International Film Festivals

First there was the Cannes Film Festival. For years, Cannes reigned supreme as the one and only place to feature new films and to see the celebrities. Cannes Film Festival: a jewel in a continental, sexy location. What could compete? Apparently, someone decided they could compete, and Sundance Film Festival was born.

As the first domestic film festival, Sundance attracted celebrities, directors, film critics and actors who wanted to see the hottest new movies, many of them independent. It also attracted those who loved the setting in Colorado and those who loved to ski and rub elbows with others in the industry. All in all the Sundance Film Festival became a U.S. sensation where many independent film makers vied for attention and tried to get a deal with a distributor to gain more visibility for their film.  

Then came TriBeCa: the popular film festival launched by yet another famous actor. Couched in the cityscape of New York, TriBeCa film Festival is smaller, but no less impressive. It attracts New York actors and directors and celebrities from all around the world.

Today, there are film festivals all over the world. From the Hollywood Film Festival to the Toronto Film Festival, the Venice Film Festival and the Chicago Film Festival, to the Sedona Film Festival in Arizona. There are specialty film festivals like the Short Film Festival and the Independent Film Festival and so many more. If you love film, you will find it intriguing to read the reviews as they are published and to anticipate the release of the films screened during these festivals.    

While every film that is screened during a festival will not find a wide audience, the existence of the film festivals allows amateur and first-time film makers to gain valuable visibility and possibly to get the attention of one of the many influential judges. At some of these festivals, aspiring film makers can take classes and participate in master classes and lectures with talented directors, producers, actors and cinematographers.