Blog: Film festivals

The Cisterna Film Festival is an international short film festival held in Cisterna di Latina, Italy, in July. It is organized by the Cultural Association MOBilitazioni Artistiche with the artistic direction of Cristian Scardigno.

From 2015 to 2023 the Cisterna Film Festival screened international and national premieres, from the major festivals (Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance, Clermont-Ferrand) and winners of the most important national and international awards (Oscar, David, Cesar, Goya).

Since 2017, the festival has hosted a “Focus” section dedicated to specific country. In 2017, Poland inaugurated it, with the support of the Polish Institute in Rome, and in 2018 it was the turn of Ireland, with the collaboration of the Irish Film Festa and the Irish Embassy. In 2019 there was a Focus on Germany, with the support of German Films and German Embassy in Rome and in 2021 the Focus on Greece with the collaboration of Drama International Short Film Festival, an European Film Awards qualifying festival. In 2022, the CFF screened shorts from Croatia with the support of Croatian Audiovisual Centre. Last year, the Festival hosted short-films from Palestinian authors, in collaboration with the Consulat Général de France a Jérusalem and the Palestinian Ministry of Culture.

The festival annually hosts key figures from the show business and organizes collateral events such as book presentations, workshops dedicated to teenagers and photography exhibitions.

www.cisternafilmfestival.com

Lucca Film Festival is an annual event that celebrates and promotes cinematographic culture. Through screenings, exhibitions, conferences and performances, the Festival has been able to captivate an ever-increasing audience with a program that ranges from experimental to mainstream films. Through the years, Lucca Film Festival has carved out a niche for itself, standing apart from the many other festivals thanks to its bold yet carefully studied programming. Over the years, great names of international filmmakers and well-known celebrities have attended Lucca Film Festival as invited guests; David Lynch, Oliver Stone, Jeremy Irons, Willem Dafoe, George Romero, Terry Gilliam, William Friedkin, Alfonso Cuarón, John Boorman, Rutger Hauer, Joe Dante and Peter Greenaway, just to name a few. At the same time, the Festival has offered retrospectives of “old” glories while unearthing new talents. To top it all off, breathtaking Lucca serve as a stunning backdrop to an event that has now firmly established itself, becoming a highly anticipated and not-to-be-missed appointment in Italy and in Europe: the Lucca Film Festival.

Since its creation, the festival has always been committed to promoting contemporary films.
Therefore, directors from all over the world can submit their films to the competitive section of the festival through the dedicated call for entries. The 2022 edition of Lucca Film Festival will be held from 23 Semptember to 1 October, both in cinemas and online.

The 2023 will be the 8th edition of the Lucca Film Festival International Feature Film Competition. In the previous editions important personalities of cinema like Cristi Puiu, Rutger Hauer, Philip Groening and Claudio Giovannesi had been part of the international jury.

The films shown during this competition are Italian premieres and last edition was won by "Yamabuki" di Juichiro Yamasaki.

There are three awards: Best feature film prize (3000€), awarded by a jury of renowned guests from both the cinematographic and academic worlds; and Best feature film – university jury prize (awarded by an university jury), Best feature film - Popular jury and the Marcello Petrozziello Award.

For those who are interested in this competition, the last day for submissions is July 14 2023, until midnight.

There are no limitations to the genre or topic of the films. The only requirements are the following: the films must be at least 60 minutes long and must have been produced in 2022. Moreover, they must be Italian premieres, so they cannot have been presented in any other Italian festival, shown on any online open platform or distributed in any other way in Italy.

For the 18th year in a row, it will take place the historic short films competition, whose winner will receive a 500€ prize. Every year, the selection committee of this competition receives more than 300 films to evaluate. Among the directors who took part in earlier editions, there are celebrities like Adan Jodorowsky, son of the famous Chilean filmmaker.
Even though the “free experimentation” is the fil rouge of this year's edition, the films have no limitations in genre and topic. The only requirement is that they cannot last more than 29 minutes. For the short films competition, the last day for submissions is July 28, 2023, until midnight.

Lucca Film Festival launches, for the 2023 edition, a new short film competition, "Lucca Film Festival for Future", which was born thanks to the collaboration with the Sofidel Group, 2nd producer in Europe and 7th in the world for production capacity in the sector of paper for hygienic and domestic use (known in particular for the Regina brand), which has made sustainability a strategic lever of development and responsible growth to reduce its impact on natural capital and favour the transition towards a low carbon impact economy. The prize is 1000€.

List of the selected films will be published on the festival’s website within September 15, 2023. During the festival the movies will be shown in the cinemas taking part in the event and on demand online.

The Lucca Film Festival, coordinated by Nicola Borrelli, is one of the key events organized and sponsored by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca.

The event's main sponsors are Banca Generali and Banca Pictet, whereas the exhibits are produced with the support of Banca Société Générale. The organization of the Lucca Film Festival has also been possible thanks to the funding from Funder35 and the support of Gesam Gas & Luce S.p.A Istituto Luce Cinecittà S.r.l., Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lucca, Baldini Vernici, Lucar S.p.A Lions Club Lucca Le Mura, Alleanza Assicurazioni S.p.A, Luccaorganizza, Il Ciocco S.p.A, MiBACT (the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Activities and Tourism), the Region of Tuscany, the City of Lucca, the Province of Lucca with the collaboration and co-production of the Giglio Theatre in Lucca, Consociazione Nazionale donatori di sangue Fratres, Fondazione Giacomo Puccini e Museo Puccini – Casa Natale, Fondazione Carlo Ludovico Ragghianti, Fondazione Mario Tobino, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Martinelli Luce, CG Entertainment, Fondazione Centro Arti Visive e Fondazione UIBI. Thanks also to Lucca Comics & Games, Trenitalia Regional Management, Unicoop Firenze and to the Degree Course in Performing Arts and Civilization Department of Communication and Forms of Knowledge at the University of Pisa, Photolux Festival and App18 for their collaboration.

Come to the Lucca Film Festival and experience a full 360° immersion in both the cinema and the heart of Tuscany.

It shall take place from 27 to 29 April 2022 and may participate in performers of any nationality.

Our festival will be in person in agreement with Fescilmar Venezuela and Katowice- Poland.


Screenings in Lecheria cinema - Venezuela
Katowice -Poland


2) Fiction short films, documentary, video clips, webseries, experimental, with a maximum duration of 45 minutes can participate in any genre.

Interactive Festival where the public enjoys Short Films, theater, music and surprises.

The public participates in an active way during the event.

We accept any gender except Horror. Open to all types of filmmakers, whether professional or amateur.

The festival will be held in the town of Gavà, Barcelona (Spain), in mid-February. The VIII Edition will take place on Saturday, February 15, 2025.

Fantafestival (Italian: Mostra Internazionale del Film di Fantascienza e del Fantastico; English: International Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Show) is a film festival devoted to science fiction, fantasy and horror films that is held annually in Italy since 1981.

Fantafestival takes place every year in Rome. In the past years, while maintaining its headquarters in Rome, some editions were held in contemporary in different Italian cities like Milan, Naples, Genoa, Verona, Parma and Ravenna.

For more than 40 years, Fantafestival has been one of the leading Italian events specialized in fantastic films and one of the most important international events of this kind. It has presented and launched in Italy many filmmakers who later would become among the most popular in the fantastic film world.

DEA OPEN AIR International Film Festival is a product of MultiMedia Studio "Nositi".

The Festival will take place in the Capital city of Tirana.

Internationally, the Festival will award the Best Film, among the first three feature films of a director who has not yet made the fourth, with the Pre-Columbian Circle in its Gold, Silver and Bronze categories and the Pre-Columbian Gold Circle for Best Director, Best Social Documentary, Art and the Environment., Among the first three films. At the national level, the Pre-Columbian Gold Circle will be awarded for Best Colombian Film short and feature films.

Sidebars: International Short Films, Animation, Sacred Films, Films for Children and Blinds.

The Dead of Night Film Festival is brought to you by Two-Headed Snake Entertainment and The Liverpool Horror Club and is part of the ever growing International horror film festival circuit.

It is currently the only horror film festival in Merseyside, England.

The objective of our festival is to bring new independent horror short and feature length films to the genre loving public of Merseyside.

We know it can be hard for Independent filmmakers to get theatrical releases for their movies and we want to help get them the audience they deserve.

Film festivals are such an important part of independent horror cinema and are the best way to get their movies seen around the globe.

This year we will screen 6 feature films and 15 short films in a cinema auditorium with 75 comfortable seats and an Optoma 8000-lumens projector, plus 5.1 Surround Sound to present an immersive cinematic experience.

We hope you can join us for some horrific movie fun this October.

Ulsan Ulju Mountain Film Festival(UMFF) is the first international mountain film festival in South Korea, dedicated to presenting and promoting films & culture dealing with mountains, adventure, exploration, nature, and the environment. The festival also provides an opportunity for filmmakers and mountaineers to meet and exchange ideas through seminars, events, screenings, and social gatherings.

The 9th UMFF will be held in Ulsan & Ulju, South Korea in autumn, 2024.

Out! Mostra de Cinema LGTBIQ+ de les Illes Balears accepts short films of all nationalities with LGBTIQ themes, which may be selected for the various sections of the festival: Short Films, and Short Films Documentaries. The works must not have previously premiered on the Internet or any other media in Spanish territory prior to the festival, and must have been copyrighted no earlier than 1st of January of 2022. All films must be yet unreleased in the Balearic Islands; in the case of the shorts films, this will not be considered a prerequisite, but will be considered positively. The organization reserves the right to include films that do not meet these conditions in the program, although not a part of the Festival’s official contest. The organization has right to include selected short film in future events of year 2024/2025 within territory of Balearic Islands

Philosophical Film Festival / Филозофски Филмски Фестивал is a unique film festival that lives on the crossroads between philosophy and film and is held annually in Republic of N. Macedonia. On one side, the festival tries to promote the idea of film as a medium which can provoke philosophical thought and illustrate philosophical ideas. On the other, it aims to trigger aesthetical analysis’ and investigations into film language as a form sui generis and empower young filmmakers and film workers to reflect on key concepts, questions and ideas in order to translate them into the visual language of cinema. It is a pioneering festival of the kind in Macedonia and the region, and one of few in the world connecting film and philosophy.

Daroca&Prisión Film Fest
Festival Internacional Cine de Daroca

Mostra Dr. Mabuse is an international short film festival taking place in Barcelona for three days. It is conceived as a festival open to new artists as well as experienced. A jury consisting of professionals in the audiovisual world, teachers and students of film festivals and other collaborators carry out the selection of films to be screened in the three sessions that are scheduled during the month of June in Barcelona. The project was initiated twenty years ago and has been growing and multiplying the number of films screened and registered, having received works of relevant directors such as JA Bayona, Nacho Vigalondo, Mateo Gil or Kike Maillo. Instead of just being an audiovisual festival, Dr. Mabuse is intended to be an homogeneous and free event, in which everyone can have a good time enjoying theater and cinema.

SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN FOR THE FOLLOWING SESSIONS OF THE OFFICIAL PROGRAM:

01 - Short, Medium and Feature Film
02 - Short, Medium and Feature Television Work
03 - Series TV Show - Pilot Episode or First Episode
04 - Internet Work - Short, Medium and Feature Film
05 - Internet Work - Pilot Episode or First Episode

Bilbao City Council is currently organizing the 30th BILBAO FANTASY FILM FESTIVAL – FANT2024, to take place in Bilbao from 3rd to 11th of May 2024.

Every year for the last seven years, the Short Event association has organized a short film festival in Lyon: "Pour Faire Court". This event, using the codes of the seventh art as vectors of emotion and sharing, invites you to discover a specific program of short films, according to a defined theme.

This year's theme is ‘Light and Shadow: the contrast of a lifetime’. This theme is rich and open to multiple interpretations. It invites artists to explore the contrasts that manifest themselves in life, whether through human emotions, personal experiences, objects or places.

Participants are encouraged to express their own vision of the theme, whether the light and/or shadow is symbolic, metaphorical or visual. The theme can deal with duality, challenges and hopes, shadows and opposites that we all face.

Afterwards, there will be a cocktail reception to encourage sharing between enthusiasts and artists.

PLEASE RESPECT THIS THEME.

Liberation Docfest Bangladesh is a festival dedicated to documentary cinema, seeking to highlight the struggle for Liberation and Human Rights of people in various parts of the world and its contemporary significance. It seeks to uphold new forms of viewing the human suffering and struggle for justice in global perspective.

Figari Film Fest is an international short film festival and market.

Born in 2011 Figari Film Fest is a festival dedicated to young and independent cinema.

Over the years it became a lead event for international cinema.

The festival slogan: "On a wave of emotions!" reflects the concept: cinema should evoke the emotions of the viewer. The festival prefers films that catch and make us laugh, cry, deeply empathize. These are films with a strong catching story.

​Feature shorts of all genres (up to 40 min) and documentary films - from all over the world are considered.

Every year three unforgettable days of the sea shore velvet season await participants and guests of the festival. Cinema, emotions, the sea, the sun and live music. The festival is held in the famous art gallery "Green Pyramid", which is a stone's throw from Chersonesos - the historical center of Sevastopol.

The competition is judged by international jury.

«The Oscars of the university cinema»

Villanueva Showing Festival is an International Short Film Festival for young people between 15 and 25 years old, organized by Universidad Villanueva. This initiative aims to encourage young people to reflect on universal human values ​​through audiovisual language. For this reason, each edition challenges the young cinematographic promises to create their own piece on a specific theme based on a universal value.

This festival, in which more than $ 22,000 in prizes are awarded every year, offers great visibility to young cinematographic talents before an international jury of experts, producers, directors, scriptwriters, actors and other professionals from the sector who attend the ceremony annually of awards ceremony, held in an iconic place of the capital of Spain, presented by a recognizable figure from the film world.

IMPORTANT / MANDATORY

In this edition Villanueva Showing Film invites us to reflect about the following topic: TO BE DETERMINED (we'll announce the new topic soon!). All short films presented must be related to this topic.