Finding your way

As a filmmaker, two things are very important: making films, obtaining funding and showing the film to the rest of the world! Around the globe there are so many great festivals and events that it is easy to lose track of what is happening. It can be difficult to realistically assess which festival is the right one for your film.

That's why CineSud Magazine started publishing monthly articles with the most interesting and promising international film festivals that you can submit to the following months. Next to that, we give an overview of interesting funding options in the heart of the Netherlands, Belgium as well as Germany.

Film Festivals

DOC NYC

Submission deadline: March 1 (early)
Festival dates: November 9 - November 17

DOC NYC, New York's documentary festival, is an annual event based in Manhattan at the IFC Center, SVA Theatre, and Cinépolis Chelsea. Voted by MovieMaker magazine as one of the "top five coolest documentary film festivals in the world", the nine-day event showcases new achievements in documentary film along with panels and conversations with acclaimed filmmakers and industry professionals.[Read more]

Leeds International Film Festival

Submission deadline: March 2 (earlybird)
Festival dates: November 2 - November 17

The world's first moving images were filmed in Leeds in 1888 by Louis le Prince. Today Leeds is a major European centre for film production and exhibition, the home of Screen Yorkshire, and the new home for the UK's leading independent TV company Channel 4. In 2023, Leeds will celebrate the city's culture in a major year-long festival.

Founded in 1987 and now one of the UK's leading film events, the Academy Award and BAFTA-qualifying Leeds International Film Festival (LIFF) primarily supports the work of new filmmakers from the UK and around the world. LIFF presents seven national and international competitions for short films with total cash prizes of £6000.[Read more]

Odense International Film Festival

Submission deadline: March 15 (regular)
Festival dates: August 29 - September 4

OFF is Denmark’s most courageous and most adventurous short film festival. We always offer a varied and experimenting film programme garnered with thought-provoking off-screen experiences, debates, workshops, concerts and much more.

Every year in August, film enthusiasts from all over the world have the opportunity of catching an exceptional selection of Danish and international short films in Odense that would otherwise never reach the big screen. [Read more]

Austin Film Festival

Submission deadline: March 25 (regular)
Festival dates: October 27 - November 3

At Austin Film Festival, it is our ongoing mission to champion the work of writers and filmmakers, and this goal has never felt as urgent as it does today. Our film competition has grown year after year and so have our efforts to serve as an avenue into the ever-evolving entertainment industry. We are thrilled continuing to offer the Enderby Entertainment Filmmaking Fellowship Award and the Austin Film Festival Jury Advisory Program.[Read more]

Funding

Dutch Deadlines

Nederlands Film Fonds:

- Teledoc (indienen bij CoBo) (7 maart)
- Realisering lange documentaire (14 maart)
- Ontwikkeling mainstream speelfilm en lange animatiefilm (14 maart)
- Ontwikkeling Oase (21 maart)
- Cinescoop (28 maart)

For all deadlines, visit Filmfonds.

Belgian Deadlines

Flemish Audiovisual Fund:

- Internationale promotiesteun Mediafonds en Filmfonds (4 maart)
- Mediafonds Innovatielab (17 maart)
- Beurzen Mediafonds en Filmfonds (21 maart)
- Mediafonds Fictie- en Animatiereeksen (22 maart)
- Productiesteun Ket & Doc 2022 (31 maart)

For all deadlines, visit VAF.

German Deadlines

- Gerd Ruge Grant (1 maart)
- Graduation Film (24 maart)

For updates, visit the official NRW-website.