. Kinesyphilis is a disease that we suffer from and with which we commit ourselves. Our interest: to eat and digest cinema from the south.

This festival was founded to open another door in the festival scene in Colombia. To think, watch, listen and read the cinema of the past, present and future. Our limits will be reflected in each of our editions. In addition, we adhere to a tradition of our arts and cultural movement, since the impulse that motivated the magazine Ojo al Cine founded by Andres Caicedo viciously influences the creation of this festival.


Call "Poetics of Resistance".

Curatorial proposal:

This exhibition aims to convene cinematographic, audiovisual and videoclip expressions of any genre that were made around the social outbreak in Colombia between 2019 and 2021. We are interested in compiling and creating a bank of artistic memory about the creations that thought through image and sound all the social process that took place throughout the country.

Likewise, due to diverse political processes of resistance at an international level, we consider it important to open our doors to creations from all over the world. Therefore, we will have our call open to cinematographic, audiovisual and videoclip expressions of any genre made between 2019 and 2023 in any country or town that are linked to the concept "Poetics of Resistance".

Descubierto Film Festival emerges as a meeting place between spectators and audiovisual creators of the fantasy genre.

The competitive selection of short films will be interested in bringing together works with fantasy themes with risky visual languages ​​and innovative proposals. On the other hand, there will be a regional film show where the filmography of local authors will be exhibited. In this way, we seek to be a window for stories told from different perspectives.

Additionally, the Festival will organize parallel activities aimed at complementing the cultural programming.

Moritz Feed Dog is the first festival in the state that combines film and fashion.

Premieres, iconic documentaries and titles full of content on the big screen. Stories that come from different countries and also works that are the result of national talent in the field of production and direction.

Moritz Feed Dog is held in person in Barcelona, and for 2021 a hybrid festival is planned that includes a face-to-face and an online part. In addition, the Festival is also held in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Although they have their own artistic team there, the documentaries selected in Barcelona are automatically also valued by the Brazilian committee.

Cuarta muestra de cortometrajes realizados por mujeres. sólo cortometrajes realizados y pensados por ellas.

International queer film festival Merlinka is organized every year from 2009 in Belgrade Serbia. For five days we screen short, documentary and featured LGBT-themed films.

Only gay, lesbian, bisexual, trangender, transsexual-themed films.

Cerdanya Film Festival, Festival Internacional de Cinema de Cerdanya, is a Festival specialized in the documentary, fiction and animation genre, short and feature films, consisting of competitive international sections, non-competitive sections and parallel activities. All the films that are part of the different sections will be selected by the Festival programmers.

Cerdanya Film Festival qualifies for Premios Goya – Spanish Film Academy in Best Spanish Shortfilm, in Fiction, Animation and Documentary categories.

The 16th edition of the Cerdanya Film Festival will be held from 28th July to 17th August 2025.

The largest independent film festival in the state of Kansas. A hallmark of the region’s cinematic landscape and an internationally recognized, multi-day platform for world-class cinematic programming, the festival is a program of the Tallgrass Film Association, a 501(c)3 arts organization that fosters an appreciation of the cinematic arts by creating shared experiences around the international medium of film.

A cool Midwestern city that truly represents the spirit and hospitality of America's Heartland, Wichita is also home to a large art and music community, a growing filmmaking community, and generous patrons of the arts making Tallgrass audiences a hallmark of the festival. Sophisticated movie-goers of all ages and backgrounds - hungry for quality independent film - audiences are receptive, opinionated, and genuine. Screening a film at Tallgrass is a catalyst for generating awareness and buzz in the epicenter of the country that radiates throughout the region. Also accessible at Tallgrass, are the visiting filmmakers. Due to the city’s authentic nature, it’s common to find an Oscar-winning filmmaker deep in conversation with a high school documentarian or an avid movie-goer.

1. Brain Film Fest

The Brain Film Fest (BFF) is an international film festival dedicated to highlighting and promoting the creation and dissemination of feature films and short films about any aspect of the brain, from its amazing abilities and conditions to its pathologies. The BFF is jointly organized by the Pasqual Maragall Foundation and Minimal Films. In addition to being a film competition, the BFF will also organize throughout the festival other in-person and online social, cultural and/or scientific events that focus on the brain.

The 8th edition of the Brain Film Fest will be held from March 12 to 16, 2025.

Getafe en Corto is a short film festival organized by Onda Vecinal Getafe, in collaboration with the Getafe City Council.

It will be held on March 27, 28 and 29, 2025, at 8:30 p.m., at the Getafe Market Space. Pl. de la Constitución, 5, 28901 Getafe, Madrid

In 2021, “The Biggest Little Fest In Europe” was heralded as "One of the World's Leading Indie Film Fests"- The Hollywood Reporter

Rated among the top 5 Film Festivals worldwide for Independent Films by American film critic Chris Gore in his esteemed “Ultimate Film Festival Guide”, and ranked “Top 25 Coolest Festivals in the World” by MovieMaker, Oldenburg has fostered its success with a strong commitment to innovative and Independent filmmaking.

“If there's anything that could be considered the Promised Land of Independent Cinema in Europe today, it is Oldenburg.” - Accred - L'actualité des festivals de cinéma

Labelled ‘the German Sundance’ by Variety, Hollywood Reporter, and Screen International, amongst others, Oldenburg has evolved while preserving its intimate atmosphere and founding purpose: to celebrate and support the diverse voices and visions of independent filmmakers, to honor the creativity of the artists upon which the Festival depends, and to create a unique experience and inspiring meeting place for filmmakers, audiences, and media professionals.

“Oldenburg - renown for its determination, cinephilia, and openness for the extremes - impresses with its brilliant programming.” - GRIP

Additionally, in an effort to raise awareness and build bridges between worlds through the common language of film, Oldenburg is the only Film Festival in the world that annually screens part of its regular program to incarcerated individuals who share the experience with members of the general public in an actual high-security Prison environment, known as ‘The Alcatraz of the North’.

“Oldenburg thrives as a discovery channel.” - Screen International

In addition to supporting the discovery of new artists, Oldenburg has hosted the German Premieres of films by such acclaimed filmmakers as Darren Aronofsky, Brian De Palma, Steven Soderbergh, Michael Polish, Johnnie To, Chan-wook Park, Monte Hellmann, & Takeshi Kitano amongst others. Guests of honor have included Jim McBride, Larry Clark, Philippe de Broca, Andrzej Zulawski, Ken Russell, Jerry Schatzberg, James Toback, Radley Metzger, Ted Kotcheff, Phedon Papmichael, George Armitage, Christophe Honoré, Edward R. Pressman, Bruce Robinson, William Freidkin, Ovidio Assonitis, and Peter & John Hyams who have all attended the festival for Retrospectives of their work.

“Just as impressive as the films was the festival itself, which, under the inspired direction of Torsten Neumann, combined intelligent cinephilia with a laid-back atmosphere of democratic equality.” - Sight and Sound

Nicolas Cage, Seymour Cassel, Asia Argento, Keira Knightley, Deborah Kara Unger, Mira Sorvino, Bobcat Goldthwait, Michael Wadleigh, Joanna Cassidy, Luke Wilson, Ben Gazzara, Stacy Keach, Amanda Plummer, Keith Carradine, Matthew Modine, Sean Baker, Andrea Rau, Mattie Do & Noémie Merlant are amongst many who have attended as honored guests or for Tributes in their honor.

“Alongside Venice and Toronto, Oldenburg is considered one of the most important Autumn Festivals for Independent Cinema” - de Telegraaf

Rated #1 in Germany on The Most Important Autumn Film Festivals List for and by the German Film Industry (Blickpunkt Film), and #3 internationally after Venice & TIFF, Oldenburg is regarded as “one of the most important European festivals for independent cinema" (Tagesschau).

“Oldenburg is a pilgrimage for cineastes.”- Die Zeit

During one week of the year over 100,000 film-lovers gather in over 400 Cinemas across 6 Continents to view and vote on the Finalists Films' in the Annual MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival - MANHATTAN SHORT is more than just one of the largest short film festivals in the world....it's the World's First Global Film Festival.

If making short films is about getting your work out there, nothing compares to MANHATTAN SHORT.

Every Film Selected is eligible to enter the Oscars:
MANHATTAN SHORT does a full week's run in a cinema in Los Angeles, California. This theater booking means all ten finalists in the 2020 MANHATTAN SHORT Film Festival will be eligible to enter the Oscar competition for 2021.

MANHATTAN SHORT is now in compliance with the rules governing the Oscar Awards set forth by the Academy of Motion Pictures of Arts and Sciences

Featured Musical Artist
We are excited to announce that the MANHATTAN SHORT will be featuring a Musical Artist or Band leading up to and throughout the duration of the Festival each year.

The selected Musician or Band will have his/her music featured in over four hundred venues and to over 100,000 people worldwide during the MANHATTAN SHORT intermission and in all promotional materials leading up to the festival dates, including exclusive headline billing on our website. This is a tremendous opportunity for new or unknown musical talent to have their music broadcast to our ready-made worldwide audience of eager festival attendees. It is also a unique chance to gain name recognition and immediate exposure. Check ManhattanShort.com to enter the Musical Artist Comp.