QUIET ON THE SET MAGAZINE’S 2015 FALL FILM FESTIVAL GUIDE
Now that summer is officially over, we have the best of the fall season’s film festival selections, all handpicked by our staff just for you film fest fanatics. Enjoy!
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival, sometimes referred to as TIFF for short, is a major public film festival that is held every September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1976, TIFF has become one of the most prestigious and popular film festivals in the world with annual attendance exceeding 260,000 people.
Variety Magazine has described the Toronto International Film Festival as “second only to Cannes [film festival] in terms of high-profile pics, stars, and market activity.” TIME Magazine describes TIFF in regards to its grown from “the most influential fall film festival to the most influential film festival, period.”
September 10-20
Official website: www.tiff.net
Harlem International Film Festival
The 10th anniversary of The Harlem International Film Festival. The festival is the marriage of History to Art, and Film to one of New York City’s most dynamic communities.
The Hi experience integrates the best that Harlem has to offer – great restaurants, unique boutiques, world-class music venues, prestigious universities and cultural institutions, and a long history of excellence in the Arts. The Festival showcases features, documentaries, shorts, animation, youth projects, episodic work and cutting edge music video. Other events include Hi noon lunchtime screenings, the screenplay showdown, panel discussions, nightlife, the Hi Honors and the Renaissance Awards gala.
September 9-13
Official website: www.harlemfilmfestival.org
Miami Fashion Film Festival
Adding to Miami’s art and cultural offerings, the Miami Fashion Film Festival (MIAFFF) celebrates the films and filmmakers that creatively examine the art, culture, and business of fashion, both locally and internationally.
Offering a close and colorful look at the creative and fast-paced world of the fashion industry, screenings include documentaries, designer brand and experimental shorts, fashion-in-film classics as well as the style-filled movies that have inspired our love of fashion.
Through screenings and added programming, MIAFFF will engage the community in conversation to explore the opportunities and challenges within fashion that youth, women, and industry professionals face. The Miami Fashion Film Festival benefits Fashion Inspires More, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding the fashion dialogue through art, technology, and education.
September 17-19
Official website: www.miafff.com
Woodstock Film Festival
Each year film and music lovers from around the world gather at the Woodstock Film Festival for an innovative variety of films, first-class concerts, workshops, celebrity-led panels, an awards ceremony, and fantastic parties.
At the Woodstock Film Festival, participants and visitors find themselves in a friendly, casual environment, one that is conducive to creativity, networking and a good time, surrounded by some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. In addition to drawing sold-out audiences from the 20 million people who live within a two-hour drive, the festival has attracted visitors from all parts of the country and the world.
Festival mainstays include industry executives, television anchors, network and cable executives, magazine and newspaper editors, record label executives, writers, painters, models, entertainment lawyers, producers, critics, and publishers.
September 30-October 4
› Official website: www.woodstockfilmfestival.com
Hamptons International Film Festival
The Hamptons International Film Festival was founded to celebrate Independent film—long, short, fiction and documentary—and to introduce a unique and varied spectrum of international films and filmmakers to our audiences. The festival is committed to exhibiting films that express fresh voices and differing global perspectives, with the hope that these programs will enlighten audiences, provide invaluable exposure for filmmakers and present inspired entertainment for all.
The Hamptons International Film Festival was founded to provide a forum for independent filmmakers from around the world to express their vision. The Festival attracts roughly 15,000 visitors annually. 37 countries were represented in the slate of 75 feature films and 51 shorts showcased this year, with an awards package worth over $200,000.
October 8-12
Official website: www.hamptonsfilmfest.org
Chicago International Film Festival
The Chicago International Film Festival is the longest-running competitive film festival in North America. The Festival was started in 1964 by filmmaker and graphic artist Michael Kutza to provide an alternative to the commercial Hollywood movies that dominated the city’s theaters. The Festival opened in 1965 at the Carnegie Theater, where King Vidor, Bette Davis, and Stanley Kramer were honored for their contributions to American cinema. Since then, the Festival has grown to become a world-renowned annual event. The Festival is dedicated to fostering better understanding between cultures and to making a positive contribution to the art form of the moving image.
October 15-29
Official website: www.chicagofilmfestival.com
Washington West Film Festival
Anchored in the Washington, DC metropolitan area’s sophisticated technology and wine region, the Washington West Film Festival invites filmmakers, film lovers, industry professionals, and the media alike to experience a breathtaking autumn in and around one of the most influential places on earth. From historic Pennsylvania Avenue to the idyllic vineyards of Northern Virginia, Washington West is set to screen the very best films this year has to offer.
October 21-26
Official website: www.wwfilmfest.com
Atlanta Horror Film Festival
Presenting the very best independent films from across the world, the festival has been a favorite of filmmakers and fans from Atlanta and beyond. The focus is to celebrate independent cinema, and to feature as many great films as possible during the event.
AHFF showcases horror, sci-fi, gore, thrillers, supernatural, dark comedies, animation, expERIEmentals, drama, cult – almost every genre you can imagine! AHFF presents cutting-edge films that represent the new face of horror – films that audiences can’t and won’t forget.
October 29-30
Official website: www.atlantahorrorfilmfest.com
Starz Denver Film Festival
The Denver Film Festival is held annually in November, primarily at the Sie FilmCenter, in Denver, Colorado. Premiere events are also held in the Buell Theatre and Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Denver Performing Arts Complex.
The festival has been organized by the The Denver Film Society since 1978.
The Denver Film Society’s mission is to develop opportunities for diverse audiences to discover film through creative, thought-provoking experiences.
Twelve-days of international screenings, red-carpet premieres and awards ceremonies – among them the prestigious Krzysztof Kieslowski Award for Best Feature Film, the Maysles Brothers Award for Best Documentary and the achievement-based John Cassavetes Award.
November 4-15
Official website: http://denverfilmfestival.denverfilm.org/
Los Angeles International Underground Film Festival
The Los angeles International Underground Film Festival celebrates the the efforts and accomplishments of true underground artists from around the world.
Filmmakers, writers, etc… who capitalize on their creative intuition to create memorable and inspiring pieces of work when major budgets do not exist.
The LAIUFF is a true independent festival in every sense. Aiming to inspire, motivate and award the true innovative and artistic geniuses of our time. Every independent artist hopes to one day emerge from the underground scene and share their talents with the masses. Hopefully the showcase platform we provide will help facilitate that dream. We’re excited to display a wide range of works from all genres that will have industry pros, filmmakers and filmgoers buzzing. Over 15 awards will be granted within the 10 exciting categories of competition.
December 5th
Official website: http://www.laufilmfest.com
There are many other film festivals for you to enjoy this fall season. These are our recommendations to get you started. Check out the offerings in and around your city.
QOTS Magazine
