A space for films, the production and methodology of which are openly collective and collaborative, and whose arguments and aesthetic are alternative and bold.
Cooperation, collectivity and collaboration will be the concurrent themes running throughout the screenings, dialogue and discussion during the festival.
International film festival of entertaining, fantastic and arthouse free genre films.
The Obscura Filmfest was founded by David Ghane in 2016 and has been run by him alone ever since. He is a passionate genre film fan since 1996, attends several film festivals per year since 2004, sometimes helps out there, acts as an extra in horror films and is an extreme film collector.
The Obscura Film Festival specializes in entertaining and fantastic films, big and small, films that almost never get a regular screening. The films shown there are mostly mainstream blockbusters or arthouse films that can be found at most other regular film festivals. Even comparable festivals are expanding their programmes to include more and more arthouse. Those who instead like entertaining, smaller and special independent films, but can also imagine bigger productions from far away countries, will find what they are looking for at the Obscura Filmfest: Films that are fun with rough edges, raw and uncompromising; from nasty little horror films to Asian battle epics, there is something for every fan, just no boredom.
It started with small, offbeat, trashy and depraved underground grindhouse films, meanwhile the Obscura also screens commercial, mid-sized films that are traded on the big film markets.
Highlights of the previous festival editions included the German premieres of the Argentinian fantasy sci fi cyberpunk action film "Daemonium", the Ukrainian thriller "Egregor", the Filipino zombie shocker "Day Zero", the Danish horror film "Finale", the ghost comedy "Deadtectives" and the two Backwoods films "What the Waters Left Behind" and its sequel "Scars" 5 years later.
The European premieres of the Indonesian comic superhero film "Valentine" and the Backwoods film "Drifter" were also screened.
Another highlight was the crazy Japanese splatterfest "Kodoku - Meatball Machine" which can look back on a long festival history including the biggest festivals of its kind, as well as the Universal/Blumhouse production "The Hunt".
With "Redbad" and "The Great Battle", two big battle epics were also screened at the Obscura.
The German premiere of the hard-hitting exploitation film "Trauma" in Hanover was even attended by visitors from the Ruhr area.
After its international premiere at the Obscura, the cowboy backwoods film "Lasso" was shown a few months later at the famous british Frightfest.
In 2022, the Obscura had its first two feature-length film world premieres with "All through the Hall" and "Hidden in the Woods II".
At every Obscura filmfest there were film guests who introduced their film in person and were available for a Q&A. They came from Ireland, UK, Belgium, Finland, Denmark, Spain, Greece, Hungary, The Netherlands, USA, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia and of course Germany.
In 2024, there was a record number of guests from 7 different countries, as well as "The Witch. Revenge," a Ukrainian war horror film that was shot during and about the current war.
Media affirmation association “MAT” (in further text: The Association) is non-governmental and non-profit voluntary association, founded for an indefinite period of time due to media affirmation of all social segments via audio-video material making, press articles and web presentation making. One of the aims of the Association is the organization of festivals which, due to their content, contribute the development of culture. From 2016. one of the organized festivals is International festival of short movies and photography, called “Short cut”.
The Association for Media Affirmation "Mat" from Indjija, has announced a competition for the tenth edition of the International Short Film and photographs Festival "Short cut" Indjija 2025. Short feature, documentary and animated films are shown at the festival. The festival is open to films by domestic authors, as well as to authors from all over the world. The topics of the films should be in the field of: ecology, tourism, life and animated film. The public call for authors of short films lasts from May 15 to 31, 2025. Received films are reviewed by a selection committee that will not consider films that contain offensive or aggressive messages or content.
The International Short Film and Photography Festival "Short cut" Indjija will be held on from August 25 to September 2, 2025. The festival screens short feature, documentary and animated films on the theme of ecology, tourism and life. The festival is open not only for the movies made by native authors, but also for the authors from all over the world. The following program consists of the photography exhibition (the theme is “Objective(s)”),which is a competitive nature too, and will be realized from August 25 to September 2, 2025
COMPETITION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY
The Short Cut Festival organizers organize an exhibition of photographs titled “Objective(s)” in the accompanying program, inviting all interested people to participate in the exhibition, photographs with personal information and contact send on shortcutfest @ gmail.com with an indication for a photo contest “Short cut”, from 15 to 31 May 2025. Photo authors for the competition can send a maximum of 10 photos, the size of the longer page of acceptable digital photos cannot be less than 3,000 pixels, the file type can only be jpg, ie. jpeg and the maximum file size must not exceed 20MB.
An exhibition of selected photographs for the competition will be held from August 25 to September 2, 2025.
The Rural Galician Short Film Festival is celebrating its fourth edition, consolidating itself as a small-scale cultural initiative in rural Galicia, held in the town of Entrimo (Ourense), in the heart of the Xurés Natural Park. The festival is dedicated to promoting cinema, encouraging community participation, and highlighting the value of the local territory.
Throughout its previous editions, the festival has demonstrated a strong ability to attract audiences and generate a positive impact on local cultural life, becoming a meeting point for audiences, creators, and the region itself.
The festival was awarded the 3rd Prize for Cultural Management 2025 “Adolfo Prada,” granted by the Department of Culture of the Provincial Council of Ourense.
The fourth edition of the festival will focus on comedy and territory in a rural context, placing special emphasis on animation. It will pay particular attention to the Galician rural environment—its landscapes, cultural identity, and ways of life—approached from a humorous and contemporary perspective. At the same time, it will remain open to works from other contexts that align with the project’s theme.
The festival will maintain its open and international spirit, allowing the participation of short films from other regions and encouraging exchange, as it has done in previous editions.
GIJÓN/XIXÓN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (FICX) aims to showcase a wide and varied selection of auteur cinema currently being produced worldwide and especially focused on innovative films and emerging filmmakers. High quality, personal, young in its shape, edgy and independent cinema at a creative level. During its selection process, the Festival will prioritise those works of interest that have their World, International, European or Spanish premiere at FICX as well as those that do not have commercial distribution agreements in the Spanish territory.
Acknowledged as “Specialized Festival” by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers Association)
The Sogamoso Independent Film Festival - FECISO has established itself as a vital space for the exhibition and promotion of Colombian cinema in Boyacá, highlighting the diversity and richness of the country's audiovisual narratives. It has also stood out for being a regional window for the circulation of international cinema in Colombia. In 2025, the Festival will hold its ninth edition from November 1 to 7 in the municipalities of Sogamoso, Nobsa and Tibasosa, province of Sugamuxi, Boyacá.
FECISO begins the search for short and feature films that reflect the social, cultural and political realities of Colombia and the world. The curatorial line is focused on highlighting works that address issues such as the environment, violence, armed conflict and the cultural diversity of the territories.
CutreCon, Madrid International Cutre Film Festival.
The worst movies in the world on the big screen, where nonsense and bad taste are the protagonists.
Fringe Flicks is PVTV’s underground short film night in Liverpool, built for filmmakers and audiences who like cinema with edges: strange, playful, unsettling, excessive, formally adventurous or impossible to categorise.
For Season 5, we’re looking for short films that don’t quite behave: surreal comedies, strange dramas, experimental videos, animated nightmares, political satire, odd little micro-shorts, polished provocations, awkward miracles and anything else that feels too weird, funny, furious or alive to sit comfortably in the mainstream.
Selected films will screen across three Fringe Flicks events in Liverpool in 2027, with each programme curated as a live, communal cinema night rather than a generic festival block. We care less about industry polish than whether the film has a distinctive voice, image, rhythm, atmosphere, idea or point of view.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
We welcome short films, experimental videos, animations, artist moving image, hybrid work and anything that sits awkwardly between categories.
We’re especially interested in:
- experimental cinema
- surreal, absurdist, anarchic, and dreamlike shorts
- political and social satire, especially work that punches up
- films with cult energy
- formally inventive filmmaking, whether polished, rough, digital, analogue, animated or live action
- films that challenge norms, twist expectations or refuse to behave properly
- distinctive micro-shorts with a strong idea, image, joke, rhythm or atmosphere
Your film does not need to look a particular way. It can be polished, rough, funny, angry, quiet, maximalist, tiny, beautiful, grotesque or completely wrong. We’re looking for work with something distinctive about it: a strange idea, a sharp joke, a memorable image, an unusual structure, a strong atmosphere, a specific voice, or just that hard-to-define quality that makes a film stick in your head.
WHY SUBMIT TO FRINGE FLICKS?
Fringe Flicks champions short films that don’t fit neatly into the mainstream festival mould. We screen to real, engaged audiences in Liverpool, in a social, low-pressure setting designed for people who actually want to encounter strange cinema together.
Each event is carefully curated rather than treated as a random block of shorts. We think about rhythm, tone, atmosphere and how films speak to each other across the night. The screenings are friendly, informal and audience-facing, with space for conversation, drinks, voting and creative exchange.
We’re interested in filmmakers working in their own way, whether that means polished production, DIY methods, experimental process, strange comedy, animation, video art, genre mutation or something harder to name. Fringe Flicks is a home for cinema that bites, glitches, mutates, provokes, confuses, amuses or delights.
WHO CAN SUBMIT?
We welcome submissions from filmmakers anywhere in the world, regardless of background, training, budget or career stage.
Most of all, we’re looking for imaginative work told in distinctive ways. Tell the stories you want to tell, in the way only you can.
For Season 5, we also offer free submission routes for:
- filmmakers based in Merseyside
- under-represented filmmakers based in North West England or North Wales
These free routes are intended to help reduce barriers for filmmakers who may not have easy access to festival submission budgets, industry networks or formal film opportunities. Our general fees are also kept deliberately low so the callout remains accessible to DIY, emerging, low-budget and self-funded filmmakers.
SCREENING DETAILS
Selected films will screen as part of Fringe Flicks: Season 5, across three live screening events in Liverpool in 2027.
Current planned season dates:
- 12 February 2027
- 21 May 2027
- 8 October 2027
Each event will include a curated short film programme, an interval, refreshments and a relaxed community atmosphere. Our screenings are pay-what-you-can, not-for-profit events, with audience voting and space for people to talk, meet and share thoughts after the films.
Screenings take place at DoES Liverpool.
HOW TO SUBMIT
Submissions are open exclusively through FilmFreeway and Festhome.
For questions, please email:
peopleversustv@gmail.com
You can also find more information about Fringe Flicks here:
https://www.peopleversus.tv/fringe-flicks
Busan Inter-City Film Festival started from the 1st UNESCO Busan City Film Festival in 2017, and it introduces local films from domestic and international cities in exchange with the Busan Independent Film Association, as well as films from UNESCO-designated Film Creative Cities. Witness the vibrancy of local films and encounter films from various unique cities worldwide. Under the name of film, it will serve as an opportunity to share warmth of friendship beyond cultures, languages, customs, and religions, expanding the scope of creative networks.
Call for Submissions(google forms)
https://forms.gle/8c37Aat1cBmxteai6
The Xilitla Film Fest aims to promote and showcase national and international cinema in all its expressions, genres, and contemporary formats.
Mexico’s most surreal destination proudly presents the fourth edition of its International Film Festival: Xilitla Film Fest 2026.
Located in the magical town of Xilitla, in the heart of the Sierra Gorda region of San Luis Potosí, surrounded by lush tropical landscapes and dreamlike scenery, this place captivated English artist and patron Edward James, who built here his legendary surrealist garden — a monument to boundless imagination.
In 2026, the festival will once again celebrate cinematic diversity through a wide range of genres, narratives, and audiovisual proposals, including documentary, fiction, fantasy, horror, magical realism, science fiction, erotic cinema, dance film, musical cinema, animation, experimental film, and new storytelling formats developed through artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
The festival is organized by Centro James, Cervecería James, and the Edward James Museum, with the support of Centro de las Artes de San Luis Potosí, the Municipality of Xilitla, and the Tourism Department of the State of San Luis Potosí.
Festival activities will include:
Official competition and showcase screenings
Tributes and retrospectives
Professional training workshops
Conferences and filmmaker talks
Interdisciplinary and holistic activities
Spaces for dialogue between art, nature, and contemporary cinema
The call for entries will remain open from May 12 to July 31, 2026.
The festival will take place from December 2 to 6, 2026, featuring two main sections: Official Showcase and International Competition, alongside academic and industry activities focused on strengthening independent cinema and emerging filmmakers worldwide.
New York Arts & Entertainment Film Festival (formerly NYC Popup Film Festival) celebrates quality independent films. Our goal is to bring quality short films to an audience and offer independent filmmakers a place to showcase their work. We also work to create network opportunities for future work to be created.
Short films of all genres are considered for Festival Screening.
The Ayerbe Film Festival Association launches this second stage of the "Villa de Ayerbe International Short Film Festival".
Since the 19th edition, with new members in the organization, we want to give a great boost to the festival. In addition to the international competition, we have created a new section dedicated to Science and Research to give greater visibility to the event and from this edition onwards, the awards are now called "CAJAL Awards".
We want to continue with the idea of collaboration with neighboring towns.
This collaboration is carried out in this way: All the selected short films may be screened locally collaborator simultaneously with the development of the Festival and their votes will serve to award the public prize.
Considering the need to promote the city of São Paulo as a space dedicated to fantasy, science fiction and horror, the Festival Boca do Inferno (FBI) comes up with the proposal to exhibit short/feature films, as well as the possibility to present lectures, discussion tables, workshops, exhibition of products of the genre, book launch and musical presentations.
Otras Miradas, was born with the commitment to be a screen that makes social reality visible.
Likewise, we support the different social groups, so that they show their audiovisual works and in this way their projects can be known by the general public.
In addition, we believe in cinema as an educational tool to raise awareness about current social realities, reflected in the works presented to Otras Miradas.
Open call for filmmakers!
Be part of the 5th edition of Breaking Walls Dance Films and submit your film now.
Breaking Walls Dance Films (BWDF) is the first Dance Film Festival in Egypt and the Region.
BWDF is an international event showcasing the best in dance film from around the world, which will take place in Cairo, in January 2026. We will host a special program of dance films alongside the festival's various programs of workshops and live performances.
Knowing that the application will be no later than November 15, 2025.
ON THE SIDELINES OF THE FESTIVAL:
- We welcome documentaries and feature films to be shown on the sidelines of the festival, provided that these films are dance-related.
- If the film includes non-English narration, English subtitles are required. English subtitles are required for all films.
Sex Education Film Festival has been created in a time of controversy, which has seen society as a whole debate whether or not schools should receive sex education. Our main goal is to educate and highlight the importance of sex as a part of health education while showcasing how vital it is for young people's development, learning, and overall well-being. The Sex Education Film Festival launches its first edition in February 2021 and is made up of a team of qualified professionals from education, communication, and audiovisuals. We believe this expertise will not only widen the audience’s knowledge and learnings regarding sex education but will also work to make the festival a success.
The Esseoesse Cultural Association announces the competition "CortoDino Film Festival Dino De Laurentiis 2025 - XV Edition", a competition that stems from desire to remember and celebrate, in his native land and in commemorative and propositive terms, the figure and work of Dino De Laurentis. The Metropolitan city of Naples, Vesuvian areas, “Giorgio De Chirico’s Secondary School of Art and Communication”, the others secondary schools of the area and the main cultural associations of the Vesuvian and Campanian areas will collaborate in the event.
So, the main aim of the initiative is to create an opportunity for meeting, confrontation and knowledge of young filmmakers who enter the cinematographic sector, in which the influence left by the illustrious “Torrese” has certainly been significant, promoting cinematographic culture through the inclusion of disadvantaged people and the research and promotion of works by talents from Campania, and also national and international.
The presence of the world of solidarity, cultural associations and of school is the clearest sign of the purpose of connecting in particular with the world of young people.
Cortodino Film Festival XV edition will take place in september-November 2025. Cities, places and days of the event will be subsequently communicated.
