Blog: Film festivals

The Universal Movie Awards (UNIMAA) is an annual international reputable Award. The event is based in the Western State of Africa Nigeria.

Our vision is oriental value based on enriching the entertainment industry through the promotion of excellent creative works by Motion Picture practitioners.

The mission of Universal Movie Awards is: "the celebration of professional Excellence in the Global Film/Television Industry." It will also promote the appreciation of Arts and Culture through motion picture arts and sciences around the globe.

UNIMAA also runs a movie academy designated for the development of contemporary talents in the motion picture industry.

This award is founded and established by Hope Obioma Opara in 2020. He is also the President/ CEO of Supple Communications Limited under which the Awards platform is Holden. He is the publisher of Supple Magazine, a film festivals/Awards and culture magazine in Africa. www.supplemagazine.org.

Welcome to COLORTAPE FILM FESTIVAL!

Proudly Announcing the 2025 Winner!

CONGRATULATION TO THE 2025 FESTIVAL WINNER (EU,AU) "Mercy Box" - Directed By Sabrina Khan

Other 2025 Categories winners are:

- Best International Documentary Feature "Follow Your Heart” Directed By Liyu Qin

- Best International Series Documentaries "Nostradamus Series Directed by Shihyun Wang

- Best Internationl Short Documentary "Love, Law, Legacy Documentary Short Highlights Florida’s Trailblazing Black Legal Pioneers" Directed by Joseline J. Hardrick

- Best International Short "Gangsta to Grace" Directed by Letitia Scott Jackson, Valerie Denise Jones

- Best Animation " ras la frange - Fed Up" Directed by Sandra Mateescu

- Best Short Latin Film "Match" Directed by Sara Valbuena

- Best South East Asian Film "người Đàn Ông Đi lạc - bản quốc tế -The Lost Man" Directed by Quốc Thắng Vũ

- Best Chinese Film "A Distant Flame" Directed by Sihui Sha

- Best Short Indian Film "Mumbai's Noire"

- Best Indian Film "Honours Veil"

- Best Cinematography "Crossing through the Highlands of Iceland" Directed by Dan Razvan Coma

- Best Latin Feature Film "transformando realidades Transforming realities" Directed By Vanessa Gisell Pintos Bideau Mario Ayala Cabello

- Jury's Choice "시간은 거리에 스며든다 The Time permeates on the street" Directed By Soo Min Park

- Best Story Adaptation "Children of hope-remény gyermekei" Directed By Csaba Szuchy

- Best International Script "R.E.M." SCRIPT Written by John P Martinez

- Best Australian Script "Prattlebots" Written By David Hearne

- Best Trailer "Crazy Texas" Directed by Francis Juarez

- Best Persian Film "claimant" Directed by nadereh sadat serki

- Best Portughese Film "A Miss" Directed by Daniel Porto from Brazil

- Best Slavic Film "Don't forget to smile" Directed by David Dulev

More updates to come in your email in the next 15 days Large volume processing thank you for understanding.

Well done & Thank you for sharing your creative works with us!
From the CEO & Founder Alexandru Schiller

Festival Films can be viewed at (temp link) https://www.colortapeinternational.com/2025/

CONGRATULATION TO THE 2024 WINNER!

"The Unseen Crisis_ Vaccine Stories You Were Never Told"
directed by Cindy Drukier.

More details can be found at https://www.colortapeinternational.com/2030/
Thank you!

2024 NFT TOTAL PRIZES VALUES WILL BE APPROX. ETH215.82 APPROX (USD$635,000, current rate 0.00034ETH -0.00 (0.88%) 15 May, 6:04 am UTC (note: market value of AUD/USD/ETH subject to change in December)

Hosted between Australia (Brisbane, Perth) & Hungary, COLORTAPE strives to redefine what a film festival can be by inviting filmmakers to submit from diverse multicultural backgrounds & mixed diversity accross the globe, by creating a stimulating environment where arts & culture, creativity, originality, freedom of thinking & speech, envoronmental concerns & issues, future carbon print, Artificial Inteligence, and inspiration take centre stage. Our film festival allows filmmakers from across the globe to push boundaries and showcase & share cinematic art, their unique creative work, vision, stories, fiction, issues & voices through the shared cinematic experience.


Thank you for visiting our film submission festival platform. Our audience love your films. Please feel free to submit your works to us.

An Online & Outdoor Screening Event (when permissable)

AWARDS:

More information can be found here https://colortapeinternational.com/2030/2024-awards-list/

Please find for your convenience listed some important links below you may want to browse and get more information. Links under constant development, if you find errors PLEASE email us the link thank you!

2024 Film Screening Event,Competition (listing, watch & vote) can be found by 30th.June at https://www.colortapeinternational.com/2030/

Before submitting PLEASE read our terms & conditions which can be found at https://colortapeinternational.com/2030/child-protection-policy/

WHAT YOU MUST DO:

GIVE US THE SCREENER DOWNLOAD ACCESS LINK! It is very IMPORTANT
Festivals need access to films to be able to screen films. Without films screenings at festivals cannot take place. Hence, for participation we need the screener. Due to past bad experience, the data's long travelling distance from one continent to other during playback of films "on the fly" for example European in excess of 10,000km distance away from Australia, continuous and frequent frame freezes ocured during the event, the movies keeps stopping and starting as there was no continuous connection, low bandwidth and relatively slow speed (Australia has a slower internet than many countries around the world). Its a fact.

Nobody wants to watch a film that keeps stopping and starting.
This kind of technical glitch makes some films unwatchable, if played back from Vimeo, Festhome listing platform. Hence a screener download is a MUST be provided so it an be watched flawlessly, without interruptions, and without getting skipping, lagging frames etc. Thank you for your understanding. CIFF Admin

ABOUT OUR MULTIPLE FILM LISTING PLATFORMS OPPORTUNITY:

In order to increase filmmakers accumulated points received from the public, from views online, you must allow us to screen on our website or outdoor cinema/indoor if available. Optional, not guaranteed. We need to book the location, have permits in place, public liability, council approvals etc. All subject to availability & confirmation.

Since, the majority of filmmakers would like to receive the highest score possible, and would like to have their films viewed by the general public.

If you do not want to have your film listed on COLORTAPE FILM FESTIVAL then PLEASE remove your entry from submissions.

More information on submissions/rules can be found at:
Press & Media Releases https://colortapeinternational.com/2030/press&media.html

Privacy Policy
https://colortapeinternational.com/2030/Privacy-Policy.html

Event Screening (Indoor/Outdoor - subject to approvals from local councils, weather/environment permits) https://www.colortapeinternational.com/2024/eventscreening/2024events.html

Colortape International Film Festival is a privately owned, multicultural film festival promoting worldwide arts & culture through films, while bridging cultural differences, friendship, showcasing the creative vision of filmmakers from over the world. We are strong advocates and promoters of peace, love, friendship and mutual respect. One of very few festivals, if not the only one, to guaranteed acceptance, entry and certification for every filmmaker! Over 5324 filmmakers were rewarded in the past 8/9 years!

Dedicated mainly for international entries who would like to showcase their work to the Australian audience. Offering a transparent and culturally un-biased selection. Opening the door to those who normally get rejected or are unfairly disqualified based on difference in culture.

Local Australian filmmakers, based within our shores or outside can also participate.

We acknowledge that there are many more options available to local filmmakers, we noted in the past that many Australian films also do not get any or the right recognition and acceptance from local film festivals. They ought to be recogised. Even if there are better quality with larger budgets films entered from overseas. We would still like to reward everyone for their hard work, and creative nature.

Colortape is a film competition and film festival offering an Indoor/Outdoor screening opportunity , when possible, to showcase filmmakers work, and reward everyone towards the end of the competitive season.

Colortape festival was nominated as one of the most prestigious and recognized film festivals in the Southern hemisphere & possibly being one of Asia-Pacific's largest multicultural film competition by the number of annual admissions and FREE for the community in Australia.

In 2016, and 2017, 2018 nominated again for a 3rd year in a row for the "Access Community Services Cultural Diversity Award" by state government of Queensland, Regional Achievement and Community Awards.

Our festival endeavours to connect & bridge diverse cultural backgrounds from every corner of the world, whilst providing a sound platform for filmmakers to compete, showcase their work and be rewarded (recognition certified) at the same time, and offered an intimate festival where filmmakers and the audience can share & promote friendship and peace, to be engaged in the art of film and cinema.

The RUSH Youth Film Festival is back for another year of celebrating bold, innovative storytelling from the next generation of filmmakers! Taking place at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre and across St. Catharines, the festival is a platform for young creatives to showcase their work in front of live audiences, industry professionals, and fellow filmmakers.

ALSO CHECK OUT: RUSH AFTER DARK https://festhome.com/festival/rush-youth-film-festival

Now Accepting Submissions
We’re looking for short films from filmmakers aged 35 and under in all genres—live-action, animation, documentary, and experimental. Whether your film is deeply personal, wildly inventive, or pushing cinematic boundaries, we want to see it!

Festival Highlights
Beyond screenings, RUSH 2026 will be packed with opportunities for learning, networking, and creative growth:

Workshops with Industry Mentors – Learn from professionals in directing, screenwriting, cinematography, editing, sound design, and more.

Q&A Sessions with Filmmakers – Gain behind-the-scenes insight as directors, actors, and crew members break down their creative process.

Networking & Social Events – Connect with fellow filmmakers, industry insiders, and film lovers in a relaxed setting. Build relationships, find collaborators, and exchange ideas.

Panel Discussions – Explore industry trends, new technologies, and the evolving landscape of youth-driven storytelling.

Exclusive Festival Parties – Celebrate your work, unwind, and enjoy live music, entertainment, and awards presentations on closing night!

Don’t miss this chance to share your vision, connect with fellow creatives, and be part of an unforgettable festival experience. Submissions are now open!

About the Festival

The Wawas al Cine Children’s and Youth Film Festival is a cultural and educational initiative that promotes inclusive access to cinema as a tool for learning, reflection, and the holistic development of children, adolescents, and young people, particularly those in vulnerable situations. Through cinema, the Festival contributes to strengthening inclusive, equitable, and quality education by creating spaces for meaningful and lifelong learning.

Since its creation in 2015, Wawas al Cine has reached 46,151 people over 11 editions through in-person and virtual activities carried out in different regions of the country. The Festival works through a collaborative network with cultural and educational institutions such as INCINE, the University of the Americas (UDLA), the University of the Arts (UARTES), and the Ecuadorian Network of Film Clubs, enhancing its impact and long-term sustainability.

The project is supported by public institutions and international cooperation entities, including the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of Ecuador, embassies, local councils, the Municipal Government of Riobamba, and the Delegation of the European Union in Ecuador. This support has positioned the Festival as a national reference in the development of young audiences for cinema.

In addition, the Festival offers audiovisual production workshops for children and adolescents, who actively participate in collective short film creation processes. These activities encourage self-expression, critical thinking, and the exercise of cultural rights from an early age.

Screenings and activities take place in educational institutions, Indigenous communities, and public spaces, fostering dialogue and reflection on relevant social issues such as environmental care, gender equality, and the appreciation of cultural diversity.

The Twelfth Edition of the Wawas al Cine Festival will take place from May 21 to June 1, 2026, in the provinces of Bolívar, Pastaza, and Chimborazo, reaffirming its commitment to cultural decentralization and equitable access to cinema in historically underserved territories.

The PiFF Pinerolo Film Festival is organized by the cultural association Wel Theater and Movie aps.

Born to enhance independent cinema with an eye on Piedmont (Italy) and to bring to the fore themes of great social and human impact, Themes that enhance the territory and themes dedicated to children, young people and adolescents. Promotes the dissemination of products of high artistic value, capable of contributing to cultural growth.

International and national short films will be selected, with a day dedicated to children/young people, a day dedicated to social themes , a day dedicated to short films made in Piedmont and a day dedicated to the authors FEDIC (Italian Federation Cineclub). The screenings will be held at the headquarters of the cultural association WEL Theater and Movie aps that organizes the festival and in a cinema of the city of Pinerolo. The festival ends with a final day of screenings at the cinema of the short finalists and the awarding of the winners of the four categories, which are precisely: children/ boys, social themes, Piedmont, FEDIC.

All in Pinerolo, a beautiful town at the foot of the Alps, in Piedmont (Italy).

The festival is registered on IMDB

We invite you to participate in the sixth edition of ANIMAL Film Fest, which will take place on October 2, 3, and 4, 2025, with a hybrid format (in-person and online) in the city of Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.

We recommend reading the complete call for submissions before registering your short films.
Registration and participation in the 6th edition of ANIMAL Film Fest imply full acceptance of these regulations.


CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

ROT Movie Makers invites general public, as well as independent and professional filmmakers, film students, communication, animation, visual arts, multimedia and careers related, to participate in the sixth edition of ANIMAL Film Fest, to be held on October 2, 3, and 4, 2025, in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.

AFF is a ROT Movie Makers’ production.We invite you to participate in the seventh edition of ANIMAL Film Fest, which will take place in person from October 1 to 4, 2026, in the city of Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.

It is strongly recommended to carefully read the complete call for entries before registering any short film.

Registration and participation in the 7th edition of ANIMAL Film Fest imply full acceptance of these regulations.


CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

ROT Movie Makers invites the general public, as well as filmmakers, independent and professional creators, students of film, communication, animation, visual arts, multimedia, and related fields, to participate in the seventh edition of ANIMAL Film Fest, to be held from October 1 to 4, 2026, in Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.

ANIMAL Film Fest is a festival exclusively dedicated to horror cinema and dark genres, including horror, terror, suspense, thriller, and their hybrid forms. Short films from genres outside this curatorial line will not be accepted.

ANIMAL Film Fest is a production of ROT Movie Makers.

Her Moves: Mini Festival (3rd edition) is an open call for skateboarding films created by or focused on women and non-binary skaters.

All submissions must be about skateboarding. We welcome documentary, narrative, and experimental formats.

The festival is committed to inclusion and particularly encourages submissions from emerging filmmakers and skaters, including those from neurodivergent, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ communities (though submissions are open to all creators aligned with the festival’s values).

All festival activities are hosted by women and non-binary people and include screenings and an accompanying art exhibition as well as DJ sets.

Horrorant Film Festival ‘FRIGHT NIGHTS’ is an international horror film festival organised by a genre film distributor and held annually at the best equipped theatres in the heart of Athens and Thessaloniki, Greece.

FINCA is a competitive, international film festival that has been held in Argentina since 2010. It serves as a meeting space for filmmakers, activists, communities, and specialists, aiming to promote critical cinema that contributes to social transformation and to the creation of new narratives around the environment and human rights.

In 2026, the eighth edition of FINCA will place particular emphasis on the Right to Land as part of global debates on the socio-ecological crisis, environmental justice, and development models, recognizing that territorial conflicts are complex assemblages in which multiple actors—human and non-human—interact to sustain life. In the Global South, these disputes intensify around the defense of commons, ecosystems, and territories in the face of extractivist logics, understanding territory as a dynamic network and a collective bond that articulates memory, identity, and ecological interdependence, from which it is urgent to imagine more just and sustainable futures.

The 19th edition of the Razor Reel Flanders Film Fest, the only Flemish genre film festival, takes place in Fall 2026, in the city center of Bruges. During the Razor Reel Flanders Film Fest, we present a quality selection of the best national and international genre films (fantasy, thrillers, action, fantastic comedies, animated films,...) to our audience, in a unique, intimate and cosy atmosphere! We also welcome many guests and we host lectures and Q&A's that enrich the visitor’s knowledge.

Resistance International Film Festival (RIFF) is a major international cinematic event dedicated to storytelling about human dignity, justice, freedom, and resilience.

With nearly four decades of history, the festival was held biennially for many years and has now become an annual international film festival.

The 19th edition highlights themes such as resilience, courage and dedication, hope, social progress, and collective awareness, while embracing new creative technologies including artificial intelligence and multimedia storytelling. RIFF welcomes feature films, documentaries, short films, animation, screenplays, AI-based works, and research projects, and aims to connect filmmakers worldwide through cinema, dialogue, and cultural exchange.

Festival dedicated to the Short Film Competition, Fiction and Animation.

Possibility of hosting the directors and Actors of the Films.

Mister Vorky is an International Festival of One-Minute and Short films, which promotes the best one-minute and short films from all continents. The organizers of the festival is the Independent Film Center Vorky Team, which in this way pays tribute to the great Serbian-American film artist Slavko Vorkapich-Vorky.

The VAFF Enrique Cerezo 2026 celebrates its second edition on March 20 and 21. The Valdeolmos-Alalpardo Film Festival is organized by the Valdeolmos-Alalpardo Town Council.

Its main objective is to expand its presence within the short film festival circuit of the Community of Madrid and to increase the participation of short filmmakers from across Spain and abroad, supporting cinema in the short film format.

With the patronage of Enrique Cerezo, one of Spain’s most prominent audiovisual producers, and the support of his companies EGEDA, FlixOlé, Platino Next Gen, and Iberseries, VAFF 2026 aims to become one of the must-attend short film festivals in today’s short film competition landscape.

The Rabat-Comedy International Film Festival is one of the world’s leading film festivals exclusively dedicated to comedy.

Celebrating humor as a powerful cinematic language, the festival offers a unique platform for outstanding feature and short comedy films from around the globe to compete, connect, and share their vision with a prestigious international jury and a vibrant audience of comedy lovers.

Beyond film screenings, Rabat-Comedy creates a space for dialogue and exchange, through meetings with filmmakers, actors, producers, and key professionals of the film industry.

The festival also features special out-of-competition screenings, professional training sessions, and masterclasses led by renowned artists and experts, exploring the craft, creativity, and cultural impact of comedy in cinema.

Rabat-Comedy is not only a festival — it is a celebration of laughter, creativity, and cinematic freedom.

(En français)

Le Festival International du Film Rabat-Comedy est parmi les plus importants festivals au monde qui sont exclusivement dédiés à la comédie .

Célébrant l’humour comme un langage cinématographique universel, le festival offre une plateforme unique à des longs et courts métrages de comédie venus du monde entier, leur permettant de concourir et de partager leur vision devant un jury international de renom et un public passionné de cinéma et de comédie.

Au-delà des projections, Rabat-Comedy favorise les rencontres et les échanges professionnels à travers des discussions avec des réalisateurs, acteurs, producteurs et autres acteurs clés de l’industrie cinématographique.

Le festival propose également des projections hors compétition, des sessions de formation professionnelle et des masterclasses, consacrées à l’art de la comédie au cinéma, à ses écritures, ses formes et ses enjeux contemporains.

Rabat-Comedy n’est pas seulement un festival : c’est un espace de création, de réflexion et de partage autour du rire et du cinéma.

Batumi International Art-House Film Festival (BIAFF) was established in 2006. The founder and organizer is “Batumi Art-house ARGANI". BIAFF is an annual event held in second half of September in Batumi (Georgia).

Festival is focusing on art-house cinema. BIAFF festival’s major sections include - International Competition (Feature, Doc and Short sections), Retrospectives, Meet the Jury, Master Collection etc. Beside film screenings, festival program includes various workshops, master classes and industry events.

The Pijao Film Showcase is a space for film exhibition and cinematic exchange held in the municipality of Pijao, in the southern part of the department of Quindío, with the aim of strengthening access to cinema and audiovisual culture in a region that, for more than twenty years, lacked a functioning movie theater and a permanent film program.
With two years of continuous activity, the Showcase has become a point of convergence for Colombian short and feature films, as well as for filmmakers, producers, and professionals from the audiovisual industry, who actively participate through screenings, open discussions, and spaces for the exchange of cinematic experiences and knowledge with the local community.

The event’s main venue is the Teatro Román, currently undergoing a restoration process. This heritage space symbolizes the recovery of the municipality’s cultural and cinematic life. The Showcase is organized by Fundación del Toro, in collaboration with public and private institutions that support the project, as well as with regional audiovisual production companies that act as strategic partners in its development and projection.

For its current edition, the Pijao Film Showcase aims to expand its catalog of Colombian cinema and, for the first time, incorporate international films, enriching the dialogue between local and global perspectives. Additionally, the Showcase adopts an itinerant format, complementing the central event with periodic screenings in different venues, extending its reach beyond the official dates of the festival.
The Showcase is structured around non-competitive sections, prioritizing circulation, encounter, and audience development, with the goal of bringing cinema to southern Quindío and contributing in a sustained manner to the reconstruction of an active cultural ecosystem around audiovisual practices.

Frontera Films Corporation from the city of Cúcuta is organizing the 8th International Film Festival of Norte de Santander.

Welcome to the participants of this edition in 2026. We are seeking enthusiasts and professionals in the audiovisual world who want to take part in the call for entries for the 8th International Film Festival of Norte de Santander.

The 9th International Film Festival of Norte de Santander is organized by Frontera Films Corporation. It emerges from the need to create a film industry in the region, from the Colombian-Venezuelan border and from an educational and training perspective. Our goal is to promote cinema in the department of Norte de Santander and the border region, making it the most important festival in the northeastern part of Colombia.

With the aim of showcasing Norte de Santander as a department that engages in audiovisual dynamics, we will have hybrid and semi-presential events in the cities of Cúcuta, Los Patios, Pamplona, and Villa del Rosario, as well as virtual events. Therefore, similar to last year, the festival will feature in-person screenings of short and feature films.

CONVERSATIONS, WORKSHOPS, AND JURIES:

There will be conversations, workshops, and talks with professionals from the national film industry.

The juries will consist of qualified individuals and professionals in the national film industry, as well as representatives from the festival organization.

More events will be announced soon.

Authorial film festival held by one of the most important distributors of movie Brazil. The awards will result distribution contracts of winning films in Brazil.

The Watoto International Film Festival - Zanzibar is currently accepting applications from filmmakers from around the world according to different categories of competition.

The Watoto International Film Festival - Zanzibar (WIFF Zanzibar) is East Africa’s first and largest Children's film and arts festival, exhibiting the latest and best films and promoting film talents from across the African continent and beyond.

The 1st Edition of WIFF Zanzibar will take place on 11th -14th March 2021 in Zanzibar.

The theme of the festival is 'Chei'Chei - Hello' and will prioritize African cinema and cinema from the African diaspora and the rest of the world.

WIFF Zanzibar also opens the call to films from different regions around the world.