Film
festivals have been held for dozens of years, hosting movie premiers, film
industry professionals and numerous competitions and awards. While hundreds of
film festivals take place each year around the globe, only a few ring a bell to
the public’s ear.
Here you
can find Filmmaking.com review of 1o top international film festivals, covering
all major film types. If filmmaking is your passion and you want to keep up
with what is happening in the field, attending one of these great festivals
will take you a long way.
Cannes Film Festival
This annual film festival, held in Cannes, France, is the
most prestigious and well-known international film festival in the world, with
international films - and international movie stars that add to the exposure
and intensive media coverage. Its highest prize is the Palme d’Or, the Golden
Palm, given to the best film in the official competition, but films also
compete for other prizes, such as best short film, best actor and actress, best
director and best screenplay. http://www.festival-cannes.fr
Berlin International Film
Festival
This great film festival, also called the
Berlinale, is an annual festival held in Berlin in February ever since 1978.
Unlike the Cannes Film Festival, the Berlinale is a publicly attended event,
with hundreds of thousands of tickets and admissions. Its highest prize is the
Golden Bear, given to the best film of the festival. http://www.berlinale.de
Venice International Film Festival
Founded in 1932, the Venice
International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the
world, and is held as a part of the celebrated Venice Biennale. The highest
prize of the festival is the Golden Lion, given to the best film in the festival’s
competition. Prizes are also given to the best director (the Silver Lion) and
the best actor and actress (the Volpi Cup). http://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/
Toronto International Film
Festival
The Toronto
International Film Festival started out as a “Festival of Festivals”, screening
films from international film festivals to Canadian audience. Today, the
festival hosts hundreds of films each year, including some of the recent years’
biggest blockbusters. Hundreds of thousands of visitors are drawn to this
special event, which was founded on 1976 and is being held in Toronto each
September. http://tiff.net/
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is the largest independent film
festival in the US and one of the most celebrated international film festivals
in the world. It is managed by the Sundance Institute, a non-profit
organization whose objective is to encourage independent filmmakers, and is
held in Utah ever since it was founded in 1978. Due to its world-wide exposure,
the Sundance Film Festival has managed to draw attention to some of today’s
most famous filmmakers. http://www.sundance.org/festival/
London Independent Film
Festival
The London Independent Film Festival aims to
support low-budget productions from around the world by offering filmmakers a
platform to showcase their work. Some spots are reserved especially for first
and second time filmmakers. Although by no means a competition to the Sundance
Film Festival, the London Independent Film Festival is a home for independent
film lovers. http://www.londonindependent.org
International Documentary Film
Festival Amsterdam
Dedicated to documentary films, this
world-renowned eleven-days film festival had set a target to promote and
encourage the making of creative documentaries. The new films compete for five
international awards, including the IDFA Competition for Student Documentary
and the IDFA Competition for Green Screen Documentary; a sixth awards is given
to the best Dutch Documentary. http://www.idfa.nl
International Short Film
Festival Oberhausen
This short film festival, held in Oberhausen,
Germany, was established in 1954 and have since gained an international
reputation. In its years of existence the festival presented the early works of
noted filmmakers such as Roman Polanski and George Lucas. The Oberhausen
festival conducts four competitions – the International Competition, the German
competition, the European Competition and the Promotional Award. http://www.kurzfilmtage.de
Tampere Film Festival
Held in Tampere, Finland, the Tampere Film Festival is
said to be the oldest of its kind in Scandinavia and one of the most important
short film festivals in Europe. It prides itself in attracting young audience
as well as promising young filmmakers. Hundreds of films, both national and
international, are being submitted to the festival’s competition each year. http://www.tamperefilmfestival.fi
Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival
The French city of
Clermont-Ferrand hosts this short film festival since it was founded in 1979. A
short film market, in which buyers and distributors make their selections, is
being held at the city at the same time. The Clermont-Ferrand Short Film
Festival has so far hosted over two million spectators and even eleven French
Culture Ministers. http://www.clermont-filmfest.com
.