Navigating Fall Festivals
On the International Circuit
In a post last week, I presented a number of fall festivals that take place in the US. I was thinking it would be helpful to add a handful of top international festivals to the mix.
As with the previous list, all of the events below maintain a solid reputation with filmmakers and industry professionals. And they all take place in destinations worth the travel.
San Sebastian International Film Festival September 22 - 30 (Spain)
Since its creation in 1953 it has established itself as one of the 14 "A" category competitive festivals accredited by the FIAPF. The majority of awards are determined by a jury, but an audience award is also given for the most popular film. The main awards are the Golden Shell and Silver Shell. Every year the festival honors one, two or three actors with the Donostia Lifetime Achievement Award. Major filmmakers have played the event, from Hitchcock to Almodovar.
BFI London Film Festival October 4 - 15 (London)
The BFI London Film Festival presents a selection of the best in world cinema, showing audiences a wide array of films, representing a variety of languages, genres and filmmaking styles.
The LFF showcases exceptional British filmmaking alongside international work, and the program spans features, shorts, fiction, documentary, artists’ moving image, restorations, animation and films for families, alongside titles destined for awards-season glory.
Seeking films for selection, our programmers view films at other festivals, follow alumni filmmakers’ work, and research films in production from UK distributors and international partners, actively tracking new work from different territories.
International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) November 8-19 (Netherlands)
IDFA is the leading festival for the art of documentary film and new media. Every November, the festival presents a trend-setting program of 250 selected titles in six competitions, several thematic sections, a physical exhibition, and a range of live performances. The twelve-day event annually welcomes some 295,000 visits, 3,000 professionals, and 40,000 students to Amsterdam, making it the largest and most influential documentary film festival in the world. Submit through their website.
Cork International Film Festival November 9 - 19 (Ireland)
Cork International Film Festival’s mission is to present Ireland’s most exciting, diverse, and ambitious annual film festival, connecting and stimulating audiences and artists through a carefully curated selection of the best films, to create a unique shared cultural experience, rooted in Cork, open to the world.
The Festival is rightly positioned and valued at the forefront of Ireland’s film culture. By curating and presenting a program of exceptional films, our vision is for a film festival recognized and respected around the world for its record of launching and nurturing the careers of the filmmakers of tomorrow. We celebrate award-winning films alongside emerging talent, providing a unique festival experience in Ireland, delivering a depth of engagement for audiences through the medium of film in all its diverse forms, and the opportunity to see these films first in Cork.
Raindance Film Festival October 25 - November 4 (London)
Since 1992 Raindance reaches out and supports the new generation of creative and innovative filmmakers both in the UK and around the world. The Raindance Film Festival runs every autumn in Central London allowing international filmmakers to enjoy a West-End premiere with a truly London experience.
The Festival welcomes 16,000+ visitors each year including buyers, distributors, festival programmers, financiers, producers, press, and film lovers in general. Raindance Film Festival is the largest independent film festival in the UK and is officially recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences USA, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the British Independent Film Awards. Winners of Best Animation Short/Best Documentary Short/Short of the Festival) categories will qualify for Oscar®, and selected shorts also for BAFTA consideration.
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