The Festival That Stole Christmas – December 13, 2025
Presented by the London Festival of Cinema in collaboration with the Northern Festival of Cinema
Our next event is a special one-day celebration of unity, storytelling, and festive spirit. The Festival That Stole Christmas brings together multiple film festivals across the UK to spotlight diverse voices and spread the magic of cinema during the holiday season. Held in London, this unique event blends the warmth of Christmas with the excitement of independent film, championing togetherness through powerful stories.
At the London Festival of Cinema, our ongoing mission is to champion the work of writers and filmmakers, and this goal has never felt as urgent as it does today. Our film competition has grown year after year, and so have our efforts to serve as an avenue into the ever-evolving entertainment industry.
Known as the “Filmmakers' Festival,” the London Festival of Cinema recognizes the importance of narrative at the core of filmmaking. By celebrating the work of storytellers—those committed to crafting intricate worlds, fully-formed characters, and diverse perspectives—LFOC bolsters its reputation as a champion for the creator.
4 REASONS TO SUBMIT TO THE LONDON FESTIVAL OF CINEMA:
THE SELECTION PROCESS
We take to heart the amount of work put into each film. By submitting your work to LFOC, you’re entering into a dynamic community where new visions and untapped talent can flourish. Beyond production value, budget, and stars, we value the power of a well-told story. The LFOC screening team comprises filmmakers, industry professionals, and staff members passionate about the art of filmmaking and the craft of storytelling.
THE NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
The festival is a hotspot for networking, with numerous opportunities to connect with key players in the film industry. Meet distributors, agents, producers, and fellow filmmakers in our movie theaters, conference halls, and social events. Many films find distribution deals, and important industry connections are made each year at our festival.
THE CITY
London is a vibrant hub for creativity, culture, and innovation. Known for its rich history, stunning architecture, and diverse cultural scene, the city provides an inspiring backdrop for our festival. From historic landmarks to trendy eateries, there's something for everyone in this cosmopolitan capital.
THE LFOC HUB
LFOC isn’t your average fest. Beyond the screenings, the festival is a thriving hub of filmmakers and supporters. Our parties are where relationships are forged, and subsequent projects are born. There's no hierarchy here—just passionate individuals coming together to celebrate the magic of cinema.
NOTE:
The notification date listed is the maximum date you’d be notified (December 2025), but in most cases, you'll receive a decision 1–2 business weeks after submission.
CFF is the first outdoors film festival of its kind in Lebanon. The festival, which was launched in 2009 by “Laboratoire D’art”, has become an annual short film event which celebrates and promotes local and international short films as an independent form of art in a non-competitive public event, away from competition, prizes and entrance fees.
At eighteen, Cabriolet reaches a moment of transition—a point where “DREAMS” are no longer distant ideas but real possibilities. Like anyone coming of age, the festival carries the desire to explore, the courage to imagine freely, and the honesty of facing the unknown.
Eighteen is the moment when dreams stop being whispered secrets and become declarations of identity. It is a time charged with energy, restlessness, and hope. A time when we question everything, chase what feels impossible, and begin to understand who we might become.
Cabriolet, now eighteen, is dreaming with open eyes:
dreaming of new voices, new visions, new horizons;
dreaming of films that challenge, provoke, comfort, and awaken;
dreaming of stories that connect us across skies, streets, and cultures.
As the festival steps into adulthood, its dreams are bolder, more vivid, and more urgent—shaped by the past yet reaching fearlessly toward the future.
With this theme, we invite filmmakers from around the world to share films that explore what it means to dream: to imagine, to desire, to question, to resist, to rebuild. Whether your dream is tender or turbulent, personal or universal, realistic or fantastical, we want to experience it through your lens.
Join us on June 5, 6, and 7, 2026, to showcase films that challenge, inspire, and empower.
Let’s celebrate the beauty of possibility and the freedom to follow one’s own vision.
Welcome to the Ottumwa International Film Festival, a vibrant celebration of cinema held at the stunning Bridge View Center theater on March 21 and 22, 2025. Over the course of two days, we will showcase an eclectic mix of short and feature films from a diverse array of categories, promising to captivate audiences with a rich tapestry of storytelling.
Our festival is dedicated to highlighting the creativity and passion of filmmakers from around the globe. We take pride in curating a program that includes thought-provoking dramas, riveting documentaries, heartwarming comedies, and groundbreaking animated films. Each screening offers a unique glimpse into different cultures, perspectives, and artistic visions.
In addition to the screenings, we will host engaging Q&A sessions with filmmakers, providing an intimate platform for attendees to delve deeper into the creative processes behind the films.
To honor the outstanding achievements in filmmaking, we will present awards in various categories, including Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Audience Choice, and more. These accolades celebrate the innovation, talent, and dedication that drive the art of cinema forward.
Join us at the Ottumwa International Film Festival for two unforgettable days of cinematic discovery and community. Whether you're a filmmaker, a film lover, or simply curious, we invite you to immerse yourself in the magic of the movies and the spirit of storytelling.
Welcome to New York True Venture Film Festival, an event dedicated to empowering independent filmmaking.
NYTVFF is an IMDb Award Listing Qualifier and a New York-based film festival that shares the dedication and passion for bringing independent short and full feature films to the big screen. We believe that by giving the opportunity to the new ideas of intelligent and unique creators, we would give the audience the chance to appreciate their art.
The New York True Venture Film Festival screening will be held from April 16th to April 18th, 2025, where the festival and the audience will screen award-winning films.
The Awards Ceremony will conclude on April 19th, 2025.
Please be advised that filmmakers who attend have priority in the film screening schedule. We are a screening festival and a filmmakers-supported festival. There are no free comps. Filmmakers attending will have a Q & A session after their screening.
This artistic-cultural mediation initiative seeks to bring cinema closer to people with a physical/ mental or neuro-atypical disability. As part of this festival, several documentary films (short and medium-length films) will be broadcast in connection with the experiences of these people.
El Grito is the first and only fantasy an horror film festival in Venezuela.
This event seeks to celebrate fear and showcase the narrative visions of both emerging and established filmmakers, whose stories reveal the darkest aspects of the human condition.
Over the past eight years, it has served as a disruptive platform in the country’s periphery—the state of Táchira—where filmmakers, producers, and fantasy film enthusiasts have come together to reflect, enjoy, and learn. El Grito is part of the Latin American Alliance of Fantasy Film Festivals (FANTLATAM), the Venezuelan Film Festival and Showcase Circuit (CIFEST), and the Ibero-American Network of Film Festivals (REDIBEROFEST).
We invite feature films and short films from around the world—spanning fantasy, horror, sci-fi, thriller, suspense, and related subgenres— in any narrative format (fiction, documentary, animation, or experimental) to participate in our 7th edition.
More info at: elgritoproduce.com/festival
FICSEM Festival, in the Mediterranean area.
For major reasons, and having been immersed in a situation in which we have all been affected, we have decided to adapt to the current situation, and give a new focus to our festival. Maintaining the enthusiasm and passion we feel for the artistic world.
Our festival is aimed at the dissemination and promotion of film authors related to topics of social and/or ecological value.
Because we believe in the power of art as a transformative medium, our contribution from this festival is to give visibility to projects that address environmental and social changes in which we are immersed. We are an international festival because we understand the world beyond barriers, and because we are moved by the need to get to know other cultures and share the best of ours, as it contributes to any improvement in any corner of the world.
The Mediterranean is the climate that surrounds us, and we feel identified with it. In terms of warmth, closeness and transparency. We are a festival that is starting strong, with a large number of committed artists who share our cause, and the desire to share.
And that is why we are not afraid to break the most classic festival patterns. So much so, that in the award for best actor and/or actress, the recognition of the award falls on their social and/or ecological work... And not only on their skills.
Despite having firm ideological foundations. We open ourselves to other artistic areas and initiatives.
The SunChild 14th International Environmental Festival (SunChild IEF) will take place in October 2026 in Armenia, screening a curated selection of outstanding environmental films from around the world. The 14th edition of the festival will be held in parallel with the UN Convention on Biological Diversity COP17, hosted by Armenia, creating a unique platform where culture, conservation, and global environmental dialogue intersect.
At a time when biodiversity loss has become one of the most urgent challenges facing humanity, SunChild IEF aims to bring stories of nature, species, ecosystems, and people to the forefront of public attention. Through film, discussion, and community engagement, the festival creates space to learn, connect, and imagine solutions for a more sustainable and biodiverse future.
Selected filmmakers and directors will be invited to Armenia to participate in screenings, discussions, and public events, fostering direct dialogue between filmmakers, experts, youth, and audiences during this globally significant moment for biodiversity conservation.
About the Festival
Founded by the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC), SunChild International Environmental Festival is the first and only environmental film festival in the South Caucasus. Over the past years, the festival has screened more than 780 films from over 150 countries, becoming a recognized platform for environmental storytelling and dialogue.
Beyond film screenings, SunChild IEF includes a wide range of activities such as workshops, conferences, exhibitions, public discussions, and creative events. The festival also travels to regions across Armenia throughout the year, actively engaging children and youth through educational screenings and community-based initiatives that encourage local action and creative responses to environmental challenges.
SunChild IEF aims to bring biodiversity, wildlife, ecosystems, and environmental responsibility into the center of public discourse, strengthening environmental awareness and participation at both local and international levels.
Theme of the 14th Edition: Biodiversity Conservation
The 14th edition of SunChild IEF is dedicated to biodiversity conservation, focusing on the protection of species, habitats, ecosystems, and the intricate relationships that sustain life on Earth. Films and events within the festival will explore biodiversity loss, human impacts on nature, conservation efforts, restoration initiatives, and pathways toward ecological resilience in Armenia, the South Caucasus region, and globally.
By highlighting both the challenges and solutions related to biodiversity conservation, the festival seeks to inspire responsibility, dialogue, and action among diverse audiences.
Film Categories:
• Feature-Length Environmental Films (Competition)
Documentary films addressing biodiversity conservation, environmental degradation, species protection, ecosystem restoration, and human–nature relationships.
Films released after March 2025 are eligible.
Duration: 45 minutes to 3 hours.
For longer films, please contact SunChild IEF.
• Short Environmental Films (Competition)
Short documentary or fictional films focusing on biodiversity-related themes, including conservation challenges, local and global environmental stories, and innovative solutions.
Films released after March 2025 are eligible.
Duration: 5–45 minutes.
• Youth Voices for Biodiversity – Documentary (Competition)
This category is dedicated to environmental documentaries created by young filmmakers. In line with UN standards, youth are defined as individuals aged 15–24.
At least one key creative role (director, co-director, or lead producer) must be held by a filmmaker within this age range. The category highlights youth perspectives on biodiversity conservation, environmental challenges, and solutions shaping the future.
Films released after March 2024 are eligible.
Duration: 5–120 minutes.
• John Burton Conservation Award
Named in honor of the late conservationist John Burton, this award recognizes outstanding films about individuals and initiatives dedicated to protecting nature and biodiversity worldwide.
The award celebrates strong directorial vision and impactful storytelling about conservation leaders and changemakers.
Films released after March 2025 are eligible.
• Non-Competition: Environmental Education & Awareness
This non-competitive program welcomes films that contribute to environmental education and public awareness on a broad range of ecological topics, including biodiversity, climate, wildlife, and sustainability.
Films of any genre released before March 2023 are eligible.
Duration: 5 minutes to 2 hours.
For shorter or longer films, please contact SunChild IEF.
The Western Film Festival had its name derived from The Great Western Trail Drive but it is not just a film festival for western films!
We accept and showcase film genres of all types from horror, comedy, time travel, animation, and yes, even westerns! We have custom prizes for the winners and goodie bags for all selected filmmakers who attend! If you come for The Western Film Festival at Jackalopes Golf and Games in Coleman, Texas you can also visit the many unique stores in town and eat at the finest establishments whenever your hunger hit!
Make sure you explore Coleman whenever you come to The Western Film Festival April 16, 17, & 18, 2026!
Around International Awards ✈ Barcelona ✈ Paris ✈ Amsterdam ✈ Berlin.
Annual Independent event with 4 major programs for all Features, Shorts, Documentaries, Experimental, Commercial, Music Video, Animations, Student Films, TV, Series, and New Media. The international community evaluates the all-genre creations to serve ARFF Official Laurels and to certify the awarded filmmakers at the end of the annual festival run. Thus, all the ARFF Finalists will be mentioned multiple times to have the best out of the entire year altogether. Submit today to participate in all 4 programs, regarding the unique system of ARFF International.
Submissions made via Festhome are getting evaluated and selected, directly for the yearly festival run and participating in the Official Certificate Program exclusively. Monthly selection is available on other associated platforms. Regarding the Unification Program of ARFF International, all 4 editions will gather at Amsterddam November/December 2024, till then Barcelona, Paris & Berlin editions will take place online.
See you Around & Fest Regards
Caostica International Short Film and Music Video Festival has been recognized by the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain as a qualifying festival in the short film categories for the Goya Awards.
Prizes: 6.500 euros (check the rules).
Caostica is an International Shortfilm an Music Video Festival that takes place in Bilbao (Basque Country) with these sections: Videozinema (Fiction Shortfilms), Animation and Videoclip (Music Video).
All prizes are given by a professional jury except of Bizarre Prize. The Caostica Association will award the Bizarre Prize to the participant whom best represents the fresh, innovative, quirky, irreverent, Martian, jokester, weird, risky, brave and daring spirit that characterizes this festival, regardless of the section in which he or she is registered. In addition to this the Festival will award other prizes such as: a prize to the best film in basque language (independently of the section in which its signed up); a prize to the best spanish shortfilm; a prize to the best work produced or co-produced in Latin America.
Welcome to the Synergia-Chetana Campus Film Festival
A vibrant two-day celebration of student filmmakers' creativity and vision. Organized by the Synergia Campus Youth Forum and Chetana Media Institute, the festival offers emerging storytellers the chance to showcase their work to an engaged community of cinephiles and cultural enthusiasts. Set in Thrissur, Kerala’s cultural capital, the festival features short fiction films competing for jury and cash awards, along with invited screenings of documentaries, animations, and experimental works. At Synergia, your films spark dialogue, inspiration, and connection.
This festival is not just about showcasing talent; it's about building a creative community. Join us for an unforgettable celebration of cinema, creativity, and cultural exchange!
Here’s what you can expect at the festival:
- Competition Section: A showcase of outstanding short fiction films by student filmmakers, with jury and cash awards recognizing excellence.
- Non-Competition Section: Invited screenings of documentaries, animations, and experimental short films, complementing the festival’s focus on creativity.
- Engaged Cinephile Community: An audience that values cinema as a medium for art, expression, and connection.
- Thrissur’s Cultural Energy: Ensures that every film finds a receptive and inspired audience.
About Synergia Campus Youth Forum --
The Synergia Campus Youth Forum is a collective born from the creative energy of students and faculty who came together to seek innovative ways of self-expression and social engagement.
Formed during the COVID-19 pandemic as a response to the isolation and challenges of locked-down life, the Forum has evolved into a vibrant community focused on using cinema and media to address pressing societal concerns.
The Forum’s journey began with Synergia '22, a two-day campus film festival that showcased student films, curated film packages, and cultural performances, laying the foundation for a tradition of celebrating young cinematic talent. Building on this success, the Forum has then initiated several impactful events including a two-day immersive residential film camp, and Campus-On-Reels Travelling Film Festival, which takes selected films from the festival to campuses across Kerala.
About Chetana Media Institute --
As one of the key patrons of the festival, Chetana Media Institute, Thrissur, stands apart as a premier center for media training and professional development. Established in 2002 under the aegis of CMI Devamatha Province, Chetana Media Institute has cultivated a reputation for delivering versatile and practical training in Digital Filmmaking, empowering students to Write, Shoot, and Edit cost-effective films for the digital age.
With a robust curriculum built on Instruction, Production, and Interaction, Chetana provides comprehensive, production-oriented media training designed to create industry-ready professionals. Over the years, it has trained 23 batches of diploma students and more than 100 batches of certificate course students, many of whom have found successful placements in the media industry in India and abroad.
From April 22 to 26, 2026, the 55th edition of the Sehsüchte International Student Film Festival, one of Europe's largest festivals for up-and-coming filmmakers, will take place in Potsdam. It offers up-and-coming filmmakers from all over the world a platform to present their work to a wide audience and build contacts in the industry. Started in the 1970s as a GDR film festival for young filmmakers, Sehsüchte has established itself over the decades as an internationally important film festival and has become an integral part of Berlin and Brandenburg's cultural landscape.
Sehsüchte sees itself as a place of encounter and creation, as an event of cultural diversity and a celebration of cinema, today and tomorrow. The organization and implementation of the festival is entirely in the hands of students from the Film University Babelsberg KONRAD WOLF. This enables a dynamic exchange between young talents, media makers and researchers.
Motto 2026: What's left?
The motto of the Sehsüchte film festival in 2026 is What's left?. In the 55th edition of Sehsüchte, we want to direct our view into the past, present, and future. What’s left? wants to know what remains — of our ideals, our home, our hopes and fears, and of a world we want to believe in. With What’s left?, we want to challenge the pessimism implied by the question: We want to recognize the potential for change, and develop future perspectives not in spite of, but because of the challenges of the present. What’s left? means taking responsibility, allowing ourselves to say goodbye, and finding the courage for new opportunities and collective visions —to achieve constructiveness beyond resignation.
What’s left? What’s left to hope for? What’s left to do?
Artistic and cinematic explorations, workshops, and discussion formats want to invite filmmakers and audiences alike to face the complexity of this world. Between upheaval and awakening, tradition and rebellion, grief and hope: in its 55th edition, Sehsüchte wants to create spaces in which filmmakers and audiences can encounter political and personal crises in order to find out what does remain.
Sections:
● Fiction Film
● Documentary Film
● Animated Film
● Experimental Film
● Focus: Social Impact - Storytelling and Producing
● Future: Kids
● Future: Teens
● Virtual Reality
● Music Video
● Schreibsüchte (Script)
● Schreibsüchte (Pitch)
● Retrospective
● Exhibition - Beyond the Screen
● Showcase
Ulsan Ulju Mountain Film Festival(UMFF) is the first international mountain film festival in South Korea, dedicated to presenting and promoting films & culture dealing with mountains, adventure, exploration, nature, and the environment. The festival also provides an opportunity for filmmakers and mountaineers to meet and exchange ideas through seminars, events, screenings, and social gatherings.
The 11th UMFF will be held in Ulsan & Ulju, South Korea in autumn, 2026.
The Claqueta Awards were born in 2011 to promote the efforts of new talents and students from film schools around the world, and to promote film culture in the city of Vilanova i la Geltrú (Barcelona).
It is a non-profit event that has the support of different public institutions, social entities and private sponsors.
The Claqueta awards, not only exhibit, also perform various events such as meetings with artists and students, academic conferences, debates, among others. It is an interesting way to approach and connect the works to the public.
The Claqueta Awards have been selecting the best cinema pieces around the world for 9 years to exhibit at the festival, promoting the development of cinema with a clear international character.
Issni N’Ourgh, meaning “Golden Crown”, is an Amazigh film festival founded in the city of Agadir. Now marking 19 years of existence, the festival has gradually established itself as a key platform for the promotion of Amazigh cinema. Once addressed mainly to Amazigh-speaking audiences, Amazigh films are today screened and recognized at numerous international film festivals worldwide.
For its third international edition this year, the festival embraces a truly global perspective by launching an international competition open to filmmakers from all continents and by welcoming films from the cinemas of peoples around the world. The selected films will be screened during the festival and evaluated by a jury composed of film professionals.
This year’s program highlights works that reflect the diversity of world cultures and the voices of different peoples, while addressing major contemporary challenges.
Through varied cinematic approaches, the selected films explore themes such as migration, globalization, environmental preservation, and the promotion of peace and tolerance.
Through FINIFA, Issni N’Ourgh aims to strengthen its position on the international film scene while actively promoting Amazigh culture worldwide. By celebrating cultural diversity, fostering dialogue between peoples, and upholding universal human values, the festival contributes to building a more open, inclusive, and tolerant world.
Top 100 best rated and reviewed in the world and IMDb listed - Global India International Film Festival
IMDb QUALIFYING: https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0008445
Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam!! Yes the whole world is a one family; From the Spiritual soil of India. From the bottom of the heart, we believe that the whole humanity is a one family and an every individual human being is a beautiful character or a player with a supreme god particle, who perform his or her great role on this global prosperous World Stage.
We really wish to share international thinking which is developed in the form of films with the society and the young generation of humanity. Every human being has a unique story to tell, but few from them are capable to express their own to the world. But the Filmmakers are the great storytellers and world wants to watch their stories through films or digital media. Because they channelize & nurture these stories through films and our motto is to spread these stories from all across the world to the masses and especially to the youngsters. Filmmakers from all across the globe are respectfully welcome to share and submit your beautiful films into the GIIFF.
We understand that you understand the realm of understanding and so you have created your wonderful films with your conscious understanding.
Connecting World with India through Audio-Visual.
Films are really a strong medium to share, yes to share, but what creates a filmmaker is a sense of what to share. Through vantage point we see that entertainment is just the medium to share realm of life with film lovers. If we penetrate the meaning of life sometime we feel that there is no such meaning or purpose to life, yes! Sometime, but we must have to give a great meaning or purpose to life to create it more beautiful for the whole world as a one family. for whole humanity or for our next generation.
We are really very small people; please understand what we want to say. But the task or mission which we want to empower is very big. One can understand it by the example of river. The beginning or origin of every river is so small but her consistency with selflessness leads her towards more hugeness.
THE BUDDHA International Film Festival's main objective is to provide the opportunity for filmmakers from all over the world to excel, and to have the best work selected and showcased in a celebration of cinema, as well as to give filmmakers a platform to network amongst fellow professionals and cinematic artists.
Buddha Fest / TBIFF is looking forward to fostering these relationships and to helping extraordinary filmmakers get their projects seen by global audiences. TBIFF unites cinematic, cultural, educational more over Inspirational objectives by presenting its film discoveries.
The TBIFF is dedicated to showcasing new and innovative films while fostering the next generation of filmmakers. It is a strong advocate for social change, and encourages cultural diversity and understanding between nations. It strives to foster the movie art of all continents by stimulating the development of quality cinema and promoting meetings between cinema professionals from around the world.
The BUDDHA International Film Festival is dedicated to showcasing the spirit, passion, and skill of the best new filmmakers from around the world for audiences around the world.
We are also including and actively supporting not only the finest examples of classic moviemaking, but works that are experimental, breaking ground in new non-narrative forms and crossing over into the video arts. All films will be reviewed as they are submitted, and the best in each category will be chosen to screen at the festival. A jury of industry professionals will then view the finalists and choose the winning selections.
Filmmakers planning on attending should notify the film festival as soon as possible, so their names may be listed in the scheduled program at the venue where their film will be shown.
