Blog: Film festivals

Festival
The Arab Film Festival Zurich is organized every two years by the association IAFFZ . The next festival will take place from 02.04.2025 until 06.04.2025.

The focus is on films by Arab filmmakers that could not find their way to “commercial” cinema. The program includes short and full-length feature, documentary, animation and experimental films exploring social, cultural and political issues. Discussions with the invited filmmakers also offer the audience the opportunity to discuss films and topics further.

Please note that we can only accept movies from or about the Arab world. We define the Arab world in cultural terms. Unfortunately, we cannot accept movies from or about Iran or Turkey, except if they explicitly deal with issues related to the Arab world as defined above.

The Arab Film Festival Zurich is a place of encounters and dialogue between cultures. Through its internationally understandable language, film serves as a means of communication and understanding, and so the festival should make a contribution to a differentiated analysis of the Arab cultural area beyond media coverage.

The first edition of the festival in 2012 was well received by the audience and the media. Every two years, the Arab Film Festival Zurich presents a representative selection of outstanding current international films from various Arab countries.

The festival team consists of honorary board members of the association IAFFZ and the volunteers who share a great interest in film and in the Arab culture. The program is compiled by Aida Schläpfer Al-Hassani (filmmaker, president of the association IAFFZ and co-director of AFFZ) and Michel Bodmer (co-director of AFFZ).

The Visual Anthropology Laboratory “Fiorenzo Serra” - the operational headquarters in Sassari of the Cagliari Cultural Services Center of the Humanitarian Society - Cineteca Sarda (hereinafter called “Cineteca”) relating to the Department of History, Human and Educational Sciences of the University of
Sassari (hereinafter called “Department”) as part of the project to enhance the figure of the filmmaker and ethnologist Fiorenzo Serra, he is announcing the competition for ethnographic film productions, named Fiorenzo Serra Film Festival, for the year 2025.

The theme of this eighth edition of the competition for the section “Fiorenzo Serra” is “MASKS, BEYOND THE HUMAN, RITES AND ETHNOGRAPHIC TRADITIONS”

Our main objective is the exhibition and stimulation of a constructive and objective debate on the interpretations that we can make individually about these two phenomena, such as the UFO phenomenon and the paranormal phenomenon.

Technology has played a leading role in revealing and clarifying myths and truths around these topics. That is why in this first edition we invite all those who want to deepen the analysis and also rescue the beauty of artistic expression that expresses what we do not know, but if we perceive.

Cortogenia is short film festival held all year along.

Now in its thirteenth year, the Northeast Film Festival showcases top independent films from filmmakers, as well as new talent. The diverse array of films, selected by a committee, includes features and shorts from all genres, as well as documentaries and screenplays. The festival is hosted in Teaneck New Jersey at the historic Teaneck Cinemas; with planned parties to kick off the festival in style and spirit. In addition, we offer an atmosphere for the film enthusiast to interact with filmmakers as well as filmmakers being able to interact and network with each other and industry professionals.

The festival includes after parties, to offer opportunities for interacting and networking with other filmmakers, actors, and film festival goers. In past years, Harry Lennix, Lloyd Kaufman, Danny Roebuck, Matthew Modine, Vinnie Pastore, David Harris, Robert Clohessy, Brian O'Halloran, Fatima Ptacek, Gianni Russo, Duane Whitaker, Jefferson White, producers from NBC, among many others attended the festival's after parties (and festival).

SHORTS in TRANSILVANIA

We know how hard it may be, for filmmakers, to produce and distribute their works, especially if those are short films and independent productions. TRANSILVANIA SHORTS [International Short Film Festival] is the useful tool for every filmmaker, in order to further showcase their films, and get their deserved public feedback and recognition. The films selected in the festival competition are further on promoted, screened at the festival, and evaluated by a team of experts in the industry. Transilvania Shorts supports filmmakers in gaining the recognition of the public passionate about cinema, and that of mass-media, and, also, in being rewarded for their work.

Come celebrate and share your passion for cinema! Held in beautiful and medieval cities like Cluj-Napoca, Sibiu, Braṣov, and Târgu Mureș, Transilvania Shorts brings short films, from all over the world, to beautiful Transilvania. In the future, the festival will be extended, in order to be present in all major cities of Transilvania. This year’s Festival Program will showcase a wide variety of international short films, in the categories of: Narrative, Animation, Student, Commercial Video, Documentary, Experimental, Music Video, Stop-Motion.

The GEH Short Film Competition is a short film competition on human rights held in different localities of Gipuzkoa (Basque Country).

This competition is part of the global project human rights Giza Eskubideak Herrira (Bringing human rights to the people.). The GEH is a human rights awareness project created by the dar-dar Productions cooperative in 2015. The first editions were based in Ordizia. In 2023, the festival has developed and extended to several towns in Gipuzkoa (Euskal Herria).

The main objective of this competition is to raise awareness and educate on human rights. Because this short film contest is a window that we open to the world, and from that window we can see the different realities that people live in different parts of the planet. In view of these realities, we intend to encourage reflection on human rights violations in different parts of the world.

Mal del Cap opens the call for entries for its XI International Short Film and New Narratives Festival
Ibiza, July 21, 2025.– The Ibizan cultural association Mal del Cap, Cultura Mal Dita has opened this Sunday the call for entries for short films to compete in the XI International Short Film and New Narratives Festival “Mal del Cap, Narratives Mal Dites”, which, on this occasion, will change its format and will take place between December 2025 and April 2026.

The submission period runs from July 21 to September 1, 2025, and is open to filmmakers from all over the world. Works must be submitted in digital format and can be fiction, documentary, or animation. Selected films will be screened during April 2026 in different cultural venues across the island.

“Once again, we are looking for bold stories and ways of storytelling that break the mold, works that connect with people and are not afraid to experiment,” says Pedro López, Vice President of Mal del Cap and co-director of the event. “This festival is an open space for free creativity, for sharing and networking among the most underground proposals on the international scene.”

Once again, this festival —which started in 2014 and is one of the longest-running in the Pityusic Islands— features several competitive sections that will award 1,000 euros in prizes across the different categories: the Official Short Film Competition Section, the Youth Short Film Competition Section –awarded by young students from Ibiza–, the Sebas Parra Award for the best socially themed short –courtesy of the association La Guerrilla Comunicacional from Girona–, the Malalt Award –reflecting the wildest spirit of the association–, the Best Short Film in Catalan Award, and the Audience Award.

For more information about the rules, technical requirements, and entry forms, interested participants can visit the official website www.maldelcap.com or email info@maldelcap.com.

Actrum is a non-profit association dedicated to artistic production and the dissemination of audiovisual content.

The board of directors convenes the first edition of the short film festival, which will initially be held online in the event that the situation caused by COVID-19 continues as before.

V R THE CHANGE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL,

based in India, city of dreams , Mumbai. This is the first year of the festival. It's motive is to be the odd one out of the film festival community.

Here the question arises.....How ?.

It's motive is to promote creative films on a wider platform around the globe.

This festival is a revolution to independent film makers all over. V R The Change value each and every film makers ideas which are put into making of a film, and keeping that in mind we at

V R THE Change want to give the film makers to not only take part in our festival but to ensure that the winners get an OTT platform release in India and abroad and earn revenue from it.

We provide Honorable mention and Special Mention certificates for other selected participants.

So, what are you waiting for, come, join by taking part in our festival.

© VRCIFF 2021

Aprilia Film Festival offers the opportunity to independent filmmakers from all over the world to preview their works and make them known to the public and professionals.

Short films, Documentaries, Animated Films, the categories in competition in past editions.

From the 4th edition will also be present the following categories: Music Videoclip and Web Video.

IMPORTANT!!
Short films in foreign languages will only be accepted if they are integrated with Italian subtitles.

Organized by “NO_NAME”, "CineMigrare – Rassegna Internazionale di Cinema Senza Frontiere" is a festival totally dedicated to movies, short movies and documentaries speaking about immigration and cultural integration.
The 9th edition in 2025 of CineMigrare Festival will take from 8th to 22th July in Pedara (CT).

Several SPECIAL GUEST are invited to this second edition and they will be awarded with the CineMigrare Award 2025.

Foreing authors are invited to send their short movies with italian subtitles. Info: info@cinemigrare.it // www.cinemigrare.it

Organized by Associazione Culturale “NO_NAME” with support of the Municipality of Pedara (Sicily, Italy), SICILY INTERNATIONAL SHORT LEAGUE, is a festival totally dedicated to short movies from all over the world, included in the annual program of “Via dei Corti - Festival Indipendente di Cinema Breve”.

The 9th edition of Sicily International Short League will take place among 8th and 22th of July in Pedara

Foreing authors are invited to send their short movies with italian subtitles. Info: shortleague@viadeicorti.it

In A Minute Film Festival focuses on showcasing one minute films. We are located in a suburb of New York City (NYC), for easy access by all. All Genres are accepted, but the time limit is set. 1-minute. At the festival we nurture networking and audience encouragement of the hard work everyone has put in.

The In A Minute Film Festival was created to offer filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their ability to tell concise short stories in a 1-minute film, with the audience and support of fellow filmmakers.

The live screenings of the top films are concluded with a Q&A, so filmmakers can take pride in their work and meet like-minded filmmakers. We also will have an online edition with films, to be able to reach an international audience.

FICDOS was created in 2006 with Jane Chaplin as the guest of honor. It is a contest created for the appreciation, production, production and criticism of world cinema in the Eje Cafetero ("Landscape and cultural heritage of humanity" - UNESCO). It has been declared by the Honorable Municipal Council of Dosquebradas as “… event of utmost importance in the cultural structure of the municipality…” (Municipal Agreement 014 September 2011) and by the Central Western Metropolitan Area as (Metropolitan Agreement, July 2013) .

Skepto International Film Festival is a competitive festival dedicated to short films, without restrictions on subject matter, style, or production budget. The main goal of the festival is to give visibility to independent filmmakers from all over the world and to build an open space where they can freely exchange ideas. Video productions of any genre or style are allowed. Audiovisuals created through the use of artificial intelligence in all its forms are also included.

The thirteenth edition of the festival will take place in Cagliari from October 2023 to June 2024: the main competition will be held in October 2023 in Cagliari, and there will also be two side events at locations to be identified in Italy and/or Europe and to be held at later dates, in any case by June 2024. The final date and location of the Festival and the two side events will be announced on the official website of the event www.skepto.net

The Futbolero World Film Festival seeks to promote football as a space for intercultural dialogue and heritage of humanity, through the meeting of different actors in this social phenomenon. It proposes as axes of work: Audiovisual Media, Conversations, Sports Practice, Literature and Diploma Training.

Parrot International Films Festival is an event organized for people from the independent film industry,Also other Filmmakers and for cinema-goers who love to discover niche films and artists.

The festival’s judges and programmers are coming from different film backgrounds, and are eager to put together an exciting and truly high-quality program of indie films. Parrot National Films Festival aim is to discover new talent, films and filmmakers with potential, and to recognize the collaborative work this artform is funded on.

The program will focus on independent films of different genres, with no limitations on length, style or country of origin. The festival is open to everyone regardless of budget and experience. We consider the films submitted for each category for all individual categories, so you have more chances to win with one or two submissions.

The National and International Film Festival of Los Llanos, reaches its 12th edition after having started in 2011, today it continues with its main objective, to seek and strengthen spaces for the diffusion and Venezuelan cinematographic training, incorporating for the first time in this denomination to the set of Latin American and Ibero-American cinematographies.

Deadline: April 19, 2024

FICSEM Festival, in the Mediterranean area.


For major reasons, and having been immersed in a situation in which we have all been affected, we have decided to adapt to the current situation, and give a new focus to our festival. Maintaining the enthusiasm and passion we feel for the artistic world.


Our festival is aimed at the dissemination and promotion of film authors related to topics of social and/or ecological value.


Because we believe in the power of art as a transformative medium, our contribution from this festival is to give visibility to projects that address environmental and social changes in which we are immersed. We are an international festival because we understand the world beyond barriers, and because we are moved by the need to get to know other cultures and share the best of ours, as it contributes to any improvement in any corner of the world.


The Mediterranean is the climate that surrounds us, and we feel identified with it. In terms of warmth, closeness and transparency. We are a festival that is starting strong, with a large number of committed artists who share our cause, and the desire to share.

And that is why we are not afraid to break the most classic festival patterns. So much so, that in the award for best actor and/or actress, the recognition of the award falls on their social and/or ecological work... And not only on their skills.

Despite having firm ideological foundations. We open ourselves to other artistic areas and initiatives.