From April 23 to 27, 2025, the 54th 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 make 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: beyond
The motto of the Sehsüchte film festival in 2025 is beyond. The motto is intended to emphasize the diverse and profound aspects of the festival that go beyond the ordinary and connect both the past and the future of filmmaking. beyond embodies the idea of building a bridge between nostalgic elements and modern innovations.The focus is on the synergies that arise when different generations and perspectives, young filmmakers and industry experts, come into contact and learn from each other. beyond reflects the diversity of stories that are to be told at Sehsüchte. In an increasingly polarized social climate, we position ourselves as willing to listen to all voices and remain open. Regardless of origin, financial means, level of education, gender and our other differences, we want to offer everyone a chance for a platform. We want to think our festival beyond boxes, borders and barriers.With beyond, we invite our audience to broaden their own horizons and explore new ideas and concepts. The aim is to overcome cultural, geographical and ideological boundaries in order to create a platform for a diverse narrative.
Sections
● Fiction Film
● Documentary
● Engaged Film
● Focus: Animation
● Future: Kids
● Future: Teens
● Virtual Reality
● Exhibition - Beyond the Screen
● Schreibsüchte (Script)
● Retrospective
● Showcase
● Genre Film
TRAVEL FILM International Film Festival collects the best travel, outdoor, nature and adventure films from around the world, which were created both by professionals and by enthusiasts, and helps to get them across to the Russian speaking audience.
All best films will be shown on the big screen during the solemn final ceremony on February 15 - 16, 2025 in Moscow, Russia and will be able to struggle for the main prize and the title of the "Best travel film". As well as for the prizes in the standalone nominations.
POST MORTEM at its 12th . 2023 edition
is an international film festival based in Aguascalientes Mexico, every year we receive hundreds of film from all around the world, this year we will focus especially on short film as we believe that it is the explorer and creator of the new cinema paths that someday we will contemplate.
THE CATALONIA INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL FILM FESTIVAL has as his basic aims the dissemination and promotion of films that contribute to the knowledge of world cinema Social Film, on Human Rights and Civil Rights
Golden Apricot International Film Festival is one of the most important events of Yerevan's cultural life. Every year in July Golden Apricot brings to Armenia the best of the World's art house films.
The Cambodia International Film Festival (12th Edition in 2023) is the most significant and industry driven film event in the Kingdom of Cambodia and SE Asia. Every year, the event features prominent pictures and hosts guests from Cambodia and abroad.
CIFF focuses on inspiring audiences to the diversity of films, promote innovative international film making in various forms and present quality productions made in and about Cambodia by national and international filmmakers.
Since 2015, CIFF has a special selection of films on environment and climate action.
CIFF takes place in the best theaters of Phnom Penh (10 venues, 160+ screenings, 130+ films) and fully respects copyright.
The Sicilia Queer filmfest – International New Visions Festival is a project whose aim is to promote the cinematographic culture and the fight against social discrimination, and to protect and sustain the culture of diversity through the promotion of non-compliant movies, exploring horizons in search of a new perspective towards the cinema of the future. The festival intends to promote young actors, emerging and independent cinematography, new forms of expression connected to the experimentation and innovation of traditional and non-traditional languages.
Located in the beautiful Adirondacks of New York, Lake George is a place where people gather to enjoy great food, music, art, nature and culture. These are enjoyed through numerous festivals. This year we are proud to present Lake George's second annual film festival! We chose this town because of its unique atmosphere; During the day you can hike through the woods, walk along the shopping strip, listen to live music and enjoy the many beaches around the lake. There will be chances to meet the film makers from all around the world, to discuss their films through forums. In the evening you will be able to sit back and watch a grand compilation of local/national/international short films and features in our outdoor viewing area.
Fiver is an spanish platform for research, education, production and distribution of dance film and new media. Since 2012 we launch, among other actions, the FIVER Awards.
We are looking for all genre fiction, experimental, animation and documentary short films that explore the possibilities of the union between cinema and dance. We look forward for watching new collaborations between filmmakers and choreographers, crazy experiments that use the representation of the body on the screen and unique stories that work with movement to break narrative boundaries.
We invite you to submit your works, hoping to discover fresh and unique visions, the incorporation of new techniques, and moments that breathe life.
FRESCO: a New Formula of a Film Festival
Fresco is an international initiative that represents a thoroughly new format, distinct from the notions typical to the society. A festival that aims at the presentation of international spiritual works and cultural pieces combined with the organization of free and healthy social discussions concerning the issues raised by them.
Many festivals demonstrate films on global problems in the frameworks of their program. As a rule, after such films the audience needs to discuss and adopt what they have seen, however, the film remains the only source for an answer to the questions arisen. “FRESCO” film reviews come to fill in this gap.
FRESCO: an Informal Approach
"FRESCO" offers an informal approach to the participants of the film festival along all the stages of the festival starting from the film review up to the places the events are held, from the seat up to the prize.
The wonderful films, photo exhibitions, and shows brought to Armenia will go out from cinemas and literally “enter the streets”.
Round-the-clock open air demonstrations and film reviews “with no ticket” will literally become part of the Armenians’ everyday life 10 days on.
FRESCO Film-Program: Let’s Speak the Language of Humanism
The festival will contain both competitive and non-competitive programs. Fiction and documentary, full-length and short-length films and video materials of different formats, in which wars, violence, national, religious and any other types of discrimination, ecological disasters of human origin are denounced, and where peace, tolerance, humanism and global values are advocated.:
Cinema figures of worldwide fame and other guests corresponding to the subjects of the films shown, that is - church clerks, the intellectuals, musicians, psychologists, etc., will be invited to Armenia from different countries to participate in the festival.
About the Global problems in a Comprehensible/Simple Language
Not only the creators of the film strip will take part in the discussions following, but also church clerks, psychologists, and specialists directly concerning the issues arisen in the film and people responsible for the field. Any conceptual and technical detail concerning the film review is to contribute to the active and unconstrained participation in the discussions. The specialists will be part of the film watchers, professional orations will be replaced by unconstrained communication and active discussions. The films and direct communication with their creators will enable to “notice” the claimed issues in our country, observe them in the context of other countries’ experience, and the discussion with the people specialized and responsible for the field will become one of the most effective ways of developing versions for the solution to those issues.
FRESCO is Open to Anyone
The festival also gives a special importance to the employment of special social groups and especially individuals with limited abilities. Due to the cooperation with the institutes specialized in the field individuals with a disablement will not only participate in all the measures of the festival but also be actively involved in all the organizational works of "FRESCO".
The goals of the festival are:
- To promote the establishment of love, solidarity, and human values in the society with the help of spiritual and cultural dialogue,
- To spread international and religious tolerance,
- To create and promote the development of spiritual and moral films and to raise their social awareness as a social-cultural factor,
- To promote the communication among cultural representatives of different countries and the creation of the mutually beneficial field for their collaboration.
The European Fantastic Film Festival of Murcia SOMBRA is a project that aims to spread and serve as a reference to fantasy films produced in Europe, as well as support European, national and regional production of gender.
Attention to all film talents: From 21 November 2017 until 31 January 2018, filmmakers will have the chance to apply for the LET’S CEE Short Film Competition 2018. Not only are two main prizes waiting to be won, moreover, ten finalists will receive an invitation to participate in the second edition of the LET’S CEE Talent Academy in Vienna!
Between 21 November 2017 and 31 January 2018, filmmakers up to the age of 35 from Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus region, Turkey and Austria will have the possibility to submit their short films to the Short Film Competition of the LET’S CEE Film Festival 2018.
However, filmmakers of all ages and from all over the world are welcome as well to send in thematically fitting contributions. Due to the festival’s geographical focus on CEE though, these short films will not be included in the main Short Film Competition, but will very well have the chance to win the Audience Award in the Short Film category and be screened at the festival in the section Short Films | Out of Competition. We furthermore cordially encourage international makers of virtual reality films, 3D productions and avant-garde pieces to apply as we will be offering these genres a stage at our festival as well.
The theme of the Short Film Competition 2018 is TOGETHER OR APART.
Great Britain voted for the Brexit last year and in doing so decided against a EU membership; most recently thousands of Catalan people went to the streets demanding independence from Spain; under the presidency of Donald Trump, the USA is seeking to withdraw from the Paris climate protection agreement and renegotiate various other commercial treaties – these are only three of many examples demonstrating the recent shift of the political mood in numerous countries. A growing migratory pressure, an increasing gap between the rich and poor, as well as justified and unsubstantiated fears – of the consequences of digitalisation, of the loss of jobs and stability and of social change – have discredited globalisation and encouraged a comeback of nationalist and isolationist tendencies, which seemed utterly unfathomable only a few years ago. Even on a national scale, societal cohesion appears to be threatened more and more. How does the growing division of society influence both the community and individuals? Will political agitation, hatred, egotism and greed for profit become the new normal? Well, the situation is critical, but not hopeless, neither on an international nor a national level. There are still representatives of the civil society who make no effort to surrender to the threatening eroding solidarity. Fortunately, there are numerous instances proving how people still advocate for the poor and disadvantaged with great optimism, dedication and empathy – people who rather pay attention to what we have in common instead of what keeps us apart.
The competition’s theme, TOGETHER OR APART, may be manifested in the submitted material in various manners and methods. Interpersonal aspects, such as family and relationship dramas, trials and tribulations, moments of success and happiness or the joint overcoming of challenges can be taken into account just as well as social, political, juridical and/or cultural matters. In other words: everything is possible, as long as it touches on the topic and is done well!
An advisory board chaired by the renowned Austrian-Iranian filmmakers Arash T. Riahi and Arman T. Riahi will choose the best contributions from the submissions for the LET’S CEE Short Film Competition. The short films, which will be screened out of competition, will be selected by the Bosnian-Dutch producer Denis Mujović and festival director Magdalena Żelasko.
After the presentation of the participating productions at the festival, an international jury will decide on the winner of the competing short films and, thus, who will be awarded the main prize – 1,500 Euro and a Urania statuette – at the Awards Ceremony in the Urania Cinema on 20 April 2018. The remaining short films presented during the festival will have, without exception, the chance to win the 1,500 Euro Audience Award in the category Short Film.
All filmmakers who will take part in the main Short Film Competition will additionally profit from their participation. At the expense of the festival, one of the involved filmmakers of each short film will be invited as an official guest*) to Vienna in order to present their work. Those persons will, furthermore, have the opportunity to join the second edition of the LET’S CEE Talent Academy.
15 remaining free seats for the Talent Academy will be filled by Out-of-Competition filmmakers. The most important items on the one-week Academy agenda include the attendance of LET’S CEE Master Classes and LET’S CEE Industry Days, the collaborative finalisation of a short film about Vienna, and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pitch a film idea to Raindance film festival director Elliot Grove (and win big!) at the Pitching Competition. Of course, all invited filmmakers will enjoy several Get-togethers, where they can get in touch with successful distributors, directors, producers, actors etc., exchange experiences and new ideas and thus strive to new projects and international collaborations. In order to enable as many filmmakers as possible to visit LET’S CEE and present their work to the festival audience, all participants of the section ‘Short Films | Out of Competition’ will receive free festival accreditations and discounts for the official hotel partner on request.
Raindance Film Festival is the largest independent film festival in the UK. It is based in the heart of London’s buzzing West End film district.
Raindance Film Festival is officially recognised by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences USA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the British Independent Film Awards. Selected shorts will qualify for Oscar® and BAFTA considerations.
Festival Sections:
- World-renowned programme of the best UK and international independent films
- Masterclasses with special guests
- Raindance Forum and Marketplace – talks and panels
- Raindance Virtual and Augmented Reality Strand
- Raindance Web Fest
- Networking events
Each year, Raindance attracts dozens of thousands of visitors including hundrends of industry professionals into London. The 27th Raindance will take place 25 September – 6 October 2019 in central London.
More:
Amongst others, Raindance has hosted the UK premieres of What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Blair Witch Project, Dead Man’s Shoes, Memento, Humpday, Love Exposure, Ghost World, Capturing the Friedmans, Down Terrace, I Origins and Old Boy. Our programming receives plaudits from press and public alike.
Over the years, the festival has hosted such guests and filmmakers as Christopher Nolan, Shane Meadows, Ken Loach, Marky Ramone, Iggy Pop, Anton Corbijn, Quentin Tarantino, Faye Dunaway and Lou Reed. Over the last few years our international Jury has included Sean Bean, Imelda Staunton, Celia Imrie, Martin Freman, Ewen Bremner, Jason Flemyng, Andrew Scott, Tom Waits, Vicky McClure and Sheridan Smith among top UK industry guest jurors.
Raindance members can submit one short/music video or a feature at half price. If you are a member email festival@raindance.co.uk to receive your unique waiver code. Please include your membership number and expiry date. To join Raindance please go to: http://www.raindance.org/premium/
Submissions for the Raindance WebFest should go through https://festhome.com
The Festival de Cinema de Terror de Sabadell, celebrates the Sixth Edition of our Fiction Short Film Competition.
They have space for all the short films of Terror, Gore, Thriller, Fantastic, Science-Fiction, Dark Humor or Freak, in all their meanings and variants.
£2,500 in CASH PRIZES for the EMERGING TALENT from our sponsor Katie Partridge, CEO of the Saphira Group, to support a new generation of filmmakers/artists.
NEW RENAISSANCE LONDON #8
Apart from a high number of UK and International films, NRFF London has a category for EMERGING TALENT (debut or early stage filmmakers embarking on their careers in the film industry).
Previous winners and nominees have gone onto win major international prizes or have directed their first feature film.
ABOUT NEW RENAISSANCE LONDON
Our friendly and welcoming art-house festival based in London is genuinely passionate about promoting the highest calibre of independent cinema around today. New Renaissance has been described as “One of the UK’s top film festivals,” alongside Raindance and Aesthetica (London METRO, O1.08.16), appeared in reputable publications such as Vogue, GQ and iD magazine, and we are a registered IMDB film festival.
Filmmakers are a discerning audience and the 100+ five star reviews from filmmakers around the world is proof of our commitment and respect for the hard work and care that goes into making a film. Since 2021, we have been awarding cash prizes to support talented up-and-coming filmmakers we believe in thanks to a generous sponsor (see below).
SUCCESS STORIES
We have premiered and screened films that went on to win an Oscar (The Silent Child, 2017) or later received a major distribution deal (A Bird Flew, 2022; Avi, 2022; Roy, 2022; A Living Dog, 2021; Into The Mirror, 2019; You Go To My Head, 2019; and Phantompain, 2018) to name just a few.
Despite the festival's relatively small size, there are each year many gems to be found among the many short and feature films in the programme. Furthermore, many filmmakers and actors are traditionally present - and a lot of productive networking takes place.
OUR CURATION: ARTISTICALLY-DRIVEN FILMS, INSPIRING STORIES
Film is a unique medium, and NRFF’s mission is to support and champion inspiring, independent artists and storytellers. This includes experimental work, emotional drama, music, dance, and emerging talent (see below).
Our festival is built around ARTISTS and their STORIES. By doing so, we aim to establish an international COMMUNITY of inspiring storytellers. We are not interested in following current fashions or being politically divisive. We seek out stories that are genuinely imaginative, emotional and life-affirming. At the heart of what we do is our passion to tell great stories.
Curating a festival is never easy but we strive to put together a great programme each year in an environment that is warm, inclusive and truly dignified. You can visit last year's programme online at ww.nrff.co.uk to get a feel for the quality of curation we are known for.
NEW RENAISSANCE LONDON 2025
2025 will be our tenth year in London, a city known for its diversity and innovation in the creative arts. For 3 days in September, we will screen around 100 outstanding films in the heart of London. The programme will include narrative shorts, features, documentaries, animations, dance and music videos, a NETWORKING party and AWARDS CEREMONY.
Running alongside the festival will be a SCREENWRITING COMPETITION, a series of MASTERCLASSES by film industry experts, a filmmaker's PANEL DISCUSSION, Filmmaker Q&A's, and other networking opportunities.
EMERGING TALENT AWARDS
Apart from a high number of UK and International films, NRFF London has a category for EMERGING TALENT (debut or early stage filmmakers embarking on their careers in the film industry). Those selected can win CASH PRIZES. We found a sponsor for this in 2021 and are happy to announce that they continue supporting these cash prizes for emerging talent in 2025.
Please read our Rules & Terms before making your submission.
Key Dates:
Submissions for 2024 will be open. The festival will take place in October 2024, and all contestants will be notified at least 4-6 weeks prior to the event.
SUPPORTING THE INDEPENDENT FILM COMMUNITY
It is our passion to not only provide a stage for our filmmakers but also to strengthen the INDEPENDENT film community, by building an engaged audience through social media - especially Instagram and Facebook. We actively encourage directors, screenwriters, producers and actors to network during the festival and after the event. By doing so, new artistic collaborations have occurred.
NEW RENAISSANCE ALUMNI
Former New Renaissance attendees and or winners include: Oscar winning couple Chris Overton and Rachel Shenton (The Silent Child); Oscar winning actress Whoopi Goldberg (Palace); BAFTA and Emmy winning actress Anna Friel (The Sea); Great Expectations and Top Boy director Brady Hood (Sweet Maddie Stone); Oscar winning writer/director James Lucas (Paint The Dragon's Eyes); BAFTA winning actress Sophia Myles (All That Glitters); BAFTA winning actor George MacKay (Infinite); Ivor Novello winning musician Gary Kemp (InSolo); BAFTA winning and double Emmy nominated documentary director Zoe Dobson (The Cunning Man); BAFTA winning animator Catriona Black (You Are At The Bottom Of My Mind); Emmy winning actress Tatiana Mislany (Souls of Totality); Oscar nominated cinematographer Jarin Blaschke (A Million Eyes); BAFTA nominated director Shona Auerbach (Rudy); Actor Tom Cullen (Souls of Totality); BAFTA nominated actress Celine Buckens (Prangover); Silent Witness actress Emilia Fox (The Ghost); Chicago actor Darren Day (Rudy); Rag Doll actor Ali Cook (The Cunning Man); Olivier Award nominated actress Amy Lennox (Near); student Oscar winner Tristan Holmes (The Fragile King); and student Oscar winner Ariel Heller (Mammoth).
The festival’s mission is to spread the knowledge of film art, especially in the form of short films, in order to show the public all the different aspects of contemporary international cinema.
The Festival is held annually in April in San Sebastian. An appointment with quality cinema for all those sensitized to human rights.
Veterans Film Festival is dedicated to sharing stories that explore real or imagined perspectives, in and out of war.
The Veterans Film Festival (VFF) presents an annual program that showcases the human experience of our serving and ex serving personnel and their families. We also include stories about the influences, impact and the complex situations before, during and after war.
The Veterans’ Film Festival presents a unique annual festival program: feature films and short films, film competitions, spotlights and retrospectives, film and TV previews, special screenings, industry events, networking sessions, discussion panels and other events.
The festival embraces all genres, including:
Action, Adventure, Alternative, Animation, Art, Avantgarde, Biography, Classics, Comedy, Comedy Drama, Crime, Culture, Dance, Dark Comedy, Documentary, Family, Fantastic, Fantasy, Film Noir, Flash, Health, History, Horror, Human Rights, Independent, Kids, LGBTI, Live Action, Medical, Melodrama, Mockumentary, Music Video’s, Mystery, Nature, News, Parody, Postmodern, Realism, Reality, Religion, Road Trip, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Satire, Science Fiction, Silent movie, Social Issues, Spiritual, Surreal, Thriller, Transgender, Underground, Urban, War, Western… and more.
The Veterans Film Festival is curated by a not for profit creative enterprise that engages, entertains and educates audiences by showcasing films made by creatives of all ages, cultures and abilities around the world.
The Zanzibar International Film Festival is an esteemed annual event showcasing films from diverse regions, promoting cultural exchange and celebrating the vibrant art of filmmaking. Established in 1997, ZIFF continues to inspire and unite global audiences through the magic of cinema.
The Zanzibar International Film Festival 2024 is set to take place from 01st Aug to 04th Aug, 2024. ZIFF management would like to inform film professionals worldwide that the festival is currently accepting applications for all African films (including African Diaspora) and films from the Dhow Countries’ region- South East Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, The Persian Gulf, Iran, Pakistan, India and the Indian Ocean Islands from 06th April, 2024 till 05th May, 2024. Films must be have been produced after 2022. ZIFF reserves the right to accept any films with a specific interest to the festival.
This year ZIFF management extend special interest to Tv Drama Series from East African Countries (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia & Republic of the Congo) The Tv Drama series should be between 25 to 60 minutes in length per episode.
Films should preferably depict the Festival theme; Rejuvenation. Films reflecting the theme of global cultural interaction, cultural encounters or sociocultural commentary will be given priority. Films must have been completed no later than May 05th, 2024.
We will accept submissions of works in progress only after agreement with ZIFF management. The Submission Deadline is 05th May 2024. The festival reserves the right to also invite films for screening at ZIFF.
