Film Festivals

Marquee Festivals

• 161 films

  

  Berlinale

  Edgier and less star-driven than some of its (few) equals on the international festival scene, this wintertime event has highlighted artistically adventuresome work from around the globe since 1951. It also boasts a market component that has launched numerous high-profile talents outside the official festival program.
• 117 films

  

  Cannes

  For sheer glamour there's never been a festival to rival Cannes, whose French Riviera location and fabled lavish parties have magnetized jet-setters and paparazzi alike since 1946. But beyond the klieg-light glare there has always been serious attention paid to the art of cinema (with an award from Cannes...
• 14 films

  

  IDFA

  Since 1983 this expansive Dutch forum for non-fiction filmmaking has thrown a spotlight on documentaries of various lengths and nationalities, with prestigious prizes awarded in several categories.

• 93 films

  

  Karlovy Vary

  The leading film festival in Eastern Europe, Karlovy Vary started just after World War II and saw the flowering (and governmental shutdown) of the fabled 1960s Czech New Wave. The festival then survived major internal problems after the demise of Czechoslovakia itself. Now it has stabilized once again into...
• 98 films

  

  Rotterdam

  Though not as historied as some of its equals on the European festival scene, Rotterdam has become as influential in many respects as the more fabled Cannes, Venice and Berlin festivals. Its emphasis on new artistic currents has, among other things, made it a notable spotlight for emerging Asian filmmakers.
• 45 films

  

  SXSW

  Though perhaps best known for its music and barbecue, the annual multi-media mega-event SXSW has seen its simultaneous film festival steadily gain stature. It is a filmmaker-friendly showcase emphasizing new talent, networking, midnite-type movies and a relaxed atmosphere despite increasing Hollywood...

• 75 films

  

  Sundance

  From its earliest, pre-Robert Redford days as the U.S. Film Festival, this frosty January event in Utah's ski resort hamlet Park City has championed independence in American moviemaking and was key to the emergence of American Independent cinema from the early 1980s onward. Despite its high media profile...
• 12 films

  

  Telluride

  Founded in 1974 by Bill and Stella Pence, James Card and Tom Luddy , Telluride remains unique among high-profile festivals: it grants no awards, utilizes a different guest program director each year (they’ve ranged from literary lions to film and theater titans) and features world and North American...
• 77 films

  

  Thessaloniki

  Founded in 1960 to showcase emerging Greek cinema, Thessaloniki has in more recent years maintained that mission while expanding to accommodate movies from around the world (with special emphasis on new directors, independent filmmaking and work from the entire Balkans region).

• 149 films

  

  Toronto

  Something of an upstart among the highest-profile festivals worldwide (though it's been around since 1976), TIFF now has no rival but Sundance and Telluride among North American festivals as both a talent launching pad and focus of media attention. Its position in early fall also means it is considered the...
• 24 films

  

  Tribeca

  A relative latecomer to the film festival scene, Tribeca was launched by Robert De Niro and partners in the wake of September 11, 2001, to promote NYC's general recovery and enduring vigor as a filmmaking center. It immediately shot to the upper ranks of global festival awareness thanks to its mix of...
• 40 films

  

  Venice

  The granddaddy of all film festivals, Venice was founded in 1932 and has (excepting a few years during World War II) run annually ever since. It retains a grey eminence unshaken by many changes over the years, the prestige of its competitive selections and awards undiminished by the rise of myriad upstart...