The Savannah Film Festival is hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design and accepts professional and student films. Competition categories include animation, documentary feature, documentary short, narrative feature, narrative short and student. To be eligible for the student competition, entrants must be enrolled in an academic institution or have completed their film while enrolled. Paperless entries are preferred and can be submitted via Withoutabox's International Film Festival Submission System (BrigitFest) at www.withoutabox.com. A paper entry form can be downloaded as a pdf file at www.scad.edu/filmfest by clicking on the "call for entries" link. The entry fee is $40 for professional films. The $20 entry fee for student films is waived for SCAD alumni and entrants with a valid SCAD ID. All entries must be postmarked by June 16. Notification of selected entries will be completed by Sept. 15. The Savannah Film Festival features independent, innovative and influential film from around the world, as well as workshops, panel discussions and presentations of well-known visiting artists and filmmakers. In 2006, all but one of the evening gala screenings went on to be nominated for an Academy Award, and all but two of those films won the Oscar in their category. For more information, visit www.scad.edu/filmfest or call 912-525-5051.

Now in its third year, The Florida Media Market is hosting its annual Global Film & Media Conference in Miami Beach, Florida at the Alexander All-Suite Oceanfront Resort from Thursday, October 23 to Sunday, October 26. This international conference will lend for networking, learning, sharing ideas and building new artistic relationships. Additional Events Surrounding the Conference: Opening Night Celebration will be held at the Havana Club on Thursday, Oct 23 and will feature live entertainment and hot hors d'oeuvres. Awards Brunch: The Awards Dinner will be held on Saturday, October 25 and will recognize the winners of the various competitions being held. (By invitation only.) Screenplay-to-Movie Competition: Details regarding the upcoming Screenplay-to-Movie Competition will be announced shortly.

In 2008, the HD Film Festival will respond to producers' demands by creating a category for foreign productions, dedicated to contents from all over the world. The festival’s third edition will host a new international selection, dedicated to foreign contents. In 2008, the HD Film Festival will have seven categories of programs: --Live performances (sport, opera, theatre plays, concerts) --Ad & Video clip --Short films --Events & Corporate (commissioned works, graphic design) --Documentaries & Discovery --Features & TV drama --Foreign production (programs produced outside the French-speaking world, all categories) Producers and directors interested in joining the competition can submit their work until September 2, 2008. This 2008 request for film proposals comes with a request for testimonies: producers, directors or technical staff members who worked on a production taking part in the 2008 competition will be given the chance to make a “behind the scenes” presentation in the news website’s section. Promoting the technical craftsmanship behind the audio-visual production chain, the 2007 edition of the HD film festival hosted 130 programs totaling about 90 hours of content. In 2007, the festival president was director Alexandre Astier. His successor for 2008 will be revealed this coming September The competition results will be announced during an exceptional evening on October. 21. For more information, visit www.hdfilm-festival.com.

The 15th Annual Austin Film Festival is dedicated to championing the work of aspiring and established filmmakers, defined as screenwriters, directors, editors, producers, actors and all artists who use the language of film to tell a story. The AFF furthers the art, craft and business of filmmaking by providing unique cultural events and services, enhancing public awareness and participation, and encouraging dynamic and long-lasting community partnerships. Short films screened in competition at the Austin Film Festival are eligible to be nominated for an Academy Award. For more information, visit www.austinfilmfestival.com. We produce over 80 interactive panels over the course of our 4-day Conference including: Meet and Greets in a casual and intimate setting; Roundtables where you'll meet at least 8 agents, filmmakers, or producers; and the general Panels, some of which we limit to as few as a 30-person audience. And when the panels conclude in the evening, panelists and registrants alike hang out together at the parties and hotel bars. The Austin Film Festival and Conference take place in the Driskill Hotel (604 Brazos) and the Stephen F. Austin Hotel (701 Congress Avenue). Deadlines for the Film category are June 5 (regular), July 5 (late) and July 15 (very late). Deadlines for the Screenplay category are May 15 (early) and June 1 (late and teleplay). Austin is a casual and laid-back city and the AFF and Conference follow suit. No velvet ropes or VIP rooms. Just a bunch of filmmakers and writers -- of all levels -- gathering to talk about the art and business of storytelling through film.

Hollywood, California, USA Oct. 15-20, 2008 Deadline: June 30, 2008 The Hollywood Film Festival is comprised of 10 separate film festivals, including the Hollywood Animation Film Festival. The event was created to bridge the gap between established Hollywood and the global creative community, as well as to honor excellence in the art of filmmaking. The Hollywood Animation Film Festival is a competitive film festival with the mandate to highlight both domestic and international animated films and to make sure that filmmakers get visibility in Hollywood's backyard. Selected animated films compete in the festival's main competition. For more information, visit www.hollywoodawards.com.

The Times BFI 52nd London Film Festival is one of the biggest public film festivals in Europe. Featuring star-studded world premieres and gala screenings, as well as a wide selection of the best in independent and world cinema, the festival provides an opportunity for the public to attend glamorous red-carpet events and to catch some of the films that will be bothering next year's award ceremonies before they go on general release. Taking place in venues across the capital, the festival will be featuring full-length films and shorts, as well as a host of screen talks, master classes and live events. The full program can be found at www.lff.org.uk and tickets for all screenings and special events are currently on sale via the website or the Festival Box Office on 020 7928 3232. Animated films include acclaimed documentary WALTZ WITH BASHIR and nine short programs, many of which contain animation. International Animation Panorama includes a selection of new international and British animated films: 7 MORE MINUTES (Poland/Germany), A CHILD'S METAPHYSICS (Japan), BERNI'S DOLL (France), CHAINSAW (Australia), ELEPHANTS (U.K.), FANTAISIE IN BUBBLE WRAP (U.S.), IN THE WOODS (U.S.), LAST TIME IN CLERKENWELL (U.S.), RABBIT PUNCH (U.K.), REFRAINS (Poland) and THIS WAY UP (U.K.). See a complete list of all films and programs at http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff/.

Categories: short and feature length narrative, animation, documentary, junior filmmakers, original screenplay guest filmmakers, festival presentations and more.

Attention animators! San Diego Asian Film Festival 2008 will once again be showcasing animated short films produced by animators of Asian ethnicities in a 90-minute all-animation program. All forms of animation (traditional, claymation, stop-motion, flash, CGI, etc) will be accepted for consideration into this competitive festival. Films by all animators pertaining to Asian issues and themes will also be considered. Only VHS and DVD (preferred) formats are accepted for consideration. A Best Animated Short Film Award will be awarded with prizes to be determined. The year 2008 will be SDAFF's ninth year of celebrating the best in Asian Cinema in sunny San Diego. Last year, SDAFF screened over 130 films in eight days with many industry celebrities in attendance. The all-animation program was a resounding success with 25 animated shorts in the official selection. CITY PARADISE, by Gaelle Denis took the Best Animated Short Award. Help make SDAFF a success again by submitting your animation and spreading the word to your friends and associates who may also be interested. Important dates: Early deadline: April 11, 2008 Final deadline: June 13, 2008 Festival date: October 9-16, 2008 For submission guidelines and online submission: www.withoutabox.com/login/1422

ELEVATE Film Festival, the first filmmaking competition to challenge the international film community to create works of social and global importance, announced the fifth annual ELEVATE event will take place on Sunday, October 5 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles. Founded by producer Nadia Salamanca and award winning filmmaker Mikki Willis, ELEVATE 5 will premiere 20 short films by some of the industry's hottest young talents for a night of cutting edge cinema devoted to stimulating positive change. Growing from just 500 attendees in 2005 to 3,600 at last year's star-studded event at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre, turnout this year is expected to top 7,000 guests, making ELEVATE the largest single screen film festival event in the world. "All Tribes Unite" is the theme of ELEVATE 5 with the competing filmmakers challenged to create works that inspire people and societies to break out of the limited thinking and prejudices that persistently divide mankind. The competition will be judged by a panel of industry heavyweights including Michel Shane (exec. producer I, ROBOT, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN), A. Kitman Ho (producer HOTEL RWANDA, ALI) and Martha De Laurentiis (producer HANNIBAL) who will evaluate entries in the categories of Music Video, Narrative Short and Documentary Short. Music videos from Apl of the Black Eyed Peas and Grammy Award winning Keb Mo will debut in the music video category. Selected films from the event will be available on the Internet using Vusion's HD Video Streaming service. The quality of the Vusion service is so good that portions of the live event will be streamed to a sixty-foot theater screen during the festival. ELEVATE 5 also marks the first year of the festival's newly introduced Elevating Hollywood Awards honoring celebrity and motion picture industry philanthropists who have made a significant impact on the world. The first honoree to be announced is producer Jeff Skoll, CEO of Participant Productions (AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH, CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR, SYRIANA, FAST FOOD NATION) and noted philanthropist whose Skoll Foundation is the largest foundation for social entrepreneurship in the world, making grants in excess of $30M a year. "The huge growth we've achieved in just a few years is a great testament to the filmmaking community's desire to serve as catalysts for positive change and the excitement that the ELEVATE competition format generates," said ELEVATE founder Mikki Willis. "We've seen some phenomenal works over the past several events including last year's stunning Alanis Morissette video for her song 'Underneath' and we anticipate another night of great filmmaking in front of our largest crowd ever." The search for emerging and professional directors is global, supported through numerous filmmaking outlets and networks. Once selected, the competitors' challenge kicks off two weeks prior to the October 5 event, when they are randomly assigned the topic on which they must create their film around. Seven tension-filled days and sleepless nights follow as the filmmakers hustle to complete their music video, narrative short documentary, or commercial for its debut on October 5. In four years, the event has grown from a celebration of humanity and expanding consciousness into a world-class multi-media event. Last year, visionary leader Reverend Michael Beckwith hosted a capacity crowd at the Kodak Theatre and past attendees include Jeff Goldblum, Daryll Hannah, Derek Luke, and Lisa Bonet. ELEVATE is free to the public and tickets are awarded on a first come, first serve basis at the Nokia box office starting at noon on October 5. Additionally, a limited amount of guaranteed premium seats will be on-sale September 1 for $35 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster or at the Nokia Box Office. For more information, visit: http://elevatefilmfestival.com.

indiefilmpage.com and Coney Island USA present the Eighth Annual Coney Island Film Festival September 26-28, 2008 at Sideshows by the Seashore and The Coney Island Museum in the historic Brooklyn neighborhood Coney Island, New York

Entry categories: Feature, Short, Documentary Feature, Documentary Short, Experimental, Silent Film, Animation, Music Video.

Regular Deadline April 25, 2008 (postmarked) $25 entry fee
Late deadline June 25, 2008 (postmarked)
Extended late deadline July 3, 2008 (postmarked)

The Coney Island Film Festival is open to filmmakers working in all genres, subjects and formats.

www.coneyislandfilmfestival.com.