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.
45-636: The UK Asian Film Festival , previously known as the London Asian Film Festival , is a British film festival organised by the not-for-profit organisation Tongues on Fire Ltd. and takes place annually in the spring in London . The festival is the longest running South Asian film festival outside of India, having completed its 25th edition in 2023. The festival's patrons are Abhishek Bachchan , Prof. Rachel Dwyer , Lord Diljit Rana , Sunita Sangar, Sabiha Sumar and Meera Syal . The 21st Edition of UKAFF
90-633: A Non-Competitive Feature Film Festival. On 10 September 2007, the Festival announced it had received funding from the New South Wales Government to host an official international competition, which rewarded "new directions in film". The FIAFP has since classified the Sydney Film Festival as a Competitive Specialised Feature Film Festival. Members of the audience are able to vote for popular awards, as well as specific industry prizes awarded in
135-488: Is Raindance Film Festival . The British Urban Film Festival (which specifically caters to Black and minority interests) was officially recognized in the 2020 New Year Honours list. A few film festivals have focused on highlighting specific issues, topics, or subjects. These festivals have included mainstream and independent films . Some examples include military films , health-related film festivals , and human rights film festivals . There are festivals, especially in
180-585: Is ÉCU The European Independent Film Festival , which started in 2006 and takes place every spring in Paris, France. Edinburgh International Film Festival is the longest-running festival in Great Britain as well as the longest continually running film festival in the world. Australia's first and longest-running film festival is the Melbourne International Film Festival (1952), followed by
225-585: Is North America’s longest-running competitive film festival. The 60th Chicago International Film Festival, scheduled during the month of October, will host over 40,000 attendees from around the world. The Festival's program, screening 175+ films from more than 50 countries, is presented in sections including the International Competition, New Directors Competition, Documentary, Black Perspectives, City & State, and Special Presentations. The Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF), founded in 1977,
270-569: Is a popular international film festival based in Kolkata which showcases international cult films. YathaKatha International Film & Literature Festival (YKIFLF) is an annual film & literature festival in Mumbai showcasing literature collaboration in cinema via various constructive discussions and forums. 1st edition of the festival is being held from 25–28 November in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Sydney Film Festival The Sydney Film Festival
315-624: Is accredited by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences , which makes all its jury-award-winning narrative short and animated short films eligible for an Academy Award. There are several significant film festivals held regularly in Africa. The Cairo International Film Festival in Cairo was established in 1976, the biannual Panafrican Film and Television Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO) in Burkina Faso
360-729: Is an annual competitive film festival held in Sydney , Australia, usually over 12 days in June. A number of awards are given, the top one being the Sydney Film Prize. As of 2023 , the festival's director is Nashen Moodley. Influenced by the experience of Australian film makers with the Edinburgh Film Festival since 1947 and the festival connected with the annual meeting of the Australian Council of Film Societies held at Olinda in
405-859: Is held in the last week of each July in the two colonial cities of San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato . Other Mexican festivals include the Guadalajara International Film Festival in Guadalajara , Oaxaca Film Fest , the Morelia International Film Festival in Morelia, Michoacan Mexico , and the Los Cabos International Film Festival founded by Scott Cross , Sean Cross , and Eduardo Sanchez Navarro, in Los Cabos , Baja Sur , Mexico are considered
450-900: Is largest film festival in Ohio and among the longest-running in the United States. The film festival is held at the Playhouse Square , which are a series of elegant theaters built in the early 1920s, and the largest performing arts center in the United States outside of New York City (only Lincoln Center is larger). The Ottawa Canadian Film Festival , abbreviated OCanFilmFest, was co-founded by Ottawa-based filmmakers Jith Paul, Ed Kucerak, and Blair Campbell in 2015. It features films of various durations and genres from filmmakers across Canada. The Sundance Film Festival founded by Sterling Van Wagenen (then head of Wildwood, Robert Redford's company), John Earle, and Cirina Hampton Catania (both serving on
495-497: Is one of the largest film festivals in North America. It focuses on East Asian films, Canadian films, and nonfiction films. In 2016, there was an audience of 133,000 and 324 films. The Toronto International Film Festival , founded by Bill Marshall, Henk Van der Kolk, and Dusty Cohl, is one of North America's most important film festivals, and is the most widely attended. The Chicago International Film Festival , founded in 1964,
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#1732891282889540-606: Is the most popular festival in North America. Time wrote it had "grown from its place as the most influential fall film festival to the most influential film festival, period". The Seattle International Film Festival is credited as being the largest film festival in the United States, regularly showing over 400 films in a month across the city. The festivals in Berlin , Cairo , Cannes , Goa , Karlovy Vary , Locarno , Mar del Plata , Moscow , San Sebastián , Shanghai , Tallinn , Tokyo , Venice , and Warsaw are accredited by
585-581: The Dandenong Ranges , Victoria in 1952, later Melbourne International Film Festival , a committee sprang from the Film Users Association of New South Wales to establish a film festival in Sydney. The committee included Alan Stout , Professor of Philosophy at The University of Sydney , filmmakers John Heyer and John Kingsford Smith, and Federation of Film Societies secretary David Donaldson. Under
630-568: The International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) in the category of competitive feature films. As a rule, for films to compete, they must first be released during the festivals and not in any other previous venue beforehand. Ann Arbor Film Festival started in 1963. It is the oldest continually operated experimental film festival in North America and has become one of the premier film festivals for independent and, primarily, experimental filmmakers to showcase work. In
675-802: The Sydney Film Festival (1954). North America's first and longest-running short film festival is the Yorkton Film Festival , established in 1947. The first film festival in the United States was the Columbus International Film & Video Festival , also known as The Chris Awards , held in 1953. According to the Film Arts Foundation in San Francisco , " The Chris Awards (is) one of the most prestigious documentaries, educational, business and informational competitions in
720-757: The Venice Film Festival (late summer to early autumn), the Cannes Film Festival (late spring to early summer), and the Berlin International Film Festival (late winter to early spring), founded in 1932, 1946, and 1951 respectively. The Edinburgh International Film Festival , founded in 1946, is the world's oldest continually running film festival. Many film festivals are dedicated exclusively to animation. Various regional festivals occur in various countries. The Austin Film Festival
765-786: The Dominican International Film Festival occurs annually in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic . As well as the Havana Film Festival was founded in 1979 and is the oldest continuous annual film festival in the Caribbean. Its focus is on Latin American cinema . The Trinidad and Tobago Film Festival , founded in 2006, is dedicated to screening the newest films from the English-, Spanish, French- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean and
810-696: The Government of Kerala held annually at Thiruvananthapuram is acknowledged as one of the leading cultural events in Indian. The International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK), hosted by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, is a major documentary and short film festival. The Mumbai Women's International Film Festival (MWIFF) is an annual film festival in Mumbai that features films made by women directors and technicians. The Calcutta International Cult Films Festival (CICFF)
855-448: The U.S., Telluride Film Festival , Sundance Film Festival , Austin Film Festival , Austin 's South by Southwest , NYC 's Tribeca Festival , and Slamdance Film Festival are all considered significant festivals for independent film. The Zero Film Festival is significant as the first and only festival exclusive to self-financed filmmakers. The biggest independent film festival in the UK
900-630: The U.S.; (it is) the oldest of its kind in North America and celebrating its 54th year". It was followed four years later by the San Francisco International Film Festival , held in March 1957, which emphasized feature-length dramatic films. The festival played a major role in introducing foreign films to American audiences. Films in the first year included Akira Kurosawa 's Throne of Blood and Satyajit Ray 's Pather Panchali . Today, thousands of film festivals take place around
945-589: The US, that highlight and promote films made by or about various ethnic groups and nationalities or feature the cinema from a specific foreign country. These include African-Americans , Asian-Americans , Mexican-Americans , Arabs , Jews , Italian, German , French , Palestinian , and Native American . The Deauville American Film Festival in France is devoted to the cinema of the United States . LGBTQ+ and Women's film festivals are also popular. Tribeca Festival , one of
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#1732891282889990-669: The Utah Film Commission at the time) is a significant festival for independent film. The Woodstock Film Festival was launched in 2000 by filmmakers Meira Blaustein and Laurent Rejto to bring high-quality, independent films to the Hudson Valley region of New York . In 2010, Indiewire named the Woodstock Film Festival among the top 50 independent film festivals worldwide. The Regina International Film Festival and Awards (RIFFA) founded by John Thimothy, one of
1035-422: The award for Best New Talent, and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan won Best Music Talent Award for the song Koi Dil Mein from the film Tamanna . Other films to have premiered at LAFF include Fire , Godmother , Khamosh Pani , Barfi , Bhopal: A Prayer For Rain , Waiting , Manto , Rang Rasiya , Margarita With A Straw and Good Morning Karachi . Film festival Films may be of recent date and depending upon
1080-457: The border of Western Sahara , is notable as the only film festival in the world to take place in a refugee camp. The festival aims to provide cultural entertainment and educational opportunities to refugees and raise awareness of the plight of the Sahrawi people, who have been exiled from their native Western Sahara for more than three decades. The International Film Festival of India , organized by
1125-679: The city centre, and includes features , documentaries, short films , retrospectives, films for families and animations. Films are shown at venues across the Sydney central business district , with films shown at the Dendy Opera Quays, Event Cinemas in George Street, the Art Gallery of New South Wales , Sydney Town Hall , the Museum of Contemporary Art as well as the State Theatre . As of 2023
1170-648: The cost of production could be lowered significantly, and internet technology allowed for the collaboration of film production. Film festivals have evolved significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic . Many festivals opted for virtual or hybrid festivals. The film industry, which was already in upheaval due to streaming options, has faced another major shift, and movies showcased at festivals have an even shorter runway to online launches. The "Big Five" film festivals are considered to be Venice , Cannes , Berlin , Toronto , and Sundance . The Toronto International Film Festival
1215-454: The direction of Donaldson, the inaugural festival opened on 11 June 1954 and was held over four days, with screenings at Sydney University. Attendance was at full capacity with 1,200 tickets sold at one guinea each. By 1958, the festival attracted its first international sponsored guest, Paul Rotha , and advertising into the festival catalogue. The following year, the program expanded to seventeen days and by 1960 exceeded 2,000 subscribers with
1260-466: The festival's director is Nashen Moodley, who commenced in early 2012, replacing Clare Stewart . Patrons of the festival include Gillian Armstrong , Cate Blanchett , Jane Campion , Nicole Kidman , Baz Luhrmann , George Miller , and Sam Neill among others. Although a small number of prizes existed from the mid–1980s, prior to 2007, the Sydney Film Festival was classified by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) as
1305-419: The festival's focus, can include international and domestic releases. Some film festivals focus on a specific filmmaker, genre of film, such as horror films , 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
1350-513: The film. The oldest film festival in the world is the Venice Film Festival . The most prestigious film festivals in the world, known as the "Big Five", are (listed chronologically according to the date of foundation): Venice , Cannes , Berlin (the original Big Three ), Toronto , and Sundance . The Venice Film Festival in Italy began in 1932 and is the oldest film festival still running. Mainland Europe 's biggest independent film festival
1395-648: The government of India, was founded in 1952. Chennai International Film Festival has been organized since 2002 by the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation (ICAF), the Government of Tamil Nadu, the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce, and the Film Federation of India. The Jaipur International Film Festival , founded in 2009, is India's most prominent international film festival. The International Film Festival of Kerala organised by
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1440-674: The home of the festival in 1974, and remains one of the festival venues to date. In 2007, the festival introduced a series of live gigs, shows and cabaret-style screening at the nearby Metro Theatre. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia , the 2020 festival staged a reduced, online-only version, and in 2021 was delayed to open on 3 November with the audience limited first to 75 per cent capacity, increasing to 100 per cent from 8–21 November. The films were also available online. The competitive film festival draws international and local attention, with films being showcased in several venues across
1485-658: The introduction of the Opening Night feature film and party. Censorship difficulties arose in the mid-1960s and continued until such time as the festival was granted exemption from censorship in 1971. From inception until 1967, the University remained the annual home of the festival. The following year, the festival moved to the Wintergarden in Rose Bay where it remained for the ensuing five years. The historic State Theatre became
1530-554: The largest international cinema event in coastal Southern California , attracting over 56,000 attendees to Orange County, CA . The Festival partners with over 40 non-profit organizations and pairs each with a film that aligns with their mission. The films featured include World, North America, U.S. and West Coast premieres as well as the International Spotlight Series which celebrates foreign language films. The Vancouver International Film Festival , founded in 1958,
1575-615: The most important film festivals in Latin America. In 2015, Variety called the Los Cabos International Film Festival the "Cannes of Latin America". The Cartagena Film Festival , founded by Victor Nieto in 1960, is the oldest in Latin America . The Festival de Gramado (or Gramado Film Festival) Gramado , Brazil . The Lima Film Festival is the leading film festival in Peru and one of
1620-624: The most important in Latin America. It is focused on Latin-American cinema and is organized each year by the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru . The Valdivia International Film Festival is held annually in the city of Valdivia . It is arguably the most important film festival in Chile . There is also Filmambiente, held in Rio de Janeiro , Brazil, an international festival on environmental films and videos. For Spanish-speaking countries,
1665-528: The most prestigious in North America, ranks first worldwide in terms of audience attendance and 11th in terms of media attendance. The San Francisco International Film Festival , founded by Irving "Bud" Levin in 1957, is the oldest continuous annual film festival in the United States. It highlights current trends in international filmmaking and video production with an emphasis on work that has not yet secured U.S. distribution. The Newport Beach Film Festival , founded by Gregg Schwenk in 1999, has emerged as
1710-555: The region's diaspora. It also seeks to facilitate the growth of Caribbean cinema by offering a wide-ranging industry programme and networking opportunities. The Lusca Fantastic Film Fest (formerly Puerto Rico Horror Film Fest) was also founded in 2006 and is the first and only international fantastic film festival in the Caribbean devoted to sci-fi , thriller , fantasy , dark humor , bizarre, horror , anime , adventure , virtual reality , and animation in short and feature films . The most important European film festivals are
1755-482: The top leading international film festivals in western Canada ( Regina, Saskatchewan ) represented 35 countries in 2018 festival. RIFFA annual Award show and red carpet arrival event are getting noticed in the contemporary film and fashion industries in Western Canada . Toronto's Hot Docs , founded by filmmaker Paul Jay, is a North American documentary film festival. Toronto has the largest number of film festivals in
1800-455: The world, ranging from cultural, independent, and historic films. The Seattle International Film Festival , which screens 270 features and approximately 150 short films, is the largest American film festival in terms of the number of feature productions. The Expresión en Corto International Film Festival is the largest competitive film festival in Mexico . It specializes in emerging talent and
1845-478: The world—from high-profile festivals such as Sundance Film Festival , Newport Beach Film Festival , and Slamdance Film Festival ( Park City, Utah ), to horror festivals such as Terror Film Festival ( Philadelphia ), and the Park City Film Music Festival , the first U.S. film festival dedicated to honoring music in film. Film Funding competitions such as Writers and Filmmakers were introduced when
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1890-566: Was established in 1969 and accepts competition-only films by African filmmakers and chiefly produced in Africa. The annual Durban International Film Festival in South Africa and Zanzibar International Film Festival in Tanzania have grown in importance for the film and entertainment industry, as they often screen the African premieres of many international films. The Nairobi Film Festival (NBO), which
1935-558: Was established in 2016 with a special focus on screening exceptional films from around the world that are rarely presented in Nairobi's mainstream cinema and spotlighting the best Kenyan films, has also been growing in popularity over the years and has improved the cinema-going culture in Kenya. The Sahara International Film Festival , held annually in the Sahrawi refugee camps in western Algeria near
1980-444: Was held on 1–14 June 2014. The Festival was opened by Nagesh Kukunoor 's film on child trafficking Lakshmi . The UK Pakistani collaboration Tamanna had its UK premier at the festival on 8 June 2014. At the 14th LAFF in 2012 Pakistani films won three awards for the first time in the festival's history. Bol won three awards: Humaima Malik won Best Film Actress, Shoaib Mansoor won the award for Best Film and Amr Kashmiri won
2025-644: Was held on 27 March - 4 May 2019, with the festival in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leicester and Manchester. The Short Film Competition Winner was Belmaya Nepali for Educate our daughters, the Youth Curated Choice Award was for film Chegu, Best Documentary to Roopa Barua for Daughters of the Polo God, Best Director to Madhumita for KD, Best Actor to Rasika Duggal for Hamid, Best Film to Hamid and Audience Choice Best Film to Pinky Memsaab. The 16th Edition of LAFF
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