Blog: Film festivals

The NYC Short Documentary Film Festival (NYCSDFF) will be held March 22, 2020, in Midtown, New York City, NY, USA.

**** This is a short film festival, only for films 20 minutes or less in length!! We will NOT be screening any films longer then 20 minutes in length!!!!****

Documentary film is a genre that is based in truth and told with style. Every second of every day, an infinite multitude of stories are playing out in every nook and cranny of the world - the goal of documentary film is take this sprawling mass of real life and weave it into cinematic art. The purposes of documentary are multifold - to educate, to entertain, to bring attention to important issues or to simply highlight the understated wonders of everyday life.

Join us for the 5th Annual NYC Short Documentary Film Festival and become part of a growing tradition!

Please be sure to review ALL submission guidelines before you mail the entry. We have limited time and resources to correct application mistakes. Please try and be as accurate as possible. We will contact you by e-mail if there are any problems, so please be sure to watch for e-mails from info@nycsdff.com.

We only accept online submissions either a FilmFreeWay online video or a private/password protected vimeo/YouTube link. If your film is selected we will provide full technical specifications but an .mov, mp4 or .mpg works great. All films will be played from a hard drive. Please note, if accepted, we MUST receive the exhibition media AT LEAST TWO (2) WEEKS before the festival.

If your submission is selected, you will be notified by e-mail in the beginning of February. Accepted filmmakers will be given one free admission pass to the festival. (We cannot help with any transportation, food or lodging costs.)

The main goal of Burgas International Film Festival is to develop a sustainable platform for presentation of feature and short movies by acquainting the audience with the contemporary cinema art.

The mission of The Festival is to turn Burgas into cultural venue of filmmakers and movie fans.

The main scope of the Festival is to present the current trends in the Bulgarian and international cinema practice and to provoke intercultural dialogue.

Censurados Film Festival is a film festival that disseminates and makes visible “the cinema they don't want you to see.” Based in Peru, the festival is committed to freedom of expression, human rights and diversity through the screening of films and the organization of artistic and educational activities.

CATEGORIES

1. International Competition “Censorship”. Fiction, documentary, animation and/or cinematographic experimentation films from any part of the world that have been censored due to political, religious, corporate, authoritarian or social pressures or interests, among others, or that have been victims of threats and/or violence, either during its research, production or realization or in its subsequent exhibition and/or distribution. It is an essential requirement to provide demonstrable information about the censorship, threat, pressure or violence that the film has suffered. No duration limit.

2. Short Film Competition “Shorts without Cut”. Fiction, documentary, animation and/or cinematographic experimentation films from anywhere in the world and a maximum duration of 30 minutes that claim freedom of thought and expression without fear of cancellation, and political and social action in matters of public interest.

3. “Peruvian Voices” Competition. Fiction, documentary, animation and/or cinematographic experimentation films from Peru that allow dissident voices to be heard and make the viewer reflect on controversial topics, on which different groups have constructed apparently irreconcilable arguments, in order to create an open and elevated dialogue space on them. No duration limit.

The Future Femme Manifesto

A future femme is someone who doesn’t ask for permission.
A future femme knows her worth, her value, and her goals.
A future femme doesn’t need anyone to open doors for her.
A future femme doesn’t take no for an answer.
A future femme ignores an irrelevant establishment.
A future femme creates iconic, inspirational content on no one’s terms but her own.

Future femmes make movies.
Future femmes make history.

Are you a future femme? Join us now.


Future Femme Film Fest

Anyone who identifies as a Future Femme may enter.

The Future Femme Film Festival is now open.

Does your movie: elevate future femme perspectives, support the advancement of future femme talent, and empower future femmes through cinema?

Enter now: Future Femme Short Film Fest

Categories

FutureFemme Horror Short
FutureFemme Comedy Short
FutureFemme Dramedy Short
FutureFemme Historical Short
FutureFemme Animation Short
FutureFemme Drama Short
FutureFemme Small Budget Short (under $10k)
FutureFemme Action Short
FutureFemme Sci-Fi Short
FutureFemme Erotica Short
FutureFemme Arthouse Short
FutureFemme Best Female Director
FutureFemme Best Documentary Short
FutureFemme Best Female Cinematographer
FutureFemme Best Female Producer

Movies under 60 minutes running time can enter FutureFemme Short Film Fest.

FRONTEIRA - International Documentary and Experimental Film Festival is a hybrid and expanded broadcasting platform , training , creation and reflection of the diversity of audiovisual forms nowadays. It is a film festival in the city of Goiânia , state of Goiás , which , with a free program , believes itself, in the limit, as a social and artistic intervention in an urban environment .

As an international film festival, Fronteira seeks to intervene in the dissemination of the film experience today, taking it as an experience of freedom, opportunity, power and becoming, to some extent, acting as a counter-flow to the processes of hardening of relations between expression and market, art and industry, and consumer freedom.

Thus, seeking an encounter with whatever is on the border of cinema (whether of language, geographic, political and social boundaries), the Festival holds annually an international competitive exhibition for films produced in any format, theme or duration, seeking to interact and confront the inumerable ways, possibilities and visions proposed by cinema held today around the world . It is the attempt to bring together all those movies that stands above all on the edge of the world and life.

Since it's first edition Fronteira have exhibited films from the greatest filmmakers form avangarde film, including all forms and genres of cinema. Retrospectives from Harun Farocki, Andrea Tonacci, Abigail Child, Rui Simões, Khavn de la Cruz, Travis Wilkerson, Bruce Baillie, Sylvain George, Gianikian e Ricci Luchi, Rita Azevedo Gomes, Vincent Carelli, and many others. It has also been helding some world, latin and brazilian premieres of films from all the globe.

Great Message International Film Festival

We really wish to share international thinking which is developed in the form of films with the society and the young generation of humanity.

Every human being is a message in himself or herself, we just have to channelize & nurture that message into a great one. Filmmakers from all across the globe are respectfully welcome to share and submit your great films into the GMIFF.

Listed on IMDB:
https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0005053

We understand that you understand the realm of understanding and so you have created your wonderful films with your conscious understanding.

Showcasing Greatness through Audio-Visual
Through vantage point we see that entertainment is just the medium to share realm of life with film lovers. If we penetrate the meaning of life sometime we feel that there is no such meaning or purpose to life, yes! Sometime, but we must have to give a great meaning or purpose to life to create great message for whole humanity or for our next generation.

We are really very small people; please understand what we want to say. But the task or mission which we want to empower is very big. One can understand it by the example of river. The beginning or origin of every river is so small but her consistency with selflessness leads her towards more hugeness.

Most Welcome!
Dear human beings, being human it is good if we transform each moment into humane one.

We really admire your passion and enthusiasm as a filmmaker so with humbleness we invite filmmakers from all across the globe to share your great films into Great Message International Film Festival - GMIFF.

Founded in 2016, TRAVEL FilmFest International Film Festival is a non-profit and non-government organization. Our mission is to promote all types of travel and outdoor sports, identify and support independent filmmakers, shooting films that deserve the attention of all travel and outdoor sports lovers around the world. By bringing together travel filmmakers from all parts of the world, we want that they could obtain feedback from professional travellers, sportsmen and the film community, as well as from the broad segments of the ones who love to travel and outdoor.
The Travel FilmFest International Film Festival collects the best travel/outdoor sports films from around the world, which were created both by professionals and by enthusiasts, and helps to get them across to the audience.
We admit only the films about travels and outdoor sports, both modern and historical ones. As well as those films, where travel or outdoor sports is an important part of the synopsis. Fiction, production, animated and documentary films on any types of travel, outdoor, extreme sports and adventures on the water and in the air, on land and under it, in the mountains and forests, on seas, rivers, lakes, swamps, about hiking, ski trek, rides on public transport, on vehicles and motorcycles, bikes, hitch-hiking, bus tours, pilgrimage tours, round-the-world trips... as well as films about cultures, traditions, lifestyle, history, countries, emigrants, wildlife & nature, world around us.
Not all creators of travel and outdoor sports films are necessarily the professionals, who work in the movies industry or on television. This is just a hobby for the majority of contestants. However, this does not mean that their films are worse. The original story that is told in the film plays a far more important role than its budget or the awards of its creator. You can make a good film even if you do not have a large budget, stellar cast and a large production team. You hold the keys to the kingdom. Go ahead!
All officially selected travel and outdoor sports films will be shown during the solemn final Award ceremony on October 19 - 20, 2024 in Limassol, Cyprus, and will be able to struggle for the main prize and the titles of the "Best travel film" and "Best outdoor sports film". As well as for the prizes in the standalone nominations.

The Mexico City Videodance Festival, in collaboration with Red Nacional de Arte, calls choreographers, filmmakers, companies and visual artists to register their works to the sixth edition of the FIVideodanza, which will take place from September 02 to 05, 2021.

We are announcing SPIFF 2022, which will take place during 3 days in August 2022.

The winners will receive cash prizes!

The total prize fund is 600$!

Don't miss a chance to screen your film in Saint-Petersburg and win money!

Saint-Petersburg International Film Festival (SPIFF) includes:

- cash prizes, statuettes and diplomas
- the most reviewed by filmmakers film festival in Russia.
- only live screenings at the best venues of the biggest northern city in the World

SPIFF - International Film Festival of short films and animation, started in 2017 in Saint-Petersburg, Russia.

Saint-Petersburg (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Petersburg) - one of the most beautiful places in the World with more than 5 million citizens and many, many, many film lovers.

Our motto: No internet screenings - only live show!

The Asociación Cultural sad Hill convene, within the Certamen de cine corto de Salas de los Infantes (Burgos), the contest of short films SECTION WESTERN (VII Edition- 2024).

The SECCIÓN WESTERN continues to be a parallel section of the Certamen de cine corto de Salas de los Infantes, although the screenings of the selected short films and the Awards Gala will take place outside the official dates of the Certamen de cine corto de Salas de los Infantes.

This decision has been made with the intention of being able to dedicate the time, which due to the characteristics of the genre it addresses, we believe is necessary for the exhibition of the participating projects.

The idea of this section is to pay homage to the western in general and to present a genre that continues to live today.

The 180’ Berlin FilmFest is the newest festival to arrive in Berlin and it will bring a fresh and exciting experience for independent filmmakers.

Films up to 30 minutes are accepted, and there is a special space for microfilm up to 3 minutes.

(En español debajo)

Bolton International Film Festival is proud to be one of the leading short film festival in the UK, it is accredited by both (BIFA) British Independent Film Awards and (BAFTA) British Academy of Film and Television Arts and thanks to alumni filmmakers.

Celebrating films from home and abroad the festival acts as an amplifier of emerging and established talent. Through its screenings, industry talks, masterclasses and networking sessions it aims to break open the door to a creative industry that many filmmakers find difficult to access and navigate. Our aim is springboard and assist filmmakers, connecting them not just to their peers but to the talent executives, funders, sales agents and distributors who can take them to the next level.

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El Festival Internacional de Cine de Bolton se enorgullece de ser uno de los principales festivales de cortometrajes del Reino Unido, está acreditado tanto por (BIFA) British Independent Film Awards como por (BAFTA) British Academy of Film and Television Arts y gracias a los ex alumnos cineastas.

Celebrando películas nacionales y extranjeras, el festival actúa como un amplificador de talento emergente y establecido. A través de sus proyecciones, charlas de la industria, clases magistrales y sesiones de networking, pretende abrir la puerta a una industria creativa a la que muchos cineastas encuentran difícil acceder y navegar. Nuestro objetivo es servir de trampolín y ayudar a los cineastas, conectándolos no solo con sus pares, sino también con los ejecutivos de talento, patrocinadores, agentes de ventas y distribuidores que pueden llevarlos al siguiente nivel.

Mission
The mission of Scout Film Festival (Scout) is to encourage creative work, connect emerging filmmakers with their peers and celebrate the open expression of today’s young storytellers.

Overview
Located in Stowe, Vermont, The Scout Film Festival (Scout) is an annual international event that celebrates emerging filmmakers through short film.

Every year, over the course of three days, this unique Vermont event celebrates emerging filmmakers worldwide. Scout honors the passions, talents and accomplishments of youth by showcasing the efforts young storytellers have made in original filmmaking. Scout is an event to enjoy the art of film and storytelling through the lens of our energetic next generation.

During Scout Film Festival budding filmmakers will come together with their peers and industry professionals to share, appreciate and hone their craft. Through Scout, they will find a place where their creativity, curiosity, viewpoints, diversity and belief in self are championed. They will meet people and discover resources to help them envision and achieve their goals within the film industry and other endeavors. They will enjoy a host of exciting, creative events throughout the festival and the town of Stowe.

Scout will provide an organized, tangible venue of events including :

Opening night reception | Screenings, Panels, Awards Ceremony | Peer engagement and feedback sessions | Thank you brunch & Best In Screening

Entry categories: Animation, Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Experimental, Female Filmmaker, Horror, Made in VT, Music Video, Public Service Announcement, TV or Other Broadcast
AND...
Announcing the following categories for filmmakers aged 19-24: Short Documentary by Filmmakers Aged 19-24 and Short Narrative by Filmmakers Aged 19-24

Additional Festival Awards: Overall Film, Direction, Editing, Screenplay, Cinematography

The Discover Film Awards is one of the biggest short film festivals in the world with over 5,000 annual submissions from 100+ countries, global premiers in London's Leicester square with packed cinema audiences, filmmaker parties, red carpet events, script-pitching round tables with funding available for new projects and an annual cash prize fund of over $50,000, including the prestigious Craghoppers Film Prize.

The film festival is consistently voted in the top 50 in the world. Spread over 5 days in October 2019, the festival involves public cinema screenings at the Prince Charles cinema in London's Leicester Square. Quentin Tarantino describes it as his favourite cinema in London saying it is "everything an independent movie theatre should be”.

Discover.film are looking for the best short films: stories that share a glimpse of filmmakers lives; what bothers them or makes them laugh, of injustices, of unsung heroes, of the serious, the bizarre, the funny or just where filmmakers' imaginations take them. All types of short film are welcome to enter with awards for: action, drama, sci-fi, docs, horror, comedy, experimental and everything in between (a full list of award categories is provided, below). All films must be under 45 minutes.

A major supporting partner of the festival is Craghoppers, the global outdoor clothing brand, which awards The Craghoppers Film Prize, one of the largest cash prizes available for short films. The first prize is £20,000 ($26,000) in cash with a second prize of £5,000 ($6,500) and additional awards of £5,000 ($6,500) for the best social impact film and £2,000 ($2,600) for the best student film. In addition, there are various in-kind awards from sponsors.

Selected films get the option of various paid distribution opportunities including international TV, major trains, hotels and airlines. Distribution is optional and entirely up to the filmmaker.

As well as cash prizes, winners can get help with future film projects in the form of discounted rates from partner firms (such as production houses) and mentoring from senior commercial film and business executives. The festival also introduces filmmakers to funding sources for future projects and offers publicity across a wide range of media (print and social) so enter today!

Medina del Campo Film Week (SECIME) is one of the most consolidated events on the national film scene, standing out as a benchmark in the promotion and dissemination of short films, and being a key exhibitor festival for the Academy of Arts Awards. and the Cinematographic Sciences of Spain. Its main objectives are to support both new talents and established filmmakers, promote the creation and production of short films and contribute to the growth of the audiovisual industry.

The RIOS - International Documentary Film Festival and Transmedia is defined as an activity platform for the creation and promotion of author projects within the scope of independent cinema and audiovisual and aims to:
a) give visibility, serving as a promotional platform, cinematographic and audiovisual works whose aesthetic approach is related to the reality of the river;
b) to serve as a work platform for a deep reflection on thematic documentary cinema;
c) encourage the creation of author projects that focus on the aesthetic deepening, the discovery of new territories, new styles and new supports that can define the reality Rivers;
d) create a creative platform linked to the Rios theme in the field of photography, plastic arts, literature and dramatic performance;
e) to contribute to the diffusion of first university works and documentaries in the thematic scope;
f) encourage the creation of inter-university partnerships in the field of documentary film and audiovisual.

The RIOS - International Documentary Film Festival and Transmedia, inserted in a region inevitably linked to the Douro, intends to explore and divulge the aesthetic potentialities linked to the river, making it a privileged space of cinematographic creation in the documentary scope. Vila Real, during the festival, will be an international cinematographic meeting point that will allow the exploration of the region and the gestation of new projects and new aesthetic creations.

The Chefchaouen International Environmental Film Festival is a film festival dedicated to film lovers and those concerned about the environment in Morocco and abroad, it is an annual event in the superb blue pearl of northern Morocco, the tourist and ecological city of Chefchaouen.

The 14th Edition of the Chefchaouen International Environmental Film Festival will be held from June 25 to 28, 2025 on the occasion of World Environment Day.

The 14th Edition of the Chefchaouen International Environmental Film Festival will be held from June 25 to 28, 2025 on the occasion of World Environment Day.

A varied program, and a jury composed of internationally and nationally renowned film and environmental professionals will be responsible for designating the winners of the planned awards.

4th edition of Fantástic Film Festival is mainly intended for short films and feature films of fantastic genre

ShorTS International Film Festival (ShorTS IFF) is organised by the Maremetraggio Association.

Since 2000, ShorTS IFF has been a landmark for short films and up and coming cinematographers at international level. In every edition, ShorTS IFF aims to make the short film genre known to a broad and heterogeneous audience, with particular attention to the young with specific sections for children and teenagers aged 6 to 15.