Festivals


FUTURE FESTIVALS

Vancouver International Film Festival

September 25 - October 10, 2008

The 27th annual Vancouver International Film Festival will be held September 25 - October 10, 2008. Founded in 1982, the festival's mandate is to encourage the understanding of other nations through the art of cinema, to foster the art of cinema, to facilitate the meeting in British Columbia of cinema professionals from around the world, and to stimulate the motion picture industry in British Columbia and Canada. VIFF is among the largest film festivals in North America and is one of the largest cultural events in Canada. Fore more information about this festival visit www.viff.org.

46th New York Film Festival

September 26 - October 12, 2008

The New York Film Festival continues its proud tradition of showing the newest and most important cinematic works by directors from around the world. The 17-day Festival is an unparalleled showcase of inspiring and provocative cinema by emerging talents and first-rank international artists whose films are often recognized as contemporary classics. A special section of the Festival is the Views from the Avant-Garde which premieres non-narrative, experimental film and video.

The Festival is highly competitive with an average of 28 feature films and 12 short films selected each year. There are no categories and no prizes awarded. Selections are made by a five person committee. All filmmakers, regardless of experience, are invited to submit work to the New York Film Festival. There is no entry fee. There are no competition categories ~ all lengths and all genres are considered. Application forms will be available online late May & the deadline for submission is early July. Fore more information on festival events visit www.filmlinc.com/nyff.

NWFF's 11th Annual Local Sightings

October 3 - 8, 2008

Northwest Film Forum's Local Sightings Film Festival is an event dedicated to the Northwest. Northwest Film Forum's premiere showcase of Northwest filmmaking is back, bigger than ever, October 3-8, 2008. The festival, which happens at NWFF's theaters in Seattle, features great prizes, filmmaker parties, archival Northwest films and an impressive national film industry jury looking for strong Northwest work.

The annual festival includes both feature film presentations as well as short film programs and special events with live film performances, installation art, audience participation and parties. This year's festival takes place in the cinemas of Northwest Film Forum on October 3-8, 2008. The line up of films will be announced and posted on the website on September 20th. Included in this year's festival will be the usual assortment of fiction, documentary and experimental films as well as a featured presentation of a historical Seattle film, a staged reading of this year's Washington State Screenplay Competition winning script, and an opening party that will ignite Seattle's film scene Friday night and keep it bleary eyed Saturday morning.

Montana CINE International Cultural & Environmental Film Festival

October 6-12, 2008 in Missoula, Montana

Montana CINE International is the Last Best Film Fest in Missoula, Montana. Montana CINE International is a cultural and environmental screenings film festival held every fall and is now in its 5th year. Montana CINE International completes a global picture of why and how we live in our world and interact with our environment. While the International Wildlife Film Festival has a special focus with wildlife as the central theme, the subjects of Montana CINE International are broad, featuring issues that explore the human experience and peoples' relationships with nature and their environment.

Films that are eligible can be features or documentaries, full length of short. There is no limitation on production year. Films entered may have a special focus on cultural, social, political or economic issues. Environment is interpreted to be any type of environment be it rural, urban or sub-urban.

There is no restriction on production year. Films may be entered whether or not they have been broadcast. Entry forms and information are available at www.wildlifefilms.org. You may also contact the International Wildlife Media Center at 406-728-9380 or iwmc@wildlifefilms.org.

The film entry deadline is August 1, 2008. Cultures and Issues of Nature & the Environment events will be held October 6-12, 2008 in Missoula, Montana.

2007 Top Awards, Contact Us for a Full Listing:
Golden CINE Award
Presented to the film chosen as Best of Festival
Chimpanzees: An Unnatural History

Hands Around the World Award
Presented to the film that best portrays peoples' relationships with the natural world
Crude Impact

Focus Award
Presented to the best film that expands or advances our understanding of a relevant issue or topic of the festival theme or one which best portrays a developing trend or issue
Arid Lands

Montana CINE, now in its 5th year, will also host the Grand Re-Opening of the restored historic Roxy Theater on October 7, 2008. Join us as we unveil the Historic Plaque and throwback to 1937! Learn more at www.wildlifefilms.org. Don't miss an unforgettable week at the historic Roxy Theater! Call (406) 728-9380 for ticket or entry information.


The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival

October 15 - 19, 2008

The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is an international festival that celebrates the latest works by Indigenous peoples on the forefront of innovation in film, video, radio, and new media. Each fall, the festival presents a selection of the most compelling and distinctive Indigenous works from around the globe. The festival's screenings, parties, panel discussions, and cultural events attract and connect filmmakers, media artists, programmers, buyers, and industry professionals. The works accepted reflect the diversity of the world's Indigenous nations and illustrate the vitality and excellence of our art and culture in contemporary media. This years festival will take place October 15-19 in Toronto. For more information visit www.imaginenative.org.


Austin Film Festival

October 15 - 23, 2008

The Austin Film Festival is dedicated to championing the work of aspiring and established filmmakers, defined as screenwriters, directors, editors, producers, actors and all artists who use the language of film to tell a story. The Austin Film Festival boasts an outstanding program of narrative, animation and documentary features and shorts, including premieres, advanced screenings, and independent films. Film screenings are complemented by lively and informative Q&A sessions with cast members and filmmakers.

The festival is among the select events accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, so all award winning narrative short and narrative student short films are also eligible for an Academy Award. Each year the Austin Film Festival holds film competitions in 6 categories: including Narrative Feature, Narrative Short, Narrative Student Short, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short. This year's Screenplay Competition has two primary categories: Drama Category (Historical, Western, Drama, Family, Romance, Horror, Thriller, etc.) and/or Comedy Category (Dark, Satirical, Slapstick, and more). The Teleplay Competition includes both Drama and Sitcom categories and is open to any spec script for the currently airing network or cable television program. To find out more about the festival events visit www.austinfilmfestival.com.


Hollywood Film Festival Call for Entries

October 22 - 27, 2008

The Hollywood Film Festival includes screenings of both domestic and international films, as well as emerging and established filmmakers, and has nightly red-carpet gala premieres. The film screenings include Asian Cinema, African Cinema, European Cinema, Hollywood Cinema and Latin Cinema. All screenings and premieres take place at the state-of-art ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood. The Hollywood Film Festival is calling for features, documentaries and shorts. Festival premieres have included films from Disney/Buena Vista, DreamWorks, Lionsgate, Miramax, Newmarket/Picturehouse, Paramount Studios, Paramount Classics, Strand Releasing, United Artists, and Warner Bros., among many other major and independent distributors, and our Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony nominees, honorees and presenters have been a virtual "who's who" of Hollywood's A-list talent and Hollywood studio executives.

The Hollywood Film Festival is announcing a call for entries. Submissions are accepted monthly. Visit www.hollywoodawards.com/contests.html to enter your film today.

AFI Fest

October 30 - November 9, 2008

AFI FEST spans 11 days each fall, featuring international films from emerging filmmakers, global showcases of the latest work from the great film masters, nightly special screenings, and red-carpet gala premieres. Each year, AFI FEST presents international competitions of features, documentaries and shorts, as well as regional showcases, as part of its broader World Cinema section.AFI FEST is the only film festival in the United States to hold the prestigious FIAPF accreditation (www.FIAPF.org), assuring a high standard of quality and reliability for the international film community. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for the Short Films category of the annual Academy Awards. Visit www.afi.com to enter your film today.

Banff Mountain Film & Book Festivals

November 1-9, 2008

Come to the Banff Mountain Festivals — for adventure, for excitement, for the inspiration of mountain stories. Experience the exhilarating beauty of mountain landscapes. Meet the world’s top adventurers. Listen to their stories. Relive their challenges. Reconnect with adventure. The main festival is held each year in Banff, Canada. After the week long festival, the films go on tour. All year the films travel throughout the US and abroad. The Base Camp sponsors this event in Helena, usually in late April or early May. The films also stop in Billings, Bozeman, Great Falls, Kalispell, and Missoula.

35th Annual Northwest Film and Video Festival

November 7-15, 2008

The Northwest Film Center calls for Northwest filmmakers to send their recent work by August 1, 2008 for consideration for the 35th Northwest Film & Video Festival. Presented by the Northwest Film Center, The Northwest Film & Video Festival is the most venerable and comprehensive showcase of outstanding work made by filmmakers living in the region. The Festival provides Northwest filmmakers with a forum for public recognition, critical appraisal and an engaged and enthusiastic regional audience. In addition, filmmakers are eligible for over $15,000 of Production Service Awards provided by sponsoring companies with valuable production resources.

Entries are judged by a prominent filmmaker, curator or critic who determines the Festival awards. Past judges have included Gus Van Sant, Matt Groening, Todd Haynes, Christine Vachon, Bill Plympton, and, Sundance and Outfest programmer, John Cooper. Generally, 30-45 shorts, features and documentaries are screened during the Festival, then 10-15 shorts are selected for the Best of the Northwest Tour program which travels the following year throughout the Northwest to media arts centers, museums, arts councils and universities.

Permanent residents of Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington may submit two works of any length or genre released since August 1, 2006 and not previously entered in the Festival. Student entries (college and university only) must be from a school located in the Northwest. Entry is free!

The entry deadline is August 1, 2008 (postmark).
The Festival runs November 7-15, 2008.

More information and entry forms are available at the Northwest Film Center’s web site: www.nwfilm.org. Questions should be directed to Festival Coordinator--Thomas Phillipson thomas@nwfilm.org. To download the Northwest Film & Video Festival Guidelines click here. To download the Northwest Film & Video Festival Entry Form click here.

33rd Annual American Indian Film Festival

November 7-15, 2008

San Francisco, CA—The American Indian Film Institute is currently seeking film and video entries for the 33rd annual American Indian Film Festival. As the nation's oldest and most prestigious venue for American Indian film arts and entertainment, the American Indian Film Festival has earned a reputation for both excellence and integrity. At Film Festival 2007, AIFI premiered and/or screened over 100 film and video works from American and Canadian filmmakers. The annual Film Festival and American Indian Motion Picture Awards Show, produced by AIFI Founder and President Michael Smith, draws an audience of nearly 5,000, anticipating the latest in American Indian film, video, and music.

The 2008 American Indian Film Festival will be presented November 7-15 in San Francisco, California. Films to be entered for competition should be by or about American Indian or Canada First Nations people and produced during year 2007-2008. Entry deadline is August 21, 2008. Visit www.aifisf.com to download American Indian Film Festival entry application and regulations form (.PDF)


National Geographic's All Roads Film Project

December 3 - 7, 2008

All Roads is a National Geographic initiative created to provide an international platform for indigenous and underrepresented minority-culture artists to share their cultures, stories, and perspectives through the power of film and photography. All Roads is an exciting, groundbreaking film festival, photography program, and film grant program rolled into one. Whether you’re an indigenous artist wanting to tell your story, a filmmaker wanting to make a difference, an industry representative looking for the next age of storytelling, or an audience eager to learn more about our world, you’ll find what you’re looking for when you travel All Roads. This year All Roads Film Project will be held in the following locations:

Los Angeles, CA on September 25-28
Washington D.C. on October 2-5
Santa Fe, NM: December 3-7

Visit www3.nationalgeographic.com/allroads/ for more information.

Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival

January 9-11, 2008

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is the largest environmental film festical in the United States. This festival sits apart from the hundreds of festivals around the world by leaving you feeling INSPIRED and MOTIVATED to go out and make a difference in your community and the world. At the festival, you’ll LEARN new ideas from a selection of inspiring environmental films with hardhitting topics including bioengineering, water issues, wilderness preservation, citizen activism, and more. You’ll EXPERIENCE the adrenalin of kayaking the wildest rivers, climbing the highest peaks, and trekking across the globe with adventure films around the world. You’ll EXPLORE the issues and movements with leading environmental activists and professionals, filmmakers, and celebrities. And you’ll CELEBRATE the natural and wild world with 9+ venues of films and workshops, children's Saturday morning cartoons, art shows, wine tastings, VIP parties, and awards ceremony.

The main festival takes place in January and then begins touring. On September 26-28, 2008 the festival will be stopping in Bozeman, Montana. For more information about the festival tours click here.

15th Annual Slamdance Film Festival

January 15-23

The 15th Annual Slamdance Film Festival will be held January 15-23, 2009. The Slamdance Film Festival is the preeminent festival whose sole mission is to nurture, support and showcase truly independent works. Slamdance has established a unique reputation for premiering new films by first-time writers and directors working within the creative confines of limited budgets. Slamdance’s goal is to strengthen its year-round efforts in support of these artists and to leverage its name and reputation for the further development of other Slamdance media components.

As a year-round organization, Slamdance serves as a showcase for the discovery of new and emerging talent and is dedicated to the nurturing and development of new independent artists and their cinematic vision. Slamdance is now accepting submissions for the 2009 festival.

Early Submission Deadline: August 25th
Final Submission Deadline: October 10th

Visit www.slamdance.com for more information.


Sundance Film Festival

Park City, UT | January 15-25

The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in the state of Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the U.S. The festival is the premier showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers. The festival comprises competitive sections for American and international dramatic and documentary films, and a group of non-competitive showcase sections, including the Sundance Online Film Festival.

Early Submission Deadline:
U.S. & INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS
Monday, August 18th, 2008 - $35 Entry Fee
U.S. & INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILMS & DOCUMENTARIES
Monday, August 18th, 2008 - $45 Entry Fee

Official Submission Deadline:
U.S. & INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS
Friday, September 5th, 2008 - $50 Entry Fee
U.S. & INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILMS & DOCUMENTARIES
Monday, September 8th, 2008 - $75 Entry Fee

Late Submission Deadline:
U.S. & INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS
Friday, September 19th, 2008 - $75 Entry Fee
U.S. & INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILMS & DOCUMENTARIES
Monday, September 22nd, 2008 - $100 Entry Fee

Please note that the above dates are not postmark deadlines-- they are the dates by which your film MUST be received. If your film does not arrive by the deadline for which you have registered, you will be prompted to make an additional payment in order to bring your account up to date. For more information on eligibility requirements and how to submit visit www.sundance.org/submissions.

Spokane International Film Festival

February 5-15, 2009

The Spokane International Film Festival, now in its eleventh year, is a small, selective festival of world-class films. They are chosen from the very best features, documentaries and shorts that have been made around the world during the past two years but have not yet been commercially released for wide distribution. In fact they are the same films as those seen each year at the Cannes, New York or Toronto film festivals, and our programmers travel widely to screen and select them.

A major attraction of the festival is the presence of the filmmakers and stars themselves as our guests. They meet the audiences, share their own stories and anecdotes about the making of their films, and answer questions from audience members. The discussions are lively and educational and a favorite part of the festival for both filmmaker and audience. To learn more about this festival visit www.spokanefilmfestival.org.

Earlybird Deadline – September 1, 2008
Regular Deadline – October 1, 2008
Late Deadline – November 1, 2008
Extended Deadline - November 15, 2008




Boulder International Film Festival

February 12-15, 2009

The Boulder International Film Festival will be celebrating four days of controversy, spice, color, laughter, outrage, adventure, ideas, culture and community February 12 – 15, 2009. This festival is sponsored by the Colorado Film Society, is held annually on President's Day Weekend in Boulder, Colorado, and has developed a reputation as one of the most influential young film festivals in the U.S., with an extraordinary number of new-but-unknown feature films, documentaries and shorts that have gone on from early screenings at BIFF to significant box-office success and multiple Oscar nominations. Over 13,000 filmmakers, national media, special guests and film enthusiasts attended the four-day BIFF 2008. Fore more information visit www.biff1.com/Index.html.


Deadlines Approaching for the
2009 Big Sky Documentary Film Festival

February 13-22, 2009 | Missoula, Montana

The Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, the premier venue for nonfiction film in the American West, is seeking submissions for its sixth annual event. From February 13-22, 2009 the festival will screen 100 films, including world and U.S. premieres, classics, rare and experimental works on Montana's largest screen at the historic Wilma Theater in downtown Missoula, Montana. In addition to ten days of screenings, the event will feature many public and VIP events including panel discussions, galas, receptions and networking round-tables.

The competitive event is open to non-fiction films and videos of all genres, subject matter, lengths and production dates. Awards and cash prizes will be given for Best Documentary Feature (over 50 minutes), Best Documentary Short (15-50 minutes), Best Mini-Doc (under 15 minutes) and best documentary about the American West (the "Big Sky Award").

VHS (NTSC/PAL), DVD (NTSC/PAL), DVCAM (NTSC/PAL), HDV (NTSC), and miniDV (NTSC/PAL) accepted for preview. Enter via Withoutabox.com or download entry form in pdf format at www.bigskyfilmfest.org/entries. If you would like an entry form emailed to you in pdf format, send a request to callforentries@bigskyfilmfest.org.

Early Deadline - July 1, 2008
Regular Deadline - September 1, 2008
Final Deadline - October 20, 2008

We look forward to viewing your films!

Doug Hawes-Davis, Festival Programmer
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival
131 South Higgins Avenue, Suite 307
Missoula, Montana 59802
(406) 541- FILM (3456)

Los Angeles Italian Film Festival

February 15-21, 2009

The Los Angeles Italian Film Festival includes daily screening, art and photo exhibition, fashion exhibits and much more.The Festival, celebrating the Italian Cinema, Fashion and Art in America, is produced by the Capri in the World Institute in association with Cim Group-USA.Under the patronage of the Italian Ministry of Culture, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italian Embassy in the USA and the Campania Region of Italy. Visit www.losangelesitalia.com for more information.

Native American Film & Video Festival

March 26 - 29, 2009

The internationally-recognized Native American Film & Video Festival is a noncompetitive showcase of film, video and audio productions. The festival will be celebrating 30 years of screening outstanding Native film and media in New York, NY on March 26-29, 2009. The submission deadline is September 18, 2008. Visit www.nativenetworks.si.edu/nn.htm to learn more about this event.


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