It might seem odd to travel to faraway places to only sit in a darkened theater and watch films. But film festivals can be an exciting addition to a any travel itinerary.
Use this handy reference list to plan your trips throughout the year and also check the Events listings to find cultural listings of all types in your destination area.
If you are a producer of a film festival or know of a festival coming up, let us know by sending the festival name, dates, and link to the web site so I can add it to the calendar!
Edited: February 2019
January
January Palm Springs International Film Festival
January The New York Jewish Film Festival
January Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival
January Sundance Film Festival
February
February 1-8 Spokane International Film Festival
February 1-9 Clermont-Ferrand Short-Film Festival
February 6-26 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival
February 7-10 Dam Short Film Festival
February 7-17 Berlinale
February 9 Tropfest
February 10-16 Brussels International Independent Film Festival
February 13-17 Santa Fe Film Festival
Until February 14 SF Independent Film Festival
February 14-23 Vancouver International Film Festival
February 15-17 Toronto Next Wave
Starts February 23 Sedona Film Festival
Starts February 28 Boulder International Film Festival
March
Until March 3 Sedona Film Festival
Until March 3 Boulder International Film Festival
March 5-10 Omaha Film Festival
March 8-16 SXSW Film Festival
March 14-17 FirstGlance Film Fest Los Angeles
March 22-24 Taos Shortz Film Fest
April
April 3-7 Go Short International Short Film Festival
April 4-11 Wisconsin Film Festival
April 5-14 WorldFest Houston Film Festival
April 5-14 Sarasota Film Festival
April 10-23 San Francisco International Film Festival
April 11-22 Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Film
April 11-15 Ashland Film Independent Film Festival
April 22-28 Calgary Underground Film Festival
Starts April 24 Tribeca Film Festival
May
Until May 5 Tribeca Film Festival
May 2-12 DOXA Documentary Film Festival
May 8-11 Philadelphia Independent Film Festival
May 14-25 Cannes Film Festival
May 23-29 Ethnocineca
May 24-27 Mountainfilm
Starts May 24 Zlín
June
Until June 1 Zlín
June 5-16 Sydney Film Festival
June 7-16 Festival des Très Courts
June 13-21 Melbourne International Animation Festival
June 15-24 Shanghai International Film Festival
June 19-24 Nantucket Film Festival & Screenplay Competition
June 19-30 Edinburgh International Film Festival
June TBD San Francisco Black Film Festival
June TBD Mendocino Film Festival
Starts June 27 FilmFest Munchen
July
Until July 6 FilmFest Munchen
July 18-21 Comic-Con International Film Festival
Starts July 25 Jerusalum Film Festival
Starts July 30 Traverse City Film Festival
July TBD Durban International Film Festival
August
Until August 4 Traverse City Film Festival
Until August 4 Jerusalum Film Festival
August 1-18 Melbourne International Film Festival
August 6-11 Rhode Island International Film Festival
August 15-18 Vail Film Festival
August 15-18 Atlanta Underground Film Festival
August 16-23 Sarajevo Film Festival
August 17-25 Rwanda Film Festival
August 24 Monthly Film Festival LA | InFocus: International Animation
Returning in 2020 Hiroshima International Animation Festival
Starts August 28 Venice International Film Festival
September
September 5-15 Toronto Film Festival
Until September 7 Venice International Film Festival
September 13-15 Coney Island Film Festival
September 14 Monthly Film Festival LA | InFocus: Latinx & Hispanic Cinema
September 20-22 Port Townsend Film Festival
Starts September 25 Bergen International Film Festival
Starts September 26 Edmonton International Film Festival
September TBD Oldenburg International Film Festival
September TBD Great Lakes Independent Film Festival
October
Until October 3 Bergen International Film Festival
October 3-13 Brisbane International Film Festival
Until October 5 Edmonton International Film Festival
October 3-13 Mill Valley Film Festival
October 4-10 Oaxaca Film Fest
October 19 Monthly Film Festival LA | InFocus: Veteran Cinema
October 24-27 National Film Festival for Talented Youth
October TBD Kerry Film Festival
October TBD Freak Show Horror Film Festival
October TBD FirstGlance Film Fest Philadelphia
October TBD Online Terror Film Festival
October TBD Doclisboa – The Lisbon International Documentary Film Festival
October TBD AFRIFF
October TBD Alexandria Mediterranean Countries Film Festival
October TBD Africa n Motion Film Festival
October TBD Cambridge Film Festival
October TBD Canberra International Film Festival
November
November 13-17 Lone Star International Film Festival
November 16 Monthly Film Festival LA | InFocus: Native Cinema
November TBD Alexandria Film Festival
November TBD Cairo International Film Festival
November TBD Carthage Film Festival / Journées Cinématographiques de Carthage
November TBD Camerimage International Film Festival
November TBD Cork Film Festival
November TBD Red Rock Film Festival
November TBD Whistler Film Festival
December
December 7 DocuSlate LA
December 14 Monthly Film Festival LA | InFocus: Middle Eastern Cinema
December TBD Festival International du Film de Marrakech
December TBD Festival International del Nuevo Cine Latino Americano Havana
