Under-the-Radar Film Festivals

1. Beloit International Film Festival, Wisconsin

The Beloit International Film Festival celebrates a couple of decades of cinematic entertainment. What started off in 2006 as a brief weekend of film screenings has grown and grown. In 2022 the festival spanned 10 days and visitors were treated to 125 films shown at a dozen different venues around the town. Many film makers attend the ten day celebration of film and the atmosphere is vibrant and celebratory, even though the festival is held in February when the weather could be iffy. In addition to the screenings, the festival hosts workshops, social events and much more. If you plan to attend the next BIFF you need to book your Beloit accommodation well in advance.

435 3rd Street, Beloit, WI 53511, 608 466 9693

2. Nantucket Film Festival

The Nantucket Film Festival is a writers’ festival whose mission is “to promote the cultural awareness and appreciation of the art of screenwriting in the world of cinema.” Every year for six days, the festival places the spotlight on screenwriters in contemporary cinema, showing the vital contribution of screenwriting to filmmaking.

Established in 1996 by Jill and Jonathan Burkhart, the festival has grown immensely in popularity, with movie enthusiasts from all over the world coming to see preview screenings of the most talked-about or controversial films and enjoy a range of signature programs such as the Screenwriters Tribute, which honors the achievements of prominent screenwriters.

The Nantucket Film Festival screens more than 100 films, both domestic and international, every year, including features, shorts, documentaries, and narratives from every genre, placing special emphasis on storytelling.

3. San Luis Obispo International Film Festival

The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival is a six-day annual event that showcases classic and contemporary films in a number of venues such as the city’s classic Art Deco Fremont Theatre and the independent Palm Theatre. The festival celebrates variety in the movies it shows, which include everything from topics documentaries on current topics to old and much loved cinema classics. Some of the screened independent films cannot be seen anywhere else outside the festival.

What all these films have in common is that they prove movies matter, whether they entertain, inspire, or educate. In parallel to the movie screenings, the festival has a range of Red Carpet Events that welcome Hollywood big names, wine tastings paired with special movies and special question and answer sessions with movie makers after screenings of their works take place.

4. True/False Film Festival

The annual True/False Film Festival, which has been held in the lively college town of Columbia, MO where it stopped being just a local event years ago. While the festival does not limit itself to any particular topic, nor does it advocates for or against any of the film’s subject matter, it does attempt to challenge viewers to think carefully and critically about the film content and to question their own assumptions.

During the four-day event, the festival screens about 60 of the best documentary films from all over the world at several locations around the town, and the event attracts a large number of movie industry insiders. The festival offers two awards: The True Vision Award, given to a filmmaker, and the True Life Fund, given to the subjects of a documentary film as a real, tangible form of assistance.

5. Montclair Film Festival

The Montclear Film Festival is a Montclear, New Jersey community-based film event that quickly gained an excellent reputation with the film industry insiders and public alike. It was declared a favorite film festival and the winner of the Discover Jersey Arts 2012 People’s Choice Awards.

While international in nature, the festival’s focus is on establishing a cultural focal point in the town of Montclair and the region. After it was established, the festival quickly became an internationally acclaimed event during which organizers screen a wide range of films in seven venues. The festival has a diverse and rich public and offers educational programs between the festivals, with events such as Free Summer Series Under the Stars, Kidz Shortz Filmmaking Competition, and Free African American Heritage Month screenings.

6. Florida Film Festival

The Florida Film Festival is the celebration of the best American independent films and foreign cinema productions. For the last 30 years, this 10-day Oscar-qualifying festival presents about 170 films in an American Independent Film Competition for feature productions, documentaries, shorts, and animation, as well as an International Spotlight Films that shows films already in distribution.

The viewers can also see select Florida student movies and Midnight Movies. Important elements of the event are special tributes, guests and screenings, panels and seminars. But, what everyone really comes to see is which of the American Independent films will qualify for Grand Jury Awards, Special Jury Awards, and Audience Awards at the Oscars.

7. New York International Children's Film Festival

Founded in 1997, the New York International Children’s Film Festival is based on the belief that movies with disturbing and controversial topics are not beyond kids’ interest and understanding. The festival supports the production and dissemination of films for children from ages 3 to 18 that are intelligent, thoughtful, and provocative.

These films go beyond simply entertaining and encourage active and critical viewing, stimulate discussion about the topics movies depict, and generally develop kids’ appreciation for the arts.

Out of about 2,500 submissions from all over the world, the festival shows about 100 feature and short films during the one week of screenings, which take place in various venues all over NYC. Children as well as adults vote for the best films, which qualify for the Academy Award.