Film Festivals
By Shane Rivers
This section of the site provides a listing for film festivals all over the world.
- Ankara International Film Festival – Held annually in Ankara, Turkey, this film festival has been around for over two decades.
- Ann Arbor Film Festival – An annual film festival held in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The second-oldest film festival in North America.
- Annecy International Animated Film Festival - Created in 1960, this annual French event is the oldest international film festival dedicated exclusively to animation.
- Asian Festival of 1st Films – Held annually in Singapore and devoted to the work of first-time filmmakers.
- Bangkok International Film Festival – Held annually in Bangkok, Thailand since 2003. Includes gala events, seminars, and film screenings.
- B-Movie Festival - Created in 1999, B-Movie Fest features the best in cult classics and indy hits.
- Cairo International Film Festival – Established in 1976, this annual Cairo, Egypt film festival was the first in the Middle East.
- Cambridge Film Festival – This U.K. festival was first held in 1977 and shows many of the films which have debuted at Cannes or the Berlin Film Festival.
- Cannes Film Festival – Held annually in the south of France, it is the most prestigious film festival in the world.
- Cinemagic – Held annually in both Dublin and Belfast, this film festival is designed for the participation and interest of young people from 4 to 25.
- Durban International Film Festival – Taking place annually in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal province, this festival celebrates African, South African, and international films.
- Festival de Cinema de Gramado – The largest film festival in Brazil, it has been held annually since 1973.
- International Film Festival of Marrakech – Since 2000, this film festival has been held annually in Marrakech, Morocco.
- Los Angeles Film Festival – More than 100 feature films are screened at this annual 10-day event which debuted in 1971.
- New York Film Festival – First held in 1963, this is considered one of the world’s most important film festivals.
- Noir Film Festival – Started in the early ’90s, this festival recognizes the best in horror, noir, thrillers, mysteries, sci-fi, and spy movies.
- Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou – The largest film festival in Africa, with an emphasis on African film and filmmakers. Held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
- Rendezvous With Madness – Annual Canadian festival focusing on movies that feature issues of addiction or mental illness.
- River to River – The first film festival in the world devoted entirely to the cinema of India. Held in Florence, Italy.
- Roger Ebert’s Film Festival (Ebertfest) – Also known as Ebertfest, this annual Champaign, Illinois festival focuses on films which have been overlooked by critics and fans.
- Santa Fe Film Festival – Accepted films are divided into categories such as documentary, narrative feature, animation, and indigenous. Held annually.
- Slamdance Film Festival – An annual Utah-based film festival which takes place the same week as the Sundance Film Festival.
- South by Southwest – Started in 1987, South by Southwest is a film and music festival held each spring in Austin, Texas.
- Sundance Film Festival – Started in 1978, it’s the largest independent film festival in the United States. Held annually in Utah.
- Sydney Film Festival – Running for two weeks, this is one of the oldest festivals in the world, having started in 1954.
- TCM Classic Film Festival – Held in Los Angeles, this festival is dedicated to screening classic films. Hosted by Turner Classic Movies.
- Telluride Film Festival – Held annually in Telluride, Colorado, this festival features both debuting and overlooked films.
- Three Rivers Film Festival – Held each year in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this festival is a mixture of international films, local productions, and examples of classic cinema.
- The Times BFI London Film Festival – Starting in 1956, it’s the largest film event in the UK. Also known as the London Film Festival.
- Toronto After Dark Film Festival – An annual festival dedicated to showcasing cult, horror, and sci-fi cinema.
- Tribeca Film Festival – Founded in 2002, this annual Manhattan film festival has quickly become one of the most prominent in the world.
- Vancouver International Film Festival – This two-week festival takes place in late September and early October. Has an annual attendence of over 150,000.
- Washington, D.C. International Horror Film Festival – Created in 2005, this film festival showcases the best in new horror cinema.
- World Film Festival of Bangkok – Dedicated to promoting the art of cinema in Thailand. Held annually in the month of October.
We have plans to continue to expand our listings of film festivals. Please contact us if you have feedback for this section, or if you have a film festival you want to see included on the above list.