Practically everyone has heard of the Sundance Film Festival, the largest independent cinema festival in the US, but the Sundance Film Festival is just the tip of the iceberg. The USA offers a wide choice of independent film festivals and international film events of every type.
From events organized by the oldest documentary film institute in the nation to the largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films in the USA, or film festivals spotlighting the cinematic works of women, there are plenty of top film events to chose from.
ARKANSAS
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
October,
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Ten-day festival features screenings of over 90 domestic and international documentary films including Academy Award-winning and nominated films. It is the oldest documentary film institute in the nation and second only to Amsterdam internationally. Events include forums and lectures, question and answer sessions with filmmakers following many screening, a gala banquet and visiting scholars and celebrities.
For more information visit: www.hsdfi.org
CALIFORNIA
Asian American Film Festival
March
San Francisco, California
The USA’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films, annually presenting approximately 120 works in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose.
Since 1982, the SFIAAFF has been an important launching point for Asian American independent filmmakers as well as a vital source for new Asian cinema.
For more information visit: http://festival.asianamericanmedia.org/2008/
DELAWARE
Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival
November
Rehoboth, Delaware
Since it began over ten years ago, the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival has grown to become one of the most respected cultural events of the Mid-Atlantic. The five-day Festival presents about 100 of the best American and international films including features, documentaries, and shorts.
Film enthusiasts enjoy the convenience of seeing all the films at one, multi-screen location.
The Festival also offers informative seminars, opportunities to converse with celebrity guests, as well as special events including Children's Cinema Corner for elementary school-aged children.
For more information visit: www.rehobothfilm.com/Festival.html
GEORGIA
Atlanta Underground Film Festival (AUFF)
August
Atlanta, Georgia
Showcasing every genre of cinema from across the world and bringing together thousands of people to celebrate independent artists, the Atlanta Underground Film Festival is a forum where filmmakers can thrive outside the mainstream arena.
Much more than the traditional stuffy film festival, this event presents short and feature films, art, live music and plenty of late night parties. Special events during AUFF include the Animation Attack! and DocuFest Atlanta.
For more information visit: www.auff.org
NEW YORK
Rochester High Falls International Film Festival
May
Rochester, New York
Spotlighting the cinematic works of women by bringing the finest independent motion pictures and film artists to Rochester and Western New York audiences, the Rochester High Falls International Film Festival is one of only 40 film festivals worldwide that celebrates the work of women filmmakers, and is the largest, longest running women’s film festival on the East Coast.
Past guests include actors Rita Moreno, Christine Lahti, Angela Bassett, Candice Bergen, Bill Pullman, Joan Allen, Jane Alexander, Famke Janssen, Sally Kellerman, Nancy “Bart Simpson” Cartwright, and others.
For more information visit: http://rochestermoviefest.com
Hamptons International Film Festival
October
Long Island, New York
Founded to celebrate the Independent film - long, short, fiction and documentary - and to introduce a unique and varied spectrum of international films and filmmakers, the 16 year old Hamptons International Film Festival exhibits films that express fresh voices and differing global perspectives.
Notable films have included Birth, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Gods and Monsters, Hotel Rwanda, Kinsey, Pollock, Nowhere in Africa, and much more.
For more information visit: http://hamptonsfilmfest.org
OREGON
Ashland Independent Film Festival
April
Ashland, Oregon
The only festival in the Northwest, and one of only 20 in the USA selected to receive a prestigious grant from The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Ashland Independent Film Festival attracts filmmakers, actors, and documentary subjects to Ashland to showcase their work.
The festival takes place on the five screens of the intimate art-deco Varsity Theatre with special events at the Historic Ashland Armory.
For more information visit: www.ashlandfilm.org
RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island International Film Festival
August
Providence, Rhode Island
Held in Providence, and throughout the state of Rhode Island, the Academy-nominating Rhode Island International Film Festival has risen to the top ranks among world film events. Discovering and empowering independent filmmakers and screenwriters, the festival is an extravaganza of special events, film screenings, VIP guests, industry seminars and celebrations.
Cited as one of the "Best International and Short Film Festivals in the United States", the Festival is a strategic and desirable platform for film premieres, drawing hundreds of independent filmmakers from around the globe.
For more information visit: www.RIFilmFest.org
UTAH
Sundance Film Festival
January
Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden, Utah
The largest independent cinema festival in the US, The Sundance Film Festival, founded by Robert Redford in 1981, is the premier showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers.
The festival comprises competitive sections for American and international dramatic and documentary films, and a group of noncompetitive showcase sections, including the Sundance Online Film Festival.
Through its Sundance Film Festival, the Sundance Institute has grown into an internationally recognized resource for thousands of independent artists.
For more information visit: http://sundance.org
