Wesley Wang, the director behind the viral short nothing, except everything., is launching Wesley Wang Media with a $100,000 competition to find and fund the next generation of internet-native filmmakers.
Last year's biggest acquisition story started right here. These six are chasing the same fate.
Here's what's fueling the loudest reactions on the Lido this year.
The directors, the films, and where each one stands heading into the fall festival run.
Every short that's already qualified for the 2027 Oscar race, and what got them there.
Festivals where the craft is the entire point.
People are going back to theaters. That matters for everyone in film, including independent filmmakers.
What Hanging by A Wire can teach independent filmmakers about the waiting game.
For a long time, genre film festivals were seen as the alternative circuit. That perception is changing fast.
Feature film In Our Image is the perfect example of why you should be posting online.
Starting with one title in the industry doesn’t mean you have to stick to just that.
An Oscar shortlisted producer and documentarian on finding the stories worth telling.
One of the most established and passionate circuits in independent film.
The filmmakers building real momentum are the ones who treat their online presence as part of production.
Festivals built specifically to amplify stories about the planet, human rights, conservation, and social justice.
Horror is one of the most active genres on the independent film circuit.
There’s an entire circuit built for non-fiction work, no need to start with Sundance or SXSW to get your film seen.
Showcasing events where shorts aren’t filler between features but the entire focal point.
Remember, programmers watch everything. The marketing materials are what get a film moved from watched to recommended
A checklist to narrow that list down from the overwhelming thousands of festivals available to just a select few.
All things change with time, even the film festival funnel. It’s our job to adapt.
Getting into a film festival is one thing. Building from it is another.
If you’re a woman trying to figure out the festival circuit, you’ve probably already learned the hard way that not all festivals are not worth your time or effort. Some talk about inclusion, this list is for the ones that actually mean it.
Most first-time filmmakers think about marketing this way: finish the film, figure out a bare bones promotional strategy, and hope. That’s the mistake costing you more than you realize.
With distribution models shifting and fewer clear paths for independent films, a lot of filmmakers have been rethinking their film festival strategy. A new white paper from Eventive - looking at over 15 million tickets across 6,000 unique festival editions - gives a rare, grounded look at what’s actually happening.
Submitting your film to festivals can feel expensive, confusing, and honestly a little chaotic - but it doesn’t have to be. This article walks through how to submit your film to festivals without wasting money, breaking down a smarter, more strategic approach. Happy Submitting!
Have You Seen My Film? A Kinema Podcast
Ken Meyer does not introduce himself with titles, yet his path is hard to miss. His career spans studio and indie worlds: he served as executive producer on Anora and has spent nearly two decades working on Steven Soderbergh’s independent titles: producing, executive producing, o
For the very first time, you can submit directly through Hiike to 3 amazing festivals: Artificial Intelligence Media Festival, Poppy Jasper International Film Festival, and Easthampton Film Festival
This has been a hot topic for a while now, and oftentimes if feels like the independent film world can’t quite keep up!
Last week I sat down with Hudson Flynn , who you might recognize from Season 1 of Severence . Yup, he was one of the activists against Lumon.
So, on Thursday, I was in Hawaii for a pitch competition (the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards— Hiike placed THIRD at Nationals!), but that didn’t stop me from talking to Caleb Reese Paul .
Article Written by Brynne Norquist
Article Written By Brynne Norquist; Podcast Conversation with Cole Swanson, Braxton Prince, Tyler Knohl, and Brynne Norquist
When Herman Phillips was five years old, he was already hooked on entertainment tech. Inspired by Empire of Dreams—the Ken Burns documentary chronicling the making of Star Wars—he dove headfirst into stop-motion and VFX, which all eventually led him to start his own production co
BREAKING: This morning, the Sundance Institute announced something many in the film world suspected was coming: the Sundance Film Festival is officially relocating to Boulder, Colorado, starting in 2027.
We sat down with Abby Wright—founder of Femme Filth Fest , Programming Fellow at Woods Hole Film Festival , screener for NFFTY and American Cinematheque’s PROOF Film Festival , and the newest programmer and host for an upcoming screening series with a major genre festival (detail
Some films stay with you long after the credits roll, and Welcome Home Freckles is one of them. I first learned about the film at SXSW, where I hosted a networking breakfast for Hiike. That’s where I had the privilege of meeting the team behind Welcome Home Freckles . They had al
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