44 MOVIEMAKER.COM
Bros. The fest also generously offers
airfare to feature filmmakers in
competition, lodging for feature and
short filmmakers in competition, and
free round-trip ground transportation
from New York City. Those lucky
attendees are treated to events that
include pitch sessions, panels, and
conversations with guests who have
included Brian De Palma, Alfre
Woodard, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sir
Patrick Stewart, and Annette Bening.
HEARTLAND INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA / OCTOBER 8-18,
2020 / HEARTLANDFILMFESTIVAL.ORG
INDY SHORTS INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA / JULY 21-26,
2020 / INDYSHORTS.ORG
We’ve paired these two wonderful
festivals because they’re both under
the umbrella of the nonprofit arts
organization Heartland Film, though
Indy Shorts in the summer celebrates
shorts, and Heartland in the fall
focuses on features. Both help with
travel and lodging and offer great
media teams, respectable prize
packages, and prestigious awards: One
notable offering is the Jimmy Stewart
Legacy Award, which Heartland
International gives to a film that
embodies the “triumph of the human
spirit through determination and the
defiance of odds, humble vulnerability,
and courage in the face of adversity.”
Greg Sorvig, artistic director of
both festivals, notes that Heartland
has awarded $3.5 million to indie
filmmakers since its inception in 1991.
Alumni filmmakers join what Sorvig
calls the “Heartland Family,” and both
festivals support these alums through
their festival runs, distribution, and
theatrical or VOD releases.
HOT DOCS CANADIAN
INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY
FESTIVAL
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA /
TBD / HOTDOCS.CA
Besides handing out a whopping
$200,000 in prizes, this massive
documentary festival draws such
major distributors as Amazon, HBO
Documentary Films, Netflix Origi-
nals, PBS International, and the BBC.
Its Hot Docs Industry Conference
offers workshops, micro-meetings
and strategy sessions, and the films
can’t be beat: Last year’s included
American Factory and Knock Down
the House. It also provides help with
travel and publicity. “As the largest
documentary festival, conference,
and market in North America,
we have a unique opportunity to
showcase film from across the globe
to huge, engaged audiences. Our mis-
sion is to advance and celebrate the
art of documentary, and to showcase
the work of and create production
opportunities for documentary film-
makers,” says promotions coordina-
tor Britt Mumford. The fest was
delayed in March from its planned
April 30 start date, so please check
the site for updates.INDIE MEMPHIS FILM FESTIVAL
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE / OCTOBER 21-26,
2020 / INDIEMEMPHIS.COM
This beloved and innovative festival,
in one of America’s most fascinating
cities, doesn’t rest on the laurels of its
historic, music-heaven backdrop. But
it does celebrate it by incorporating
live music into screenings. That’s just
one of the innovative touches at a
vibrant festival that last year offered
a panel called “Cinematic Thirst and
Film Criticism,” and surprised attend-
ees with a secret screening of Uncut
Gems with a video intro from JoshSafdie. There are distributors galore,
the fest helps moviemakers with air-
fare, lodging, and transportation, and
Indie Memphis boasts a top-notch
publicity team. Awards include the
Craig Brewer Emerging Filmmaker
Award for a first-time narrative
feature director, the Soul of Southern
Film Award for the best Southern
film, and the Indie Award in recogni-
tion of an outstanding Memphis-area
crew member. The Black Creators Fo-
rum includes a “Pitch Rally” prize and
two paid residencies for screenwrit-
ers, as well as thoughtful discussions
like “Post-Moonlight Masculinity.”
And we haven’t even mentioned more
than $70,000 in prizes.JULIEN DUBUQUE
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
DUBUQUE, IOWA / JUNE 17-21, 2020 /
JULIENFILMFEST.COM
This friendly fest promises to treat
“ALL filmmakers” like VIPs—includ-
ing lots of free food and events. It’s
extremely walkable—don’t miss the
free tours of the city and the banks of
the Mississippi River—but also offers
free rides to and from the airport and
anywhere in Dubuque. The filmmak-
er lounge offers full breakfast, lunch,
and dinner buffets. The hospitality
even includes a Home Stay program
in which filmmakers can stay with a
local film supporter. “Last year over
40 filmmakers took advantage of
this opportunity and loved it,” says
festival executive director Susan Gor-
rell. There are coffee talks, wine talks,
panels, workshops, plenty of parties,
and even a kids day. Distributors who
have attended include representa-
tives from LeoMark, UTA, Shoreline,
Seed&Spark, Sony/Provident, and
CinemaNow. Press reps connect
filmmakers with media across Iowa,
Wisconsin, and Illinois.MAMMOTH LAKES
FILM FESTIVAL
MAMMOTH LAKES, CALIFORNIA /
SEPTEMBER 16-20, 2020 /
MAMMOTHLAKESFILMFESTIVAL.COM
This resort-town fest hosts many
West Coast premieres, snagging
buzzy A24 and Neon titles like
In Fabric and Monos, respectively.
Festival goers, press, and moviemak-
ers all co-mingle in the same hotel,
which encourages gatherings both
formal and not—including late-night
ventures out to the town’s famous
hot springs. With travel reimburse-
ments and lodging covered, festival
director Shira Dubrovner is serious
when she proclaims Mammoth to be
“a true filmmaker-first festival.” She
continues: “We treat our filmmakers
like kings and queens and realize
they create the synergy that drives all
aspects of the festival.” Always grow-
ing since its inaugural year in 2015,
the fest added a screenplay award
this year. The winner gets to pitch to
the Russo Bros. production company,
AGBO Films.MARTHA’S VINEYARD
INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
VINEYARD HAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS /
SEPTEMBER 8-13, 2020 / MVFILMSOCIETY.COM
The folks on Martha’s Vineyard have
refined tastes and no problem with
subtitles: Most of the moviemakers
invited to the idyllic location are
from out of the United States, and
the festival helps them with travel,
lodging, and transportation. Oscar
breakthrough Parasite was among
the films that screened last year. This
extremely selective festival curates
its feature-length film program and
chooses just 10 short films as finalists
for its jury competition, out of more
than 400 entries. The festival takes
advantage of the natural beauty allSPRING 202050 FILM FESTIVALS WORTH THE ENTRY FEE 2020
(^) MIAMI JEWISH (^) NEW HAMPSHIRE