Film Festivals How-To

Return to the Animation Resources Homepage

Film Festivals

Tips for researching, as well as application strategies and practical methods of tracking and planning.

Learning About Film Festivals, PDF download

Festival Tracking Spreadsheet, Excel Doc download

These documents were compiled and last edited, 2019

Notable Animation Festivals

Below are a few links to lists of highly regarded international film festivals.

Animation Festivals a listing and application service that is up-to-date and provides festivals listed by deadlines for application. Very good!

Global Animation Syndicate: Best Animation Festivals List

Film Festival Life: also a festival application service.

Animation and Film Festivals within Canada

Below are a selection of Canadian film festivals worth submitting to; some are entirely animation-centric and others are film festivals with animation programming.

• Vancouver International Film Festival - mixed
• Ottawa International Animation Festival - animation
• Giraf - animation
• Toronto International Film Festival - mixed
• TIFF Next Wave Festival - mixed
• The Animation Festival of Halifax - animation
• SPARK - animation
• Montreal Stop Motion Festival - animation
• Animaze Montreal International Animation Film Festival - animation
• Calgary International Film Festival - mixed
• Festival du nouveau cinéma - mixed
• Antimatter - mixed
• Toronto Animation Showcase - animation
• Toronto Animation Arts International - animation
• World's Smallest Animation Festival - animation

Festival Application Services Worth Noting

Film Freeway animation and film/video, internationally focused. Most festivals use FilmFreeway as the standard.
Animation Festivals animation, internationally focused
FestHome animation and film/video, internationally focused
Reelport animation and film/video, internationally focused