The 5 Best Film Festivals in Los Angeles
Immerse yourself in the epicenter of global cinema… With our guide to the five best film festivals in Los Angeles. Renowned as the world capital of the movie industry.. LA boasts an eclectic mix of film festivals that celebrate diverse genres, cultures, and storytelling styles. From the indie favorite Los Angeles Independent Film Festival to the globally influential AFI Fest… These events provide an unparalleled platform for filmmakers and an immersive experience for film enthusiasts. Whether you’re a cinephile seeking unique narratives. Or an aspiring filmmaker looking for inspiration. Or a curious traveler eager to explore LA’s vibrant film culture! These Los Angeles film festivals offer something for everyone. Explore our take on the 5 Best Film Festivals in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Independent Film Festival
Showcase your film at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival! This is the home of creativity, story, craft: and all things in-between. LAIFF is focused on bringing as much value as possible to the filmmaking world. We pride ourselves in bringing forth films ranging across genre, budget, length, subject matter, and medium. We’ve built this festival with the intention of bridging the beauty of high budget and low budget, in order to showcase the incredible work being done in both sectors, and to introduce the film industry personnel making the magic happen in both worlds.
The Los Angeles Independent Film Festival is filled with value for filmmakers, screenwriters, directors, producers, actors and film enthusiasts alike! Across the festival, we have education resources, panels, talks, masterclasses, tools, giveaways, networking opportunities, distribution opportunities and of course: blocks of films made by this years incredible official selections, finalists and award winners.
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NewFilmmakers Los Angeles
NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) presents the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival, a uniquely intimate opportunity that provides a filmmaker focused festival approach by an intently devoted team. The model, a monthly festival with a very small number of official selections per month, generally fewer than 20, provides filmmakers with maximum attention and commitment from the Festival audience, participants and staff. This format allows NFMLA to serve a similar number of filmmakers as most annual Festivals (around 200 per year), while being able to dedicate its efforts to a core group every 30 days throughout the year.
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HollyShorts Film Festival
HollyShorts is an organization devoted to showcasing the best and brightest short films from around the globe, advancing the careers of filmmakers through screenings, networking events, and various panel and forums. The Academy Qualifying HollyShorts Film festival showcases the top short films produced 40- minutes or less.
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AFI Fest
Each fall, AFI FEST presents the year’s most significant films. Kicking off the awards season each year, AFI FEST offers a crucial avenue of exposure to the entertainment community. Featuring international work from emerging filmmakers, global showcases of films from the great masters, tributes and red-carpet gala premieres, AFI FEST brings the very best of world cinema to the city of Los Angeles, the film capital of the world. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recognizes AFI FEST as a qualifying festival for the Short Films category of the annual Academy Awards.
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Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival
The Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival celebrates the queer experience with not-to-be-missed world-class films, panels, and events. Since our founding in 1982, Outfest has screened thousands of US and international films for audiences of well over half a million people. Great opportunities await filmmakers at Outfest Los Angeles, the largest film festival of any kind in LA. Outfest is the leading queer media arts organization. And its location in the heart of the entertainment industry means more industry executives attend Outfest Los Angeles than any other LGBTQIA+ film festival.
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Honorable Mentions
Los Angeles International Horror Film Festival
The Los Angeles International Horror Film Festival is the most exciting horror film festival in the modern filmmaking world. We’re dedicated to showcasing films from the world’s most talented genre filmmakers. Our program is packed with award-winning thriller and horror films from every corner of the world. This started as a way of showcasing our love for all things horror, and it’s grown to be a complete, value-packed celebration of horror filmmaking surrounded by other incredible talented and passionate creators!
The Los Angeles International Horror Film Festival is loaded up with resources, tools, masterclasses, panels, industry opportunities, networking opportunities and of course: a whole lot of wonderful movies.
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LA Shorts International Film Festival
LA Shorts International Film Festival ranks among the most prestigious and largest international short film festivals in the world.
The festival is accredited by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences OSCAR®, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts BAFTA and the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television (ACCT) presenters of the Canadian Screen Awards and The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Spain (Goya Awards).
65 LA Shorts filmmakers have earned Academy Award® nominations.
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The Pan African Film Festival
Did you know each year a transformation happens in Los Angeles, CA? People from around the globe gather to attend the largest and most prestigious Black film festival in the United States. From 100 million dollar blockbuster premieres to newly emerging Hollywood talent… The Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) showcases a broad array of Black creative works.. From the world over, highlighting those that reinforce positive images and help to destroy negative stereotypes. Nowhere else can audiences find this unique opportunity to come together through film and art to explore new worlds, meet new people and acquire new information and ideas. PAFF is designated as an official qualifying film festival for narrative live action and animated short films for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.
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In Conclusion: The 5 Best Film Festivals in Los Angeles
In conclusion, these five best film festivals in Los Angeles not only serve as the lifeblood of the city’s cinematic culture… But also as vibrant platforms for showcasing global talent. Each festival, with its unique focus and offerings, reflects the diverse fabric of LA’s film industry. Making them must-visit events for every film enthusiast. Whether it’s the groundbreaking indie films at LAIFF. Or the extraordinary LGBTQ+ cinema at Outfest. Or the deeply moving narratives at the Pan African Film Festival… There’s a world of extraordinary cinema waiting to be discovered. So don’t miss out on the opportunity to explore these film festivals. And immerse yourself in the magic of storytelling on the big screen in the heart of the global movie industry.