Blog: Film festivals

Bendita Tú is an international short film festival that promotes experimental, hybrid, and video essay cinema with a gender and queer perspective. Based in Argentina and Spain, the festival creates a space for encounter and dialogue to give visibility to emerging cinema within a diversity of identities and territories.

In its 8th edition, the festival chooses the Land as its central theme, a concept that opens the door to multiple meanings. It is, at the same time, the planet we inhabit and the soil that sustains life, as well as a network of relationships where the human and the non-human intertwine in a web of interdependence. From a poetic and broad perspective, the Land is conceived as a medium that evokes displacements, migrations, and diasporas, but also as a ground laden with scents, textures, and memories, where the organic and the inorganic merge. As Gaston Bachelard (1994) said, “the Land is a memory that can be touched,” an idea that gives it both sensory and symbolic resonances, transforming it into a space of reinvention, mourning, and resistance.

The festival proposes a dialogue around the interconnections situated in relation to this element. From indigenous worldviews, which understand the world as a living and sacred being (Shiva, 2005), to contemporary approaches that highlight the agency of the non-human (Bennett, 2010), with the aim of reflecting on how the Land territorializes and, at the same time, territorializes us, redefining notions of belonging and home in a context marked by profound geological and atmospheric transformations.

Entities considered “non-living” —the substrate, stones, sand— emerge as fundamental actors in narratives of displacement. As Ingold (2011) suggests, “life does not occur on the Land, but within its folds and textures.” Thus, through diverse audiovisual approaches, this edition is an invitation to feel the thickness of the Land, to listen to its multiple voices, and to recognize that, even in the most distant grounds, there are traces of life that connect us with other beings and with other temporalities, acknowledging that we are part of a constant flow of lives and materials that precede and will succeed us.

The 8th edition will feature a selection of short films included in the Official Competition and the Roots Section.

Next screenings:

December 11, 2020 → Ulysse, Onet le Château, France
December 8, 2020 → Votiv Kino, Vienna, Austria
November 26, 2020 → Le Dôme, Québec, Québec
November 13-15 → Black Box Theatre, Drysdale, Australia
November 12, 2020 → Brookes Doc Club, Oxford, UK
September 23, 2020 → 3C, Aix-en-Provence, France

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“99.media is a carefully curated selection of documentaries from around the world swooping down into extraordinary lives.” — Rob Alderson, WePresent

99.media is a new kind of documentary film festival: both online and in real life.

It is a free and not-for-profit video platform streaming documentaries in 6 languages (English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, German and Italian) + a series of live screenings in different cities where our languages are spoken.

Our objective is to democratize documentaries thanks to multilingualism and to help filmmakers get wider audiences and more impact.

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"99.media has embarked on a beautiful campaign to share films with the world. Subtitling my film from Arabic and English into a half-dozen languages opens the door for cross-cultural impact in ways I’ve always dreamed about. Their initiative to share powerful works of art with the world is a noble calling, and I’ve watched as my film has reached new people. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have my film play on their platform."
— Matthew K. Firpo, filmmaker

"99.media translated my documentary into 5 additional languages, ultimately helping the film reach a much wider audience, and become globally relevant. Films are made to be seen, and reaching an international audience like this is invaluable”.
— Lukas Schrank, filmmaker

“My short documentary was translated into 5 languages by 99.media, which helped it gain a lot more exposure and massively increased its global reach. I have a lot of respect for, and trust in the team, who has always dealt with me in a professional and honest fashion and who I believe has a real passion for short film and a lot of respect for filmmakers.”

— Andy Oxley, filmmaker

This is the first festival in South Africa that goes beyond artistic films, by accommodating all kind of genres i.e. action, sci-fi etc. We believe that emerging and experienced film makers deserved equal rights to showcase their talent; therefore, this festival is initiated as a platform to give new film makers from KZN/Africa/ all over the world a chance to showcase their films worldwide, while promoting the work of the experienced film makers. Using the existing relationship between.

The Stars of the short film were created in Pau in 2007 by Vidéo Tout Tendance. They were then "transferred" in 2010 to Mourenx and then "died out".

With the agreement of the founding members Didier LABAN and Jean LASSUS-PIGAT, the city of Cabestany and Image In decided to continue the adventure by organizing since 2012, the Étoiles du court in the André ABET cinema hall.

This concept, unique in France, allows the best award-winning films to be presented at the biggest events (César, Clermont-Ferrand, etc.) and the various partner short film festivals.

The Kursaal Film Festival San Sebastián (KFFSS) is an international short film festival that stands out for promoting the talent of filmmakers.

The "Filmmaker's Dragonheart Award" is recognized as the award for the talent and courage of filmmakers who, through their efforts, have managed to realize their dream.

CORTADA FESTIVAL DE CORTOMETRAJES DE VITORIA-GASTEIZ
UPV/EHU Campus de Álava
Vitoria-Gasteiz

Only for Spanish Documentaries

Welcome to the 4th edition of the Meraki Film Festival. For this edition we will be in both Berlin (Germany) and Madrid (Spain)! Two cities, double the chance to be selected or even to be selected twice!

Our festival is inspired by the meaning of the word “Meraki“ and its relation to the process of creating films and screenplays.

The term “Meraki“ is reserved for projects that are a labour of love that have been borne out of absolute devotion during the creation process. If you have put your heart and soul into creating a film or screenplay than this is the Festival for you to celebrate your success and hard work.

It is a perfect event to show your work to a film-passionate and “connoisseur” audience. Our festival's philosophy is about promoting new opportunities for people to enjoy cinema where cinema is created. To show films that entertain and enlighten audiences, that transmit the passion their creators have put into their work through a big screen.

Humor and comedy short films.

8 categories

- Best comedy short film
- Best short film according to audience
- Best very short film
- Best Actress
- Best Actor
- Best Cinematography
- Best Screenplay
- Best Original Soundtrack

The fourth edition of "Chaniartoon - International Comic & Animation Festival", will be held in Chania, from 11 to 20 September of 2020.

The Festival, is designed to showcase animation short films from all around the world, made both by students and professional. There will be a special section for greek animation movies.

During the festival there will be a comic exhibition with a great artist alley, workshops and some special events !

The Ontario International Film Festival is an annual event that takes place every October in Toronto. It's a festival that gives independent filmmakers from different cultures and backgrounds, the opportunity to get known, learn and get acquainted with the industry to better integrate easily.

Any filmmaker from any culture in Canada or around the world, who is struggling to have an opportunity to work in the film industry, ONIFF will help them to create their own films, and engage them within the global film industry.

The Austral International Film Festival, based in the province of Córdoba, Argentina, is proposed as a space for reflection for sustainable, socially and economically conscious audiovisual production.

The Esoteric International Film Festival collects the best esoteric films from around the world, which were created both by professionals and by enthusiasts, and helps to get them across to the Russian audience.

We admit only the esoteric films, both modern and historical ones. As well as those films, where esoteric world is an important part of the synopsis.

Esoteric International Film Festival invite filmmakers who make films and documentaries about ghosts and spirits, brownies and witches, fairies and sorcerers, exorcism and parapsychology, telekinesis and transmission of thoughts at a distance, prophetic dreams and premonitions, alchemy, amulets, amulets, non-traditional religious cults, voodoo religion, animism, shamanism, theosophy and anthroposophy, the hidden edges of reality and other dimensions; self-discovery, the search for the meaning of life, the search for yourself in this world and your mission, life after death, human energy, chakras, aura, meditation, yoga, retreats, spiritual practices, spiritual teachers and ashrams, reincarnation and the recollection of past lives, the power of thoughts and the work of the subconscious; alternative medicine and non-standard methods of treatment, the universal mind, the energies of the new time, high vibrations, etc.

All films must be in English (orRussian). Alternatively, have the English or Russian subtitles (with the exception of all films without words), regardless of the country of production.

All best films that were selected for the vscreening, will be shown on the big screen during the solemn final ceremony on February 07-08, 2026 in Moscow, Russia and will be able to struggle for the main prize and the title of the "Best Esoteric film". As well as for the oteric in the standalone nominations.

TRAVEL FILM International Film Festival collects the best travel, outdoor, nature and adventure films from around the world, which were created both by professionals and by enthusiasts, and helps to get them across to the Russian speaking audience.

All best films will be shown on the big screen during the solemn final ceremony on February 14 - 15, 2026 in Moscow, Russia and will be able to struggle for the main prize and the title of the "Best travel film". As well as for the prizes in the standalone nominations.

The Esseoesse Cultural Association announces the competition "CortoDino Film Festival Dino De Laurentiis 2025 - XV Edition", a competition that stems from desire to remember and celebrate, in his native land and in commemorative and propositive terms, the figure and work of Dino De Laurentis. The Metropolitan city of Naples, Vesuvian areas, “Giorgio De Chirico’s Secondary School of Art and Communication”, the others secondary schools of the area and the main cultural associations of the Vesuvian and Campanian areas will collaborate in the event.

So, the main aim of the initiative is to create an opportunity for meeting, confrontation and knowledge of young filmmakers who enter the cinematographic sector, in which the influence left by the illustrious “Torrese” has certainly been significant, promoting cinematographic culture through the inclusion of disadvantaged people and the research and promotion of works by talents from Campania, and also national and international.

The presence of the world of solidarity, cultural associations and of school is the clearest sign of the purpose of connecting in particular with the world of young people.
Cortodino Film Festival XV edition will take place in september-November 2025. Cities, places and days of the event will be subsequently communicated.

Celebrating 13 years the Toronto Shorts International Film Festival is the largest short film festival in Canada.

Toronto Shorts is a non-profit organization that provides a showcase for the best short films and its creators from around the world, annually in the heart of Toronto.

We feel that short-form cinema and its creators should have their own premier film festival in Toronto deserving similar recognition given to the feature film and its creators.

Toronto Shorts is where films from all genres intersect. The heart of the festival is the quality and scope of extraordinary film programming which consists of a wide spectrum of categories from high to low budget films under 45 minutes.

The festival has become a career stepping stone, establishing a tradition of discovering and promoting filmmakers who have gone on to be Academy Awards Nominees, including :

2021 Oscar Nominee 'The Present' by Farah Nabulsi
2019 Oscar Nominee ‘Weekends’ by Trevor Jimenez
2018 Oscar Nominees 'Watu Wote - All of Us' (Germany) and 'The Eleven O'Clock' (Australia)

Toronto stands as the largest media market in Canada, it boasts the world-renowned Royal Ontario Museum, the massive Art Gallery of Ontario, the Soulpepper Theatre Company, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and now includes a premier international short film festival.

We showcase the best short films and its filmmakers from around the world.

The 6th Yecheon International Smartphone Film Festival

■ Contest Topic: Topic of your choice

■ About the Contest

Subject: Films and videos shot with smartphones

Eligibility: Both Koreans and foreigners / Individuals or groups

Multiple works per person are acceptable.

The AutoMoto Film and Arts Festival is an event that embraces all the incredible aspects of our emotional attachment to all things motoring, telling it’s rich history through the visual, auditory and written art.

The work presented should be a story from the automotive or motorcycling world that is told in a wonderful cinematic way and embodies the passions of our audience.

The celebration of the XVI Edition of the CortogeniAl Film and Short Film Festival will take place in the town of Puente Genil (Cordoba, Spain) between October 10th and October 18th of 2025.

It is welcome any person (film director, production or distribution) who has the legal control of the work or works submitted may participate.

REQUIREMENTS:

− Short films must have been produced in 2024 or 2025.

− Short films shall not last more than 20 minutes.

− Every filmmaker may submit as many works as desired.

− Productions not filmed in Spanish as main language must be submitted with Spanish subtitles for their exhibition.

− Filmmakers will be owners of the legal rights to their works and the responsible of the authorship rights of the short films.