Movies And Film Festivals

Movie and film festivals are a great way for movie makers to get their work seen, and while many of the rich and famous grace the red carpet at Cannes and many of the other big events, there are plenty of smaller events which are ideal for the promotion of smaller, independent movies.

Isn't festival a great word? It conjures up images of sunny days, partying, festivities and generally having a great time. There are music festivals, religious festivals, food festivals, comedy festivals, seasonal festivals and of course, movie and film festivals. Festivals celebrate all that is good about, whatever is being celebrated.

Movie and Film Festivals – Cannes

We've all seen them haven't we, lining up on the red carpet, the rich, the famous, the glamorous and the beautiful all trying to outdo each other at one of the oldest and most prestigious film festivals in the world. Every May a whole bunch of Hollywood A listers make their way to the South of France to the Cannes Film Festival, and we can't wait to see what creations they're wearing and who's with whom on the red carpet, desperately promoting their latest movie and trying to win the Golden Palm. The massive media exposure of this festival makes it a popular place for new film producers to launch their films and attempt to attract the attention of global distributors, imperative for the success of any movie.

Film Festivals

There are literally, thousands of film festivals all around the globe, some specializing in animated films, some specializing in short films (which are often produced solely for the purpose of getting noticed at the festival, and are never really meant for general distribution) and there are many independent film festivals around the world. Just look at these examples:

• Atlanta Horror Film Festival – established in 2006 in Atlanta Georgia, specializes in independent horror movies – sounds a scary place to be.
• Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival – established in 1987, no prizes for guessing the films showcased here.
• Dances with Films – been going in LA since 1998, but you won't find any celebrities here, it's strictly for unknowns.
• LA Comedy Shorts Film Festival – this is the largest dedicated comedy short film festival anywhere in the US.
• Projecting Change Film Festival – Held in Vancouver since 2008, this festival actively promotes sustainable, green living using educational yet entertaining film.
• Three Rivers Film Festival – Pittsburgh has been holding this festival since 1982, and it emphasizes independent film makers.
• Zero Film Festival – started in 2007 in Los Angeles, this is the first festival which is exclusively for self financed films.

And that's just a small hand full of the film festivals going on in the USA every single year. There are actually well over one hundred film festivals in the United States alone.

Independent film making may not often have the budget of the big corporations, but very often the real talent shines firmly through and an independent film festival is a great place to get noticed. Whereas the big festivals charge an entrance fee for each film, some of the smaller, independent festivals do not charge, so it's a great opportunity for the low budget end of the market to get a showcase.