FIN Atlantic International Film Festival
Halifax, Canada / Sept. 15-22
FIN program manager Alex Brundige notes that the “melding of global and local” makes the festival truly unique. It is known for great taste in films from around the globe — it was one of the first festivals to screen such acclaimed recent motion pictures as Room, Moonlight, Free Solo, Parasite, Titane and The Worst Person in the World — and for helping to discover Canadian films like Black Cop, Murmur and Wildhood. It has a reasonably enticing submission-to-acceptance ratio, solid opportunities to earn press coverage and distribution, and a drop-dead gorgeous location. It also offers a screenwriting competition, specific to Atlantic Canada. The festival plans to continue a blend of in-person and online screenings and events using its own FIN Stream initiative, powered by CineSend.
Entry Fee: $35-65
Sanford, Florida / April 8-17 / A
Florida Film Festival
Based at the heart-stoppingly adorable Enzian Theater just outside Orlando, surrounded by intoxicating greenery, this festival distinguishes itself with a laid-back approach that draws back countless filmmakers, year after year, who understand that not everyone works best under pressure. It makes things even more inviting by generously helping with airfare and accommodations, and saintly volunteers are available to take filmmakers back and forth to venues. With an emphasis on discovery and breakthroughs, it welcomed films from more than 30 countries last year. Its juries are always well-stocked with industry and national press, and it draws top distributors like IFC Films and Magnolia. The festival decided to go hybrid this year with Eventive, and ambitiously expanded its model to include New Media/Web content and Virtual Reality. “All festivals celebrate cinema, but FFF celebrates the people that make it,” says programming coordinator Tim Anderson. Again, given our print schedule, this sunkissed festival may be over for this year by the time you read this.
Entry Fee: $20-100
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
Durham, North Carolina / 2023 / A
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
“The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is a vital, vibrant, essential institution in the American cultural and artistic landscape,” says documentarian R.J. Cutler, whose recent films include Belushi and The World According to Dick Cheney. “It is not only the most important festival of its kind — it is, in fact, the only festival of its kind.” Full Frame programs its entire festival through submissions, and chooses wisely: Among recent premieres was “Three Songs for Benazir,” which received Academy Award qualifying status after winning the Short Documentary jury award. It went on to be nominated for an Oscar in the Documentary Short Subject category. Besides offering nearly $50,000 in prizes, the festival draws top distributors like ESPN, Netflix, A&E IndieFilms and Showtime Documentary Films. What Full Frame does best is “Southern hospitality and uplifting filmmakers and their work in a way that inspires conversation and connection,” says Emily Foster, its associate interim festival director and marketing director. “Great conversation and dialogue are a cornerstone of the Full Frame experience, even in the virtual landscape.” This year’s event ended a few days ago, awarding its Grand Jury Prize to Reid Davenport’s I Didn’t See You There. But Full Frame plans to return in-person next year.
Entry Fee: $45-65
Galway, Ireland / July 5-10 / A
“We pride ourselves on being intimate and informal,” says programme director William Fitzgerald. “Galway is a small, bohemian city that does not like to put on airs.” If you want red carpets, this is not the festival for you. But it’s heaven on earth if you like pubs, good coffee, walks along the beach or the rippling River Corrib, and an open-hearted embrace of cinema. If you’ve pictured Ireland but never been, you’re probably imagining somewhere like Galway – a cheery, very green, occasionally damp and endlessly charming town filled with music and life. Everyone mingles at The Rowing Club, the festival’s waterfront social club where moviemakers and audiences alike gather at the end of each day’s screenings. The festival also holds down-to-business masterclasses, the Galway Film Fair marketplace, and a script pitching competition that can lead to options, mentoring or funding to develop the script. The event also draws roughly 60 distributors or sales agents.
Entry Fee: $28-57
Hamptons International Film Festival
East Hampton and Sag Harbor, New York / October 7-16 / A
HIFF celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, making the Hamptons even more of a destination than usual. Dubbed “Telluride East,” by Variety, the festival is known for welcoming rising filmmakers into its elite circle while skillfully choosing Oscar winners: 2021 marked the 11th time in a row that a film that screened at the festival won Best Picture. The festival’s stellar reputation, to say nothing of its location, draws A-list attendees, as well as distributors, executives, and press galore. Its beloved “A Conversation With…” series has welcomed Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese, among other cinematic legends. HIFF is generous with airfare, lodging and transportation, and its prizes include cash and in-kind goods and services worth more than $130,000. Do we have to tell you that the Hamptons is a good place for networking? “I honestly can’t say enough about HIFF,” says Rashan Castro, whose short “The United States of Paranoia or: How I Stayed on the Line to Repair My Air Conditioner,” played at the festival in 2019. “Had a great lunch with the programmer of my section. I met and remain good friends with a few of the filmmakers I met during one of the parties. And hospitality was truly exceptional all around. Hope to make another film soon and I hope I’m able to play there again sometime in the future.” HIFF has also offered a screenwriting lab for 22 years.
Entry Fee: $30-95
Heartland International Film Festival / Indy Shorts International Film Festival
Indianapolis, Indiana / Heartland: October 6-16; Indy Shorts: July 19-24 / A
Heartland just celebrated its 30th year with a festival that proudly displayed its many attractions, including generous cash prizes totalling more than $60,000, and early screenings of such acclaimed films as Spencer, King Richard, Belfast and The French Dispatch. It’s a magnificent festival for networking and meeting distributors, as Krimes director Alysa Nahmias can attest — Sheila Nevins and her team at MTV Documentary Films acquired the documentary out of Heartland.
Nahmias says her success is “evidence that regional film festival premieres are a viable strategy for filmmakers. The more creative buyers in the film industry are searching off the beaten path, particularly as festivals have gone hybrid with in-person screenings and online access.”
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The Indy Shorts International Film Festival, also put on by Heartland, offers up to $30,000 in prizes and fantastic exposure. “Mother” director Hong Ejun calls it simply “the best festival in the world,” praising its organization, communication, and warmth: “They gave me, a young filmmaker, a lesson that if I can dream it and work hard for it with my passion, I can actually achieve it.”
Entry Fee: Heartland: $0-105;
Indy Shorts: 0-$85
Hollywood, California / August 11-20 / A
“We take pride in being a place of discovery and spotlight on the best short filmmakers in the world for a high-level industry audience,” says festival co-founder Daniel Sol. Hollyshorts’ location in the heart of Hollywood makes it a magnet for distributors like Netflix, Lionsgate and Warner Media, seeking out potential Oscar nominees. (The Grand Prix Best Short, Best Live Action, and Best Animation categories are all Academy Awards qualifying.) “The Son, The Father” moviemaker Lukas Hassel says winning the Hollyshorts screenplay competition with the film was “one of my most career-boosting and rewarding experiences,” and notes that this early success helped him get the film made and eventually screened at the festival’s opening night. The prizes are significant as well, and include Panavision and BeCine camera packages worth $20,000 in combined value, and Film Augusta film tour prizes for the Best Drama and Comedy winners, worth $10,000. This year the festival plans to hold in-person events and screenings at the famed TCL Chinese Theatre, as well as screenings, panels, awards presentations and red carpets on bitpixtv.com.
Entry Fee: $40-80
Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival
Toronto, Canada / April 28-May 8 / A
Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival
Given its prestige, this top-tier festival has a surprisingly favorable entry-to-accepted ratio, so filmmakers may want to give it a close look. If you get in, Hot Docs means business: More than 200 decision-makers attended last year, increasing your chances of making a deal that could get your film widely seen. The prize packages are jaw-dropping, totaling nearly $200,000 in U.S. dollars. It’s a festival heavy on opportunity and light on flash. Asked what the fest does best, Hot Doc’s Britt Mumford simply explains: “We are dedicated to advancing and celebrating the art of documentary and creating production opportunities for documentary filmmakers.” It more than succeeds at both. Recent screenings included the widely celebrated films Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street and Summer of Soul. This year’s festival is just days away.
Entry Fee: $25-155
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
Hot Springs, Arkansas / Oct 7-15 / A
We could all use a soak in some thermal mineral waters, right? Every guest to Hot Springs receives free and unlimited access to one of downtown’s historic bathhouses, which means plenty of quality time to reflect on the terrific films you’ll see: Recently screened films include Citizen Ashe, Julia and The Rescue. When you’re feeling recharged, you can go out and mingle with the press, top distributors like HBO and Kino Lorber, and some of the most respected names in documentary filmmaking. Past attendees have included Werner Herzog, Nanfu Wang, Alex Gibney, Dawn Porter, Sam Pollard, and Kirsten Johnson. Last year’s guests included Tig Notaro, as well as Hot Springs native — and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences CEO — Dawn Hudson, who spoke about her career in a charming and candid fireside chat. Because Arkansas is known for its gems, winners receive one, mined right in the state.
“Above all, HSDFF is known for being FUN! If you ask anyone who has attended HSDFF, you will hear about our outstanding hospitality and parties as well as the legendary late-night ‘hot tub’ meetups,” says executive director Jennifer Gerber. This year’s event will be primarily focused on in-person events, but virtual aspects will be available to those who prefer to relax in the tub at home.
Entry Fee: $35-85
IndieLisboa International Film Festival
Lisbon, Portugal / April 28-May 8
Walkable, coastal and surprisingly affordable, Lisbon is one of the most beautiful and adored of European cities, and a perfect location for a film festival. IndieLisboa, starting later this month, embraces its position as a meeting place for filmmakers from around the world by welcoming 270 films, with an emphasis on discovering new talents and rediscovering those taken for granted. It’s far from the easiest festival to get your film into, but the rewards are so great it’s well worth a shot. IndieLisboa offers 19 awards and nearly $50,000 in prizes, up to 10 master classes, and nightly parties, as well as the Industry+Talks program to encourage discussions between filmmakers, distributors and other industry representatives. “The festival sections also comprise themed programs, shining a light on relevant affairs, aiming for a conceptually and geographically diverse selection,” notes festival representative Lucas Bicudo. This year’s event will be mostly in-person, though film sessions for schools will be available through the festival’s online hub at Filmchief.com, and directors talks will be available via podcast.
Entry Fee: $9-45
Continue for more of the 50 film festivals worth the entry fee in 2022
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