Blog: Film festivals

In the early days of cinema, with the advent of the cinematograph, the avant-garde artists found a new medium of expression, called seventh art, which was soon adopted by the major studios.

Thus, the space occupied by the Santander International Film Festival — Picknic Film Festival, is a place where films of reduced visibility and distribution, but selected for prestigious film festivals, with the approval of the press, have the possibility to be screened.

CORTOS EN CORTO emerged 10 years ago as an initiative to promote regional, national and international film work, seeking to be a meeting point where to share face-to-face and virtual projections, as well as conferences and master classes with the creative community.

After successfully conducting the Siliguri International Short Film Festival in Siliguri for the last three years, we are planning to organise the 1st RAIGANJ INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL in the cultural city of North Bengal right from 2022!

Raiganj has a distinct a cultural legacy of it’s own.

There are many budding and aspiring filmmaker, actors and technicians in this town.

The history of Raiganj even boasts of it’s fight for freedom against the British rulers.

The police station was set up 125 years ago and railway connectivity reached the plan 115 years ago. The city hold the 106 years old Raiganj Coronation High School.

Raiganj is also known for Raiganj Wildlife sanctuary (also called the Kulik Birds Sanctuary), home to a large population of Asian openbills and other waterbirds and it is the largest bird sanctuary in Asia.

Raiganj can be a prime seat of the film tourism in near future.

Hence the idea of holding The Raiganj International Film Festival.

The FERRARA FILM FESTIVAL is one of the most popular film festivals in Italy and the fastest growing one since its first edition in 2016. The festival is hosted in the northern Italian City of Ferrara, a UNESCO World Heritage, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The Ferrara Film Festival is also an "IMDB Qualifier Festival" and "World CineX Eligible".

The Ferrara Film Festival, in just 7 editions, had big movie premieres in its competition with some of the major Italian and international movie stars. It's a global film competition that sees more than 10.000 people attending each edition, culminating with the Golden Dragon Awards Ceremony. The event includes movie themed collateral events, entertainment shows and partnerships with many world class Institutions.

FILM CATEGORIES - IMPORTANT INFO:
At the Ferrara Film Festival all the selected films will be divided in specific categories by our Organization. Our categories reflects the Global nature and relevance of our festival. WHAT DOES IT MEAN? When you submit your film, all you have to do is to choose between “Feature Film”, “Short Film” and “Documentary” then, IF YOUR FILM IS SELECTED, we'll independently put your it in the specific category.

Here below the detailed categories of FERRARA FILM FESTIVAL:
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FEATURE FILMS:
"Premiere Event"
"Premiere Autore"
"Premiere Docu"
"Premiere Unicef"
"Premiere Emilia-Romagna"

SHORT FILMS:
"Short Event"
"Short Autore"

Explore more on www.ferrarafilmfestival.com

The Barichara Green Film Festival FESTIVER, created by Colombian actors Toto Vega and Nórida Rodríguez, seeks to build a new generation of artists and audience commited to the environment. Through its screenings and a continuous search for resources to create environmental film content, FESTIVER aims to educate and entertain by developing academic, artistic and recreational activities which enrich the Colombian cultural landscape and help build a better world. The 14th edition will take place on September 19-22, 2024 in Barichara, Santander, Colombia.

The Festival de Cine Comprometido de Guadalajara (FESCIGU) celebrates its 22nd edition this year, and it does so with a change of venue, since the Guadalajara City Council has decided to censor it and cancel the agreement. Therefore, starting this year the festival will take place in Azuqueca de Henares. Throughout these years, we have tried to bring our audience the best of the world of short films, with social, protest or simply humanist content. All genres fit, as long as violence is not advocated. The FESCIGU is a preselection festival for the Goya Awards.

The Kaaffilm Short Film Festival is an independent film festival that puts the spotlight on short films – a category that unfortunately doesn’t get the mainstream attention it deserves. We accept submissions from all over the world and provide a platform for short films that challenge the way we think about cinema.

3º Kaaffilm International Short Film Festival is a short film festival with a competition program for international short films. For our 2024 event, we are planning a hybrid festival presentation.

The Kaaffilm Short Film Festival is an essential platform for both emerging and established filmmakers, arguably the most important showcase for the free, independent film industry Online. The competition program for international short films attracts industry people from all over the world together, and the festival facilitates industry events such as panels and presentations, talks and open discussions, and networking opportunities connecting international film professionals.

RURÉFILOS, International Film and Rural World Festival is a multidisciplinary meeting point in which, through audiovisual language, a space is provided for debate and creative reflection on the past, present and future of the rural world.

CFF is the first outdoors film festival of its kind in Lebanon. The festival, which was launched in 2009 by “Laboratoire D’art”, has become an annual short film event which celebrates and promotes local and international short films as an independent form of art in a non-competitive public event, away from competition, prizes and entrance fees.

CHANYI Association and Hainan Crossing Space Time Culture and Art present the first edition of
CINE Film Festival, a Chinese short film screening competition.

The goal of our Association is to make the most interesting and recent Chinese artistic productions known by Italian enthusiasts.

Therefore submissions are restricted to Chinese productions, which means that submitter must be Chinese citizen and carry out his artistic activity in China.

Works of every genre and technique (fiction, documentary, animation, ...), maximum length of 15 minutes are accepted. The competition is not divided into categories.

The first edition, due to the pandemic, will take place online.

FEST - NDNFF #21
21st of June - 29th of 2025 | Espinho, Portugal

FEST – New Directors | New Films Festival is an all-encompassing celebration of the new tendencies of world cinema. The event focuses on a competitive and non-competitive showcase of the most promising new figures and works from around the globe.

The 21st edition of the festival will take place between the 21st of June and the 29 June 2025, in the seaside town of Espinho (Portugal).

The selection is divided into several categories which include Feature Film and Short Film competitions in the Fiction, Documentary, Animation, Experimental Non-Narrative formats, as well as content adequate for children and teenagers. The event also includes non-competitive sections that range from retrospectives to showcases that can be Shorts, Features or Series.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
We are accepting films under the following formats:
A) Fiction and Non-Fiction feature films (minimum length is 55 minutes) from directors who are on their first or second feature-length project, regardless of age.
B) Fiction, Documentary, Animation, and Experimental Short films (up to 54 minutes of duration) from directors who have completed no more than two feature films, regardless of age.
C) Fiction, Documentary, Animation, and Experimental Series (up to 55 minutes of duration) from directors who have completed no more than two feature films, regardless of age.

Candidates must choose one of the available submission categories. Do not worry if your film fits different categories (Ie: Hybrid productions), as all submissions will be considered for the different competitions. If your film is also eligible for the NEXXT competition (focused on academic productions) but you wish the film to be considered for all other competitions please mention in the comment section of the submission the academic institution where the film was produced. If you have any doubts at all please do not hesitate to contact us at films@fest.pt.

Throughout the years' FEST has selected for its feature film competitions films such as Celine Song’s “Past lives”; Ainhoa Rodríguez´s "Mighty Flash"; Teodora Mihai´s “The Civilian”; Anders Ølholm and Frederik Louis Hviid with "Enforcement"; Julie Lecoustre, Emmanuel Marre´s “Zero Fucks Given”; P.S. Vinothraj “Pebbles”; Eugen Jebeleanu´s “Poppy field”; and Valdimar Jóhannsson´s “Lamb”, all of this on the fiction side, then in the Documentary side, Karima Saidi´s "A way Home", Michał Edelman´s "Last Knights Of The Right Side", Franz Böhm´s "Dear Future Children" among many others.

FEST’s Short Film sections are known for its wide variety of styles and filmic visions, having been throughout the years a platform for the launch of new artists such as Govinda Van Maele (Luxembourg), Christos Massalas (Greece), Mati Diop (France), Adriano Valerio (Italy), Patrick Vollrath (Germany), Ninja Thyberg (Sweden), Manuel Abramovich (Argentina), Daria Belova (Russia), Simon Mésa Soto (Colombia), Aga Woszczynska (Poland), Jela Hasler (Switzerland), as well as hundreds of other up-and-coming filmmakers.

FEST also includes a series of other activities that run parallel to the festival, in particular, FEST – Training Ground (one of Europe’s largest film forums) and FEST – Pitching Forum (film project competition), and others. For more information please visit our website at www.fest.pt

ONLY FOR FILMMAKERS FROM SPAIN

Fusagasugá International Film Festival (FICFUSA) aims to bring the residents of Fusagasugá and the Sumapaz region new screens, points of view and cinematographic work of high quality to promote a critical thinking around the problems and issues experienced by women. In the short term, we aim to become an international platform for gender and women thematic films, attracting producers, directors, and distributors interested in these subjects.

We are an organization who wish to put forth this platform for anyone who wants to showcase their vision to the world. We know Filmmaking is an expensive hobby & hence, Mumbai Iconic International Film Festival would like to showcase films & award such alarming filmmakers, who would shape the future of filmmaking through their vision & reeard them with attractive cash prizes to keep them motivated on their visionary path!

When you participate in MIIFF, be assured of having your film being judged by some of the finest film personalities, who have carved their name in different avenues of filmmaking. We want these industry stalwarts to watch your film, so the young filmmakers are inspired to make it big, in the years to come.

We are an International Short Film Festival, which works in the Dissemination and promotion of Venezuelan cinematography, Latin American and worldwide in four countries simultaneously;

And of all its cultural scope. Try to show cinematographic works that entertain, but above all, that exert an influence education in children, youth and the general population.

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.

The Crevillent Short Film Competition, organized by the Excellent City Council of Crevillent from the Department of Culture, announces the bases to apply for the awards in its 5th edition to be held on October 18 and 19, 2024.

The objective of the contest is to promote the short film. Culture is considered a source of wealth, and in this sense, the local impulse of the cultural offer also serves the impulse of the economic and local development of our municipality.

IntimaLente Festival is intended to promote documentary cinema with particular attention to anthropological topics and methodologies. The international character of the festival is both desirable and unavoidable because of the specific character of the discipline and of the medium of film itself. In this inaugural round, we have chosen not to focus on specialist themes but instead to offer an array of work representing different filmic idioms and geographical areas of interest. The aim is to offer both professional and non-professional viewers a broad (if necessarily incomplete) spectrum of possibilities. We believe that this choice not only will trigger a wide exchange of ideas and themes but will also generate an extensive collaborative perspective. We have made it a core principle to select topics of general interest exhibiting both thematic diversity and relevance to the interests of non-specialist viewers. We have rejected mere exoticism as outdated and unnecessary and have aimed at a selection that, via the intimacy of the camera’s lens, extends the local and the particular to a perspective that is truly contemporary and global.

A grassroots festival run by and for young creatives, Little Wing is challenging barriers to film, amplifying diverse voices and redefining the conversation for a new generation of filmmakers. Where we want to see real change, we'll start with ourselves.

Exclusively screening films from students, recent graduates, and new filmmakers, we held the first Little Wing Film Festival in 2017 and have since partnered with the likes of BBC Films, Mayor of London, and the BFI to deliver curated prizes and opportunity pathways for emerging filmmakers. Alongside screenings, our events are rooted in supporting filmmakers development and highlighting the importance of film in our wider social narrative. We've organised networking pubcrawls, partnered with charities to present accessible screenings around disability and industry inclusion, supported campaigns for sustainable career standards for producers, and worked with grassroots organisations to create their own community cinemas to build community resilience and tackle isolation throughout COVID.

Film guidelines are broad and submission costs are as low. We want Little Wing Film Festival to be accessible and we understand that first projects aren't usually backed by big budgets. Whether your films be shorts or features, animations or documentaries; every story that is weird and wonderful, and your unique point of view, we want to see.
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We are anticipating a 2022 hybrid festival so we can continue to reach audiences and filmmakers who aren't able to join us in person, but, like 2020, if COVID restrictions require us to move to an online platform, we're confident that we'll be able to once again deliver an event that is high quality, enriching, and personable. If you have any questions or concerns, write to us and let's chat.

Join us - be a part of a grassroots movement championing new talent and join our community of tight-knit, collaborative, and supportive filmmakers.
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For more information visit www.littlewingevents.com or send us an e-mail at contact@littlewingevents.com

More about us:
Little Wing began as a response against the socioeconomic barriers facing young people trying to break into the film industry. When opportunities are too often chiselled out of unpaid internships and work experience, young people working to support themselves independently often get left behind. Started by young people, for young people, we want to create more sustainable and inclusive opportunities with awards that help facilitate future projects. We want to curate events and opportunities that shift us towards a future in film that we'd like to see for ourselves and encourage around us - a future that is inclusive, where opportunities aren't just reserved for those who can afford to work unpaid, and where talent isn't disadvantaged because it's new.

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