Blog: Film festivals

BANDSFF will include feature films and short films. We especially want your horror submissions. Yes, we watch them all and can't wait to do it. We're eager to have filmmakers be part of BANDSFF. We will award best feature and best short. We will also award best overall director and best overall horror film. Our goal is to become a place where filmmakers can showcase their efforts and continue to grow. Our event will be taking place at the Showplace Cinema in Harrisburg, Illinois. Showplace Cinemas has locations in 3 states, and we're excited to be hosting in one of their great facilities. We're thrilled to open the doors up to submitters, their friends, family, and theatergoers who want to support the festival by joining us for the fun. We have awards, including cash prizes.

The festival offers a contemporary and liberal platform for the filmmakers of the World to exhibit the excellence of the film art form. The aim is mainly to contribute to the understanding and appreciation of cultures of different nations. We hope to present complex human situations of this rapidly changing world in the globalized era. The Festival Committee reserves the right to exclude films which are not in conformity with aims of the Festival, or which could offend the national feelings and susceptibilities of any participating country, or are likely to promote racial discrimination. Films not presenting sufficient technical qualities for good public screening can be refused after checking of the prints by the Print Checking Unit of the Film Festival Office. Date and Place: OCTOBER/NOVEMBER ANNUALLY IN ABUJA

Cuenca International Film Festival 2026

Where the world's stories find their echo in the Andes.

The Cuenca International Film Festival (FICC) is one of the pioneering film events in Ecuador. With more than twenty years of history, it has become a strategic meeting point for international filmmakers, producers, distributors, and programmers, consolidating Cuenca as an epicenter of cinema in Latin America.

Throughout its history, the FICC has featured important figures, names that reaffirm the festival's mission to build bridges between the global industry and local narratives.

In 2022, the festival expanded its reach with the creation of Shortfest Cuenca, a platform specialized in short films that functions as a laboratory for narrative innovation and the discovery of new talent, thus consolidating its role in the international film ecosystem.

Competitive Sections 2026

• Latin American Feature Film Competition (a window to the region's cinema).

• International Feature Film Competition (works over 40 minutes, all themes, genres, and styles).

• International Short Film Competition (a space for experimentation and new voices).

• National Short Film Competition – Ecuador and Cuenca (a development engine for the local industry).

Non-Competitive Sections

• Fantastic Visions: dedicated to genre, fantasy, and horror films.

• Cinema and Human Rights: with a focus on ecology, feminism, and social justice, responding to the most pressing debates of our time.

FICC 2026 – A Platform for the Industry
The festival is not only an exhibition space, but also a networking and co-production platform, connecting Ecuadorian and Latin American cinema with international players: producers, distributors, platforms, and allied festivals.

Cuenca: City of Cinema

FICC 2026 will be held in July in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador. Declared a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO, Cuenca is transformed each year into a living cinematic stage, where tradition and modernity intertwine at every screening.

About the Festival
accordi @ DISACCORDI – International Short Film Festival welcomes films and filmmakers from around the world with the aim of sharing the art of independent short filmmaking with local audiences, inspiring and engaging festival attendees, providing filmmakers with opportunities for professional networking and artistic development, and promoting cultural tourism and the growth of the film industry in Naples and the Campania Region.
Designed with audiences in mind, accordi @ DISACCORDI showcases a carefully curated selection of high-quality films spanning every genre of the seventh art—from comedy and drama to animation, documentaries, experimental cinema, art films, and music videos.
In addition to film screenings, the Festival offers a rich programme of filmmaker talks, Q&A sessions, workshops, laboratories, exhibitions, seminars, and conferences. Admission to all cultural events is free of charge, reflecting the Festival's commitment to making cinema an accessible and engaging experience for everyone.
The 23rd edition of accordi @ DISACCORDI – International Short Film Festival will take place in Naples, Italy, from November 9 to 15, 2026.
Submit your film for the opportunity to be selected for screening at the Festival and compete for one of the official awards, including a commemorative acrylic or wooden plaque.

HELLÍN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL,
with this VI edition, it becomes a cultural consolidation in the Spanish cinematographic universe. A festival that brings together not only cinema, during November 14 and 20, Hellín will host personalities from
the world of cinema, training courses, conferences, location routes, concerts, wine tastings, galas, and etc.

Welcome to FECHE.

THERE MAY BE MANY OPTIONS BUT THER'S ONLY ONE PLAN B!!!!

Piano B Film Festival (Plan B Film Festival) is a great little film festival in the heart of Rome.

“Piano B produzioni” is an Italian movie production company based in Rome, since a lot of year in the cinema industry.

Among its most important productions the film/documentary distributed throughout the all over the world "ENNIO" by Giuseppe Tornatore, on the life of Maestro Ennio Morricone.

The festival was born to create a moment dedicated to getting to know new authors and to be able to give cinephiles from all over the world the opportunity to compare themselves, creating concrete opportunities for professionals in the cine-audiovisual world.

Through the festival we could discover new authors and give them the opportunity to produce new works.

The festival is mainly focused on short films, but there will also be a section dedicated to feature films.

The first edition of the festival was took place in Rome at the MADISON CINEMA

A couple days dedicated to screenings, introductions, discussions and awards.

The topic of the work will be the violence of gender, in any of its manifestations, its prevention and sensitization against it, being able to present documentaries and short films of plot fiction.

The jury will have special consideration for those works that address this issue by focusing on the youth world.

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.

The competition comprises four categories: Animation, Comics and Picture Books, Digital Art, and Digital Games. The jury will comprise renowned professionals and scholars in animation, comics, digital art and games, as well as senior representatives of relevant institutions. Works will be assessed on their ideas, originality and artistic quality, in accordance with the principles of fairness and impartiality.

We love horror and we're very excited to watch your films!

The Dark Scream Film Festival (DSFF) is an international festival seeking for the best horror films.

The Selected films will be recognized and awarded in various categories.

DSFF has made a point to keep our entry free as to give everyone the chance to enter, and we offer number of award categories!
DSFF's panel of judges is set in different parts of the world and comes with a variety of horror film expertise.

Your drive, your vision and the often seemingly insurmountable challenges that you face bringing your ideas to life are what makes us proud to champion your films and bring them in front of a highly appreciative audience.

Submit your film to us today and let us help and support you to gain true recognition and become a celebrated winner of the Dark Scream Film Festival.

We're very excited to see your creations!

New World AI Film Festival(NWAIFF) is a global, international platform dedicated to creators of AI-driven films and videos, providing an independent space to showcase innovative work from around the world.

We welcome AI films of all genres, styles, and formats, embracing diversity and creativity without limitation. From narrative storytelling to experimental works, from short-form videos to hybrid creations, all forms of AI-driven expression are encouraged.

There are no boundaries to imagination, we invite creators to push the limits of creativity and bring entirely new worlds to life through AI.

El Festival de Cine de Trujillo es uno de los eventos culturales m ás im portantes del norte del Perú. Con doce ediciones en su haber, desde el 2014 hasta el 2025, se ha afianzado como un destino fundamental en las rutas de distribución de las películas independientes del país.

Como base temática, el Fecit es un festival exclusivo de cine peruano, característica que lo ha distinguido de otros eventos importantes dentro de la movida culturalcinematográfica, ya que pondera la exhibición de obras realizadas en distintas regiones del Perú.

Future-Tech 2026: short films about emerging technologies, followed by a human and AI analysis

FilmeTrad – International Film Festival of Traditions is a film festival dedicated to documentary cinema exploring traditions, cultural heritage, and ways of life from different territories around the world.

The festival takes place in Asturias (Spain), with a territorial approach across several rural municipalities where cultural heritage remains an active part of community life. FilmeTrad aims to create a meeting point between cinema, territory, and citizens, using audiovisual language as a tool to reflect on collective memory and cultural identities.

The program focuses on documentary films — both short and feature-length — addressing traditions, crafts, rituals, music, and ways of life connected to intangible cultural heritage, offering contemporary and diverse perspectives on communities.

The Selçuklu Film Festival is a film festival organised in Konya under the leadership of Selçuklu Municipality, drawing on the cultural and artistic vision of the Selçuklu Academy of Arts and with the contribution of the Selçuklu Film Academy. The festival aims to create a high-calibre cinematic gathering that brings together filmmakers, audiences, students, academics and industry professionals. The Selçuklu Film Festival is not merely an event consisting of film screenings; it is designed as a cultural platform where films, ideas, filmmakers and audiences come together, and where it is possible to reflect on cinema and share production processes. Drawing strength from Konya’s historical and cultural heritage, the festival aims to highlight the diverse narratives, new perspectives and creative energy of Turkish cinema. Through competitions, screenings, talks, workshops and industry-focused meetings, it aims to contribute to the development of film culture; to support young filmmakers; and to establish a lasting, respected and sustainable festival tradition in Anatolia. The inaugural Seljuk Film Festival will take place in Konya from 23 to 27 December 2026, bringing together film enthusiasts.

The Rock 'N Horror Film and Music Fest will be a unique combination of movies and music all in the genre of horror. There will be special appearances, meet and greets, concessions and much more.

Kumaar Aadarsh, founder-Chairperson and Ashok Khullar, the President, welcome you to the UVT Standalone Film Festival & Awards (UVT-SFFA). This is a unique kind of film festival for independent filmmakers/content creators where there are no barriers to borders, languages, genres, etc. Based in California, USA, this festival is having an online Award Nomination Festival, live screenings, and Standalone Award Show in Los Angeles.

SFFA is consolidating filmmakers around the world for a wonderful presentation of cinematography and the unveiling of new talents. A committee comprising members from the film industry preview submitted films and select good works of motion pictures for the Award Nomination Festival.

The selected films participate in The Awards nomination Festival which is held for 4 months between Dec-March.

Films screen through this secure server screener where visitors and guests from around the world can witness and vote for the film. On the basis of viewers' choice and votes, films nominated for 42 categories of Awards which screen live in Hollywood and to honor filmmakers, actors, technicians at The UVT Standalone Awards Show in Los Angeles on the Last day of live screenings.

UVT STANDALONE is not only a festival but a marketplace where filmmakers earn money as well by distributing films through UVT and it's affiliated digital platforms.

Theatre venue is in the heart of Hollywood. We will screen all nominated films here as well as look forward to create year-round screening, filmmaking, and writing opportunities and to that end we are launching new festivals as part of the UVT Standalone Film Festival & Awards.

UVT SFFA Submissions are for feature narratives, Short films, Shows, Series, documentaries, and animation as even experimental films and music videos.

With the aim to encourage the creation of meeting spaces for the world of medium-length films, as well as fostering interest in cinematographic creation, the Manzanares El Real City Council's Department of Culture organizes the fifth edition of the International Festival of Medium-Length Films of Manzanares El Real called FIMMER.

All those films with a duration between 30 and 60 minutes produced after January 1, 2025 may be submitted to the contest. And each author or producer may submit up to a maximum of two works.

Entries can be submitted online, through the festhome.com platform or by email to fimmerfestival@gmail.com, where the documentation required in the bases must be included, and where the technical characteristics of the files to send.

The deadline for receiving the files is open on july the 13th 2026 and will close on September the 15 2026.

The Kampala Slum Mobile Cinema Outreach is a dynamic project aimed at bringing entertainment, education, and cultural exchange opportunities to underserved communities in Uganda.

Currently, operating in 2 slums in Entebbe and 3 slums in Kampala, our custom-designed Mobile Cinema Truck equipped with high-quality projection equipment and a sound system serves as the centerpiece for our activities.

Our main project activities include 50 Free open-air film screenings (documentaries, fiction films, and shorts), all centered around human rights-related themes relevant to the residents of the slums.

Following each screening, we facilitate engaging debates and discussions to encourage dialogue and community participation, serve to empower individuals with knowledge and advocacy tools, amplifying the voices, and fostering dialogue in marginalized groups for a more equitable and inclusive society where rights are respected and upheld.

Terra di Siena International Film Festival, now in its 29th edition, invites directors, actors, producers, and distributors to participate in the upcoming edition of the Festival, which will be held in Siena from October 13 to October 16, 2026. The Festival aims to promote film culture, to offer a meeting moment through screening high-quality films and a dialogue between industry professionals and the public.

For this edition, the Festival Jury has chosen not to assign specific themes for the entry call. However, it wishes to remind participants that in the awards category (point 3), there are long-standing recognitions for audiovisual works that aim to raise awareness on issues such as the environment and sustainability, with an eye towards the future.

Welcome to the 2nd annual AI Film Festival Japan (AIFJ 2026) — Shaping the Future of Sight and Sound through Human-AI Co-creation.

Taking place on November 3, 2026, in the heart of Tokyo at the Tokyo Innovation Base (TIB), AI Film Festival Japan (AIFJ) stands as Asia's largest and Japan's first international film festival dedicated exclusively to the creative collaboration between human storytellers and artificial intelligence.

Our mission is to establish Tokyo as a global hub where pioneering filmmakers, musicians, technologists, and visionary audiences converge to explore the expanding frontiers of AI-driven cinematic arts. We champion diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), actively seeking to empower creators from all backgrounds while rigorously navigating the ethical landscapes of generative technologies.