List of film festivals in the United States

This is a list of film festivals that take place (or took place) in the United States.

Name	Est.	City	Notes	Ref
Black Warrior Film Festival	2013	Tuscaloosa	Staged by the University of Alabama	^[1]
Fairhope Film Festival		Fairhope		^[2]
George Lindsey UNA Film Festival		Florence	Staged by the University of North Alabama	^[3]
Lanett City Film Festival	2017	Lanett		^[4]
Montgomery Film Festival	2009	Montgomery		^[5]
Sidewalk Film Festival	1999	Birmingham		^[6]
Troy International Film Festival		Troy
Yellowhammer Film Festival		multiple locations	High school and college student films	^[7]

Name	Est.	City	Notes
Arizona International Film Festival		Tucson
Filmstock Film Festival	2011	multiple locations
International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival	2005	Tempe
Monument Valley Film Festival	2007	Kayenta
Phoenix Film Festival	2000	Phoenix
Rock the Canyon	2009	Shonto
Sedona International Film Festival	1994	Sedona
Scottsdale International Film Festival	2010	Scottsdale	Annual, international film festival held in November. Year-round Screenings and events supporting the Festival and international filmmakers.
Tombstone Western Film Festival and Symposium	2001	Tombstone
Tucson Film & Music Festival	2005	Tucson

Name	Est.	City	Notes
Bentonville Film Festival	2015	Bentonville	Held annually in May and focused on diversity in film, specifically women and under represented minority filmmakers.
Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival	1992	Hot Springs
Little Rock Film Festival	2006	Little Rock	Held annually in the beginning of June. This southern film festival features narrative film, documentary films, short film, panels, and unforgettable events.

Name	Est.	City	Notes
168 Film Festival	2003	Los Angeles	Speed filmmaking competition and festival. Entries accepted from anywhere in the world. Held annually in April.
Action On Film International Film Festival	2005	Monrovia	Started as part of the World Martial Arts Trade Show and International Championships.
Asian World Film Festival	2015	Los Angeles	International; held annually in October–November.
Atheist Film Festival	2009	San Francisco	Annual event from 2009-2014; dedicated to films related to atheism.
Bel Air Film Festival	2008	Los Angeles	An international festival held annually in November.
Berlin & Beyond Film Festival	1996	San Francisco	German-language film festival outside of Europe, held annually in January.
Big Bear Lake International Film Festival	2000	Big Bear Lake	Committed to presenting emerging talents of independent filmmakers and screenwriters, held annually in September.
Burbank International Film Festival	2009	Burbank
CAAMFest	2012	San Francisco	The nation's largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films
Coronado Island Film Festival	2016	Coronado Island	Held annually in November in the resort city across the bay from downtown San Diego.
COLCOA French Film Festival	1997	Los Angeles, California	Held annually in November at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood.
Dances With Films	1998	Los Angeles	The festival of unknowns (i.e. no celebrities)
DaVinci International Film Festival	2017	Los Angeles	Held annually in September.
Downtown Los Angeles Film Festival	2008	Los Angeles
Frameline Film Festival	1997	San Francisco	Frameline Film Festival produces the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival which is the oldest ongoing film festival devoted to LGBT programming.
Horrible Imaginings Film Festival	2009	San Diego and Santa Ana	Annually in September.
Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema	2009	Idyllwild-Pine Cove	Held annually in January. An independent film festival
International Black Women's Film Festival	2001	San Francisco	Exhibiting films by and/or featuring Black women from around the world in non-stereotypical roles.
LA's Rich and Successful Film Festival	2021	Los Angeles	Held annually in September at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre. Premiere short film showcase for rising Los Angeles-based talent.
L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival	2009	Los Angeles	Held annually in the spring. Host of the L.A. Comedy Scripts screenplay competition.
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival	1983	Los Angeles	Premiere showcase for the best and brightest of Asian Pacific American and international cinema in Los Angeles. Held annually in May.
Los Angeles Film Festival	1995	Los Angeles	Held annually in June. Shows independent, feature, documentary and short films, as well as music videos.
Mods & Rockers Film Festival	1999	Los Angeles	Celebration of rock music culture films.
Nevada City Film Festival		Nevada City
New Media Film Festival	2009	Los Angeles	Annual film festival that brings together the work of established and emerging New Media Content Creators and video artists around the world.
Newport Beach Film Festival	1999	Newport Beach	Founded in 1999, the Newport Beach Film Festival has evolved into a multicultural event, attracting over 40,000 attendees to Orange County.
Noor Iranian Film Festival	2007	Los Angeles	Dedicated to the cinema of Iran
Oceanside International Film Festival	2009	Oceanside, San Diego County	Held annually in August through 2020. Held annually in February since 2021.
Palm Springs Festival of Festivals	2001	Palm Springs
Palm Springs International Film Festival	1989	Palm Springs
Sacramento French Film Festival	2002	Sacramento	For ten days in June the Main Event celebrates the artistic, cultural, social and historical values of French film. The Winter Shorts Fest (since 2008) presents the César Award-nominated short films. The Minifest (since 2014) is a one-day miniature festival held in the fall. The Virtual Cinema presents first-run films and our festival events.
San Diego International Film Festival	2001	San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter and La Jolla	Held in October, the festival showcases international narrative features, shorts and documentaries in various categories including Native American, social justice and military.
San Diego Latino Film Festival	1993	San Diego
San Diego French Film Festival	2021	San Diego	Held in June, the festival presents francophone movies. It is organized by the Alliance Francaise San Diego
San Diego Film Week	2017	San Diego’s Balboa Park	Held in February–March, the festival showcases local narrative features, short films, and documentaries for film.
San Francisco Frozen Film Festival	2006	San Francisco	Special interest, Independent.
San Francisco Green Film Festival	2011	San Francisco
San Francisco Independent Film Festival	1998	San Francisco
San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival	1982	San Francisco	Dedicated to Asian and Asian-American films.
San Francisco International Film Festival	1957	San Francisco
San Francisco Jewish Film Festival	1980	San Francisco	SFJFF is a year-round media arts organization that promotes awareness, appreciation and pride in the diversity of the Jewish people.
San Luis Obispo International Film Festival	1993	San Luis Obispo	Held annually in March.
Santa Barbara International Film Festival	1985	Santa Barbara
Sonoma International Film Festival	1996	Sonoma	SIFF takes place every March in the United States’ Wine Country, 45 minutes north of San Francisco.
TCM Classic Film Festival	2010	Los Angeles	A celebration of classic films presented by Turner Classic Movies.
WYSIWYG Film Festival	1999	San Francisco	Christian film festival (What You See Is What You Get)^[8]^[9]
Zero Film Festival	2007	Los Angeles	Film festival exclusive to self-financed filmmakers.

Name	Est.	City	Notes
Boulder International Film Festival	2004	Boulder
Crested Butte Film Festival	2011	Crested Butte	Held annually in the last week of September supporting action and change together.
Denver Film Festival	1978	Denver	Held annually in November.
Denver Underground Film Festival	1997	Denver	Held annually in May.
Durango Independent Film Festival	2005	Durango	Held annually the first week of March.
Festivus Film Festival	2006	Denver	Ended in 2013
Mile High Horror Film Festival	2010	Denver	Independent horror films from around the world.
Moondance International Film Festival	2000	Boulder	Film writers, filmmakers and film score composers who, through their creative work, actively increase awareness, provide multiple viewpoints, address complex social issues, and strengthen ties between international audiences.
Rocky Mountain Women's Film Festival	1987	Colorado Springs	Held annually in early November showcasing films made by women. The festival features a mix of documentary, short and narrative films.
Telluride Film Festival	1974	Telluride	Only 40 films are admitted each year.

Name	Est.	City	Notes
Baton Rouge Jewish Film Festival		Baton Rouge
Louisiana Film Prize	2012	Shreveport	Short films shot in North Louisiana compete for $50k.
New Orleans Film Festival	1989	New Orleans	Frequently referred to as Cannes on the Mississippi.^{[citation needed]}
Overlook Film Festival	2017	New Orleans
Red Stick International Animation Festival	2005	Baton Rouge
Third Street Film Festival	2011	Baton Rouge

Name	Est.	City	Notes
AFI Docs	2003	Silver Spring (plus Washington, DC)
Bastard Film Encounter	2013	Baltimore
Johns Hopkins Film Festival	1997	Baltimore
Maryland Film Festival	1999	Baltimore	Held annually for 4 days each May. Includes 40+ new features and 50+ new shorts, as well as a favorite film selected and hosted by MFF board member John Waters.

Name	Est.	City	Notes
.EDU Film Festival		Minneapolis	Student film screenings; equipment demos; roundtables with film directors, writers, and producers; and meet-and-greets with post secondary institutions that feature strong film/video production programs.
Highway 61 Film Festival	2011	Pine City	Held annually in mid-October, its purpose is to recognize and honor filmmakers in East Central Minnesota and other American cities up and down Old US Highway 61.
Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival	1983	Minneapolis-St. Paul	Held annually in the spring. Showcases more than 200 films from around the world. Presented by The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul.

Name	Est.	City	Notes
QFest St. Louis	2008	St. Louis	Showcase of LGBTQ+-themed films
Robert French Film Festival	2009	St. Louis	Features classic and contemporary French films.
Springfield and the Ozarks 48-Hour Film Festival	2006	Springfield	SATO48 challenges filmmakers to create a short film entirely from scratch over the course of 48 hours.
St. Louis International Film Festival	1992	St. Louis	Cinema St. Louis engages the St. Louis region through educational programs, cultural connectivity, and curated film exhibitions.
True/False Film Fest	2003	Columbia	Features nonfiction films.

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Puerto Rico

District of Columbia

US Territories

References