DOCA Film Festival is an independent film festival founded in Silicon Valley, California, created for filmmakers, artists, and storytellers who use moving images to share ideas, explore creativity, and connect with audiences.
Built around audiences, DOCA Film Festival creates opportunities for filmmakers to share their work through a public cultural experience where films can be discovered, experienced, and remembered.
The inaugural DOCA Film Festival will take place during San Jose Holiday Lights 2026 in downtown San Jose, California — the heart of Silicon Valley. Selected films will be screened throughout the 48-day festival season as part of a large-scale public cultural experience, creating opportunities for filmmakers to connect with diverse audiences.
The event is expected to welcome 80,000+ visitors, including local communities, families, and visitors from around the world, providing filmmakers with an opportunity to share their stories with audiences in an open and accessible environment.
This year, for the 44th Rencontres du Cinéma Latino-Américain, a festival organized by the association France Amérique Latine in Bordeaux, The cinema team would like to propose for the 5th consecutive year an official competition of short films.
These 10 films selected by the employees and volunteers of the association will be presented to students who will award different prizes and use the short films as a study support.
The scholar work on and with the short films will start in september: the final answer of your participation in the official competition will be given at the beginning of december.
The Award winners will be notified after the Festival is concluded.
Information
The Festival reserves the right to place entries into alternative categories if they feel it is to the benefit of the title. Each submission must be entered separately and it cannot be withdrawn.
By submitting, you agree not to withdraw your film from the festival after it has been accepted by the selection committee. If your film is selected, the festival holds the right to show your film at a time and date of its choosing.
The 5th FESTIVALITO will take place in December 2026 in the city of San Carlos de Bariloche, Patagonia, Argentina. Following the Festival, a traveling program will tour various cities and countries.
Our program, featuring both Argentine and international films, is designed to create opportunities for dialogue and reflection after each screening, recognizing every child's perspective as that of an active audience member. The Festival encourages discussion and promotes an understanding of cinema as a collective artistic experience.
Overview
Organized by ONG Acción Intercultural and Liceo Artístico Guillermo Gronemeyer, the 6th Raúl Ruiz School Film Festival invites young creators to participate in its November 2026 edition in Chile. Inspired by the legacy of the acclaimed Chilean filmmaker, this in-person festival celebrates audiovisual experimentation, artistic research, and bold cinematic exploration. Submissions are open to fiction, documentary, animation, video art, dance film, video essays, and hybrid formats.
Categories
Bodies (School Category): Explores the body as presence, memory, emotion, performance, or transformation.
Memory and Territory (School Category): Investigates the relationship between identity, landscape, soundscapes, heritage, and community stories.
Games and Perception (School Category): Dedicated to works playing with optical illusions, non-linear storytelling, and visual/sound poetry.
Philokinetes (Higher Education Category): Open exclusively to 1st and 2nd-year higher education students in film and visual arts. Free theme focusing on formal freedom, poetic exploration, and speculative cinema.
Key Rules & Submission Guidelines
Entry Fee: Free.
Eligibility: Chilean primary and secondary students (Grades 5 to 12) for school categories; 1st and 2nd-year film/arts university students for Philokinetes.
Maximum Runtime: Up to 10 minutes (School categories) / Up to 30 minutes (Philokinetes), including credits.
Production Date: Works completed within the last 2 years. Previously exhibited films are welcome.
Awards: Filmmaking equipment, specialized cinema/art books, professional training scholarships in DaVinci Fusion & Resolve, and Special Jury Mentions.
Bullies and Heroes which is characterized by the phrase: Ubuntu I am because we are (Nelson Mandela), was born after 50 years of experiences, studies and research, both in the cinematographic and artistic fields and in the pedagogical and psychological ones. It is located on the border between health and culture with the certainty that "the soul needs beauty and that beauty is nourishment for the soul" and allows us to best express all the creative potential of the human being. It is therefore important, as argued by Peppino Impastato, who has always rejected the idea of becoming accustomed to "ugliness", to educate children to "beauty": "...It is for this reason that people should be educated to beauty: because in men and women, let habit and resignation no longer creep in but curiosity and amazement always remain alive." The Festival that subsequently became laid its foundations on these important foundations with the Competition: Places of the Soul and Geographical Places. Draw, Photograph, Film beauty in just a few minutes with your smartphone (for the little ones and with more sophisticated means for the older ones). Every year the term beauty has been declined in a different meaning (beauty of fragility, beauty of uniqueness, beauty of diversity, beauty of creativity...) The beauty of places has always been a bridge to access one's interiority and stimulate curiosity, amazement and wonder. The Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore has demonstrated how the basis of creativity, in children but also in adults, is precisely "emotional wonder", a fundamental emotion that must never be lost in order to always feel ready to explore previously unexplored paths, solutions never taken and original paths. In our society we risk having good technicians but an ever smaller number of creatives, which is why our aim, right from the start, has always been to use artistic tools, in particular cinema, to refine the most important and powerful ability of the human being: that of thinking in images or imagination, gathering stimuli from what surrounds us to grow, acquire awareness and learn about the audiovisual medium. Created with the active participation of children for children and with children, the Festival intends to enhance the potential and talent of children by offering them the opportunity to acquire both critical and creative skills with two different methods of participation. There are two sections: The first features feature films which are judged by a jury of young people from all over the world who, in this way, have the opportunity to become critics. The second of short films, video clips, videoboards, storyboards, screenplays, video art, theatre.dance, where the children have the opportunity to become directors, actors, screenwriters, to also experience all the professionalisms linked to the world of cinema. For the second section, the festival also offers spaces to young directors and international directors who deal with issues related to: family relationships, diversity, respect for the environment and others, relationships between peers, memories and identities of places with particular reference to the stories of territories. The festival does not limit itself to presenting and rewarding videos made by schools or directors, but organizes round tables with experts, workshops, conferences, in order to encourage children to have an interactive exchange of experiences and ideas with directors and actors and with even. The conferences dedicated to the ecology of the mind, ecology of the environment and ecology of and in cinema saw the participation of international universities with professors recognized in Italy and around the world. The Festival deserves special attention because it represents a unique multi-sensory experience that allows you to learn about habits, customs, foods, stories, peoples and tell them through artistic means, in particular the audiovisual medium.
Alongside directors, actors, musicians, screenwriters and photographers, there are sports testimonials through which the concepts of respect, rigor and passion are strengthened. They have been our testimonials over the years: Daniele Masala Olympic Champion, Klaus Dibiasi Olympic Champion, Alessandro Peterlini National Azzurri Champion, Luciana Foianesi World Arm Wrestling Champion, native of Val di Chiana, Chiara Bazzoni Champion Gold Medal at the Mediterranean Games. Among the Paralympic athletes we have had great International Champions, Matteo Betti, Giada Canino, If you help me, I'll dance too. We also collaborate with ODV Associations and NGOs that support children in war and create The Day of Wonder. For the 2025 Competition we are collaborating with the Collodi Foundation so that all the themes of the Competition can be facilitated and understood in a more exhaustive and innovative way through the story of the most famous puppet in the world: Pinocchio. A classic that international directors have revisited with innovative languages and which also offers children, schools and young directors the possibility of tackling universal themes in an increasingly creative and innovative way. Jury presidents over the years have been: Mariano Rigillo Anna Teresa Rossini, Donatella Baglivo who for 2025 is joined by Pierfrancesco Bernacchi President of the Collodi Foundation. Our great collaborators are Maestro Vince Tempera and Maestro Giancarlo Amorelli, who support all of the film music.
A synergy has been created with the Municipality of Benevento starting from the Dante tradition which cites Sannio in the song dedicated to Manfredi.
Tradition and innovation are always our cornerstones. Other cities and other regions have joined us: Caserta, the San Leucio Art School, Veneto, Tuscany, Campania, etc.
The 1st Raíces Film Festival was born within the Galician Brotherhood of Venezuela as a tribute to those who crossed the ocean to establish a new home. Inspired by the strength of Galician migration, this festival is a window into stories of descent, diaspora, and cultural fusion. 'Raíces' seeks to explore on screen that pivotal moment where two worlds meet. Here, cinema is the bridge between where we come from and who we are now.
For a film to be admitted to the official selection of 'Raíces,' its narrative must directly or indirectly address migration, descent, roots, or cultural fusion. The story must contain a relationship, mention, or decisive influence involving at least two distinct nationalities or cultural heritages, whether through a migrant character, a clash of traditions, the search for origins, etc.
Raíces Festival is a competition dedicated to exploring the impact of migration and transnational heritage through film.
This 2026, the International Film Festival of Iquique (FICIQQ) will celebrate its 16th edition. FICIQQ is a unique film festival in the Tarapacá Region, and this edition is funded by the 2026 Audiovisual Promotion Fund, together with the production of Volcánica Films.
1. Brain Film Fest
The Brain Film Fest (BFF) is an international film festival dedicated to highlighting and promoting the creation and dissemination of feature films and short films about any aspect of the brain, from its amazing abilities and conditions to its pathologies. The BFF is jointly organized by the Pasqual Maragall Foundation and Minimal Films. In addition to being a film competition, the BFF will also organize throughout the festival other in-person and online social, cultural and/or scientific events that focus on the brain.
The 9th edition of the Brain Film Fest will be held from March 9 to 14, 2027.
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.
Theme
Our theme is simple and it is just one word: INNOVATION
Motivation
We encourage filmmakers to come up with innovative concepts and tell unique stories that promote peace and prosperity in their countries.
Vision
Promote international solidarity and a myriad of opportunities for filmmakers, businesses and broadcasters through film.
Mission
Create a self sustainable film industry and a new world class breed of filmmakers.
Background History
The Ekurhuleni International Film Festival was formed as a result of Siyafunda Programme an initiative by Rhythm Cycle Trading Projects in partnership With Ekurhuleni’s Metropolitan Municipality: Department: SRAC: Performing Arts division .The purpose of the Programme is to empower the unemployed youth economically and provide them with vital filmmaking skills. Promote the local businesses in the film industry and promote Social cohesion and mainstream youth development. Promoting indigenous music and instruments and participation in the arts is one of the key roles of the Programme.
The Cinematography wing of the project initiated the Ekurhuleni International Film Festival through one of its partners Rhythm Cycle Projects a local Film & Television film production company. The purpose of the festival is to empower Emerging local and international filmmakers. This will provide filmmaking skills; create networking opportunities with local and international broadcasters. This will also promote the local businesses through the film industry and mainstream economic development across a myriad of sectors of the economy.
Introduce young aspirant filmmakers to wildlife filmmaking
Educate the people about the natural world and films
Create networking opportunities for local filmmakers, broadcasters and funders
Promote indigenous music
Enrichment of the arts
Promote culture and heritage
Boost tourism
Mainstream youth development
Attract broadcasters
Create jobs and economic opportunities
Aims & Objectives
1.To ensure that every government department has a progress report on video in preparation for the next financial year.
2.To educate people how our government operates and help them identify what, how they can contribute to boost our economy and get benefits.
3.To develop an advertising medium for SMMEs, Big companies, banks and Educational institutions to generate revenue for the project to empower participants while they are studying.
4.To create a local film industry that will alleviate poverty in rural areas by making films that will tell their stories and attract the international market.
5.To transfer filmmaking skills to the youth out of school and the unemployed.
6.Showcase South Africa’s storytelling talent and introduce a new generation of characters through film and TV productions .
7.To establish partnerships with other territories to implement Co-Production Treaties that RSA signed with other countries to grow our local film industry.
Programme
Registrations
Welcome and Official Opening
Exhibitions
Workshops
Seminars
Screenings
Adjudication
Networking Sessions
Fun walks
Wine tasting
Ekurhuleni International Film Awards
The Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival (DIMFF) is a unique artistic exploration and social entrepreneurship. It is the pioneer in Bangladesh for arranging a film festival where films are exclusively shot on mobile phones. DIMFF is the bridge that connects filmmakers to the world of storytelling by utilizing new mobile technologies. DIMFF started its journey in 2015 and gradually became an outreach program of the Department of Media Studies and Journalism of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh. With each passing year, DIMFF’s popularity is increasing, and filmmakers from around the globe are enjoying this new platform to uphold their voices.
The festival promotes ‘New generation, New tools, New communication.’ DIMFF aims to inspire and spark creativity in storytelling from people with limited income or resources and encourage filmmakers to harness their dreams and recognize the immense possibilities to accomplish them. The Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival is for newness, change, and opportunity. This new generation will establish a new form of communication by overcoming race, color, religion, and ideology with their new tools. DIMFF is the platform where language cannot be a bearer while discussing issues. These young minds need the right opportunity and guidance to make this world better.
DIMFF’s lookout towards building youth entrepreneurship skills has helped them achieve 25th rank in the Entrepreneurial Spirit category of WURI 2022. World’s universities with real impact (WURI) is the first global innovative university ranking designed to inspire and value universities’ adaptable and innovative efforts to nurture their workforce that meets industry and society’s demands. Wharton–Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) also recognized DIMFF with the Social Science Silver Award in the Reimagine Education Awards and Conference 2021, otherwise known as the “Oscars of Education.” The Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards and Conference is a global competition and conference that encourages educators to spot problems that prevent optimal learning and pedagogical outcomes. DIMFF shares the same mindset: everyone deserves equal opportunity to create a sustainable impact in their community.
1.OPEN DOOR CATEGORY for all
Anyone from any region can submit films shot on a mobile phone/camera. Any duration can be submitted in the Open Door category. Selected films will be screened at Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival, and the best film will get DIMFF Best Film Award.
2.VERTICAL FILM CATEGORY for all
Anyone from any region can submit films shot vertically on a mobile phone/camera. The film must be within 10 minutes for the Vertical Film category. Selected films will be screened at Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival, and the best film will get DIMFF Best Vertical Film Award.
3.SHORT FILM CATEGORY for university students
This category is open to Undergraduate and Graduate students only. Selected films either shot on mobile phone/camera will screen at the festival, and the best film will receive the ‘CinemaScope Best Film’ award. The film must be within 25 minutes for the Short Film category.
4.CITIZEN JOURNALISM CATEGORY for all
Anyone from any region can participate in this category. Documentaries (real-world events) must be shot on a mobile phone and within 10 minutes. Selected documentaries will be screened at the Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival, and the best documentary will win the 'MSJ Best CJ' award.
5.ONE MINUTE CATEGORY for grade 1 to 12 students
Only 1 to 12 grade students can participate in this category. The film must be exactly one minute, including the title and credit line for the One Minute category. Selected films will be screened at Dhaka International Mobile Film Festival, and the best film will get the ULAB Young Film Maker Award.
Welcome to a world where fear and creativity collide—welcome to Sinister!
Sinister isn’t just a film festival; it’s a celebration of the best in horror, where the paranormal and the macabre intertwine with art and imagination. Our festival is dedicated to the filmmakers and creators who push the boundaries of the genre, offering them a platform to showcase their unique visions.
Why Sinister is Unique?
Sinister is an international event that honors creativity and innovation in the horror genre. It’s where fear becomes an art form, and where filmmakers from around the world present their most chilling and impactful works.
Why Participate in Sinister?
1. A Celebration of Horror Cinema: At Sinister, we bring together established filmmakers and emerging talent from all over the globe. Our carefully selected program features not only the latest must-see releases but also hidden gems in independent horror. We offer a platform for both seasoned and new voices to be heard.
2. Screenwriting Contest: The written word is as powerful as the images on screen. Our screenwriting contest rewards the most creative and twisted minds who craft stories that stay with you long after the credits roll. If you have a terrifying story to tell, Sinister is the place to share it.
3. Music Video Contest: Horror doesn’t just live on screen—it echoes in music. Our music video contest celebrates the artists who blend sound and visuals to create atmospheric, chilling experiences. This contest honors the music videos that elevate horror and bring it to life in new ways.
4. Photography Contest: Horror is as much about the image as it is about the story. Our photography contest shines a spotlight on the photographers who capture the dark beauty of fear. From haunting portraits to eerie landscapes, we celebrate the still images that tell their own terrifying tales.
Sinister: Where Horror Meets Art.
More than just a festival, Sinister is a community where filmmakers and artists are valued and supported. Every selected participant gets a chance to share their journey and vision in Sinister Magazine, amplifying their voice in the world of horror.
We invite you to join us and become part of this unique event that celebrates the best in horror and creativity. Don’t miss the chance to be part of a festival that truly values its creators.
Hello! We are LISBIFF • Lisboa Indie Film Festival, an international film festival with screening events in Lisbon, Portugal, and a member of IBERIFF • Iberia Indie Film Festivals. IBERIFF celebrates independent artists and showcases new productions from across the globe in Lisbon (LISBIFF), Madrid (MADRIFF), Barcelona (BARCIFF), València (VALÈIFF), Seville (SEVIFF) and Montpellier (MONTIFF), that you can also find them here in Festhome.
LISBIFF shares the mission of its associate festivals of supporting emerging talents, encouraging artistic exploration, fostering networking, promoting cultural exchange and engaging the local community by providing a platform to present the work of independent filmmakers.
Fiction films, animation, documentary and experimental works of any genre and subject are welcome!
Only for Spanish Filmmakers.
The ASPRONA Film Festival is an audiovisual initiative promoted by ASPRONA to bring culture, filmmaking, and social reflection closer to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and society as a whole.
In its first edition, the festival's micro-short film competition will focus on the theme of November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Through short, accessible, and engaging films, the festival aims to promote equality, respectful relationships, the prevention of violence, and the creation of safe, inclusive, and discrimination-free environments.
The micro-short films will provide an opportunity to tell stories through participation, creativity, and the lived experiences of the people themselves, encouraging their active presence in culture and community life.
Our Festival celebrates the creativity, effort, and courage it takes to make cinema in the North. For this reason, FIC Chihuahua aims to be a meeting point that showcases new voices, strengthens networks among filmmakers, and contributes to the promotion of emerging talent in Mexico and around the world.
Throughout its history, FIC Chihuahua has had different editions in both format and scale: sometimes it has been produced on a larger scale, and other times in a more intimate and compact way. This does not mean the Festival “doesn’t happen”; on the contrary, it reflects a responsible, good-faith decision to keep it alive, adapt it to each year’s real possibilities, and ensure that—regardless of size—the mission is fulfilled: to select, recognize, and give voice to cinema.
Each edition is unique. What truly defines FIC Chihuahua is not the size of the production, but its commitment to talent and to the stories that deserve to be seen.
Por 13º año consecutivo, la Asociación de Personas con Discapacidad Verdiblanca y el Ayuntamiento de Almería lanzan el Festival Inclusivo de Cortometrajes Gallo Pedro, dedicado a obras audiovisuales creadas en torno a la inclusión de las capacidades o habilidades diferentes, con el objetivo principal de crear conciencia y sensibilizar a la población sobre las personas con diversidad funcional.
The “first and only” fantasy film festival in Mallorca. Nit de MatanZes aims to put Mallorca on the map as a true hotspot for fantasy and horror. After three years of throwing all kinds of genre-driven events — from short film showcases to themed screenings and feature film cycles — its organizers, Oscar Rip and Jota eme Weird, are finally unleashing their very first short film competition this year, packed with terror, blood, and bold, rebellious, in-your-face attitude, at the legendary Mallorcan cinema SALA AUGUSTA.
New York Short Film Tuesdays OFFERS GREAT SCREENINGS TO SHORT FILM LOVERS in Brooklyn, New York.
One of our new venue is in Downtown , Brooklyn. It is a perfect venue and artsy area in the heart of New York City.
We have more than 70 seats and Huge SCREEN.
DO YOU WANT TO SCREEN YOUR SHORT FILM in NYC ? IF SO, SUBMIT TODAY. INVITE YOUR CREW AND FRIENDS. IT IS A GREAT PLACE TO SEE ALL INDIE SHORTS.
NY Short Film Tuesdays has been organized since 2014 and each month we have more than 9 films have been screening at the festival.
We have reached to our 135th Event recently and we screened over 1.400 short films.
We do a Q & A session with filmmakers who is in attendance for their film screenings.
ALL GENRES WELCOME. - FİCTİONS- DOCUMENTARİES- ANİMATİONS- EXPERİMENTALS AND MUSİC VİDEOS. No year & No country limitation.
All COUNTRIES & LANGUAGES ACCEPTED!
See you at the screening with all film lovers!!!
The Cittador International Film Festival in Vienna is dedicated to arthouse and auteur cinema, as well as genre films and classic independent cinema. Since 2022, the festival has taken place annually over the course of one week in Vienna, presenting international, European, and Austrian feature-length and short films. Cittador IFF embraces film as an expression of personal vision and actively supports works beyond the mainstream. A further defining aspect of the festival is its celebration and presentation of genre diversity. Selected short films are screened in a Vienna cinema, while feature films and additional short films are presented on the online platform Cine.Cittador.
All feature-length and short films should demonstrate strong artistic vision and a high aesthetic standard. Cittador IFF presents not only established film genres, but also genre-crossing works that inspire, challenge, and entertain audiences.
Todo es Prompt is an international online film festival for short and feature films created with artificial intelligence. This AI film festival invites filmmakers, artists, and creators from around the world to explore new forms of audiovisual storytelling using AI tools.
The festival was born at a moment of transformation in cinema. For years, many creators depended on funding, open calls, juries, and lengthy validation processes that left more projects out than in. Meanwhile, technology was quietly advancing. Today, AI filmmaking tools allow ideas, prompts, and screenplays to be transformed into cinematic visuals.
Today an idea can become a scene.
Today a text can become a movie.
Today the act of directing can begin with a simple instruction: a prompt.
Todo es Prompt emerges at this turning point in AI-generated cinema, where creators can produce audiovisual works without traditional industry barriers. The festival celebrates cinema made with AI, from experimental works to narrative short films created using AI video generation and AI storytelling tools.
We invite filmmakers, digital artists, and experimenters worldwide to submit their AI short and feature films and join an international community that is exploring the future of cinema.
We believe in human authorship amplified by artificial intelligence tools.
We believe technology does not replace vision: it expands it.
We don't wait for our turn to create.
We don't ask for permission to make our cinema.
