Film festivals are one of the best ways to catch movies before they hit the theaters and to support an independent film and its cast and crew. While the weather starts to cool and more people retreat inside to keep warm from the dropping temperatures, a film festival might be the perfect weekend plan for any movie lover. With so many film festivals happening all over the United States, there is for sure one happening in your area to check out this fall season.
New York Film Festival
Celebrating its 62nd year, the New York Film Festival runs from September 27th to October 14th at the Lincoln Center. Presented by the non-profit organization Film at Lincoln Center, this year’s film festival will be having screenings of Queer, Anora, The Room Next Door, A Real Pain, and more. Aside from showcasing so many notable films, there will also be talks hosting in-depth conversations with filmmakers, critics, curators, and more.
UnShushed! Film Festival
UnShushed! Media is a media company dedicated to uplifting black voices through filmmaking with its film festival. The UnShushed! Film Festival will be held on October 13th from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Memorial Library in Washington, D.C. This film festival will showcase short films by local filmmakers in the horror, fantasy, and Afrofuturism genres.
Austin Film Festival
Starting October 24th and running to October 31st in Austin, Texas, the Austin Film Festival is celebrating 30 years of the film festival. Aside from screenings of films like The Piano Lessons and The Ego Death of Queen Cecilia, this film festival will also host writers’ panels. Some will include a conversation with Craig Mazin from The Last of Us, Matt Selmon from The Simpsons, and Meg LeFauve from Inside Out 2, making this the perfect film festival for those looking to learn more about screenwriting and filmmaking.
Ojai Film Festival
The 25th annual Ojai Film Festival will be held from October 31st to November 4th. This film festival celebrates independent filmmakers from Ojai, California. Shorts that will be featured include narrative, documentary, and animated shorts from local filmmakers. The goal of this film festival is to showcase films that might have been inaccessible to some and provide filmmakers with a positive audience, including those who work in the film industry.
Tall Grass Film Festival
Kansas’s largest independent film festival, hosted in Wichita, will hold its 22nd film festival from October 24th to 27th. At this year’s film festival, the Tall Grass Film Festival will show The Wizard of Oz, In This Our Life, and short films made by local filmmakers.
Denver Film Festival
Hosted from November 1st to 10th, the 47th annual Denver Film Festival will showcase over 200 films and panels during its ten-day run. Featuring films from all over the world and filmmaker appearances, this festival packs a lot into its ten-day run. The Denver Film Festival has not released its schedule for this year’s festival but will post the full schedule on its website on October 4th.
Sound Unseen
A unique twist on run-of-the-mill film festivals, Sound Unseen incorporates music and independent film. Starting November 13th and going to November 17th in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, Sound Unseen will celebrate 25 years of the film festival. Selections have been made for what will be showcased at this year’s film festival, but no announcements have been made yet. Aside from their main location in Minnesota, Sound Unseen will also host their film festival in Austin, Texas, come December.
Dietrich Theaters Fall Film Festival
Located in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania, the Dietrich Theaters Fall Film Festival runs from September 20th to October 11th. This year’s film festival will show films such as The Fabulous Four, DiDi, Touch, The Bikeriders, and many more, as well as short films made by local filmmakers. A mix of what’s hot in the mainstream film industry right now and films made by independent artists, this film festival is a great fall activity for those in Pennsylvania.
Woodstock Film Festival
For almost 25 years, the Woodstock Film Festival has showcased emerging and established filmmakers. The not-for-profit organization sets out to help mentor artist and their work with this film festival. The Woodstock Film Festival is set to go from October 15th to the 20th. This film festival is also an Oscar-qualifying film festival in short film categories.
Boise Film Festival
The Boise Film Festival will be held for the first time from October 10th to the 13th in downtown Boise, Idaho. This first annual film festival will showcase films made by local filmmakers, including shorts and documentaries. Christine and Mark Holder, veterans of the film industry, started this festival. Hoping to bring more love to their new hometown of Boise, Mr. and Mrs. Holder hope to bring light to the area’s filmmakers with this new annual film festival.
Three Rivers Film Festival
Pittsburgh’s oldest and largest film festival will be held from November 13th to the 22nd. Three Rivers Film Festival is dedicated to showcasing films from all over the world. This year’s festival will include films like A Banquet, Antigone, and Any Day Now, as well as documentaries like 9 to 5: The Story of a Movement and Black Barbie: A Documentary.
Green Film Festival
Film festivals typically showcase films of all genres, but this film festival has a specific goal in mind. The Green Film Festival in San Francisco is set to showcase environmental-based films. From October 17th to the 27th, this film festival’s goal is to celebrate all types of films that revolve around the planet and its beauty. Hosted by SF Indie Fest, this film festival is perfect for those who love and care for our planet and its environment.
Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival
From November 8th to the 17th, the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival showcases films made by up-and-coming filmmakers, including student films. This year’s festival poster will be revealed on October 1st and will be hosted in Fort Lauderdale’s Gateway Cinema and Savor Cinema.
Final Thoughts
Film festivals are a great way to catch movies before they get put on streaming sites or hit theaters. In addition to films, many of these film festivals host panels and live performances to add to the experience. While some might want to see what’s playing at the movie theatre, attending a film festival is a unique experience and allows one to see more than one film in multiple genres. If any of these film festivals are happening in your area, plan a day with friends and family and support your local theatres and filmmakers this fall season.
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