Blog: Film festivals

At B-Retina Festival we want to become a platform for B-Movies of all kinds, from guerrilla trash cinema to unclassifiable cult masterpieces; therefore, emergent talents, consecrated artists and difficult to classify characters will show us how they understand and see the world around us using their inventiveness and boldness.

During the days of the festival, we will become a showcase for a variety of classic films, premieres, shorts, web series, talks, interviews, and many surprises.

The festival has several sections:

-International competition in the official FEATURE FILMS section

-International competition in the official SHORT FILM section

-Retrospectives

-Free outdoor shows

-Screenings for all audiences

-Talks

Short films, either animation or live action, in the science fiction, fantasy or horror categories are desired. Films are typically from 5 to 15 minutes (as long as 20 minutes)in length.

Currently we plan on a live event from May 23-26, 2025 in downtown Baltimore, much like the events we have had for the past 50+ years.

Section that has been several years and invites you to participate in a contest where you must terrorize the audience in just 2 minutes, has prizes in money to the first, second and third place, plus a recognition to the most popular audience, elected through popular vote among those who attend the night function. Jury made up of local and national filmmakers and festival personalities and the audiovisual media.

For the first time, the Fantboi - Sant Boi de Llobregat's International Fantastic Film Festival- is organizing its own feature film and short film project pitch competition.

As such, Fantboi-Future is the pitch-competition event focused on horror, science-fiction or fantastic feature films and short films in development.

The initiative maintains its objective of discovering the best genre projects out there, and connecting them with leading companies in the industry and professionals in the sector. The event will take place on Saturday, June 10.
In total, five projects will be selected. Those responsible for the selected projects will have the opportunity to make a sales pitch and then be able to talk with the professionals and producers in attendance, in a relaxed atmosphere, perfect for growing your ideas.

All the selected projects will have the option to acquire a free guest accreditation for the present edition of the Festival- which would allow them to attend all Fantboi sessions.

5th Prize for short fiction films in Catalan language. Catalan version only. Films without dialogue will not be accepted.

Ostia International Film Festival 2025, now in its 6th Edition, promotes, encourages and spreads all the activities relating to the world of Cinema, including through TV, Streaming, Theatre, the Web, Social Media.

Purposes:

in collaboration with public and private entities, the promotion and spreading of culture, cinematographic and artistic production and of the audiovisual works submitted every year to the Festival;

organize happenings, shows, events and exhibitions related to the Audiovisual, Artistic and Cultural sector at national and international level through the Festival;

bring together and promote the training of people and artists of any age and social background involved in creative film and audiovisual production;

Create works connected to the world of Cinema, Art, Photography and Culture in general.

Only for Latin American filmmakers.

Orange Shorts Festival is an international short film festival that seeks to connect filmmakers from all over the world and choose the most outstanding in each category thanks to the evaluation of specialists and the general public.

OPEN CALL AT https://docsbarcelona.com/

DocsBarcelona is an international festival specializing in the documentary genre comprised of international and national competition sections, non-competitive sections, and retrospectives. The Artistic Direction and Programming Committee select all of the documentaries that make up these sections.

DocsBarcelona will celebrate the 28th edition from May 8 to 18, 2025.

Cortos con Ñ. International short film festival held in the center of the city of Madrid (Spain).

Every Tuesday, at 19:30 p.m., at the La Escalera de Jacob theater (C / Lavapiés, 9 - Madrid, Spain).

Cortos con Ñ organize public screenings of short films every week in the city of Madrid.

Each short film received at Cortos con Ñ is carefully reviewed by a committee of film experts, who are in charge of selecting the best short films received at our festival.

The awards jury team is made up of notable Spanish filmmakers and producers and the jury prizes are valued at € 500.

Paleochora Lost World Short Film Festival launched its 1st edition in June 2019 to a spectacular success. The Festival enjoyed packed audiences at all screenings and played host to 22 visiting Filmmakers & Industry guests from as far afield as Brazil, Spain, USA, France, Ireland, UK, Germany, Greece & Iran. The 2nd Lost World Short Film Festival promises to be an even greater success and we look forward to welcoming even more of you in 2020. Check out our Festival Vibe & interview videos on our YouTube Channel
(Copy & Paste the link):
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfnk7RWWnYUTFmB2cpfxz6g

The 'Lost World' of Paleochora nestles between the Mountains and Sea in South West Crete and is the perfect location for Filmmakers to convene to show their work, network with colleagues and enjoy our fabulous Cretan hospitality. We may be at the most southern point of Europe, but there are Big Film things happening here and on the entire Island of Crete. Our main aim is always to select films which focus on great storytelling, whether fiction, documentary or any other accepted genre. We look forward to your Film Submission. Accepted duration up to 30 mins.

CineFem, the First International Women's Film Festival of Uruguay, whose first edition was held in Salto (Uruguay) but that from then on was permanently developed in Punta del Este, is a space to reflect on the role of women in cinema and in our society. CineFem, the woman's view.

GENERAL INFORMATION

TIRANA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL is the first international film festival created in 2003 as one of the most important cinematic events in Europe.

We are thrilled and honored to be approved as an official Academy Awards® and European Film Awards qualifying festival, it’s truly a tremendous opportunity for our filmmakers and future Best Short Film Award winners also for Student Academy Awards (SAA).

TIFF aims to create in Albania, as well as in the region, a cultural center of worldwide alternative and independent cinema. Albania is a solar, enthusiastic and friendly country and besides the “strong competition” TIFF aims at the same time to be a meeting point of cultures, where people of Tirana, the guests and all those who love films will have a cinema-language-communication week.

TIFF aims to create a friendly space for film artists and cinema enthusiasts from Albania, Europe and the entire world to come together and share their linked passion and knowledge of the motion picture art form. The intention of TIFF is to bring filmmakers, producers and distributors from all around the world to Tirana, in hopes of fostering future co-operation in this interesting scenic area. By bringing together these distinct voices and their work, TIFF commits itself to introducing audiences to alternative visions of extraordinary diversity. "Think Different, Watch Alike" is the slogan and motto of TIFF.

TIFF aims to demonstrate strong efficiency in audience development (especially toward young audience) by implementing activities before, during and after the event, including year-long activities and traveling to other cities with various smaller partner and smaller festivals in the country. Partnering with small organizations and youth centers around the country in order to use the existing facilities in each city will not only give to TIFF a large national impact, but will enhance on the other side the increase of values of small events in each respective city in which TIFF will be present.

The festival gets thousands of submissions a year from over 120 countries around the world that of submitted online through online platforms, which are then considered for selection. TIFF is an international cinema event whose main objective is to enlarge the number of venues and time of screening of European and non-European films of all genres and durations in Albania as well as it is considered to be an event to develop new audiences around the country, combining film screenings with public debates and thematic debates approaching new and an increased Film Audience and focusing also on Film Literacy.

The daily program of TIFF combines more than 200 premieres of feature and short films in competition in all formats and genres: fiction, documentary, animation, experimental and video art. Open to any filmmaker from around the world, TIFF showcases new cinematic work by established directors with international reputations as well as movies by talented students and young artists.


A. COMPETITION PROGRAM
1. FULL LENGTH FILMS
• Feature films
• PerspecTIFF (debut feature films)
• Documentary
• Made In ALBANIAn

2. SHORT FILMS
• Fiction/Live Action (Oscar® & European Film Awards qualifying)
• Animation (Oscar® & European Film Awards qualifying)
• Documentary (European Film Awards qualifying)
• Video Art & Experimental (European Film Awards qualifying)
• Student films (all genres) (Academy Awards® qualifying)
• Balkan Films (all genres)
• In Albanian (all genres)

3. PANORAMA has some thematic sections dedicated to the most sensitive social topics and problematic social groups as for children, women, immigration, integration of persons with disabilities, LGBT, etc. with those sections:

• KIDs
• GENERATIONs
• NEW WORLD
• DIVERGENT MINDS
• PARADE

4. SCREENPLAY ContesTIFF
Consists in the application of original live-action and animated short film scripts and other short form scripts of all genres (max. 20 pages).
The said competition did not aim to evaluate only the best script, but to evaluate from our partners, producers and distributors, the best and most possible script to be produced by them and with the greatest chances to be successfully distributed in the most popular international festivals for short films.


B. SPECIAL PROGRAM & SCREENINGS

Besides the competition program TIFF reserves a large space to the special programs and screenings.

1. FOCUS is a special program, which is based on tribute or homage to the cinema author and/or the filmography of a given country.

2. RetrospecTIFF and TIFF Classics brings to the new audience the most prominent national or international authors of the film history.

3. PICTURE YOUR LIFE, CREATE THE FUTURE
TIFF will continue to have a large space to the special program KIDs, an exclusive program for children from 5-15 age average. This initiative comes as a long-term investment to raise and educate future cinematic audiences with artistic films through acquired projects in Creative Europe for the distribution and promotion of European films.

4. REFLECTING ALBANIA is the oldest program of the festival, dedicated to the foreign filmmakers who have produced their films in Albania or in Albanian speaking territory.

5. Oscar® Nominated Short Films & European Film Awards Shorts Tour

6. FesTIFFal is a special program with selected films by festival partners.


C. NEW FEATURES – PARALLEL SCREENINGS
TIRANA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL has the pleasure to announce four major services available for the applicants. Since its inception in 2003, TIFF received over 50,000 short and feature films from over 120 countries around the world. Out of all these applications more than 200 films can be chosen each year for the competition program. With these four new services, TIFF offers the opportunity to many films to be shown in alternative ways (TV, online, market, special programs) in a wider audience and experts.
The applicants must optionally apply clearly for each one of these new services.

• TIFF.TV Competition
With our media TV partners we offer the possibility to directors screening their films (selected for the official competitive program or not) to the Albanian audience and win the TV juries and audience awards.

• TIFF on Tour
TIFF will act as ambassador for the submitted films and will travel with a selection to other Albanian cities during the year. TIFF will also propose special screenings to other regional festivals in accordance to a specific subject or theme of each collaborative festival.

• TIFF Online Library
TIFF offer the online presentation of each film, in a dedicated page, as a part of a film library, with all related information and with the possibility to receive comments from the international internet audience and industry. The screening of films is open to anyone without charges. The films will be available for viewing in the film library as long as director/producer wishes.

• TIFF Market Corner
TIFF will create a market corner, where potential buyers can watch all films and make their selection. TIFF will also act as a festival promoter and distributor. In case of financial contract with a distributor, TIFF will receive a fee of 5%.


Find us:

info@tiranafilmfest.org | www.tiranafilmfest.org | facebook.com/TiranaFilmFest |
instagram.com/tiranafilmfest | twitter@TiranaFilmFest | youtube.com/user/TiranaFilmFestival1 | vimeo.com/ tiranafilmfest | linkedin.com/ company/1796049/admin/

The International Film Festival "Piriápolis de Película" is an event that has consolidated itself as an essential space for the meeting of the independent production of national and international filmmakers. It is characterized by exhibiting, completely free of charge, a selection of outstanding audiovisual productions, short, medium and feature films of all genres. It also has an Iberoamerican Short Film Contest, whose objective is to stimulate and disseminate the production of short films in the region and the continent, adorned by an outstanding international jury.

Mumbai- The city of celluloid dreams since past century- is the destination of thousands of budding & professional filmmakers in India & world. The city has nurtured many great filmmakers, technicians & entertained the millions worldwide through cinema. People also fondly called it as Bollywood. In the highly competitive age of cinema ‘Mumbai Shorts International Film Festival’ is the platform for short filmmakers to put their work forward among the league of professional.

MSIFF, a progressive cinema movement started in year 2012 with the consultation of senior industry members to highlight the short cinema. The 2012 inaugural year followed 2013 to 2023 editions witnesses the great participation & enthusiasm from filmmakers & industry professionals from India & abroad. The festival objective is to contribute towards the development of upcoming filmmakers & to create short films culture in India.

The festival aims is to feature great cinema of worldwide filmmakers in a big way & at the same time providing professional networking & introducing current trends of cinema to the participants. The festival also strongly advocates the need of commercial short film industry in India & will raise the issues related to short films in front of various governing bodies of cinema.

13th MSIFF-24 will prove one more step towards achieving excellence & enhancing your skills in cinema & fore sure it will contribute immensely in your growth as filmmaker

The 9th edition of the Skyline Benidorm Film Festival will take place in the city of Benidorm, from March 29 to April 5, 2025, in the city of Benidorm (Spain).

«The Oscars of the university cinema»

Villanueva Showing Festival is an International Short Film Festival for young people between 15 and 25 years old, organized by Universidad Villanueva. This initiative aims to encourage young people to reflect on universal human values ​​through audiovisual language. For this reason, each edition challenges the young cinematographic promises to create their own piece on a specific theme based on a universal value.

This festival, in which more than $ 22,000 in prizes are awarded every year, offers great visibility to young cinematographic talents before an international jury of experts, producers, directors, scriptwriters, actors and other professionals from the sector who attend the ceremony annually of awards ceremony, held in an iconic place of the capital of Spain, presented by a recognizable figure from the film world.

IMPORTANT / MANDATORY

In this edition Villanueva Showing Film invites us to reflect about the following topic: TO BE DETERMINED (we'll announce the new topic soon!). All short films presented must be related to this topic.

You know it better than anyone: making a film of less than 4 minutes requires a lot of talent and creativity. That's why the Très Court has been honoring them for more than twenty years with its International Festival, which takes place simultaneously in June in about fifty places on the five continents. The screenings take place exclusively on the big screen, in theatres or outdoors, for an audience as faithful as it is fervent.

The Très Courts are divided into six selections, two of which are in Competition: International Competition, Women's Words Competition, French Selection, Family Selection, Documentary Selection, and the Laugh(before the end of the world) Selection.

Whether you are a novice or a professional, classic or avant-garde, as long as your film does not exceed 4 minutes, do not hesitate to try your luck, especially since the registration of your film(s) is free. All genres are accepted: fiction, documentary, animation, CGI, drama, comedy, documentary and even gore or horror films.

Provides a platform for participants ranging from students to professionals to preview their films on international stages to prove their talent. We are conducting our film festival from 23&24 Jun 2024, grand arrangements are being made with Respected Jury Board from different continents to judge your film and will be available for Q&A sessions.

The "Aniwow" is the core activity of China (Beijing) International Student Animation Festival, which aims to encourage young animators to adhere to their artistic ideals, discover and cultivate new animators, cartoonists and new media artists with creative passion, original spirit and good artistic cultivation. The festival builds a bridge for students from different countries who love animation to exchange ideas, discuss academics and pass on friendship on a larger scale and at a higher level, and creates a new platform for international animation academic exchange with multiple interactions.