A film festival is an organized, extended presentation of films in one or more cinemas or screening venues, usually in a single city or region. Increasingly, film festivals show some films outdoors. Films may be of recent date and, depending upon the festival's focus, can include international and domestic releases. Some festivals focus on a specific filmmaker, genre of film, or subject matter. Several film festivals focus solely on presenting short films of a defined maximum length. Film festivals are typically annual events. Some film historians, including Jerry Beck, do not consider film festivals as official releases of the film.
The Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) is a film festival held annually in Calgary, Alberta, in late September and early October.
The TromaDance Film Festival is a free annual independent film festival organized by Troma Entertainment. Founded in 1999, TromaDance was originally held in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, operating concurrently alongside the Sundance Film Festival in order to showcase an independent alternative to Sundance's perceived mainstream offerings. Between 2010 and 2013, the festival had been relocated to various locations throughout New Jersey. Since 2014, TromaDance has relocated to New York City.
The Philadelphia Film Festival is a film festival founded by the Philadelphia Film Society held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The annual festival is held at various theater venues throughout the Greater Philadelphia Area.
The Oxford International Film Festival or OIFF was established in Oxford, Ohio in 2007 by founder and event director J.C. Schroder.
The Ashland Independent Film Festival is a film festival in Ashland, Oregon, United States that has been presented by the non-profit Southern Oregon Film Society since 2001. Founded by D.W. and Steve Wood, the festival is held each spring over five days at the Varsity Theatre in downtown Ashland and the Historic Ashland Armory in the Railroad District. The festival presents international and domestic shorts and features in almost every genre, including drama, comedy, documentary, and animation.
Gasparilla International Film Festival is an annual independent film festival that takes place in Tampa Bay, Florida. The festival is run by the Tampa Film Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing film education and supporting filmmakers in the Tampa Bay area. The first Gasparilla Film Festival took place in 2007.
The National Film Festival for Talented Youth, held annually in Seattle, Washington, showcases work by filmmakers 24 and under from across the U.S. and the world. It was created in 2007 with the goal of becoming the most influential youth-oriented film festival in North America. The festival includes film screenings, filmmaking workshops and panels, concerts by youth bands, and a gala opening night.
The Nashville Film Festival (NashFilm), held annually in Nashville, Tennessee, is the oldest running film festival in the South and one of the oldest in the United States. In 2016, Nashville Film Festival received more than 6,700 submissions from 125 countries and programmed 271 films. Attendance has grown to nearly 43,000. The festival also offers a screenplay competition with features, teleplays and shorts categories and a web series competition. In addition to tendays of film screenings, the festival provides industry panels, music showcases, parties and receptions. The Nashville Film Festival is also an Academy Award qualifying festival.
Red Rock Film Festival is an international film festival in Southern Utah in the United States. Held annually in November, in St. George, Ivins, and Springdale by Zion National Park, the festival introduces the area to new international and US independent film. The festival has competitions for both documentaries and narrative fiction features and shorts.
The Little Rock Film Festival (LRFF) is an annual film festival held in Downtown Little Rock, Arkansas each spring. Based in the historic River Market District, home to the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library, the Little Rock Film Festival has showcased the best in Narrative, Documentary, and Short films from around the World. It hosts parties, panels, workshops, and youth programs for aspiring filmmakers. The LRFF devotes screenings and programs specifically for Southern and Arkansas films. In 2010, citing prize money, distribution opportunity, and a chance to be a part of a large event, MovieMaker Magazine included the Little Rock Film Festival on its annual list of The Top 25 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee.
The New Orleans Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the nonprofit organization New Orleans Film Society, a film society founded in 1989. The festival has been held since the society's inception. The festival takes place in mid-October. The festival, nicknamed "Cannes on the Mississippi", features national and international feature films and short films. The festival had one off-year when New Orleans suffered the effects of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
The HollyShorts Film Festival is an annual independent short film festival located in Hollywood, California.
The Bare Bones International Film and Music Festival was founded in 1999 by the Darkwood Film Arts Institute (DFAI) in the city of Muskogee, Oklahoma to showcase independent motion picture projects with budgets of less than 1 million dollars. The festival runs for eleven days each year in late April at several venues in downtown Muskogee.
The PollyGrind Film Festival, also known as simply Pollygrind and the PollyGrind Underground Film Festival, was an annual event held in Las Vegas, Nevada that specialized "in all things alternative, with a wide variety of films not shown elsewhere." Spotlighting short films, feature-length films, music videos and trailers of all genres, PollyGrind was founded by filmmaker and promoter Chad Clinton Freeman. The event prided itself on focusing on individuality, diversity, creativity and empowerment. Vegas Seven has said PollyGrind is a "celebration of all things, dark, bloody, underground and arthouse."
The 38th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) is a part of the annual film festival in Metro Manila, Philippines held from December 25, 2012 until January 8, 2013. During the festival, no foreign films are shown in Philippine theaters in order to showcase locally produced films.
The Santa Fe Independent Film Festival(SFiFF) is a film festival placed in Santa Fe, New Mexico. SFiFF presents five days and nights of film in October. SFiFF screens films at The Lensic Performing Arts Center, Violet Crown Cinema, Center for a Contemporary Arts, The Screen, and George R.R. Martin's Jean Cocteau Cinema.
The Manhattan Film Festival (MFF) is an annual film festival that was founded in 2006 by filmmakers: Philip J. Nelson and Jose Ruiz, Jr and is currently operated by Mr. Nelson and a team of filmmakers, journalists and exhibitors. It was founded as the Independent Features Film Festival. MFF is an annual event held at such venues as Symphony Space, Quad Cinema, the Academy Theater at Lighthouse in addition to smaller venues like the Producers Club and the Hunter College Lang Auditorium, where the festival holds its closing awards ceremony.
The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival is a five-day film festival that screens independent features and shorts in Mammoth Lakes, California, a mountain resort town in the Eastern Sierra. The festival, founded by Shira Dubrovner in 2015 with Paul Sbrizzi as director of programming, takes place over Memorial Day weekend each year, and was named as one of the Top 50 Festivals Worth The Entry Fee by Moviemaker Magazine in 2016 and 2017.
The Female Eye Film Festival (FeFF) is a competitive international film festival established in 2001. It is Toronto’s only international film festival geared specifically for women directors.
