Blog: Film festivals

Ashok Khullar and Kumaar Aadarsh, founder and President, welcome you to the UVT Standalone Film Festival & Awards (UVTsffa). This is a unique kind of film festival for independent filmmakers/content creators where there are no barriers to borders, languages, genres, etc. Based in California, USA, this festival is having an online Award Nomination Festival, live screenings, and Standalone Award Show in Los Angeles.

SFFA is consolidating filmmakers around the world for a wonderful presentation of cinematography and the unveiling of new talents. A committee comprising members from the film industry preview submitted films and select good works of motion pictures for the Award Nomination Festival.

The selected films participate in The Awards nomination Festival which is held for 4 months between Dec-March.

Films screen through this secure server screener where visitors and guests from around the world can witness and vote for the film. On the basis of viewers' choice and votes, films nominated for 42 categories of Awards which screen live in Hollywood and to honor filmmakers, actors, technicians at The UVT Standalone Awards Show in Los Angeles on the Last day of live screenings.

Theatre venue is in the heart of Hollywood. We will screen all nominated films here as well as look forward to create year-round screening, filmmaking, and writing opportunities and to that end we are launching new festivals as part of the UVT Standalone Film Festival & Awards.

UVT SFFA Submissions are for feature narratives, Short films, Shows, Series, documentaries, and animation as even experimental films and music videos.

FesticineKids 26 is an international children's and youth film festival in Cartagena de Indias, it is a film competition that orients its efforts towards strengthening the production and distribution of Colombian, Latin American and world cinema for children and young people.

In 2024, FesticineKids reaches its 26th, edition with the same spirit of highlighting and celebrating cinema for girls, boys and young people. The phrase has been chosen as the slogan: A LOOK TO THE COLOMBIAN WEST. From this concept it is intended to invite children and young people to be aware of the responsibility they have to be agents of change in their environments. Children and young people are the future that should encourage the care of our planet earth, the human beings that surround them, animals and plants, as well as the places they visit. The tendency to Afro movies and ones oriented to indigenous people.

In the construction of the profile of the FesticineKids 26, the screen is problematized as a point of confluence of girls, boys and adolescents. By postulating cinema as that scenario in which feelings, emotions and beliefs are expressed, it is intended that girls, boys and adolescents, understanding what the cinema evokes them, what they extract from it and its meanings, wonder about the place that cinema has in their lives, in their environment, in parallel to the place they want and dream of.

It is also an opportunity for adults, parents, teachers, cultural and cinematographic authorities, to think about the need to strengthen their capacities to be trainers in tension and interaction with the audiovisual media, especially the cinema.

CALL FOR ENTRIES
From 31 May 2024 to 11 August 2024.

Do you remember the first film you saw on the big screen when you were a child?

For thousands of Mexican children in vulnerable situations this question has no answer. This is why the Churumbela Children's Film Festival was created, which invites all Mexican and Spanish-speaking children to experience cinema in an inclusive, completely playful and entertaining environment.

The 8th Churumbela Children's Film Festival will take place in a hybrid form; where some of the activities, workshops and talks with industry professionals will take place online and others in person with film screenings in Mexico City and Merida City, Yucatan. It will also continue with the Mission Mahoma programme, visiting Community and Cultural Centres in Mexico City. "Film and Dreams" is the thematic axis of this edition, which wishes to revalue the capacity of children to show how superior they are, with their desires, emotions and longings reflected in dreams.

The Churumbela Children's Film Festival will take place from monday 21 to Saturday 26 October 2024 in Mexico City and Yucatán, with the support of the General Directorate of Cultural Promotion and Festivals of the Ministry of Culture, as well as with the support of PROCINE, other entities and the Mexican private initiative.

The Churumbela Children's Film Festival promotes creativity, dialogue, the seventh art and artistic expression as tools for social transformation, and all activities are completely free of charge. In this edition we will have special selections of short films dubbed in Mayan and Mexican Sign Language (LSM).

Thanks to all the support we have received, it is possible to bring cinema to all children free of charge so that they can immerse themselves in the wonderful world of filmmaking.

To find out about the programme by venue of short films, films and workshops that can be seen in person and online, visit our official website: https://www.churumbelafest.com/

The Churumbela Children's Film Festival creates an inclusive environment, promotes dialogue, the seventh art and artistic expression as tools for social transformation and all activities are completely free of charge.

SHORTS MÉXICO CALL FOR ENTRIES – SUBMIT YOUR FILM

SHORTS MEXICO has become the biggest International short film festival in Latin America.

An exhibition platform specializing in short films. It promotes cinema creative expressions, diverse voices, distinctive and innovative visions, bold quality films from filmmakers from all over the world. At SHORTS MEXICO we encourage the growth and development of short films as well as the filmmakers.

SHORTS MEXICO - Mexico International Short Film Festival call for entries begins March 1st through May 31st ,2024 at 23:59 (CST) Mexico City. We are open to receive Short Films from all over the world inviting all production genres.

The 19th Edition of SHORTS MEXICO will be held from September 1st through the 30th 2024 in Mexico City. The National Cinematheque of Mexico is the main venue of the festival, and it amounts other important venues as CINEMEX Theaters, one of the largest cinema chains in the world, world famous Vasconcelos Library, Centro Cultural Universitario de la UNAM, CDMX´s Faros and Cultural Centers, etc. The festival amounts over 35 venues in Mexico City and holds exhibitions in every one of the 32 States of the Mexican Republic, so the event truly occurs throughout Mexico. Since the pandemic, SHORTS MÉXICO is presented in a hybrid format, holding virtual and televised exhibitions as well, having over 1 million spectators per edition.

Throughout the year the festival features previews, exhibitions, retrospectives and master classes. The Shorts Mexico Tour includes cities, towns and villages of Mexico, as well as exhibitions in various countries around the world. Shorts Mexico Academy conference cycle includes an academic offer aimed at developing professionalization in various specialized areas of filmmaking. The festival will also present Shorts México Pitching Competition, Work In Progress Contest, and its Screenplay Short Film Competition, with the goal of encouraging and promoting the creation, professionalization and production of quality films.

FESTIVAL SECTIONS

COMPETITIVE SECTIONS
INTERNATIONAL Competition (Live Action, Animation and Documentary)
IBEROAMERICAN Competition (Live Action, Animation and Documentary)
MEXICAN Competition (Live Action, Animation, Documentary, NeoMex)

SHORTS MEXICO’S SHOWCASE / FESTIVAL´S FAVORITES - OUT OF COMPETITION

International - Iberoamerican
World Cinema
Queer Shorts (LGBTTTQ+)
Fantascorto (Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Horror)
Ecoshorts (Environmental Conservation)
Kids
Indigenous Peoples
Fun Shorts (Comedy)
Experimental
International (Live Action, Animation, Documentary, Experimental)

Mexican
Pueblos Indígenas y Originarios
Mujeres Mexicanas en el Cine
Mexican (Live Action, Documentary)
Experimental
Queer Shorts (LGBTTTQ+)
Fantascorto (Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Horror)
Infantil – Kids
Ecoshorts (conservación ambiental)
Funshorts (Cine de Comedia)

Certificates
All the selected films will be given a certificate of participation in México International Short Film Festival - Shorts México. The Mexican short films selected in any competition of the festival will be able to submit their short film to the Ariel prize of the AMACC (Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences).

Animacción is an international festival of animated short films, aimed to bring attention to the artistic potential of a whole new generation of animators.

Organized by the cultural association "Ánimas Anónimas", the festival returns this year for its 7th edition.

The call arises from our desire to increase the cultural offer of the city of A Coruña and its region, offering a sample of an artistic discipline with great creative potential, known worldwide, but little spread (me suena menos científico que disseminated xD) and supported locally.

The selected short films will be screened from December 12th to 18th, in the metropolitan area of ​​A Coruña. The public attending these screenings will proclaim the winning piece with their votes. There will be also an award for the best children's short film, chosen by the students of several schools in A Coruña and the area.

Besides the screenings, we will schedule different talks and activities, for all audiences, related to the world of animation, so we can create a bridge between artists of this discipline and the public.

English (Inglés)
The “Cachinus de Cine” Festival is organized by the Cultural Association of Cilleros (A.C.D.C.) and the Town Hall of Cilleros.

The festival "Cachinus de Cine" was born with the hope of bringing the seventh art to the children and youngest so that they have the posibility to learn trough this art to know and understand better the world around them. Also to get the posibility to express their concerns through the images.

It will take place at the beginning of May in Cilleros, a town located in "Sierra de Gata" in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, at the East of Madrid (Spain).
An enclave that are still preserving his nature and tradition over the years.

It is surrounded by rivers of crystal clear water, natural pools and mountains that invite you to explore their paths.

We wish this festival to be a meeting point where we can meet people and cultures from all over the world and get to know ourselves too.

Exchanging concerns and experiences with all the participants is also part of the dream with which this festival is born.

VI Almassora International Short Film Festival (Castellón) SPAIN

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.

Ricreazione Soc.Coop.Soc.ONLUS in collaboration with the Department of Culture of the Municipality of Mentana, organizes the seventh edition of the historical audiovisual Festival "STORY IN SHORT".

The idea was born because our territory is rich in testimonies, from the pre-Roman era up to the Risorgimento: the enhancement of this heritage therefore also passes through a film festival that collects the works of authors who have ventured into an area that is not very 'frequented' such as reconstruction and historical analysis through short films, documentaries and audio-documentaries.

There are no content limits set for participation in the festival: all of History will be the subject of the works presented.

The jury will reserve the right to select the works to be screened in the event that the number of works presented exceeds the times and possibilities of programming.

All the selected works will be presented and the author will be able to tell his work to the audience in the room.

Small festival of independent or home-produced short filmS. It is intended to publicize independent proposals, without large institutional grants or large producers behind them. Therefore, the idea and the illusion are prioritized over the big budgets or the professionalism of the team.

Only for Argentinean filmmakers.

The You Are the Judge Web3 International Film Festival, brought to you by the creators of WTe, the Web3 film-watching and trading platform, redefines the festival experience by letting audiences decide the winners with NFT Festival Passes.

With the motto "You are the judge, everyone is a judge," we democratize film selection, focusing on Drama, Horror, Action, and Erotica. Our goal is to find films that blend artistic expression with commercial potential, fostering a community-driven environment using Web3 technology.

Award winners receive prize money in USDT on a specified blockchain, along with free international distribution services. We promote the winning films globally, returning the distribution revenue directly to filmmakers. We believe in the commercial value of films selected by our audience.

Join over 500 filmmakers and 3,000 film fans from 50+ countries for a unique mix of screenings, Q&A sessions, and discussions.

You Are the Judge Web3 International Film Festival is not just a celebration of cinema; it's a pioneering event at the intersection of creativity, technology, and community, embracing the decentralized future of the film industry.

Save the dates for our highly anticipated 4th edition, set against the backdrop of Beijing, China, from December 26th to 28th, 2024. We welcome submissions across four categories: Drama (short & feature), Action (short & feature), Horror (short & feature), and Erotica (short only).

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“你是评委”Web3国际电影节由Web3影视平台WTe发起创办。影展专注剧情、恐怖、动作、爱情四大类型，把影片评审权交给观众，致力于提高观众的话语权，发现并积极推广兼顾艺术表达与商业价值的影视作品。

电影节将为大众评选出的优胜影片提供国际宣传发行服务，投票观众可在一定程度上参与获奖影片发行分成。

第四届电影节将于12月26-28日在北京举办。

The Christian cinematic and audiovisual arts festival, called Revelation, is scheduled to take place in October, celebrating creativity and the expression of faith through audiovisual. This unique event stands out for its hybrid format, allowing participants from different regions to engage both online and in person. The Oasis Church of God will be the focal point of the in-person screenings, offering a welcoming and worshipful space for Christian film enthusiasts.

Revelation is dedicated exclusively to the exhibition of cinematographic and audiovisual exhibitions. The selected films span a variety of genres and styles, all aligned with the values ​​and message of the Christian faith.

The festival's hybrid format reflects a commitment to making the event accessible to a wider audience, including those who are unable to physically attend God's Oasis Church. Through the online platform, participants will be able to watch the exhibitions from anywhere, ensuring that the Christian message and art reaches a global audience. Revelation promises to be a transformative experience for both filmmakers and viewers, uniting everyone in a shared celebration of art and faith.

DA Z DIGITAL ARTS ZURICH is a leading international festival for Digital Arts.

The DA Z Festival invites to its DA Z AWARD competition in the sections of VIDEO/FILM, VIRTUAL REALITY and MIXED REALITY works.

Like the entire festival, the DA Z AWARD expected and promotes excellence in storytelling, execution and critically questioning the digitalization of our society.

CALL FOR ENTRIES
WE CARE Film Festival on disability issues
(wecarefilmfest14@gmail.com)
Deadline: 30 NOVEMBER 2024
13 JANUARY 2024

Sub: Submit your film on disability issues

Dear Sir/Madam,

Building of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, RPD Act and the National Trust Act, BROTHERHOOD, is hereby inviting short films and documentaries on disability issues from worldwide filmmakers for the 20th edition of the WE CARE Film Festival scheduled from 13-18 January 2025 at INOX, Goa.

The WE CARE Film Festival aims to raise awareness about disability issues, dispel misconceptions and prejudices about persons with disabilities, and drive attitudinal and behavioural change.

We hereby invite you to submit your short films, documentaries, or feature films (within four categories: up to 5, 30, 60, and 120 minutes) to the Film Festival.

Themes of the short film and documentaries on benchmark disabilities as per RPD Act 2016 and UNCRPD

1. Inclusive/special education practices and/or models
2. Experiences of persons with disabilities in pursuing education
2. Livelihood/Income-generating initiatives for and/or by persons with disabilities
4. Independent living models of persons with disabilities
5. Accessible and barrier-free environment - success stories and initiatives
6. Musical video showing persons with disabilities
7. Sportspersons with disabilities - their triumph and success stories
8. Showing extra-ordinary talents/abilities of persons with disabilities
9. Assistive technologies and artificial intelligence being used by persons with disability in all spheres of their lives and their impact in education, employment, mobility etc.
10. Innovation in education, health, employment, accessibilities, entertainment for persons with disabilities
12. Initiatives aimed at creating awareness of various disability issues
13. Rehabilitation of persons with disabilities
14. Sustainable development models for the welfare of persons with disabilities on any issue
15. Overcome Mental Health / Psychological issues among persons with disabilities and their families
16. Impact of Central/State Government schemes/initiatives among persons with disabilities

PARTICIPATORY RATING PROCESS

A preview committee will select the final films to be screened. The last date for receiving the entries is 30 NOVEMBER 2024.

The organizers encourage all filmmakers (with or without any impairment) to produce audio-visual content that complies with all accessibility standards and guidelines. To be considered for screening at the We Care Film Festival, all films should contain captions and subtitles in English. Filmmakers are also requested to make films with audio descriptions.

For further information and complete guidelines, please refer to the enclosed WE CARE Film Fest documents:

• Submission Requirements
• Entry Form
• Undertaking by the Filmmaker

Awards & Prizes

THE AWARD CEREMONY'S HELD ON 28th DECEMBER AT DOGUS UNIVERSITY, ISTANBUL WITH A WONDERFUL AUDIENCE.
Check our web site for the winners of 2023 !

Digital Film Festival Istanbul (DFFI) is an international short film festival powered by the Digital Film Academy Istanbul.
DFFI aims to honor and make visible the work of creative and talented independent filmmakers with an entrepreneurial spirit. The focus of the festival is digitally shot films with a strong story. DFII supports digital film production and viewing forms in the digitalizing cinema sector with an innovative perspective, and supports and encourages all short filmmakers who have succeeded in creating strong stories and original works shot with any equipment having a digital camera.

DFFI accepts short films of all kinds, whether small or large-scale productions, independent short films, made by students, professionals, individuals, collectives or institutions from all over the world, and is proud to celebrate the sustainability and authenticity of cinema.

The submissons will be evaluated on yearly basis and the selections will be screened physically in Istanbul. The winners will be honored with a annual ceremony in Istanbul.

FESCIMED was born with the desire to consolidate itself as a reference in the panorama of short film festivals organized in Spain in order to help raise awareness of the need to deepen and protect the values ​​that underpin justice, freedom and democracy. As a film festival, it is a tool for the promotion of Human Rights in various aspects, ranging from the exhibition and compilation of audiovisual material on the subject of the Right to the Truth as a file, to the programming of debates, performances, exhibitions and lectures on the subject of the hands of historians, filmmakers, journalists and any other culture professional in order to foster dialogue.

Cheongju International Short Film Festival presents movies that are touching, entertaining, and short but strong.

The program team of the 21th Cheongju International Short Film Festival is hosting the festival under the motto of 'Film Festival for the Audience, by the Audience, of the Audience'.

1. Organization
The Cheongju International Short Film Festival is organized by the Cheongju branch of the General Association of Korean Filmmakers and hosted by the Cheongju International Short Film Festival Executive Committee.

Discussions on the Cheongju International Short Film Festival began in 1999 when Kim Kyung-sik, the first chairman of the association, established the Chungbuk Film Council.

The official start of the Cheongju International Short Film Festival is the "Cheongju City Excellent Short Film Festival" held by Kim Kyung-sik, the first president of the Cheongju Film Artists Association, a division established in 2004.

At that time, the main programs were "Invited Screenings for Outstanding Short Films in Korea" and "Cheongju Youth Film Class" aimed at fostering future film talents.

Since then, the festival has been renamed the "Cheongju City Digital Short Film Festival" in 2006, attempting to make changes in line with the digital era. Then in 2013, director Eo Il-sun took office as the second president, renaming it as the "Cheongju International Short Film Festival," inviting foreign films to diversify the program.

The city of Cheongju declared "video culture city" with the launch of the "Cheongju Film Commission" in 2017.

2. Purpose
The Cheongju International Short Film Festival aims to promote the diversity of video culture and independent short film production by discovering and introducing excellent short films from around the world.

CARTON is an international animated film festival whose main objective is to bring together animators, directors, producers, cartoonists, cartoonists, and the entire community to see, enjoy and promote the world of animation as a means of communication and expression of ideas. artistic, technical and political.

The Festival consists of a competitive section of animated shorts. After a pre-selection carried out by the organizing committee, the material is evaluated by a prestigious jury that changes from year to year. Since its inception in 2011, Juan Pablo Zaramella, Tomas Welss, María Verónica Ramirez, Raúl Manrupe, Irene Blei, Salvador Sanz, and Ayar Blasco, among others, have passed through the Carton jury.

The competitive section is divided into the following categories: Fiction/Narrative, Experimental/Non-narrative, Video Clip, Series, Micro-shorts and Training Workshops.
In addition to the competition, the Carton Festival is completed with talks, videoconferences, workshops, feature film screenings and a comic book fair.

TAF, Thessaloniki Animation Festival is an international Animation Festival in Greece which promotes the art of animation through its annual gathering in October. The festival was founded, established and directed by ADDART; a non profit organization that "adds" art & culture everywhere. The creators of the festival are artists themselves, filled with love for the art of animation. Based in the heart of Thessaloniki, TAF aims to encourage and promote all aspects of creativity by hosting local as well as international events and activities for kids and adults alike!
TAF is the only Animation festival in town and every year it grows bigger. We like to showcase innovating films, guests, workshops and Master Classes to Thessaloniki in a great venue and award them for their inspiration and technique!
TAF is a festival free of entrance with a no-fee policy for the filmmakers.