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Film Festivals & Tips

Read more about how important film festivals are for your film, what we can do for you and check up on upcoming ‘festival submission deadlines’.

still from Krazy House (Flip van der Kuil & Steffen Haars, NL 2024)

still Krazy House (Flip van der Kuil & Steffen Haars, NL 2024)

Festivals

Film festivals are important opportunities for the film industry to discover the most recent films on offer and to learn about films that are in production. Being selected for a festival creates publicity and awareness for a film – the so-called buzz which helps to sell a film.

Being selected for a festival and winning awards, raises a film’s market value. These achievements serve as a hallmark, a certification of quality. The moment a film is selected for a festival is the best possible time to launch the film internationally. Usually, festival exposure increases the odds of selling the film.

Every film is unique! Inevitably, this means the best international route for each film is unique too. Which festival is potentially the best launching pad for which film, depends on the film, the year and the film’s momentum. Various factors determine these choices, including genre, subject matter, director, etc. That is why we always recommend getting in touch with us at an early stage if you want to discuss and set out your festival strategy with us.

To which festival should I send my film?

Obviously, the option of submitting a film to a festival depends on when the film is actually finalised. In addition, it’s also important that the film is suited to a particular festival’s programme.

To determine which festivals are appropriate for your film, it’s important to start planning for festivals at an early stage and to decide where you would ideally like your film to have its international premiere. If you’re aiming for Berlin, Venice, Toronto or Cannes, you might have to wait until these festivals announce their selections before you can continue submitting to other, smaller festivals.

Also, not all films will benefit from being selected for one of the abovementioned major festivals if the film isn’t in competition or screened as part of the main programme. You may do better to choose to screen your film in competition at a smaller festival, where the film will receive more exposure.

The SEE NL team is eager to help you set out your festival strategy. It’s a good idea to get in touch with us at an early stage, i.e., before the film is finished. We are in ongoing contact with festivals and festival programmers all around the world and we can bring new Dutch (co)productions to their attention.

Nothing is as changeable about film festivals as their submission deadlines, so keep a close eye on this. Deadlines are usually set about three months before festivals start.

The later you submit your film to a festival, the lower your probability of being selected. The slots fill up, so the later you submit your film, the more slots will already have been filled. In other words, it makes sense to submit your film as early as possible.

Submission deadlines

To give you a helping hand, we have compiled a list of the most important film festivals that have upcoming submission deadlines… this will enable you to get started right away. Looking for more? Please visit filmfreeway.com for a wide range of festivals. If you have any questions about specific festivals, don't hesitate to contact us! Be aware that scam festivals exist. Film journalist Cesar Majorana made a podcast about scam festivals for Eye and VPRO (in Dutch).

Deadlines in March

Zlin International Film Festival for Children and Youth

Zlin, Czech Republic
29/05/2025 – 04/06/2025
Deadline: 01/03/2025

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San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival / Frameline

San Francisco, United States
18/06/2025 – 28/06/2025
Deadline: 05/03/2025

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Brooklyn International Film Festival

New York City, United States
30/05/2025 – 08/06/2025
Deadline: 13/03/2025

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Cannes ACID / Association for the Diffusion of Independent Cinema

Cannes, France
May 2025
Deadline: 14/03/2025

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Cannes International Critics' Week / Semaine de la Critique

Cannes, France
14/05/2025 – 22/05/2025
Deadline: 14/03/2025

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Cannes international Film Festival

Cannes, France
13/05/2025 – 24/05/2025
Deadline: 14/03/2025

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Wroclaw International Film Festival - Era New Horizons

Wroclaw, Poland
17/07/2025 – 27/07/2025
Deadline: 15/03/2025

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Cannes International Film Festival - Directors' Fortnight - Quinzaine des Realisateurs

Cannes, France
14/05/2025 – 22/05/2025
Deadline: 21/03/2025

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Barcelona International Short Film Festival / Mecal

Barcelona, Spain
26/06/2025 – 06/07/2025
Deadline: 31/03/2025

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Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
04/07/2025 – 12/07/2025
Deadline: 31/03/2025

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Shanghai International Film Festival

Shanghai, China
June 2025
Deadline: 31/03/2025

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Deadlines in april

Guanajuato International Film Festival

Guanajuato, Mexico
25/07/2025 – 03/08/2025
Deadline: 01/04/2025

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Montreal Fantasia International Film Festival

Montreal, Canada
17/07/2025 – 03/08/2025
Deadline: 15/04/2025

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Edinburgh International Film Festival

Edinburgh, United Kingdom
14/08/2025 – 20/08/2025
Deadline: 18/04/2025

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Jerusalem International Film Festival

Jerusalem, Israel
17/07/2025 – 27/07/2025
Deadline: 20/04/2025

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Locarno International Film Festival

Locarno, Switzerland
06/08/2025 – 16/08/2025
Deadline: 24/04/2025

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Vila do Conde International Short Film Festival

Vila do Conde, Portugal
12/07/2025 – 20/07/2025
Deadline: 30/04/2025

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Deadlines in May

New York Film Festival

New York, United States
26/09/2025 – 13/10/2025
Deadline: 05/05/2025

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Toronto International Film Festival

Toronto, Canada
04/09/2025 – 14/09/2025
Deadline: 09/05/2025

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Giffoni International Film Festival

Giffoni Valle Piana, Italy
17/07/2025 – 26/07/2025
Deadline: 10/05/2025

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Baden International Animation Film Festival - Fantoche

Baden, Switzerland
02/09/2025 – 07/09/2025
Deadline: 11/05/2025

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Montréal International Festival of New Cinema and New Media

Montreal, Canada
08/10/2025 – 19/10/2025
Deadline: 15/05/2025

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Sarajevo International Film Festival

Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
15/08/2025 – 22/08/2025
Deadline: 25/05/2025

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Adelaide Film Festival

Adelaide, Australia
15/10/2025 – 26/10/2025
Deadline: 26/05/2025

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Chicago International Children's Film Festival

Chicago, United States
07/11/2025 – 17/11/2025
Deadline: 31/05/2025

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Uppsala International Short Film Festival

Uppsala, Sweden
20/10/2025 – 26/10/2025
Deadline: 31/05/2025

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Lisbon International Documentary Film Festival / Doclisboa

Lisbon, Portugal
16/10/2025 – 26/10/2025
Deadline: 31/05/2025

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Locarno International Film festival / Critics Week

Locarno, Switzerland
08/08/2025 – 15/08/2025
Deadline: 31/05/2025

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Ottawa International Animation Festival

Ottawa, Canada
24/09/2025 – 28/09/2025
Deadline: 31/05/2025

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