MovieMaker today announced that Tallgrass Film Festival has been named to its annual list of 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee, celebrating festivals that serve moviemakers and audiences in some of the best destinations in the world.
MovieMaker, a film magazine, and website based in Los Angeles compile its annual list based on surveys, filmmaker testimonials, and visits to festivals, among other factors. Key considerations include how much assistance a festival provides to traveling filmmakers; recent premieres at the festival; opportunities to meet distributors, fans, fellow filmmakers, and press; and whether festivals are Academy-qualifying.
“With the film world in a state of constant change in recent years, festivals are more important than ever to help audiences and distributors find new films, and to remind all of us why we devote so much of our lives to making and loving movies,” said MovieMaker editor Tim Molloy. “The festivals on this list work incredibly hard to make it feel effortless.”
“Tallgrass is honored to be recognized for all we do to put the work in to celebrate filmmakers both locally and globally,” Executive Director Melanie Addington said. “Our way of remaining stubbornly independent is something we strongly believe in and hope that our community and our filmmakers continue to support.”
Here’s MovieMaker’s 2023 list of 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee, in alphabetical order:
American Black Film Festival
American Documentary and Animation Film Festival (AmDocs)
Atlanta Film Festival
Austin Film Festival
BendFilm Festival
Bentonville Film Festival
Big Sky Documentary Film Festival
Brooklyn Film Festival
Busan International Short Film Festival
Calgary International Film Festival
Calgary Underground Film Festival
Camden International Film Festival
Cannes Indie Shorts Awards
Chicago International Film Festival
Chilliwack Independent Film Festival
Cleveland International Film Festival
Cucalorus
DeadCenter
EnergaCamerimage International Film Festival
Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival
Fantasia Film Festival
Fantaspoa International Film Festival
Female Eye Film Festival
Festival du Nouveau Cinema
FilmQuest
Galway Film Fleadh
Hamptons International Film Festival
Heartland International Film Festival/
Indy Shorts
HotDocs Canadian International Film Festival
IndieLisboa International Film Festival
Indie Memphis
Locarno Film Festival
Louisiana Film Prize
Mammoth Lakes Film Festival
Nashville Film Festival
NewFilmmakers Los Angeles
New Hampshire Film Festival
New Orleans Film Festival
Newport Beach Film Festival
Provincetown International Film Festival
Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Santa Fe International Film Festival
SCAD Savannah Film Festival
Screamfest
Slamdance Film Festival
Tallgrass Film Festival
Tribeca Festival
True/False Film Festival
Warsaw International Film Festival
Whistler Film Festival
Woodstock Film Festival
Stubbornly Independent since 2003, the Tallgrass Film Festival is the largest film festival in Kansas. A program of the 501(c)3 Tallgrass Film Association, the festival showcases more than 200 films from around the world, hosts dozens of visiting filmmakers, and includes galas, parties, and educational workshops and panels. In addition to bringing the best of independent cinema to heartland audiences, the festival is designed to highlight the city’s cultural attractions including world-class museums, landmarks, and unique local businesses, to visitors and residents alike. Throughout the year, TFA presents independent cinema at the year-round film center in the Lux.
MovieMaker is dedicated to the art and craft of making movies. The list of 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee in 2023 is in the Spring 2023 issue, with Owen Wilson on the cover.
