Once upon a time a web site called kilima.com kept a list of film festivals with no entry fees for filmmakers. That page has since disappeared, but a little sleuthing revealed an archived copy. A little more detective work has resulted in this page, which lists the kilima.com festivals and more with links to the appropriate web sites where available. Festivals that have since instituted an entry fee are listed in strikeout text. Be sure to check each festival's web site carefully before submitting -- many of these "no fee" festivals are specialty fests looking to receive work from a specific type of filmmaker. If you notice a festival that shouldn't be listed here, please send email (see below).
If you know of or represent a film festival that charges nothing to filmmakers to submit their work, please let me know: chris at filmfestivalsecrets dot com.
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15/15 Film Festival - short must be produced during the contest
AFI Dallas International Film Festival
African-American Film Marketplace
African Diaspora Film Festival
All Roads Film Festival
American Conservation Film Festival
Amnesty International Film Festival
Annapolis Reel Cinema Festival - defunct?
Archaeology Channel Festival - indigenous peoples, heritgage film
Arizona State University Art Museum Short Film & Video Festival
Auckland International Film Festival
Australian Effects Short Film Festival - showcases digital effects and innovation
Balticon Film Festival - sci/fi convention fest, mostly shorts
Berlin and Beyond - films from Germany, Austria, Switzerland only. Fest is in San Francisco.
Bicycle Film Festival - films featuring or celebrating bicycles.
Black Soil Film Festival - hip hop films
The Bosnian-Herzegovinian Film Festival
Brisbane International Film Festival
Cape May New Jersey Film Festival
Cinerama (defunct?)
Comic Arts Laugh Festival
Conscious Life Expo Film Festival - where the "the spiritual and progressive community in southern California" comes together
Daytona Beach Film Festival - free for student filmmakers
Delray Beach Film Festival
DOCNZ - documentaries
Docfest - New York International Documentary Festival - filmmakers apply by letter first; festival will request screener if they are interested
DC Meets Delhi Film Festival
DC Independent Film Festival - student filmmakers pay no fee
Down Under International Film Festival
Extreme Filmmaker's 48 Hour Film Festival
Global Art Film Festival - no fees for films submitted before certain deadlines
Global Peace Film Festival
Green Mountain Film Festival
Greenbelt Utopia Film & Video Festival - fee waived for filmmakers under 18
H2O 360
Human Rights Watch Intl Film Festival - festival solicits film descriptions by email and then requests screeners from filmmakers
Intelligent Use of Water Film Fest - short films about water conservation
Loisaida Cortos Latino Film Festival
Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival
Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival - no fee for films submitted before certain date
Melbourne Underground Film Festival
Native American Film & Video Festival
National Neighborhood Day Short Film Contest - no entry fee for youth
Newark Black Film Festival
New York Arab & South Asian Film Festival
New York Film Festival
New York International Latino Film Festival
Next Reel International Film Festival
Nihilist Film Festival
NoisePop Film Festival
The Other Film Festival
The Other Israel Film Festival
OUTer Gay & Lesbian Sci-Fi/Fantasy Film Festival
Pangea Day
Philadelphia Fringe Festival
Providence Latin American Film Festival
Red Stick International Animation Festival
Reel Black Men
Reel Life Disability Film Festival
Reel Pride Michigan Film Festival (defunct?)
Salem Film Festival - send info first, they will request screener if interested
San Francisco Women's Film Festival
Scandinavian Film Festival L.A.
Scinema Festival of Science Film
Short Shorts Film Festival
Stony Brook Film Festival
Tiburon Film Festival - fee waived for students
Tromadance Film Festival
Vistas Latino Film Festival
Wairoa Maori FIlm Festival
Wanaka Mountain Film Festival
Wellington Film Festival
Wild Spaces Film Festival - appears defunct?
Zeitgeist International Film Festival
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