Film festivals have long been a way for audiences to discover new films and artists. In many cases, some distribution networks secure some of their favorite works, allowing filmmakers to showcase their work to larger audiences. However, due to the pandemic, many film festivals have not taken place the previous year, making it more challenging for filmmakers to increase their reach. That said, there has been some hope this year. So, here’s a list of film festivals 2021, some of which are digital events, physical events, and hybrids of both.

Events in the United States

Here’s a list of film festivals in the United States arranged by date

• CinemaCon – August 26 to August 30 (physical event)
• Telluride Film Festival – September 2 to September 6 (physical event)
• Nashville Film Festival – September 30 to October 6 (hybrid event)
• Hamptons International Film Festival – October 7 to October 13 (physical event)
• Heartland International Film Festival – October 7 to October 17 (hybrid event)
• Indigo Moon Film Festival – October 8 to October 10 (physical event); October 9 to October 15, (digital event)
• Tallgrass Film Festiva – October 20to October 24 (hybrid event)
• AFM – American Film Market – November 2 to November 7 (physical event)
• DOC NYC, US – November 10 to November 18 (hybrid event)

Previous Events in the Year

Take a look at a list of past film festivals this year in the US.

• Sundance Film Festival – January 28 to February 3 (hybrid event)
• SCAD aTVfest – February 4 to February 6 (digital event)
• Miami Film Festival – March 4 to March 15 (hybrid event)
• New York International Children’s Film Festival – March 4 to March 15 (digital event)
• SXSW – March 16 to March 20 (digital event)
• Belmont World Film – March 16 to May 10 (digital event)
• Vilnius International Film Festival, Lithuania – March 18 to April 1
• Seattle Film Festival – April 8 to April 18 (digital event)
• Sun Valley Film Festival – April 14 to April 18 (digital event)
• SpyFlix – April 18 to May 9 (digital event)
• Indy Film Fest – April 29 to May 19 (digital event)
• True/False Film Fest – May 5to May 9 (hybrid event)
• Mountainfilm  – May 28 to May 31 (physical event); May 31 to June 6 (digital event)
• The Many Sides of Pride Film Festival – June 3to June 6 (hybrid event)
• Tribeca Film Festival- June 9 to June 20 (physical event)
• Provincetown Film Festival – June 16 to June 5 (hybrid event)
• Oak Cliff Film Festival – June 24 to June 27 (physical event)
• Indy Shorts International Film Festival – July 20 to July 25 (hybrid event)
• Comic-Con – July 22 to July 25 (physical event)

Film Festivals Around the Globe:

Check out this list of film festivals around the globe ordered by date.

• Starting August

This list includes the names of film festivals starting in August.

• Canada: Fantasia International Film Festival – August 5 to August 20
• Australia: Melbourne International Film Festival – August 5 to August 22
• Poland: New Horizons International Film Festival – August 12 to August 22 (physical event); August 12 to August 29 (digital event)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina: Sarajevo Film Festival – August 13 to August 20
• UK: Edinburgh International Film Festival – August 18 to August 25 (hybrid event)
• Australia: Sydney Film Festival – August 18 to August 29 (physical event)
• Czech Republic: Karlovy Vary International Film Festival – August 20 to August 28 (physical event)
• Portugal: IndieLisboa – August 21 to September 6 (physical event)
• France: Series Mania – August 26 to September 2 (physical event)

• Starting September

This list includes the names of film festivals starting in September.

• Italy: Venice International Film Festival – September 1 to September 11 (physical event)
• France: Deauville American Film Festival – September 3 to September 12 (physical event)
• Serbia: Beldocs International Documentary Film Festival – September 9 to September 16 (hybrid event)
• Indonesia: Bali International Film Festival (Balinale) – September 16 to September 19 (physical event)
• Spain: San Sebastian Film Festival – September 17 to September 25 (physical event)
• Finland: Finnish Film Affair – September 23 to October 3 (physical event)
• France: Dinard Film Festival – September 30 to October 6 (hybrid event)

• Starting October

This list includes the names of film festivals starting in October.

• Spain: CineEurope – October 4 to October 7
• South Korea: Busan International Film Festival – October 6 to October 15
• France: Canneseries – October 8 to October 13  (hybrid event)
• UK: Production Finance Market- October 12 to October 13  (digital event)
• Belgium: Film Fest Gent – October 12 to October 23 (physical event)
• France: MIPCOM – October 14 to October 17 (physical event)
• UK: Raindance Film Festival – October 27 to November 6 (physical event)
• Japan: Tokyo International Film Festival – October 30 to November 8 (physical event)

• Starting November

You can find your film festival of choice in this list of events starting in November.

• Lithuania: European Film Forum SCANORAMA – November 4 to November 21 (hybrid event)
• Poland: American Film Festival – November 9to November 14 (physical event)
• Sweden: Stockholm International Film Festival – November 10 to November 21 (physical event)
• UK: Cambridge Film Festival – November 18 to November 25 (physical event)

For more information on film festivals, take a look at the directory by Screen Dollars.