In this edition of our monthly column you will find interesting festival- and funding options with submission deadlines in December. Have a look!

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

Aspen Shortsfest

Submission deadline: December 2 (late)
Festival dates: April 5 - April 10

Aspen Shortsfest is an Oscar®-qualifying film festival recognized as one of the premier short film festivals in North America. Each April enthusiastic audiences, filmmakers and special guests from around the globe gather to participate in public screenings, panels, workshops, and other festivities that spotlight the art and craft of short moviemaking.[Read more]

USA Film Festival

Submission deadline: December 15 (earlybird)
Festival dates: April 20 - April 24

The USA Film Festival provides an opportunity for the public to discover new films and sheds new light on familiar films by facilitating discussion and encounters with master, mid-career and emerging filmmakers. Programs include a major annual film festival, now in its 52nd year; the International Short Film & Video Competition; the annual KidFilm festival, the oldest and largest-attended children's film festival in the U.S.; tributes and retrospectives organized around important themes and filmmakers; and extensive educational community outreach activities.[Read more]

DOXA Documentary Film Festival

Submission deadline: December 15 (regular)
Festival dates: May 15 - May 15

DOXA is Western Canada's largest documentary film festival, presented by The Documentary Media Society, a non-profit, charitable society devoted to presenting independent and innovative documentaries to Vancouver audiences. The society exists to educate the public about documentary film as an art form through DOXA Documentary Film Festival, a curated and juried festival comprised of public screenings, panel discussions, industry forums and educational programs. [Read more]

Durban International Film Festival

Submission deadline: December 31 (earlybird)
Festival dates: July 21 - July 30

South Africa’s longest-running film festival, the Durban International Film Festival (DIFF), contributes to expanding filmmaker networks, attracts local and international media, creates public awareness of South African and African cinema, and promotes and celebrates African cinema that highlights the possibilities of local film production and stimulates the growth of the film industry. DIFF proactively promotes the development of the African film industry and provides a strategic exhibition platform for local products alongside international films within a professionally implemented and reputable cultural experience. [Read more]