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Published by Newsletter
Aug 25, 2026
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The Festival Beat N°1177 Venice in focus


THE FESTIVAL BEAT MAKER ! SHARING MOTION AND EMOTION SINCE 1995 - FINALIZING OUR NEW SITE - BEST OF LUCK ON THE CIRCUIT  

We are working hard fine tuning the new version of our platform to better serve our community. Filmfestivals.com was established in 1995 before google even existed, turned into a social network in 2006 with a blog platform welcoming festivals and film professionals with over 120 000 articles and counting. We take our pride in helping filmmakers and Fest organizers offering unique visibility, legitimacy and promotion in our dailies so they can match and grow. 
 

EMAIL US FOR PROMOTION AND FESTIVAL MARKETING HELP : Bruno Chatelin

 

We cover over 15 000 festivals worldwide and proudly share our knowledge of the Festival circuit with our community, we trust our audience will ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE even  better on our new platform : stay tuned for new features coming out soon!. In case you missed any of these 1100+ newsletters ... you can find them all here.

 

 

festivals

FESTIVALS IN FOCUS   

 

Watch out for our daily photo video coverage of Venice Festival

Coming soon: photos by Laurent Hou


 

Zurich Film Festival and El Gouna Film Festival announce strategic partnership • Aug 25, 2026 at 03:22 PM

The Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) and Egypt's El Gouna Film Festival (GFF) are entering a strategic partnership. Going forward, the two festivals will collaborate on programming and join forces to...


 

San Sebastian Fest announced inauguration and clossing films

The world premiere of the film Geister / Ghost Song will open the competitive Official Selection of the San...


 

 

San Sebastian Fest announced Perlak line-up  

 

Perlak will include at the 74th edition of the San Sebastián Festival a total of 16 feature films, the majority of which have enjoyed recognition at the world’s leading festivals. Eleven of the...


 

THE 16th ANNUAL LACLA STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL will run Sunday, September 27, 2026 at the Richard A Grant Theater (Cathedral High School)

LATIN AMERICAN CINEMATECA OF LOS ANGELES PRESENTS THE 16th ANNUAL LACLA STUDENT FILM FESTIVAL Spotlighting short films created by middle and high school students from various media programs in the...


 

Docu Talents 2026 Winners & Emerging Producers 2027 announced 

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The countdown to Ji.hlava has begun! In two months, we will meet again for the 30th Ji.hlava IDFF, bringing together documentary films, filmmakers and industry professionals from around the world....

 


Julien Dubuque International Film Festival April 17 - 24, 2027 Call for entry opening now!  

 

The JDIFF Video Channel: ambiance and interviewsEmail I  467 Bluff Street Dubuque, IA 52001 United States I Website I Profile on filmfestivals.com I Facebook I Twitter I SUBMITPhotos  by Bruno...


 

 

film

 One Night Only, Review: Pre-marital Sex Mandate for Americans—Only One Night a Year 

 Still from One Night Only

One Night Only, Review: Pre-marital Sex Mandate for Americans—Only One Night a YearYou’ve got to give it to them. Film-buffs, satiated with action, superhero and horror movies who look forward to...


 

7 Dogs, Review: 007 Dirty Dogs, 002 Dogfighters, 002 Indian cameos (Sanjay & Salman) & 001 Pink Lady 

 A still from 7 Dogs

7 Dogs, Review: 007 Dirty Dogs, 002 Dogfighters, 002 Indian cameos (Sanjay & Salman) & 001 Pink Lady Fans of the James Bond franchise would readily recall at least seven of the arch villains featured...


 

Insidious, Out of the Further--Overview: Odious and farther 

 Insidious, Still

Insidious, Out of the Further--Overview: Odious and fartherMost horror films deal with the fully dead or not fully dead: the undead. The dead haunt you in new homes, with a past, or castles/mansions,...


 

Mutiny, Review: Seize on the Thai seas  

 Jason Statham in Mutiny

Mutiny, Review: Seize on the Thai seasThat’s cheating! When you have a ship as the main locale/vessel of your film, a crew of 20+ and not one of them rebels, how can you call it a mutiny? There are...


 

NOBODY'S VIOLENCE, directed by Denis Côté, opening film of the FNC 55th edition!  

 

The FNC is proud to announce that the opening film for its 55th edition will be the highly anticipated Nobody’s Violence by Denis Côté, one of Quebec’s most distinctive and iconoclastic filmmakers....

 


Batwara 1947, Review: Religion divides, humanity unites  

 Poster of Batwara 1947

Batwara 1947, Review: Religion divides, humanity unitesSyed Asghar Wajahat Rizvi was one year-old when the Partition (Batwara) took place, creating India and Pakistan as two countries. It is not...


 

In the company of wolves takes top awards at Indiefest july 2026 season  

 

The IndieFEST Film AwardsSeason: July 2026   IndieFEST Film Awards Season: July 2026 Best of ShowSusan Kucera (USA), IN THE COMPANY OF WOLVES: AN AMERICAN JOURNEY, Documentary Feature Susan Kucera...


 

"Coming Home" opened Pechka Film Festival 

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The International Rural Film Festival "Pechka" (PECHKAfest) took place from August 13 to 16, 2026Pechka is the first and only film festival in Russia with a thematic focus on the village and rural...


 

THE 2026 HOLLYSHORTS AWARD NOMINEES  

 

 The competition is getting closer to its final chapter.HollyShorts has announced the nominees and finalists for its 22nd edition, recognizing exceptional work across live action, animation,...


 Batwara 1947, Review: Religion divides, humanity unites  

 Poster of Batwara 1947

Batwara 1947, Review: Religion divides, humanity unitesSyed Asghar Wajahat Rizvi was one year-old when the Partition (Batwara) took place, creating India and Pakistan as two countries. It is not... 

 

 
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"THE BEST FOR FESTS :

ONES TO WATCH FOR FESTIVAL CONSIDERATION  carefully curated by Bruno Chatelin 

Coming Home from ShadowLand to SpiritWorld

USA April 2026 85 minutes documentary film by J.Mitchell Johnson & Daniel Golding (Quechan Indian tribe) 

Coming Home: From Shadowland to Spiritworld is the story of a California native tribe’s surprisingly successful recovery of sacred land and their unique quest for reunification with descendants of tribal women taken to Russia at the end of that country’s brief colonial enterprise on the California coast.

 

Shot over a period of 14 years beginning in 2012 in a cinéma vérité style, Coming Home: From
Shadowland to Spiritworld follows the story of the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians as they undertake an extraordinary effort to reclaim their ancestral lands on the Sonoma Coast after 170 years of displacement. Interweaving the little-known history of Russian colonization in California with a modern story of negotiation, diplomacy, and ceremony, the film shows how land repatriation becomes a powerful act of cultural renewal. The Kashia tell their own story without a third-party narrator as they confront the legacy of historical trauma—including generational loss and the ongoing impacts of colonialism—the return to their sacred places like Metini and Danaka reveals how restoring land can help restore identity, resilience, and community.

 

After sacred land goes up for sale following 170 years of dispossession brought-on by

the California genocide of native peoples, Kashia Pomo tribal-elder (OTIS PARRISH) mentors a pair of young tribal members (MARTINA MORGAN and JERRY PINOLA) on a journey seeking coastal land return and self-recovery that inspires healing, spiritual revival, and a search for the truth about those tribal members gone missing and murdered.   

Watch the trailer

 

Profile on filmfestivals.comTrailerSynopsisAbout the filmmakers I Website I IMDB

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 STAKEOUT by Riker Lynch USA 90 minutes April 26

 

Suspicious of his new girlfriend, Jon enlists his wannabe-detective best friend for a DIY stakeout - only to stumble on a dangerous secret that puts them in way over their heads. 

 

Action, comedy romantic thriller by Riker Lynch Writer, Director, Producer

Produced by Billy Gould, Ross Lynch, Gordy De St. Jeor and Riker Lynch

Casting: Riker Lynch, Titus Makin, Bella Martinez, Samuel Del Real, Curt Mega, Sammy Ferrenbach,Bobby UKey, Kayden Muller-Janssen

Riker’s band is ready to perform in sync with festival screenings.

 

 

Profile on filmfestivals.comTrailerSynopsisDirector's statementCrewIMDB

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IN THE COMPANY OF WOLVES: AN AMERICAN JOURNEY Documentary by Susan Kucera 

1 hour 21 minutes 
USA, December 2025
 

The American West is a mythos known around the world — a landscape of freedom, rugged individualism, boundless possibility, and the collision of human ambition with ecological reality. This film explores the truth beneath it, revealing how wolves — and the domesticated animals traveling in their wake — shaped our ideas, our folklore, and our sense of nationhood, altering the course of American history as profoundly as any human hand.

Academy-Award winner, JEFF BRIDGES narrates this stunning journey, following wolves as co-travelers through American history — from the shores of England to the birth of the New Republic and ultimately the colonization of the vast, contested landscapes of the modern American West. A place where the ensemble doesn’t merely walk through history; they trot, lope, stampede, and migrate across it reminding us that the connection between the wild and the domesticated have always reflected a deeper story of who we are as a nation — and who we might yet become. 

Susan Kucera and Academy Award winner, Jeff Bridges, team up for their 3rd Documentary Film together, In the Company of Wolves; An American Journey. This is Susan's 8th documentary film following award winning films such as, Living in the Future's Past, Hot Money, 12th Hour, For the Love of Tango, Wild Genius, Breath of Life and Trading on Thin Air. She spent her youth filming on the ice fields of the Athabasca Glacier and has a deep love of nature, cinematography, animals and the great outdoors. 

Watch the Trailer  

Profile on filmfestivals.comTrailerSynopsisDirector's statementStillsWebsiteIMDB
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"Lala my readhead" script by Nellie K. and Deniz Nala

Lala_poster.jpg 

'LALA, MY REDHEAD'

Feature film by Nellie K. and Deniz Nala

in development stage, with a finalised script

Looking for support: partners and financiers.

 

Love and poverty, betrayal and wealth - centuries of traditions put to the test! A compelling story intricately woven into a comprehensive exploration of women’s status against the backdrop of the Roma culture. From the director of an award-winning film in Cannes 2023.

Read more »

 

Profile on filmfestivals.comSynopsisAwards

 

awards 

 

In the company of Wolves wins top prize: "Outstanding Achievement Award" at Impact Docs Awards 

 

IN THE COMPANY OF WOLVES: AN AMERICAN JOURNEYSusan KuceraSusan Kucera (USA), IN THE COMPANY OF WOLVES: AN AMERICAN JOURNEY, Doc Feature – Oscar winner Jeff Bridges narrates this stunning journey...


 

Coming Home: From Shadowland to Spiritworld wins Award of Excellence at The Impact DOCS Awards 

 

The Impact DOCS AwardsSeason: August 2026Daniel Golding, J. Mitchell Johnson and Bob Elfstrom (USA), Coming Home: From Shadowland to Spiritworld Award of Excellence: Documentary Feature  


 

In the company of wolves takes top awards at Indiefest july 2026 season 

 

The IndieFEST Film AwardsSeason: July 2026   IndieFEST Film Awards Season: July 2026 Best of ShowSusan Kucera (USA), IN THE COMPANY OF WOLVES: AN AMERICAN JOURNEY, Documentary Feature Susan Kucera...


 

Stakeout takes home 8 fantastic Awards at Indiefest July 2026 season 

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 The IndieFEST Film AwardsSeason: July 2026 Award of Excellence Special Mention Riker Lynch (USA), Stakeout,  Film Feature In addition to Award of Excellence Special Mention, you have also received...


 

5 Awards of Excellence for Coming Home at Indiefest July 2026 edition 

 

The IndieFEST Film AwardsSeason: July 2026  Daniel Golding, J. Mitchell Johnson and Bob Elfstrom (USA), Coming Home: From Shadowland to Spiritworld Award of Excellence: Documentary Feature Award of...


 

The winners of the 2026 Festival of Cinema NYC are... 

 

The 2026 Festival of Cinema NYC Awards Dinner CeremonyIt was a night to remember as over 100 filmmakers, artists, actors, and writers gathered on Sunday Night at the Jamaica Performing Arts Center in...


 

JI.HLAVA DOCU TALENT AWARDS 2026 WENT TO ORA ET LABORA AND RETUNING  

 

JI.HLAVA DOCU TALENT AWARDS 2026 WENT TO ORA ET LABORA AND RETUNING EMERGING PRODUCERS 2027 WERE ANNOUNCED  MONTENEGRO WILL BE THE INDUSTRY GUEST COUNTRY OF THE 30TH JI.HLAVA IDFF

 

 

 

 

Special Awards at Locarno Film Festival 

 

 Every year celebrate the personalities who are writing the history of cinema, electing them as symbols of dialogue between the films of yesterday and the films of today.Excellence AwardLearn...


 

 

 

The Masterclasses of the 2026 Venice Film Festival schedules  

 

 The Masterclasses of the 2026 Venice Film Festival at the Match Point Arena:the Golden Lions for Lifetime Achievement George Clooney and Ellen Burstyn,Chloe Zhao with Lukasz Zal, Luc Besson, Luca...


 

Naomi Watts to Receive the Golden Eye Award at Zurich Festival 

 Portrait of Naomi Watts

© JuanKR  The Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) is honoring actress Naomi Watts with the Golden Eye Award for her outstanding performance in Ben Shirinian’s THE HOUSEWIFE. In Zurich, she will present her...

 


In the company of wolves takes top awards at Indiefest july 2026 season 

 

The IndieFEST Film AwardsSeason: July 2026   IndieFEST Film Awards Season: July 2026 Best of ShowSusan Kucera (USA), IN THE COMPANY OF WOLVES: AN AMERICAN JOURNEY, Documentary Feature Susan Kucera...

 

Stakeout takes home 8 fantastic Awards at Indiefest July 2026 season 

Blog image

The IndieFEST Film AwardsSeason: July 2026 Award of Excellence Special Mention Riker Lynch (USA), Stakeout,  Film Feature In addition to Award of Excellence Special Mention, you have also received...

 


Research mapping out the most bankable movie stars  

Following the release of UNIC’s brand-new annual data report showing that box office growth across Europe has officially surged past pre-pandemic levels, the question of what drives theatrical...

 


The renowned international jury for European Work in Progress 2026 

 

left to right: Christian Bräuer, Paolo Bertolin, Rebecca De Pas, Valeska Neu, Iñigo TrojaolaThe renowned international jury for European Work in Progress 2026We’re happy to announce the six...


 

VIDEO The 83rd Venice International Film Festival in the words of Artistic Director Alberto Barbera 

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VIDEO The 83rd Venice International Film Festival (Lido di Venezia, September 2 - 12, 2026) in the words of Artistic Director Alberto Barbera.

 

 


 

Tour du monde en 80 jours augmenté : une prévente exclusive pour redécouvrir Jules Verne à l’ère de la lecture augmentée  

 

Publié en 1872, Le Tour du monde en 80 jours demeure l’un des récits d’aventure les plus universellement partagés, traversant les générations sans jamais perdre de sa force narrative. Adapté au...


 

GrecDoc 2026, et encore une belle fin de l'été • 

 

LA VIE QUOTIDIENNE DES CITOYENS GRECS EN IMAGESGrecDoc est un festival cinématographique organisé par l’association Ecrans des Mondes. Les films sélectionnés nous parlent de la vie quotidienne des...


Locarno Open Doors dévoile son palmarès pour 2026 

 

Open Doors, plateforme de coproduction et d’accompagnement de talents du Locarno Film Festival destinée aux cinéastes issu·es de communautés en quête d’équité et de régions du monde où l’expression artistique est menacée, a annoncé son palmarès 2026. Cette édition marque la deuxième étape d’un cycle de quatre éditions consacré à 42 pays d’Afrique.


 

Canal: