In recent days I have been reviewing fantasy film festivals that still have submissions open; among them I have selected five festivals that will be closing submissions soon.
Within the segment of these festivals there are several niches or subsegments, such as horror or science fiction. Although most festivals usually cover them all, there are some that are more specialised in some of these niches. In this post I have focused mainly on fantasy film festivals with a more generalist approach.
All these festivals are part of the list of the European Fantastic Film Festival Federation, which you can consult on its own website. This federation brings together the most important fantasy and horror film festivals; in total there are 22 festivals from 16 different countries.
These are the five selected festivals, and you can submit right now:
#1 Fantastic Fest Austin
The Fantastic Fest in Austin is one of the most important fantasy film festivals in the world, and one of the best options to premiere your film, although the minimum requirement is a Texas premiere. At the moment the regular deadline is open until April 26, with a fee of $50 for feature films and $40 for short films.
In the last edition, Colossal, the latest film by Nacho Vigalondo, which has just been released in the United States, won the award for Best Film.
You can submit either via Withoutabox or FilmFreeway. Feature films must be longer than 70 minutes and short films up to 30 minutes. It takes place from September 21 to 28.
#2 BIFAN – Bucheon International Fantastic Film
This is one of the most important fantasy festivals on the circuit, and it is essential within the Asian sphere. The minimum length for feature films must be 60 minutes, and short films up to 59 minutes.
It requires a premiere in South Korea, and the submission deadline is next May 8. For submissions it uses its own submission platform and it is free. It takes place from July 13 to 23.
#3 CourtMétrange Rennes
We are heading to France: next May 15 submissions close for the Rennes International Strange and Fantasy Short Film Festival. It is dedicated exclusively to short films up to 40 minutes. Although there are no submission fees, you must submit via filmfestplatform.com and pay the platform costs. It takes place from October 18 to 22.
#4 Grossmann Fantastic Film and Wine Festival
It takes place in Ljutomer, Slovenia, from July 11 to 15. This festival is essential on the fantasy film circuit. Submitting is very simple via FilmFreeway and there are no submission fees. The deadline is coming up soon, on May 15.
#5 Neuchâtel Fantastic Film Festival
This is the most important festival in Switzerland, held from June 30 to July 8. In addition to the fantasy film competition, it has a specific competition for Asian cinema. It only accepts feature films longer than 60 minutes that are at least a national premiere; as usual, priority is given to world premieres.
The short film section is reserved for Swiss directors and productions. The submission deadline is next April 24.
Summary by deadline dates
- Neuchatel – Feature films – April 24 – Free
- Fantastic Fest – Short films and feature films – April 26 – $40/$50
- Bifan – Short films and feature films – May 8 – Free
- CourtMétrange – Short films – May 15 – Free (with paid platform)
- Grossmann – Short films and feature films – May 15 – Free
I hope this post helps you if you are just starting out distributing both your short and your feature film. Keep in mind that the fantasy festival segment is one of the strongest in the entire circuit.