FESTIVALS
Now in its 6th year, Hollywood ShortsFest returns to the Look Dine-In Cinemas in Glendale with a showcase of 70+ official short films from around the world. The festival features daily networking events, filmmaker Q&As, and over $4,000 in annual cash awards. Top films are awarded $1,000 each for the Jury Prize and People’s Choice.
Key Details:
Final Deadline: November 13, 2025
Festival Dates: January 8 – 11, 2026
Location: Glendale, CA, US
Now in its 32nd year, the Victoria Film Festival (VFF) screens the best in Canadian and international cinema across ten days of features, docs, shorts, installations, and networking events. The fest includes juried and audience prizes, like Best Canadian First Feature ($1,000) and Best Short Film ($500), and qualifies for the Canadian Screen Awards.
Key Details:
Late Deadline: September 5, 2025
Festival Dates: February 6 – 15, 2026
Location: Victoria, BC, Canada
FUNDING & LABS
The Fund for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) offers multiple types of grants for reporters, filmmakers, and podcasters working on impactful, nonpartisan investigations. This includes freelancers, staff journalists, and media outlets developing work across print, broadcast, documentary, or podcast platforms.
Key Details:
Deadline: September 8, 2025
Grant Amount: Up to $10,000 per project
Eligibility: Open to international and U.S.- based applicants
This U.S.-based program supports women filmmakers, especially those who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, older, or disabled, through fiscal sponsorship and a suite of production services. Over $100 million has been raised through the program to date.
Key Details:
Deadline: Rolling (Apply anytime)
Support: Fiscal sponsorship + consulting + fundraising tools
Eligibility: U.S.-based women filmmakers; international applicants accepted by invitation
TOOLS & RESOURCES
Flowblade is a fast, stable, and feature-rich non-linear video editing software that’s completely free and open source (GPLv3). Available for Linux, it supports nearly all media formats via FFmpeg and offers multi-track editing, keyframe animations, color grading, audio mixing, filters, compositing, and G’MIC image effects integration. Ideal for indie filmmakers, editors, and students seeking a powerful post-production tool without the price tag.
Best For: Indie filmmakers, editors, students, and post teams working on Linux-based workflows.
Natron is a professional-grade, open source visual effects and compositing tool that rivals commercial software like Nuke. Designed for VFX artists and compositors, it features OFX plugin support, 2D tracking, keying, roto, curve editors, and headless rendering. Natron’s node-based workflow is ideal for building pixel-perfect composites for film and animation.
Best For: Compositors, VFX artists, post teams, and students looking for a robust, free alternative to Nuke or Fusion.
JOBS
National Geographic is hiring a Photo Editor to shape compelling visual narratives across print, digital, and social platforms. The ideal candidate has strong editorial taste, a passion for nature, science, and storytelling, and at least 3 years’ experience in photo editing or research.
Key Details:
Location: Washington, D.C.
Type: Full-Time
Pay: $78,200 – $104,800/year
Fox Corporation is hiring a Production Assistant in New York to support the true crime podcast Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Responsibilities include sourcing visuals from social media, tracking usage rights, creating graphics in Canva, and editing video content using Adobe Premiere.
Key Details:
Location: New York, NY (Hybrid)
Type: Part-Time or Freelance
Pay: $21.00–$25.00/hour
INDUSTRY PULSE
The hit Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso recently filmed scenes around Kansas City, reflecting a broader trend of film projects returning to the city. Thanks to renewed state and local tax credits, KC is attracting more commercial and narrative shoots, echoing its 1990s heyday.
Estimated read: 3 min
The first-ever Location Managers Awards UK will be held on October 4, 2025, at Liverpool’s St George’s Hall, honoring the unsung heroes of film and TV production: location managers, scouts, and unit teams. The event celebrates contributions to projects like Peaky Blinders, Fantastic Beasts, and Rocketman.
Estimated read: 3 min
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