The Film Festival Directory showcases FFA Members committed to adhering to FFA's Best Practices for Professional Film Festivals, including transparent submission processes, clear communication policies, and ethical screening standards. These practices align with FilmFreeway's Best Practices for Call for Entries, reinforcing our shared commitment to professionalism. The Directory represents FFA's mission to support a transparent, inclusive, and sustainable film festival sector.
Who Can Become a Member of FFA?
Our mission is to champion sustainable, inclusive film exhibition while amplifying the voices of festival organizers, programmers, and curators across the global cinema community. We do this through Education, Advocacy, and Community Building. It is important to us to welcome as many voices in the film festival community into our membership as we can so we can reflect the diversity of our sector. We do not want to gatekeep this community or its resources. We believe our work impacts change by creating space for festivals of all kinds to reflect on their internal practices, be inspired by their peers, and grow into more sustainable, transparent organizations.
Who can be listed on the Film Festival Directory and Curated List on FilmFreeway?
Through our Directory and Curated List on FilmFreeway, we are working to uplift and spotlight those member festivals who focus on the art of curation and discovery of filmmaking talent. Our goal with the Directory is to make it easier for filmmakers to identify festivals that uphold fair and transparent standards. While we welcome many festivals as members of FFA, we have eligibility requirements for the Directory and Curated List.
To be included in the Film Festival Directory:
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The festival must be a member of Film Festival Alliance as a Small, Medium, or Large Organization.
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The festival must have hosted an in-person film festival in the past two years (e.g. 2024 and/or 2025) *exceptions may be granted to virtual only festivals at the discretion of FFA Staff
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The organization or event name may not include the word ‘Award(s).’ This directory is for Film Festivals only where the principal aim is to organize screenings of films for a public audience, not a competition for prizes.
To be included on the Curated List on FilmFreeway:
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Festivals may not charge for laurels, awards/trophies, and/or certificates
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Festivals may not require films to be submitted, with a fee, to be considered for different award and/or submission categories
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All official selections must be guaranteed a public screening before a live or virtual audience
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Festivals may not accept every submitted film into their festival without a selection process
HOW DO I USE THE DIRECTORY?
The directory is built using Airtable. It is automatically sorted alphabetically. By clicking Sort, you can also sort by Location. You can also filter by various categories using the Filter button or click the magnifying glass to search the name of a specific festival.
If you'd like to learn more about a specific festival, click on its box and it will expand to provide the full profile.
To filter, start by clicking the filter button. Then, select + Add Condition. In the first dropdown menu, you can select any of the searchable filters, like Location, Types of Programming, or Genre(s) programmed. If you select Types of Programming, for example, you can then select any of the programming you'd like to filter by, i.e. filter for festivals that program shorts.
To view the list full-screen, click here to expand the directory.
FFA encourages filmmakers to research festivals to find the submission strategy that best suits their film, whether it's through the Directory, popular festival submission sites like FilmFreeway, or even going directly to a festival's website to learn more about them.
Festivals: Looking to add your information or make edits to your listing? Email info@filmfestivalalliance.org and we'll help you out!
Filmmakers & Festivals: Notice incorrect information? Email info@filmfestivalalliance.org and we'll take a look!
Disclaimer: A festival's inclusion on this Directory does not imply an endorsement by Film Festival Alliance. This tool is for individuals to use for their own research purposes. We encourage filmmakers to do due diligence before submitting to any film festival.