Oberhausen International Short Film Festival
Oberhausen, Germany / April 30-May 3 online, May 4-9 in person / A
Oberhausen International Short Film Festival
This German festival, which starts later this month, isn’t easy to get into. But it does everything right if you do. The prizes are very generous, distributors turn out in force, it helps with travel expenses, and filmmakers receive lodging and meal vouchers for the duration of their visit. The festival strives to create an atmosphere where filmmakers and industry representatives can meet easily, and there’s a strong emphasis on discovering and encouraging experimental shorts from all over the world. “It was a transforming experience for me, which allowed me to meet a lot of interesting people and see remarkable films,” says Elogio da Sombra director Joel Pizzini Filho. “Long live the Oberhausen Film Festival!” The festival hasn’t been able to play in cinemas since 2019, and is eager to return. The city’s industrial history is encompassed by its striking 400-foot-high decommissioned Gasometer, which now hosts art and science exhibitions and is known for its echo.
Entry Fee: No entry fee for the first five works by one submitter. For additional films, about $22 each
Out on Film, Atlanta’s LGBTQ Film Festival
Out on Film, Atlanta’s LGBTQ Film Festival
Atlanta, Georgia / September 22 – October 2 / A
Out on Film is welcoming in every sense: The ratio of submitted to accepted films is great for filmmakers, and those who are accepted receive airfare, lodging and transportation. This year it will again use Eventive to allow streaming for those who can’t enjoy the delightful in-person experience, and Out on Film also hosts year-round filmmaker Zoom chats on its YouTube channel so the learning and camaraderie don’t end when the physical festival does. It is also offering a screenwriting competition for the first time this year. The winner of the short film screenplay contest will receive $250, the winner of the narrative feature contest will receive $500, and, more importantly, both will receive staged readings at the festival. “The team at Out on Film consistently present one of the best festivals across the Southeast,” says Pageant Material director Jono Mitchell, who praises the festival’s “clear communication” and “hospitable, fun environment to showcase your work.”
Entry Fee: $25-30
Portland, Oregon / October 12-22
“You can throw axes, get a tour of the world’s largest book store or learn about writing TV scripts and more,” says festival executive director Joshua Leake, who is constantly iterating on new ways to make Portland even more fun. (He had us at “throw axes,” but Powell’s Books is pretty wonderful, too.) This festival is also great in terms of press exposure and devoted audiences, and a close relationship with Comcast means it also has its own on-demand channel with films, TV shows, and workshops, accessible to millions. In addition to helping as much as it can with airfare and lodging, the festival provides plenty of food, including breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner, and drinks. (But leave room for Portland’s exquisite culinary scene.) All the good times are in service to the festival’s strongly held belief that, as Leake eloquently puts it: “Independent voices are more vital to our culture and more in need of support than ever before.” To that end, it accepted most of its films from submissions, and programmed another bloc focused on filmmakers with disabilities.
Entry Fee: $35-80
San Luis Obispo International Film Festival
San Luis Obispo, California / April 26-May 1
If you’re anywhere near Central California, take note: This fest is a week away. Meital Cohen Navarro, one of the winners of last year’s festival for her narrative short “Over My Dead Body,” praises SLO for making filmmakers feel “connected and cherished.” The small team at SLO prides itself on championing independent filmmakers and using the power of film to make people think about ways to improve the world — and to act. There’s a strong emphasis on social and environmental issues, and the beauty of the surroundings makes you realize how much is at stake. Additionally, the ratio of submissions to accepted films is relatively favorable to filmmakers, the festival is great at attracting press and distributors, and it’s set in one of the most tranquil and hospitable regions on the West Coast.
Entry Fee: $30-60
Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Santa Barbara, California / Early 2023 / A
One of the soothes for L.A.’s occasional stress and constant traffic is that the paradisiacal Santa Barbara is just a couple of hours away. More than 60 distributors and plenty of A-listers make the trip up the coast each year for this star-studded festival — this year’s honorees included Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, Kristen Stewart, Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis and Benedict Cumberbatch — but Santa Barbara makes a point of discovering smaller films as well. Recent gems include the indie-rock coming-of-age film Coast, shot in nearby Santa Maria, and the festival has a soft spot for environmental films, given the natural beauty all around. It hosts top-notch get-togethers for attendees, as well as daily filmmaker panels that are free to the public. This year’s festival, which was held in March, was no exception. Managing director Sean Pratt notes that Santa Barbara is a “true cinephile community” where “everyone feels at home” — because who wouldn’t feel at home in a breezy, sunny, perfect Mediterranean climate surrounded by happy people?
Entry Fee: $35-100
Savannah, Georgia / October 22-29
SCAD Savannah Film Festival
A sense of youthful optimism pervades at this charming festival in a place of stately beauty. A-list moviemakers give candid talks and presentations, mixing it up with SCAD students who may well be joining them on set in just a few years. It’s tempting to say the students’ love of film fuels the community’s, but Savannah is pretty film-obsessed to begin with — it’s home to dreamy movie palaces like the gorgeous Trustees Theater and Lucas Theatre for the Arts, as well as the location for — sorry for the pun — scads of theatrical releases and prestige television shows, such as Barry Jenkins’ stunning The Underground Railroad. The festival is very generous in providing airfare and transportation for accepted filmmakers, and major distributors like Netflix, Warner Bros., Neon and Focus tend to turn up, looking for the next big thing. Last year’s festival featured top-tier films like Red Rocket, The Power of the Dog and Encanto. The festival has also been known to offer up complimentary Southern cooking to festival guests that might be good enough to keep them from exploring the stupendous local culinary scene.
Entry Fee: $0-60
Park City, Utah / January 2023 / A
Slamdance has always focused on making the festival experience feel year-round, and that’s especially true with its launch this year of SlamdaneChannel.com, an algorithm-free streaming service that offers more than 40 independent films — and kicked off by showing the lineup of the virtual 2022 Slamdance Film Festival. Slamdance films always get press and industry attention, in large part because of the festival’s role in the breakthroughs of filmmakers like Bong Joon Ho, Christopher Nolan, Anthony and Joe Russo and Lena Dunham. Its popularity makes it a very difficult festival to get your film into, but be brave: The meticulous Slamdance programming team aggressively avoids safe and cookie-cutter films in favor of the bold, DIY and experimental. Some of the most celebrated Slamdance films cost next to nothing to make. The Russos are behind the festival’s biggest cash prize, the AGBO Fellowship, which includes an office at their Los Angeles-based studio, mentoring from Anthony and Joe Russo, and a cash stipend for one year. This year’s winner was Ethan Eng, director of Therapy Dogs, a movie he secretly shot at his suburban Toronto high school by blending staged and real events so skillfully that it’s impossible to tell what is real and what just feels real. A very Slamdance film, in other words.
Entry Fee: $40-$110
Wichita, Kansas / September 28–October 2
Executive director Melanie Addington takes care to make “everyone feel like a VIP” at this Midwestern treasure. Awards and prizes include the Stubbornly Independent Award, which includes $5,000 and a one-of-a-kind Tallgrass tap handle — you’ll have to decide which is more valuable. There’s also a $5,000 award for Female Filmmaker Spotlight, and the Gordon Parks Award for Black Excellence in Filmmaking includes not only $5,000 but a $15,000-value Panavision camera rental. Tallgrass holds panels and workshops galore, as well as a bus tour of Wichita for filmmaker guests. Tallgrass is very generous with airfare and lodging — among other perks. ”They take great care of you,” says One Pint at a Time filmmaker Aaron Hose. “From travel to accommodations, local transportation, parties, private bus tours, free professional headshots, killer swag bags, and all-day VIP and hospitality rooms jam-packed with endless food and beverage… They make it easy for you to mingle and meet new people. Tallgrass is truly one of the best events on the circuit!” This year’s festival is scheduled to be both in-person and online, via Eventive.
Entry Fee: $0-100
Vancouver International Film Festival
Vancouver, British Columbia / September 29-October 9
Vancouver International Film Festival
This festival makes filmmakers “non-stop happy,” in the words of José Luis Isoard Arrubarrena, whose acclaimed film Father Pablo played at Vancouver last year. This very selective festival is known for attention to detail and taking good care of filmmakers in every regard, including press exposure and networking opportunities, and very impressive prizes including the $15,000 that accompanies the Best Canadian Film award, presented by the Directors Guild of Canada. Vancouver also boasts excellent premieres, like the Canadian debut of Red Rocket. Vancouver has always been one of the cities the American and international movie industries love most, and VIFF is a friendly ambassador of film and film culture. “We celebrate the artists responsible for incisive, eloquent, inventive, and engaged cinema through pristine presentation, dialogue about the work, and unique opportunities to meet international colleagues,” says associate director of programming Curtis Woloschuk.
Entry Fee: $20-70
Warsaw International Film Festival
Warsaw, Poland / October 14-23 / A
Warsaw Film Festival
Warsaw hopes to not have a virtual component this year, and that the pandemic will have dwindled enough for everyone to watch films in theaters — together. This festival isn’t easy to get into, but earns high marks for top-notch events, access to exhibitors, hosting more than 100 Q&As, and the Warsaw Grand Prix award, totaling roughly $20,000. What it does best, however, is unite people. “We create an environment for peaceful coexistence and friendship for people who come from countries that are political enemies,” says festival director Stefan Laudyn. “We could have guests from Israel and Arab countries, Iran and U.S.A., Russia and Ukraine — staying in perfect harmony. There are no VIP zones, protective fences or bodyguards. Every audience member can personally meet any guest. Friendships are forged. Visiting filmmakers become ambassadors of our festival, our town, and our country.” One filmmaker at last year’s festival was Ukrainian director and activist Oleg Sentsov, who was arrested in Crimea in May 2014 after the Russian annexation of the region, and sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges that Amnesty International and others called fabricated. He was released in a prisoner swap in 2019 after filmmakers, among many others, called for his freedom. He continues to fight for Ukraine, freedom of speech, and the release of other political prisoners.
Entry fee: $17-57
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada / November 30-December 4
Whistler’s prize package is well over $200,000, a figure as impressive as the altitude of the two peaks soaring over the ski chalet town that hosts the festival. The location is both stunning and cozy, which is part of the allure for the more than 50 distributors who trekked to Whistler this year, no doubt eager to mix business with the pleasures of the slopes. “Our location in one of the world’s top ski destinations provides an intimate setting for people to connect, make deals, and celebrate film,” says executive director Angela Heck. Where else can you sell your film while riding a 1,427-foot-high gondola that looks out over rainforests, volcanic peaks and ancient glaciers? On the ground you can also enjoy 36 industry and filmmaker panels, masterclasses and workshops at the Content Summit. No pun intended.
Entry Fee: $10-100
Main image: Designed by Ryan Ward / Shutterstock
Share:
