THE caption included in the closing credits brings you up short and reminds you just how perilous life is in Syria. During the four months it took to make the short film, ‘Siege’, one film-maker lost his father to a sniper from the Assad regime. Another was almost kidnapped, and a third was killed during an ISIS attack on the Palestinian Yarmouk Camp in Damascus. The casualties did not end there. The co-ordinator of the Watad Center, the main partner in the making of the short film, was assassinated in his home.   “This is just a small glimpse of the siege on Southern... more

DOX-BOX started as an initiative of independent filmmakers, back in 2007 as the first non-profit and open-to-public creative documentary film festival in Syria. Until 2011, DOX BOX used to run annually in Damascus, Tartous and Homs during the first two weeks of March and to tour in other Arab cities as part of a Pan-Arab Cultural Network. The main mission of DOX BOX is to be a platform for both the Arab and the International filmmaking individuals and institutions to meet with the general public and see some of the world’s best creative documentaries and to get engaged in rich activities... more

The Barcelona Independent Film Festival, l'Alternativa, is celebrating its 20th birthday! For twenty years we have been championing creative, expressive, original filmmaking that explores new ways of stimulating and surprising viewers, seeking out films that spurn conventional approaches and live life on the fringes of commercial circuits.   L'Alternativa features two Official Sections: Feature Films and Short Films. The Parallel Sections include tributes, premieres, work by little-known filmmakers and up-and-coming directors. And the L'Alternativa Hall offers a rich, jam-packed panorama of hours of very diverse programming free of charge in a unique setting.   The field of education and debate features the Parallel Activities,... more

KHRFF focuses on films with strong human rights themes at their core, and which are artistically significant. Karama Human Rights Film Festival is an on going event with multiple local and international activities year round that aim to expose, education and raise awareness for Adults, Youth and Children about their basic rights. Film categories accepted   Documentary Films  Fiction Films  Short Feature Films  Deadline for submission September of each year   More information www.karamafestival.org

Established in 2010, SANAD (“support” in Arabic) is Abu Dhabi Film Festival’s fund (ADFF), for the development and post-production of films. It provides talented filmmakers from the Arab world with meaningful support that contributes to the development or the completion of their narrative and documentary feature films. SANAD seeks out bold and remarkable projects from both new and established filmmakers with the aim of encouraging intercultural dialogue and artistic innovation while building stronger networks within the region’s film industry. SANAD has 500,000 USD at its disposal annually and makes grants in the following categories: Development: Up to 20,000 USD per project Post-production: Up to 60,000 USD per project Information... more

CPH:DOX is devoted to supporting independent and innovative film and presents the best and brightest in contemporary non-fiction, art cinema and experimental film. During the eleven days of the festival, CPH:DOX also presents concerts, art exhibitions, five whole days of professional seminars, a screening market, and the international financing and co-production event CPH:FORUM, as well as the film production programme DOX:LAB. CPH:DOX was founded in 2003. Supported by film professionals as well as the national press, CPH:DOX grew from 14.000 admissions in its first year to an impressive 51.800 in 2012. In 2013 CPH:DOX runs from November 7.-17. CPH:DOX continues to... more

A festival to what end? To share with the public today’s cinemas. Yes, the cinema harbors a plural, a plurality of forms, formats, lengths, approaches and gazes. A unique moment when directors from all over the world rub nourish our present with all they have. If FIDMarseille’s roots are in the documentary, it is to remember realities are our ground, without forgetting that this soil propagates many different worlds and even more ways of bearing witness to them. And if this testimony is a necessity, an urgency, it is with the conscience that we must find the courage, the precision,... more

The world’s largest documentary film festival, IDFA offers a wide selection of diverse competition and non-competition films. The festival typically premieres major international documentaries that eventually make their way to some of the big-name festivals including Sundance. Incorporated into the festival are a series of sidebar events to promote audience and professional appreciation for documentary films.   Film categories accepted Feature-length documentary (longer than 60 min) Mid-length documentary (between 45-60 min) Further formats accepted, but partly non-competition section   Deadline for submission beginning of August   More information   http://www.idfa.nl/nl.aspx    

The Norwegian Short Film Festival is an important debut arena for many young filmmakers in Norway, and for the more established filmmakers perhaps the most important showcase for free and independent movies in Norway. The competition for international short film also attracts filmmakers from the rest of the world to Grimstad, and the festival wishes to arrange for bonds to be tied between the Norwegian and the international film community.   Film categories accepted Film must not exceed 35 minutes and have premiered after June of previous year Deadline for submission March of each year More information http://www.kortfilmfestivalen.no

The goal of the Montreal World Film Festival (Montreal International Film Festival) is to encourage cultural diversity and understanding between nations, to foster the cinema of all continents by stimulating the development of quality cinema, to promote filmmakers and innovative works, to discover and encourage new talents, and to promote meetings between cinema professionals from around the world.   The high profile WORLD COMPETITION includes world and international premieres. The international official Jury awards the various prizes for the feature films of his section: Grand Prix of the Americas, Special Grand Prix of the Jury, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Actor, Best... more

Founded in 1982, Uppsala International Short Film Festival has since become Sweden’s premier arena for short film, having attained both national recognition of the Swedish Film Institute and genuine international renown. In addition, the festival is the most important international cultural event in Uppsala. Every year the festival shows more than 300 short films in five different sections exploring the diversity and richness of the short film – from new film to retrospective programmes, from fiction film, documentaries and experimental film to animations.   Uppsala International Short Film Festival is recognised by Academy of MotionPicture Arts and Sciences, which means that winning... more

Apart from the official section there are several parallel programs, retrospectives and mostras in the Guggenheim's Museum and in the Fine Arts Museum. Roman Polanski, Mark Lester, Pedro Almodovar, Alejandro Amenabar and more have participated in the competition along the Festival's many editions.   Film categories accepted Documentaries max 45 min Animationmax 45 min Fiction max 45 min Deadline for submission August of each year More information http://www.zinebi.com

Krakow Film Festival is one of the oldest film events dedicated to documentary, animated and short fiction films in Europe. During 8 festival days viewers have an opportunity to watch about 250 films from Poland and abroad. Films are presented in competitions and in special sections like retrospectives, thematic cycles, archive screenings. Festival is accompanied by exhibitions, concerts, open air screenings and meetings with the filmmakers. Every year Krakow Film Festival hosts about 600 Polish and international guests: directors, producers, film festival programmers and numerous audience from Krakow.   In the early 1990's, due to the political and economic transformations which caused... more

Göteborg International Film Festival is the leading film festival in Scandinavia and – with an audience of 200 000 visitors a year –  one of the largest festivals in the world. GIFF is always one step ahead in the search for new talent and tomorrow’s stars with:   * The prestigious Dragon Awards, including The Nordic Film Award and TIBIDA  * The Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award. * The Nordic Film Market, presenting the latest and upcoming Scandinavian films to international buyers, sales agents and festival programmers. * The Göteborg International Film Festival Fund, supporting young talent in developing countries, in cooperation with SIDA.   The festival... more